"And now I'm all alone again, nowhere to turn, no one to go to..." Nina
mouthed the words as Danielle sang them. "Without a home, without a
friend, without a face to say hello to..."
Twice a day Nina stood in the wings next to the runaway cart as Danielle performed this song, wishing she were the one standing in those lights, wrapping in the famous tan overcoat, dreaming of Him.
Nina closed her eyes. "And I can make believe he's here..."
She always tried it. Usually in the afternoon shows, when she wasn't as tired, she could force herself to believe that He stood beside her. His soft, dusty brown hair and beautiful gray eyes... it wasn't fair to the rest of the world that such a gorgeous man could exist.
"...I can live inside my head."
It was working even better than usual today. Nina could actually hear His slow, quiet breathing. Something brushed against her arm, and her eyes flew open. He /was/ beside her!
Scott became aware of her gaze. "She's good, isn't she?" he whispered, motioning towards Danielle.
Nina quickly looked away, nodding. Of course. Danielle.
"Scott?" asked another voice.
He turned around.
"Isn't your next entrance from stage right?"
"Yeah, Mark. I ought to get going. See you two at the barricades."
Mark watched his retreat, then turned to Nina.
"I always stay here until the key change," she whispered.
"I know," Mark nodded.
There was an awkward pause.
"And I know... it's only in my mind..."
Nina smiled. "Key change."
Mark stepped aside as Nina passed. Had she looked over her shoulder, she would have seen him watching her sadly, whispering the words of the song.
"And although I know that she is blind..." he sighed.
It took a few minutes for Nina to maneuver her way around to the other side of the stage. When she arrived, Danielle was almost finished singing.
"I love him," Nina sang along, watching Scott adjust his sash by the curtain, "but... only on my own."
The applause seemed to last forever. Finally the music began again and Danielle ducked through the closing gap in the barricades. As soon as she reached the wings she went to Scott, who put his arms around her waist. "Beautiful," he whispered.
Danielle went to her dressing room to prepare for her death scene while most of the ensemble marched onstage. Mark nimbly climbed the barricade and secured the red flag to a piece of debris.
Nina cheered along with the others. "Get back in character," she thought. "We decided I would be Muchisetta, here to fight for the republic."
Even as she thought this, Ryan approached her and put an arm around her waist.
"This is Joly, my one true love," Nine told herself.
The technique never failed. Nina did not think of anything outside the revolution until Ryan shouted those dangerous words several minutes later: "There's a boy climbing the barricade!"
The shot rang out just as Ryan was helping Danielle over the top of the barricade.
Nina stood offstage with Mark and most of the other revolutionaries, who had left to tie their prisoner to a chair in the café.
Nina winced as Scott tenderly helped Danielle down. "Took the letter like you said... met her father at the door. He said he would give it..." Danielle collapsed into Scott's arms.
This scene... Nina hadn't been cast as Eponine because her death wasn't convincing enough. She supposedly did not understand how it felt to die in the arms of the one you love. Danielle, who had just come from playing Kim in Miss Saigon, had the perfect experience. After all, you just can't cast a former Kim as the factory girl and Fantine's understudy, or so she had been told. But you can cast a former Velma Kelly, Baker's Wife, and Chava as Fantine's understudy? Nina had asked. Don't worry, they said. When Diana leaves Fantine you'll take over.
As Scott cradled Danielle in his arms, Nina tried to look away. She could never tear her eyes from this scene, heart-wrenching for so many different reasons.
Mark suddenly moved between her and the stage. Nina looked quickly up at him. Had he seen? Did he know? Could he understand?
But Mark didn't look at Nina. Mark was watching the death scene, waiting for his cue. When it came, he and few others returned to the barricades and froze at the sight before them. Mark stood at the front of the crowd.
Little Josh dashed toward Danielle and Scott, apparently trying to help. Stuart grabbed the boy and held onto him. Nina had never understood this. What relationship did Gavroche have to Grantaire, that Grantaire would hug him like that?
Nina's cue came. She forced herself to move onstage. To stand still and stare, horrified at the scene taking place, was not a problem. Danielle finally went completely limp, her arm sliding off of Scott's shoulder.
Scott stared at the body in his arms, apparently horrified, then whispered, "...grow."
"Here it comes," Nina thought desperately. She wished she could close her eyes just this once, but she knew that people sitting in the first few rows could see. Nina was forced to watch as Scott slowly kissed Danielle.
"Muchisetta," Nina reminded herself. "My name is Muchisetta, and I am in love with Joly."
Danielle was carried offstage, and Nina could concentrate again knowing that Scoot would spend the rest of the show moping over Amanda. This didn't bother Nina, for she understood that he was only acting. Danielle's death scene was the only thing that irked her so, because she knew that Scott's affections for Danielle were genuine.
At last, the final curtain fell. Nina hurried to the dressing room, where she changed into jeans and a T-shirt.
Joining the little group at the stage door, Nina watched Scott, Danielle, Amanda, John, Diana, and Rob signing playbills. Even Josh had a gathering of fans. Nina sighed. No one ever approached her, saying "Oh my gosh! You were the factory girl! Can I have your autograph?" The mere thought of such a scenario was a little amusing.
Nina had to crack a smile when Rob began scratching the rash that covered his jawbone. He was allergic to the spirit gum that was used to keep his infamous sideburns on his face.
When most of the people with playbills were gone, Scott and Danielle left together. They always went out to eat between the matinee and evening performances. Nina watched them leave. "And now I'm all alone again," she sighed.
"Nina?" asked a voice from behind her.
She turned to see Mark standing in the doorway. He didn't look much different in normal clothes than he did onstage – he had dark hair and soft blue eyes.
"Yeah?"
Mark was actually not bad looking, although everyone paled next to the gorgeous Scott.
"Do you... have dinner plans?" he asked awkwardly.
Nina smiled and shook her head.
"Would you- do you want- I mean..."
"Sure," she answered.
"Really?"
"I'd love to."
Mark was sweet. Going to dinner with him was a much better idea than spending the time alone in a restaurant, wishing that she could be Danielle for just one day.
Mark offered her his arm, and the two set off in the direction of a café.
Twice a day Nina stood in the wings next to the runaway cart as Danielle performed this song, wishing she were the one standing in those lights, wrapping in the famous tan overcoat, dreaming of Him.
Nina closed her eyes. "And I can make believe he's here..."
She always tried it. Usually in the afternoon shows, when she wasn't as tired, she could force herself to believe that He stood beside her. His soft, dusty brown hair and beautiful gray eyes... it wasn't fair to the rest of the world that such a gorgeous man could exist.
"...I can live inside my head."
It was working even better than usual today. Nina could actually hear His slow, quiet breathing. Something brushed against her arm, and her eyes flew open. He /was/ beside her!
Scott became aware of her gaze. "She's good, isn't she?" he whispered, motioning towards Danielle.
Nina quickly looked away, nodding. Of course. Danielle.
"Scott?" asked another voice.
He turned around.
"Isn't your next entrance from stage right?"
"Yeah, Mark. I ought to get going. See you two at the barricades."
Mark watched his retreat, then turned to Nina.
"I always stay here until the key change," she whispered.
"I know," Mark nodded.
There was an awkward pause.
"And I know... it's only in my mind..."
Nina smiled. "Key change."
Mark stepped aside as Nina passed. Had she looked over her shoulder, she would have seen him watching her sadly, whispering the words of the song.
"And although I know that she is blind..." he sighed.
It took a few minutes for Nina to maneuver her way around to the other side of the stage. When she arrived, Danielle was almost finished singing.
"I love him," Nina sang along, watching Scott adjust his sash by the curtain, "but... only on my own."
The applause seemed to last forever. Finally the music began again and Danielle ducked through the closing gap in the barricades. As soon as she reached the wings she went to Scott, who put his arms around her waist. "Beautiful," he whispered.
Danielle went to her dressing room to prepare for her death scene while most of the ensemble marched onstage. Mark nimbly climbed the barricade and secured the red flag to a piece of debris.
Nina cheered along with the others. "Get back in character," she thought. "We decided I would be Muchisetta, here to fight for the republic."
Even as she thought this, Ryan approached her and put an arm around her waist.
"This is Joly, my one true love," Nine told herself.
The technique never failed. Nina did not think of anything outside the revolution until Ryan shouted those dangerous words several minutes later: "There's a boy climbing the barricade!"
The shot rang out just as Ryan was helping Danielle over the top of the barricade.
Nina stood offstage with Mark and most of the other revolutionaries, who had left to tie their prisoner to a chair in the café.
Nina winced as Scott tenderly helped Danielle down. "Took the letter like you said... met her father at the door. He said he would give it..." Danielle collapsed into Scott's arms.
This scene... Nina hadn't been cast as Eponine because her death wasn't convincing enough. She supposedly did not understand how it felt to die in the arms of the one you love. Danielle, who had just come from playing Kim in Miss Saigon, had the perfect experience. After all, you just can't cast a former Kim as the factory girl and Fantine's understudy, or so she had been told. But you can cast a former Velma Kelly, Baker's Wife, and Chava as Fantine's understudy? Nina had asked. Don't worry, they said. When Diana leaves Fantine you'll take over.
As Scott cradled Danielle in his arms, Nina tried to look away. She could never tear her eyes from this scene, heart-wrenching for so many different reasons.
Mark suddenly moved between her and the stage. Nina looked quickly up at him. Had he seen? Did he know? Could he understand?
But Mark didn't look at Nina. Mark was watching the death scene, waiting for his cue. When it came, he and few others returned to the barricades and froze at the sight before them. Mark stood at the front of the crowd.
Little Josh dashed toward Danielle and Scott, apparently trying to help. Stuart grabbed the boy and held onto him. Nina had never understood this. What relationship did Gavroche have to Grantaire, that Grantaire would hug him like that?
Nina's cue came. She forced herself to move onstage. To stand still and stare, horrified at the scene taking place, was not a problem. Danielle finally went completely limp, her arm sliding off of Scott's shoulder.
Scott stared at the body in his arms, apparently horrified, then whispered, "...grow."
"Here it comes," Nina thought desperately. She wished she could close her eyes just this once, but she knew that people sitting in the first few rows could see. Nina was forced to watch as Scott slowly kissed Danielle.
"Muchisetta," Nina reminded herself. "My name is Muchisetta, and I am in love with Joly."
Danielle was carried offstage, and Nina could concentrate again knowing that Scoot would spend the rest of the show moping over Amanda. This didn't bother Nina, for she understood that he was only acting. Danielle's death scene was the only thing that irked her so, because she knew that Scott's affections for Danielle were genuine.
At last, the final curtain fell. Nina hurried to the dressing room, where she changed into jeans and a T-shirt.
Joining the little group at the stage door, Nina watched Scott, Danielle, Amanda, John, Diana, and Rob signing playbills. Even Josh had a gathering of fans. Nina sighed. No one ever approached her, saying "Oh my gosh! You were the factory girl! Can I have your autograph?" The mere thought of such a scenario was a little amusing.
Nina had to crack a smile when Rob began scratching the rash that covered his jawbone. He was allergic to the spirit gum that was used to keep his infamous sideburns on his face.
When most of the people with playbills were gone, Scott and Danielle left together. They always went out to eat between the matinee and evening performances. Nina watched them leave. "And now I'm all alone again," she sighed.
"Nina?" asked a voice from behind her.
She turned to see Mark standing in the doorway. He didn't look much different in normal clothes than he did onstage – he had dark hair and soft blue eyes.
"Yeah?"
Mark was actually not bad looking, although everyone paled next to the gorgeous Scott.
"Do you... have dinner plans?" he asked awkwardly.
Nina smiled and shook her head.
"Would you- do you want- I mean..."
"Sure," she answered.
"Really?"
"I'd love to."
Mark was sweet. Going to dinner with him was a much better idea than spending the time alone in a restaurant, wishing that she could be Danielle for just one day.
Mark offered her his arm, and the two set off in the direction of a café.