Broadway journey continues for aspiring actress granddaughter
by Anna Derby
LW contributor
When our family received a call last April from Rebekah, our granddaughter who was to debut in her first play with the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute in New York, we were elated to be there to cheer her on for her stage debut.
In mid-October, the family got exciting news that she got a second play after three hard auditions, so it was exciting to prepare for another trip to New York. It was a nerve racking two weeks beforehand due to the government shutdown in November, with airlines reducing flights.
Fortunately, we got there just in time to unload the luggage and journey to the off Broadway American Theater of Actors. With a bouquet of flowers for Rebekah, we got on the subway to see her play Mary, one of seven characters on the stage, acting out young people’s emotional transitions while they were on a ship. For 90 minutes I was nervous, excited and anxious, with all these emotions bubbling inside of me. I tried to calm down but couldn’t wait for the play to be over to hug Rebekah and to tell her how proud we were.
Our after-show dinner reservation at Tuscany Italian Steakhouse in Midtown Manhattan was at 10 p.m. With the show ending about 9:30, it was fortunate it was within walking distance. We were told it is the best Italian steakhouse in that area. It was past midnight by the time our family of eight finished dinner.
The second day, two of us decided to go to Chinatown, which we didn’t get to do during our April trip. I’d heard so many things about New York’s Chinatown, and finally I got to experience what was talked about rather than imagining it. It was huge, with hundreds of stores selling manufactured items or homegrown vegetables. All looked very desirable, but our circumstances did not allow us to buy any vegetables or bulky stuff, so it was just about the window shopping.
After lunch we headed to the Tenement Museum, near Chinatown. A National Trust historic site, the Tenement Museum tells how immigrants became American and how America became a nation.
It was such a meaningful visit as immigrants ourselves. It has been 44 years since we chose to come to America for the chance to make our lives better. We told our tour group that our American dream came true, and we are grateful to have a wonderful life in Seal Beach, California.
We took in a second performance of Rebekah’s show that evening. We meet other cast members’ families and smiled at each other with the understanding of the role family plays when children aim to be Broadway actors. It is a long, hard road to go through.
Afterward, we headed to one of the most famous and popular restaurants in New York: TAO. Forty-five minutes past our reservation time, we got our call for our table of eight. The place was huge—two stories—with gigantic 16-foot Buddha statues. I counted my blessings to be in that place and how lucky I was to get to experience everything with family. By the time we got through our dinner, it was past 1 a.m., and we didn’t get home till past 2 a.m. I didn’t feel tired at all, because we were having the greatest time of our lives. Even the pouring rain didn’t deter our spirits. Rebekah’s third show was at 2 p.m. the next day, so we didn’t have any time to do sightseeing. We decided to rest instead. After the show, the family had a different dining experience at Peking Duck House, well known for its duck specialty.
We have a very small family, but we wouldn’t change it. We love what we have. It was not easy to say goodbye to return home. It was a dream, quick four-day trip, but I enjoyed every minute because family was there to share the happiness and pride of Rebekah’s Broadway journey.
