Going Backstage at COME FROM AWAY

This past summer was my first time ever going backstage at a Broadway theater. We were at the Schoenfeld Theatre, seeing Come From Away, the 100% true story of what happened when 38 planes were forced to land in a tiny town called Gander, in Newfoundland, because of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. My brother's acting coach is friends with Jenn Colella, the star of Come From Away, and he got us backstage passes. I couldn't believe I was going to meet Jenn Colella, and go backstage at a Broadway theater.  The show was one of the best, if not the best, shows I've ever seen, and I was SO excited to meet the star. But there was another surprise that I was not expecting on the other side of the stage door.

My parents couldn't come backstage with my brother and me because we only had two passes, and they wanted us to go. We were cleared by security and went to a tiny room. It seemed like downstairs were the dressing rooms, upstairs was the tech area, and the only other place to go was backstage. I knew that backstage areas (dressing rooms, backstage, etc.) were small, but I wasn't expecting it to be that small. Anyway, about a minute later, Jenn came out, and I felt a rush of a mix of joy and oh-my-god-I'm-meeting-Jenn-Colella-backstage-at-Broadway-theater. She took us backstage and onstage, and it felt like I could touch where the audience sits. There were the flags of Gander, Appleton, and other communities that had housed the "plane people." But also backstage was that surprise I talked about: Josh Groban.

While I can't say I'm his biggest fan, I became kind of obsessed with him after he played the role of Pierre in another Broadway show, Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812. He ended his run in that show about a week before and then stuck around New York City before heading back to his home in Los Angeles. He saw Come From Away that night and had also gone backstage. When I saw him, I was speechless. I could barely muster the courage to say "Hi, Mr. Groban!" He was very nice, and he even took a picture with my brother and me. I am still kind of beating myself up about not asking him about when he will sing tweets next on Jimmy Kimmel. That would have shown him I really know who he is. I did congratulate him on Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, though. Meeting him and Jenn is something I will never forget (in fact, the picture is even my background on my computer).