A New Role for Mr Evans.
Whilst Britain had been lost in mourning, life on the opposite side of the Atlantic had not stopped its usual hectic pace. There had been a degree of interest in all that was going on in the UK of course, and those that had met the family felt saddened by events. Isabelle had written a column for Vogue in which she discussed the place that the Royal Family still occupied in Britain, and the deep affection that the country had for their Queen. She herself did not dare to imagine or indeed speculate on how she had to be feeling; after all, she had been in a relationship with him for over three quarters of a century, and he had been her constant support in her role as the world's longest serving head of state. True, she had her children around her, and a long serving loyal staff, but they were not privy to her most personal thoughts, nor had they the same shared memories and experiences…
There was of course speculation in some sections of the media as to what might happen now. Some had suggested for years that she might retire, as her husband had done, from public life, and it was out in the open again, commentators hinting that the death of her husband and her own looming 97th birthday might push her to that step. It was something that Isabelle ignored; her own boss was a Dame of the British Empire after all, and her opinion was that Her Majesty would not retire, but might just slow down a little more, hand more responsibility to her son and heir, and reduce her public appearances in respect of her advancing years. The nation would be sad, but they would respect her choice, whatever it was, given just how long she had dedicated her life to them all. Isabelle felt privileged to have met her, albeit briefly. She dreaded the day that she or Ms Wintour would have to authorise the publication of the pages that were already prepared in which Her Majesty's role in the world of fashion was posthumously recounted…
As the rest of the world speculated about what life changing decisions the Queen might be making, Roderick was contemplating one of his own. Although he was still submitting regular articles to the media on a freelance basis, and they were being picked up, no-one was yet able to offer him a full-time role, or indeed any role, on a permanent basis. He had even gone so far as to make a number of applications for jobs in the visual media, although the idea of appearing on TV was the stuff of nightmares to him. However, even they did not appear to be hiring, particularly in an age of freelancing correspondents that worked for several channels.
His job looking after Simon on a daily basis for David and Mercedes was going well, and he enjoyed it, but he knew that they would be returning to Boston in May; they had dropped a number of subtle hints about how he could go with them, but the truth was that he loved New York. He had his little apartment and he had his friends. There were also less media opportunities in Boston, and he did not want to move away just as the big job he craved appeared…
He had resolved that what he could do was work for the qualifications that he would require to get another job in childcare or indeed nursing. There were a number of courses available, and some even offered financial incentives for male students, now that there were quotas to be filled for equality box ticking. Those did not commence until late August or September, which would leave him a gap. He knew that he could probably find a job to tide him over - the Spotlight Diner was always looking for cover during that period - but that would leave him with even less time to write the articles he needed to keep submitting to keep his name in people's sights…
Roderick was a realist; he had accepted that his life was not going to go exactly the way that he might have hoped, and he had to take a new direction. He had found a new role that he enjoyed, and it was something he could move into; all that was holding him back was those official certificates. With determination behind him, he began to fill in the first of several application forms, starting with the most comprehensive courses. Even if he did eventually get a job in the media, it did not hurt to have a second string to your bow that you could fall back on…
February would move on into March, the weather being mild for once on the east coast of the United States, although the consequence of that was a much colder period of weather than normal in the United Kingdom. It was still milder than New York usually was at that time of year in London, so Niff took it all in their stride, whilst many other residents of the city did not. The media was full of complaints about icy pavements and roads. Nick was also quite startled to have been told off by one of the other residents for his decision to clear the snow from the pavement outside their house on Sunday morning, used as he was to the system of compulsion back home.
It transpired here that people expected that the local authorities should clear the paths; they then enjoyed complaining that they had not, which was usually because the authorities in question had neither the staff or the cash to clear them… It was one of the idiosyncrasies of the British that left Nick shaking his head. They spent all their time complaining about the poor standard, in their opinion, of local public services, and the cuts to those that did exist; but then complained all the more if the local authorities attempted to put up the local taxes to pay for better services… The general opinion seemed to be that someone else should be the ones to pay more for the things they wanted.
Nick was so infuriated by the tone of the man in question that he decided to continue on clearing the snow, not just outside his own home, but right down their side of the Square. He knew that there were a number of elderly people living there that would appreciate his efforts, even if Mr Angry did not. When he was halfway along he found himself joined by a young couple that he knew only by sight, and with their help, he made fast work of the last stretch of pavement and the paths and steps to the houses. They were rewarded with tea and cake by one grateful older lady, and by the sight of other people across the Square doing the same thing… By the time that Monday morning came, even the pavement heading to the tube had been cleared, which was a boon to all of them, and from what Jeff later told his husband, a delight to the council workers that had been sent to clear it…
Meanwhile, Sebastian was not seeing very much of the weather, as his every waking moment was being taken up by his son. He was at his side the moment that he cried, barely taking even a moment to sleep, which left him snatching a nap when his son did. He refused all offers of help the first week that Francis was at home, not even from Dave, wanting to bond with his boy instead. Dave could understand that sentiment, recalling how he had also wanted to spend every waking moment with his daughter when she was born, but it still worried him…
Exhaustion and a pep talk from Wes would alter his stance a little; the angel had forced Sebastian to take a look at himself in the mirror, and the man that had taken such pride in his appearance as he had appeared on Broadway was given quite a jolt as he observed the unshaven, unwashed and haggard man staring back. "I know that your instinct right now is to spend every moment with your boy, but what will happen when your energy runs out because you aren't eating properly, or you get sick, or worse, you fall asleep in the middle of something important?" chided Wes as he stood beside him. "You have a wonderful husband and a very capable nanny; take advantage! Your son needs a fit youthful man for a father, not a burnt out shell…"
The fact was that Sebastian knew that Wes was right and had done so all along, but in his euphoria after the birth of his boy, he had lost sight of what was right and sensible. When that night he nudged Dave awake and said, "I think that it is your turn to change Francis…" Dave had climbed out of bed with a grin, glad that his husband had seen the light before he collapsed. The following day saw him hand his son over to the nanny, before announcing that he needed to go and shave before he popped out for a while. She was only too delighted that her employer had finally seen sense, and was going to let her do the job that they paid her for…
It was on the first day of March that Sam Evans found himself being called to the directors office as he arrived at the theatre. He was not shocked; indeed, he had been expecting this moment for a while. The show was still a great success, still selling out, but eventually the time had come when a refresh was needed, and that meant recasting the principal cast one by one. He knew that Cooper was already thinking about his next move, and that he had been offered the lead in a play in a forthcoming season of Noel Coward revivals, Present Laughter. He had not accepted the part yet, but Sam was certain that the only reason for that was down to not wishing to leave him in the lurch, having to interact with a new Max…
Arriving at the door, Sam took a deep breath before knocking and heading in, expecting to see Cooper there, about to confirm that he had taken the role, and that it had been decided that it might be best if Sam left the part of Leo at the same time… He was shocked therefore to discover the director was sitting there with only a familiar stranger for company…
"Ah, Mr Evans, it was good of you to come so quickly. I would like to introduce you to Lisa Kudrow; you have come to her attention, and she now has a proposition for you," said the director.
Sam shook her hand, recognising her now as one of the stars of Friends, who had in recent years taken on more of a role in the production side of the industry, having scored a major hit when she had acquired the rights to produce an American version of the BBC hit Who do you think you are? Sam sat and listened in silence as she began to outline her latest project to him; a sitcom centred on the life of a young, gay single dad in New York, doing his best to cope with all of the situations that life threw at him. "I saw you on the stage here a few weeks ago, and I knew then that you would be the perfect actor for that lead role. It will be filmed here in the city, in either Brooklyn or Queens. I know that it is a very different kind of acting from what you have done so far in your career, but is the part something that you would consider? You have just the right look and dynamic for my young man Darrin…"
Sam sat in silence for a moment as he pondered all that had just been said. He had taken on a career in the theatre by chance more than design. If he had not been heard singing by Carmen Tibideaux at Blaine's memorial, then he doubted that he would ever have ended up at NYADA; indeed, even being in New York at all had only ever been intended as a short term thing. Now he was a well known face on Broadway, married to a star in the form of Rachel, who would be back on the Great White Way herself in just a few weeks, and living in a beautiful house with her, their daughter and his younger siblings. Now he was being offered the chance to appear on television, to be seen in every home in the land, and that was a lot more daunting than singing his heart out in front of an audience eight times a week…
"It is a wonderful offer," Sam eventually said, "but I don't know if I am the right person for it, Ms Kudrow. There are other, better actors than me who also have the benefit of belonging to the community that your character is supposed to inhabit. I don't want to be seen as stealing the role from one of them, and causing a backlash against your show."
"It is true that for a while there has been a belief that LBTQ parts in television shows should only be played by actors of that ilk, but that is discrimination of a positive kind, and in any case, do such things not defeat the very point of acting? It is about portraying someone that you are not. If we wanted to be strict with that rule, then a gay man should not play a straight role either; in fact, being completely pedantic, it would mean that neither you or Mr Hummel-Warbler should be here in this theatre; I would hazard a guess from their names that Messers Bialystock and Bloom are Jewish…" Ms Kudrow replied.
Sam thought for a moment, then said, "I do have to admit that you make a valid point. I also feel though that I owe this production a lot as well, and I would not want to leave it in the lurch either. If I did say yes, then when would we be starting production?"
"I was hoping to begin filming in late June, so that would leave nearly three months to ensure that your departure is handled smoothly."
"It is doable, Sam," interjected the director. "You have an excellent understudy, and if things with the show don't pan out, I would have you, with or without Cooper, back in a heartbeat. Having said that, maybe it is time that you moved on to a new challenge. I think that you should ask your agent about the offers that you have received recently; I know that you requested that they did not pass them on, but from what she tells me, they are in dozens."
"And when we move on to film the second series, which I am certain there will be, then we can fit the filming around your theatre schedule," added Lisa with a smile.
"You would be prepared to do that?" said Sam.
"To secure your talent in my vision long term? Yes."
"Well, I am very tempted, but I would like to take a little time to think, if that's okay. I should also discuss it with my wife; it is simpler for me to consult her and get her opinion, although I warn you that she might start lobbying you for a part…"
The meeting over, Sam considered calling Rachel there and then, but he realised that she would be in rehearsals with her phone turned off. In any case, the conversation would be easier face to face… He headed for his dressing room, but as he passed Cooper's he saw that the light was on; he could hear his co-star and 'big brother' in the middle of singing the chorus of one of his songs. He paused, then knocked on the door before stepping in.
"Hey Sam, how are you today?" Cooper began, but then saw the look on Sam's face and paused.
"Honestly? I have a major dilemma, and I have no idea what to do for the best…" Sam began, then proceeded to tell him all that had just transpired in the director's office.
Cooper sat silently and just listened, then said, "Personally I think that this is wonderful news, and you should accept the part without a moment's hesitation. You are not the only one with news - I have been thinking for a while that I needed a change, a new challenge, and the offer from the people behind the Noel Coward season is just perfect for me. If Present Laughter works out, and a revival of the play in London in 2019, whose script we will be following, certainly did, then there will be parts for me in several other shows that are to be part of the lengthy season. The only reason that I have not said yes yet to being a huge part of this kind of centenary celebration of Coward is that I did not want to let you down. If I know that you have something new to go to as well, then I can accept without worry. This is a big deal Sam, and I admit, I am a little jealous. Her productions are noticed, and something like this could be the start of a whole new career in television for you. Broadway stars burn brightly, but for a small audience when all is said and done. Television stars are being watched by the whole planet these days…"
"That is part of what scares me, Coop," replied Sam. "What if the world hates me? What if the show flops, and no-one on Broadway wants to touch me as a result?"
"That is never going to happen in my opinion, but if it does then you brush yourself off, you recover, you take the smaller parts off Broadway again, and you rebuild your career. You have a daughter to raise, and a wife that can bring home the cash every bit as easily as you. It will not come to that though; you have talent in spades, Sam Evans. Until now, only a fortunate few have been privileged to see it; the rest of the world needs to discover what we know."
"I still need to talk to Rachel about it before I say yes or no. I would never hear the end of it if I agreed to take on the part without her tacit approval first."
"She will want a part…" said Cooper, and Sam laughed.
"So is that you saying no to a cameo role if I can swing you one?" asked Sam once he stopped laughing.
"Definitely not! She will say that you should take it anyway; if she doesn't, she deserves a slap!"
"I will pretend you didn't just say that last bit, although I think Santana would be proud of you for saying it. Right, that is all for the future anyway; just now, we have a show to perform." With those words, Sam headed out as Cooper watched, a smile on his face. He couldn't help but think that this would be the start of Sam's moment in the sun…
Their performances that night meant that the show was as spectacular as always. Sam's mind might well have been filled with all that had taken place that day, but he was still more than able to focus on all of his dance moves, his lyrics and making a new audience fall in love with Leo Bloom; Sam was able to do naive, adorable and a little scared with ease. That night though, when the curtain came down, he found himself missing all those elements of performing already. If he went with the TV show, then he would still have the make up, but not the instant reaction of the audience; he knew that these days sitcoms were made on a tape, then shown to an audience to build up the necessary laughter track later. He almost felt like laughing at how he had changed; his biggest fear back at the start was the way that an audience might judge him, and now it was the thing that he might miss the most. He signed a few autographs at the stage door as usual, and posed for a selfie or two, then headed for the subway, to head back home to Brooklyn, and the inevitable talk with his wife…
He did not find his footsteps slowing as he approached the house, as some husbands might have done to stave off the inevitable moment. He headed right in to find his beloved Rachel waiting for him in the kitchen, having prepared him a light supper as she had done nightly for months. She gave him a hug, then he sat down at the table, savouring every mouth of food after his performance. He listened as Rachel told him all about her day with the new show, how it was all coming together and how happy she was with it all. Sam managed to say the right things at the right times, after so much practice, and waited until she asked him how his day had been to attempt to share his own news. "Yeah, the show went well. Anyway, Cooper says hello, and Lisa Kudrow offered me the lead role in a new sitcom…"
Rachel had been about to nod, when she suddenly stopped in her tracks. "Wait, Lisa Kudrow said what?"
"She offered me the lead role in her new sitcom; I am her first choice. She saw me in the show, and says that she knew there and then that it had to be me for the show to work. It has already been given the green light for a good few episodes by the network… Problem is, I don't know if it is the right thing for me to do. I love the theatre now, and the idea of television, where it is all so structured, and you have to do things on repeat… I don't know if I could cope with that."
Rachel came to sit down by her husband, and took his hand. "I am absolutely certain that you could cope with it, and let's be honest, a lead role in a sitcom that she is involved with is not to be sniffed at. I am guessing that you might have already spoken to Cooper about this?"
"I did, because I had to talk to someone, and if I do take the role, then it ends our partnership as Leo and Max. He listened, then confirmed the rumour that he had already been offered another part himself…"
"I know," Rachel replied. "The people behind the Noel Coward season think that he is the perfect fit for them; he was keeping them waiting for an answer as he did not want to let you down. You really are like a pair of loving brothers… So, if you do say yes, then he will too, and you both go off and allow the understudies take over at the show."
"I just wanted to know what you thought about the whole scenario before I committed myself. It will have an affect on our day to day dynamic, with you being in a new show as well. The scheduling for the show will probably be a lot more random than the theatre, less predictable."
"And you will probably have to work on a Monday," said Rachel with a smile. "We will cope; don't forget that we have an au pair, your siblings, and a whole host of friends that we can turn to if there is a crisis. I think you should call Ms Kudrow in the morning and say yes. Of course, if I wasn't so busy, I would offer my services to her show too, but just now it really isn't an option I'm afraid…"
Before he finally headed to bed that night, Sam sent a text to Cooper, saying that they would need to see the director in the morning and let him know that they were leaving. He barely set his phone down before it buzzed with a reply - 'You are doing the right thing; if anyone deserves to be seen and loved from coast to coast, it is you, Sam Evans.'
In the cold light of the morning, as he went to call the number that Lisa had given him the day before to say that he was accepting the part from his dressing room, all of his doubts resurfaced. He had always made people laugh at school, but that was down to his impressions. This was not the same in any way; he would be learning a script and having to stick with it, even if he thought that it wasn't funny…
"Don't worry about that; it is very funny," came a voice, and Sam looked up to see Kurt standing there. "Now, Blaine would be here to support me, but there is a crisis in the nursery up here, and he has gone to try and sort it out; he is so good with kids. He sends his love though. Anyway, we snuck into Ms Kudrow's office last night, and found a copy of the scripts that she has written so far, which amount to nine episodes. We only had time to read through the first three together, but it all rang so true with us. Basically, the situation is entirely realistic, the lead and his supporting characters - mother, brother, inevitable but lovable female fag hag friend - are all imaginable as real people. Yes, he is gay, but that is only a tiny part of who he is. There is also mention of an ex-partner, who left him, so he might show up. The kid is 7 years old, so expect them to be quite smart, and more than a little knowing. But yeah, Blaine and I laughed; Wes showed up eventually and laughed too. It should be a massive hit with everyone apart from the religious right and the kind of people that still think that Donald Trump was the nation's saviour. Now, get on with that call and say yes; trust me when I say this is the start of next stage of your career…"
Sam shook his head, then said, "Thanks, I guess. It just all seems so strange, and it is happening so fast… I never pictured myself as an actor, and certainly not one on Broadway back in senior year at McKinley. All that I wanted was to graduate and get a job which meant that I could support myself and help my mom and dad out with stuff for Stevie and Stacey. When Blaine said that I could come to New York with him, my plan was to be in the city for the summer, and now look at me; ten years here, settled with a wife and kid in Brooklyn. My brother and sister are here in college, and able to live with me because we own a house in a nice neighbourhood, and are wealthy enough to employ an au pair. I used to dream of seeing myself in an ad on the side of a city bus; now I am potentially going to be in a million homes every week…"
"…and there is no-one that deserves the success more than you. You've been through so much trauma in your life, but you managed to hold yourself together and everyone around you too. I am very proud of you, Sam Evans, and my dad will be too. Now, I can hear Cooper coming, and your meeting is due. No more doubts, okay; this will be a huge success."
Kurt vanished, and almost at once there was a knock at the door; it promptly opened and Cooper stuck his head in. "So, Mr TV star in the making, are you ready to go and drop a not altogether unexpected bombshell on our director?"
"As I will ever be," said Sam in reply. "I have to do it though, just as I have to take this part. I mean, I could get an Emmy to go with my Tony, and if I do, I could even persuade someone to let me release a record and become really famous…"
"And get a Grammy too?" said Cooper with a laugh. "Anything is possible, little bro. Strike whilst the iron is hot, that is what I say these days. Time creeps up on all of us, so you have to grab what you can, whilst you can. Changing the subject, did Rachel…"
"Yes, she did mention it, but also said that she was far too busy to consider it right now."
"Well, I might be less busy than her, if the chance crops up. I wouldn't mind having other TV work on my CV to point out to my grandkids than a certain credit ratings commercial from back in the day…" Sam laughed then, partly because Cooper was incorrigible, and partly because he had used the word point…
The director was not in the least bit surprised of course with their news, and even offered Sam the use of his office phone to call his new boss. Sam accepted with thanks, then watched as he and Cooper left, the latter giving him a thumbs up. He picked up the phone, and dialled. When she answered he couldn't help himself, and replied, "Hey, it's Darrin here, just wanting to let you know that we are on…" in his best New York accent.
There was silence then she responded "My word, Sam, that is quite the accent you have there, and perfect for him. You will be okay keeping that up for every word that he says in the show?"
Sam faltered, paling, then started to respond "Well…"
"Don't worry, I would not be that cruel. As far as I am concerned, Darrin's ex is a native New Yorker, but he was always going to be from Kentucky, which is exactly where your own voice originates; I told you that the part was yours, didn't I? Right, so now you are onboard I will arrange for you to be sent copies of the scripts of the first five episodes; I want you to read them, share them with people that you can trust not to reveal anything to the media, and feel free to feedback to me anything that you don't like. Darrin will be as much your creation as mine. If you don't like a line, or a joke, or you have ideas of your own, then let me know. You will have a lot of input, as will the rest of the cast."
"That is pretty much a wow if I am honest. I look forward to receiving the scripts, and Ms Kudrow, thank you for having faith in me…"
Sam decided by the end of the day that he would share the scripts with three people he knew he could trust to be completely honest with him, and that he did not have to live with. He chose Artie first, due to his experience as a film director, plus the fact that he had a good sense of humour. To him he added Mercedes and David; she would love something that could take her mind of her pregnancy he was sure, and would put an alternative spin on things. In David Thompson he had someone with a different sense of humour to the rest of them; he could see why everyone else found something funny, but he would also laugh at the little things the rest missed. Then there was the fact that thanks to Wes, he had an eye for the British way of making people laugh. Most of all, Sam knew that all three of them were the soul of discretion, and would not mention anything to anyone else, even Kitty…
All that however was in the future. News of the upcoming departure of the two leads of one of Broadway's best performing shows would spread like wildfire, and Sam was determined that their last few weeks of performance would have as much shine as the first. Before that, there was a cast to tell, and that would be tough. They would be pleased for him, and Cooper, and the understudies would be delighted, but there would also be the fear of what might happen after they left; their futures could be jeopardised by the departure of the leads, as was so often the case. Sam was certain that the two of them leaving would not be the kiss of death for The Producers though; as long as they kept the standards up, and let the laughter flow, they would still be here in a decade or more…