seven

“So anyway, there I was in the Algonquin, when who else but Neil Patrick Harris comes in and sees me,” said Dan with an affected laugh. “Of course, he insisted on buying me a drink at the bar. He always does.”

I stared down at my steak pomme frites and willed myself to eat. My appetite had all but disappeared over the last hour as Dan monopolized the conversation with a seemingly endless supply of stories about Broadway. They all shared one purpose; namely, that Dan knew a lot of famous people, and, more importantly, they all thought he was wonderful. Dinner with Dan was nothing more than a sobering interlude of minimum-security imprisonment.

“But then just as Patrick is demanding a bottle of the best champagne they have,” Dan went on, “I hear someone calling my name. I turn around and who do you think I see?”

No one answered.

“It’s Nathan Lane, of course,” said Dan. “And he starts insisting that he’s buying my drink!”

I set down my fork in defeat. Nigel suddenly reached into the middle of the table and pantomimed picking something up by his fingers. “I believe you dropped another name, Dan,” he said, as he pretended to give it back to him.

Dan looked at Nigel in confusion. “What?” he finally said.

“You dropped another name,” Nigel repeated. “You might want to be more careful in the future,” he added as he eyed the table with pity. “They’re scattered all over the tablecloth.”

I hid a smile and picked up my fork. My appetite had suddenly returned.

 

An hour later, we were on our way to the Eugene O’Neill Theater where Peggy’s play was opening. Set in the South during the Great Depression, Dealer’s Choice was the tale of a down-on-his-luck con man, Frankie Davis, whose schemes have ruined his already suffering family. Seasoned actor Jeremy Hamlin had been cast as Frankie, the inept grifter who is convinced his big score is only one “dumb mark” away. Broadway legend Nina Durand played his long-suffering wife, Patsy, who works three jobs to finance her husband’s schemes. Up-and-comer Brooke Casey played the wise-beyond-her-years daughter, Lilly, who ultimately proves to have the winning hand. All were excellent in their portrayals, but it was Brooke’s steely portrayal of Lilly, a young girl determined to save her family as she outwits the local loan sharks, that stole the show.

Based on the enthusiastic applause from the audience as Brooke took her final bow, I was not alone in my assessment. Harper turned to me, equally excited. “Wasn’t she amazing?” she asked me as we both stood for the ovation. “I can’t wait to read the reviews—I just know that it’s going to be a hit.”

I glanced over at Dan as she said this. Like the rest of us, he was on his feet, but his reaction was tepid at best. I didn’t think it was because he’d already seen the play, either. My headache, which had vanished during the play, returned.