The Mikado.
For the rest of the Warblers that were based in New York, their chance to officially meet Miriam would come the following week. Being the supportive friends that they were, they had all bought tickets to see Dex perform in the show. That was in spite of the fact that Dex had delayed telling them all he would be involved until the last minute, partially in the hope that the shows would be sold out. Alas, the venue could hold far more patrons than he had anticipated, and sales had been sluggish right up until the day before the first show, something which Miriam told him was not unusual at all…
"The audience for the first show that I performed with the company was down as twelve 24 hours before curtain up, but by the time it actually was raised, we had a full house. I think that because our shows are much less expensive than Broadway, people are much more likely just to show up on a whim."
The show was scheduled for three performances on each of two consecutive weekends, with a Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday afternoon the first week, and Friday night and Saturday matinee and night the next. On that opening Friday night, Dex was assured that Nick, Jeff and Wes would be in the audience, and that was something, as his brother would not be there as he was working. He had promised to be there on the Sunday, with Adam at his side, as he had a day off from Mary Poppins.
That Lawrence would not be there on that first night was actually a relief to Dex, as should it turn out to be a complete disaster, he could have a chat with Adam, and also use Nick and Jeff to prevent him coming on the Sunday. He had even said as much to Nick candidly, and he had found the brunette nodding in understanding of the situation. He could still clearly recall his own feelings on the one occasion he had been on stage in a musical, helping out a fellow Warbler in a crisis; he also remembered a brown paper bag literally being fought over as they all tried to calm their nerves…
As the two fathers and their young son took their seats that night, Wes was feeling quite grown up. Yes, he had been to the theater before, to see one of his two 'uncles', Mason and Sebastian, acting on stage, or his actual uncle Cooper performing. The difference was that those were plays and musicals, whilst he was now attending the opera. When they had been asked in class what they were doing that weekend, everyone in the room had stared at him when he had said he was going to the opera. There had been doubters, but Evie had assured them loudly that it was true, and that she was going the following weekend to see the same opera. Their teacher had smiled, and asked what the name of the opera was, and Wes had told her proudly. He had noticed that her eyes had widened at that, and then she had moved swiftly on to the next person…
He knew that he had to be really attentive to the show that night, as having been asked about their weekend plans, there might well be a story to write on Monday, or worse, he would have to stand up and talk about it to the whole class. To that end, he had asked his papa for one of the very simple playbills, and Jeff had happily paid out the dollar that it cost. Now Wes was sat between his two dads, who watched with matching grins as their son, dressed in his best blazer, a white shirt and a bowtie, bent over and studied the playbill intently. They were keenly aware that he was the youngest member of the audience, and they were not exactly surrounded by contemporaries either. Meanwhile, Wes had turned to the page of headshots of the cast, and saw Dex at once, then scanned the rest from top to bottom. It was then, right at the bottom, that he suddenly spotted…
"Daddy, Papa, my teacher is in the show! Is that even allowed? How can she be an actor and a teacher?"
"Well," said Nick, thinking carefully, "she can be because the people that are doing this show tonight are not doing it for money like your uncles and aunt Marley. They are doing it for fun."
"So it is like when we played dressing up games at kindergarten, but for adults and with singing?" asked Wes in reply.
As Jeff smirked, Nick replied, "Pretty much." He was glad that according to the schedule, the show was about to start, as he had no better answer for his son's question, and he didn't want to end up saying much more, in case it all got back to one of his performing friends…
Backstage, having submitted himself to the ministrations of the elderly lady in charge of make-up, Dex discovered that he was not quite as terrified as he had expected to be. Yes, he was no fan of the greasepaint he now wore, and he had said as much in his response to the text he had received from Sebastian half an hour before curtain up, in which the retired Broadway star hoped he might break a leg. He had accompanied that with a photo of his own overly made up face, and had received a reply in a minute. Whilst Sebastian was sympathetic about the amount that had been used, he also pointed out something that Dex had already been told; that it was exactly right for a staging of a period piece by Gilbert and Sullivan.
As the overture began to be played, he was grateful that his one solo number, Our Great Mikado, a Virtuous Man, came quite close to the start of the show, as it meant he had to worry less about missing his cues. Yes, he had a lot of singing ahead of him, as the word Men appeared all over the score in most of the songs as a part, but they had rehearsed fully, it all sounded good, and the choreography was extremely simple. On top of that there was the fact that, as Miriam had pointed out, it was an amateur production. The audience would forgive the odd mistake, as long as the bulk of the show was well done. As he stepped out onto the stage to take his spot for the opening number, he was still glad that the lights made it impossible to see anyone in the audience clearly. Even with Nick and Jeff sitting a little way back, at his request, spotting anyone he knew would be a distraction…
When the time came for Dex to sing his solo number, he remembered what he had been told back with the Warblers at Dalton, and focused his eyes on a spot at the very rear of the venue, and sang directly to it, ignoring all other things. His voice rang out clearly, his pitch perfect, his annunciation crisp and correct. The whole thing was a triumph, which resulted in him receiving a long round of applause when he came to the end of the number. He resisted the urge to take a bow, and instead went back to his spot for the next part of the show…
When the interval came, his fellow cast members were all smiles, the director praising them all, but singling Dex out for a special mention. "You already showed us how powerful your voice was during rehearsal, but tonight you went beyond that. I can see a lead role coming your way, and I don't think that there is anyone here that would dispute that."
There were a chorus of voices raised in agreement then, which made Dex's cheeks burn red at once. "Well, I am flattered, but there are other, equally talented people here who are much more deserving of such roles," he replied.
"All the same, do not be afraid to audition for a lead role, because you are worthy of it," was the response, and Dex could only nod in response.
He went then to sit down, and found Miriam at his side almost at once, proffering him a glass of iced tea. He thanked her, then she took a seat beside him. They made small talk for the remainder of the interval, stopping only when it was nearly time for the second act to commence. Then it was time for his make-up to be refreshed, and return to the spot on stage that he needed to be in for curtain up.
It struck him suddenly as he waited for that how funny it was that he was in this position. He had never even contemplated a career in performance, nor would he wish for one now, but he suddenly got exactly what it was that drove those that did. He knew why Sebastian, Sam, Mason and Adam did this night after night. He also realised that if everyone else felt that he was capable of taking the leading role, then he would not disappoint them by failing to audition for one in the company's next show…
Meanwhile, when the interval had begun for the audience, Nick had promptly stood up and volunteered to fetch refreshments; he was up and away before Jeff could say a word. The blond thought it was kind of his husband to do so, at least until… "Papa, I have a question…" Jeff turned to his son, and waited for him to continue. "Why are all of the people on the stage made up like clowns when they aren't in a circus?"
Cursing the fact that his husband had anticipated this moment, and had thus been quick off the mark to leave, he replied, "Well, this is a show that was written a long time ago, and it is being staged authentically, which means exactly as it was back when it was new, more or less. Back then, the light in theaters were not as bright as they are now, so they made the faces of the actors stand out, and as the characters in the show were all supposed to be from another country, they used the make up as part of the costume. It was all supposed to make it comical too…"
Wes nodded then, and Jeff knew that his son was digesting what he had just heard and was trying to decide if it was true or not, rather like the man that had just said it to him. "Girls must have gone to school for a lot longer then too. They are all as old as Uncle Dex, if not older, and they're still at school…"
"Well, Uncle Dex is still at college, and they call that school… Anyway, the age of those people is just that of the actor playing them. I think that the maids are supposed to be about sixteen…"
Jeff had to stifle a laugh then as his son raised his eyebrows, and shook his head, before muttering, "Well, if that is true, they need to get younger people in to play the parts because it just isn't believable! Also, isn't sixteen really young to be getting married?"
"At the time that the play was written, a lot of girls in the country that the show is set in did get married at that age, or even younger, but now most people would agree it is far too young to get married."
Wes nodded again, and Jeff prepared himself for the next question, "I thought that Uncle Dex did sing very well, and the songs seemed well written. In fact, for something really old, it is actually quiet funny," Wes said, just as Nick came into view. He was carrying ice cream and lemonade, and had on his face, at least in his husband's opinion, a much too innocent expression. He glared at him, shaking his head very slowly. All that made Nick do was pout, then flutter his eyelashes in a way that melted Jeff's heart, and allowed him to forgive his husband, at least whilst they were in public…
The second act was as fast paced as the first, and concluded with the requisite happy ending, in which all of the tensions were resolved, and main characters left contented. Bows were taken, and the cast retired backstage to remove their make-up and change back into their ordinary street clothes. Dex took his time, firing off a quick text to Sebastian, thanking him for his kind words earlier, and letting him know that all had gone well. He had anticipated that it would take Miriam longer than him to get ready to head home, but when he headed to the stage door, he found her already there. They had made plans to meet before the show began, to head for a late drink to mark the first night of the show, but he found that she was preoccupied, explaining some of the show to the youngest member of the audience.
"We came round to see you, to offer our congratulations, but we ended up meeting Miriam instead," said Jeff, as behind him Nick looked apologetic.
"They've been telling me what a good and kind man you are," said the lady in question. "I must admit that it has been wonderful to get to chat with Wes, and his fathers, the legendary Niff. However, from what my young friend here has been saying, you have been keeping a secret from me. You never told me that you were friends with a certain legend of Broadway, Mr Sebastian Smythe…"
The little group would walk a short way together in the direction of the West Village before their paths diverged; Nick and Jeff headed straight for home, as it was already past Wes' bedtime, leaving Dex and Miriam to stand together for a moment outside the door of the diner where they planned to eat. He smiled, and said, "Wes will no doubt be asking his fathers right now why I didn't head home with them. He is a very smart young man for his age, but a little precocious with it…"
"Even so, he is still a wonderful child, and his two dads have done the perfect job in raising him. He certainly hasn't been spoilt, which I have found in my experience to be quite common in only children raised by comfortably off couples, mixed or same sex, these days…"
"It helps that Nick is very grounded, and wants Wes to have a normal upbringing. He has always been so passionate about right and wrong, and the law in general; there are records of it at Dalton, and the stories I have been told… He was also a peacemaker, which was why he was nicknamed Dove by one of the Head Warblers… He is doing so well at the UN, and it wouldn't surprise any of us if he ended up right at the top there one of these days. As for Jeff, well, he is an artist, and so a little more bohemian, but he does believe in rules, and much of the way that Wes is, is down to him, as he was the stay at home parent. His success as an artist had actually shaped so much of their lives, and well, he even got an honorary MBE from the Queen, who is quite fond of his works…"
Dex stopped, as he realised that Miriam was now staring at him, open mouthed. It was then he realised that in all his talk of the couple before this moment… "I always just referred to them as Niff, didn't I? I never mentioned their surname…"
"No, you didn't" remarked Miriam, "but I think it might be Sterling-Duval. My word, you are so well connected to so many people! Are there any other friends that I should know about?"
"Hmm," teased Dex, the continued, "Well, I do know Cooper Hummel-Warbler, Mason McCarthy and Marley Rose, the actors, the former being Nick's brother-in-law. Then there is Trent Nixon, who writes a lot of Kennedy's speeches, and of course, through Sebastian, I have met Isabelle Wright…."
"Naturally, as she is his sister-in-law."
Dex laughed, then said, "Well what can I say? Dalton Academy helped to produce a group of highly successful young men over the years. Actually, there is one other thing I should mention - my brother and I might once have had afternoon tea alone with the one and only Bette Midler…" Miriam laughed at that for a moment, until she realised that he was being serious. With a shake of her head, she took his arm, and they headed into the diner, and found a booth. Soon they were enjoying two plates of ham and eggs, accompanied by a cup of decaf coffee, not a usual choice for either, but sensible given the lateness of the hour.
Miriam smiled at him across the table, then said, "I really do hope that you will take what was said to you tonight to heart, Dex; you must audition for the male lead in our next production. I have a feeling that the show they will select will have a male lead that requires a baritone voice, and nobody will object to you taking the role. The truth is that we have been looking for new blood amongst our male cast for a while. Before the last recruitment drive, our youngest man was aged 47. That didn't make it easy to produce some shows and have them look credible. Tonight for example would not have been possible without a cast of younger men to play the suitors. We could still do with a few more young men though - would any of your friends be up for it?"
"I don't think they have the time to be honest. I am lucky, and still have a reasonably quiet life, but the others have kids, and work long hours. I think though that your recruitment problem might actually be down, in part, to an element of snobbery. Those of us that bring these small entertainments to the public are never accorded the same respect as those on the Great White Way. I guess that not all of us are cut out to be stars in any case. I mean, that one night that a lot of them helped Sebastian out by performing on Broadway, that was enough…" Miriam nodded, as she recalled the legendary night that one of the major shows on the street of dreams was performed by a group of young men that had never appeared in a musical before…
Dex would walk Miriam home, as a gentleman should, then wend his steps back in the direction of the West Village. The streets were still busy, at least until he neared his own; it was a haven of silence, as if someone had cast a spell that warded of the noise of the metropolis outside. He let himself in through the front door just as midnight came, and heading into the kitchen, was surprised to find that Lawrence was still awake. "I had to stay up, as when you didn't come home straight away, I was wondering if success had gone to your head, and you had run off to Broadway," he joked, then continued, "I take it that everything went to plan?"
"It did, with even the harshest critic, little Wes approving, although I did wonder at that at first. I was also told by the director that I should audition for the lead in the next production."
"Will you? I mean, I can recall a time when someone refused to audition for a solo with the Warblers in case the spotlight of attention was drawn to him…"
Dex chuckled, then said, "I guess the greasepaint, the lighting and the overall air of happiness makes a difference."
"And speaking of happiness, how is Miriam? Was she as pleased with you performance in the show as the director and the rest of the cast?"
"She was, although in conversation tonight I realised just how many people we know that are household names in this city. Miriam now knows that, and thankfully, she didn't run a mile. I will take that as a good sign…"
"That is no bad thing, because if it all carries on going well, then you can move in with her after you graduate, and I can move in with Adam. After all, we will have to leave here once you graduate, and well, even with two of us, I doubt we could afford the rent on a place around here…"
"I was trying not to bring that up," sighed Dex. "The fortunate thing is that Jeff is unlikely to turf us out onto the sidewalk. He is not that kind of man."
"No, but nonetheless we will have to go, and allow a new generation of Warblers to enjoy the West Village."
The rest of the former Warblers and their friends based in the city would all take time out to see Dex perform in the show, and they all agreed that his performance was quite something. His fellow cast members concurred, and indeed would state that it actually improved as they made their way through the short run. He would never agree to that, but would only say that he felt more confident in the part after every round of applause. Flint and Izzy, who were not normally able to attend the theater together, due to family and work commitments, would be in the audience for the one Sunday show, and so enjoyed it that they found themselves singing the tunes on the subway journey home, which earned them more than a few stares on the train, not that they cared. Even the fact that Mrs Wilson was arriving in only a few hours time for a week's visit could not darken the light mood that the show had given them…
The following week saw Beats and Elliott in the audience, alongside Ty, Dante and Lachlan. The three youngest of them had not been looking forward to attending the show at all, if they were honest, as they perceived that it would be old fashioned, and as it was an amateur production, in all likelihood, poorly performed. Of course, they ended up enjoying it more than the two adults in the end, and like Flint and Izzy the previous week, they were singing as they walked the short way back to the West Village afterwards.
Dante and Lachlan, now graduated from high school, and off to college in the fall, ended up singing Three Little Maids for the majority of the walk home. That had Beats and Elliott staring at them at first, and then after exchanging a glance, slowing their steps to allow them to draw a good way ahead, so they could pretend that they were not with the two young men that everyone was staring at. "So much for the two reluctant lads that did not wish to go to this show," Elliott whispered to his husband.
Beats smiled, then said, "Of course, we could be the annoying parents teenagers regularly claim to have, and sing something of our own, possibly about having a little list?"
"Err, no, we are cool parents, remember. We are the sort of parents that allow our children to embarrass us instead," Elliott replied, with a slight roll of his eyes…
Lachlan would be heading to his own home, and when the moment came for their paths to diverge, Beats and Elliott overtook, allowing them to say their goodnights on the sidewalk, which they knew from experience took a little time, such was the nature of young love. They would arrive home first, leaving the door on the latch at the foot of the stairs so he could come in quicker. When he did so, their eldest son declined the offer of a bedtime drink, and headed straight to his room. Ty followed him, leaving the two husbands to enjoy some alone time in the sitting room, snuggled up on the sofa together…
However, Elliott noticed something wasn't quite right, and a glance at his husband showed that he was deep in thought; eventually, he decided to bite… "Ok, what is up? You have actually been quite pensive for the last few days. Please tell me that you haven't been having problems with your eyes again?"
Beats smiled, and said, "No, my eyes are okay, although I have to admit that I am dreading my check up next month, just in case they find something when they look deeper inside. No, the thing that has been making me thoughtful is the fact that Dante is off to college in a few weeks. Okay, so he is going to NYU, so he will not be leaving home, and will still be living with us, but the fact remains that it only seems like yesterday that he was a boy that had not been given the chances that he deserved in life. Now he is an adult, academically bright, very much in love, and about to set out to start making his mark on the world. Given all of that, well, I am feeling a little bit old!"
"That is because we adopted him when you were in your twenties still, and being honest, he was more of the age to be our little brother than our son. It will be different when it is time for Ty to go to college, as we were of a more appropriate age to be his real parents."
"Yeah, I guess, but still…" began Beats, and then he chuckled. "You are right, of course; if Dante was attending my alma mater, Princeton, people would look at us and think that his big brothers had brought him down…"
"…or that he had two hot, and extremely youthful fathers," interjected Elliott, with a wink that made Beats laugh.
"That wasn't exactly what I was going to say, but now that you mention it, maybe you could remind me exactly how hot and youthful we are together…"
Over in New Jersey, the fact that their eldest child was heading off to college was less of an issue for Julian and Isabelle. Having become a dad when he was of college age meant that Julian had known this would happen all his adult life, and in any case, he still saw a youthful man looking back at him when he stared at the mirror. Isabelle, who was his senior in age, also still looked very young. It was one advantage of her job that she was able to access the best treatments and skin care products, although she had more than a few grey hairs now. She had decided that they were not something she would try and hide. How to grow older with dignity and grace was one of the themes that the pages of Vogue now explored under her stewardship, and it was an idea that her readers were only too happy to embrace…
The difference for Julian and Isabelle was that, unlike Dante, Peter would be leaving home once more to live in the dorms at Columbia. As he had already spent four years away from home at Dalton, it would not seem all that odd to them; indeed, he would be at home more often now than he had been throughout that time…
