Well the minute we got back to Rodgers place he pulled out his sewing machine and succors and started poking and pinning us. Can I put my bags down Kenny Alton joked. “We have a lot to do. I didn’t expect to have to make outfits. We still have to learn the songs and who is going to lip sync which lines and we need dance moves!” Learn lines, dance moves? This was all new to us. “Rodger, “I finally had to interject, “we are just doing this because Hank threatens our jobs. We don’t want to be girls.” “Be girls? We are performers, artist. When you accepted the position of being an entertainer, you took on the responsibility to your audience. People are going to make the trip out to see you, and you and me. They will all be staring at us and waiting to love us. You owe it to them to be your best, for them.”
I turned to Kenny Alton, who already had his fake nails lines up on the dining room table. “Being a girl isn’t the worst thing we could be.” Alton muttered under his breath. “Come. “Rodger guided me to his living room couch and took out his photo book. Each page had a song and a funny story to accompany it. He went on page by page, book by book each story funnier than the next. Alton joined us and by the time we hit the last book we were friends-sisters.
While we were bonding the Andrews Sisters played on and on and without knowing it the lyrics were making a place for themselves in our minds and in our hearts. I think I knew then how special this memory would be to me even back then because as I sit here every moment is fresh in my mind. Roger and I on the couch Alton sitting on the floor leaning on the coffee table and us just howling with the most delightful laughter. It was funny how in those few moments we established the roles we would play in our friendship.
Rodger had a wall of mirrors, it was fashionable back then. That was “our audience” and when we had to learn dance steps because Rodger wanted us to be in step the whole time. “The difference between being a performer and being a drag queen is rehearsal.” Rodger had a thousand of those one-line wisdom quotes. It was like being friends with a fortune cookie.
So it was doing our dance rehearsal that Rodger informed me that I had two left feet! I was a little taken aback. I remember an episode of “Cheers” where Diane (Shelley Long) gets am audition with the Boston Ballet, she turns to the judges “Do not look at my feet, but the spirit in which I am moving.” Meanwhile she has two left feet. That was me. I always wanted to be a dancer. I longed to be brilliant on the dance floor, but it was not a talent God had given me. Rodger put me in the middle so he and Alton could dance around me and I wouldn’t have to move. I felt a little dumb just standing there. I came from the old school of acting where I needed motivation. Why am I just standing there? Why?
Then Rodger had a great plan! He wouldn’t tell us about it. “You are not going to look foolish on stage with me!”
Rodger started throwing the material over our heads again and snip snip…They were pretty nice, not so terrible. He started to fix out sleeves and the length. Alton wanted his hiked up higher and Rodger knew he was creating something. “You’re going to be the one I am going to have to keep my eyes on.” Rodger giggled, little did he know.
Then there was a knock on the door- Rodger went to answer the door WITH HIS DRESS ON! I ran in the bathroom! I couldn’t have anyone see me in s dress! Alton was banging on the bathroom door! “Let me in” I opened the door and we listened at the door. We hear Rodger telling his guest that we were somewhere in the apartment. “Come out; come out where ever you are?”…”We’re in the bathroom.” I answered. “Together?” Rodger asked. “He needed help.” Alton answered. “Needed help? What was that?” we had a bicker chat while Rodger explained he had guest that wanted to meet us.
We got out of the bathroom and there was Chris and John! My Johnny! “This is my room mate Chris and his friend John.” “Hi”…Johnny said hi to me! “You look different outside the bar!” He knew me from the bar! He remembered me! I was in heaven and in a dress! I wanted to die! I ran into the bathroom, this time alone and you could hear me throwing up. After I composed myself I left the bathroom to find out that Chris and John went to the city and Kenny Alton told Rodger all about Johnny Angel. “There are many words I would use to describe Johnny and angel is not one of them.” Rodger warned me. Throw up or not, I felt like a million dollars that night and I slept thinking of Johnny, my angel.
Till Tomorrow be kind
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
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