June 14 was a FABULOUS day. (Advanced haberdei Jammoe!!!!!!)

[naughtier version available to my Multiply and LJ networks :P]

7:00 am
Wake up with a veritable migraine. Ignore it because there's just too much shit going on today that I can't miss just because of a little brain-throbbing.

9:00 am
After a few costume changes, am ready to head out for the day. Have parents drive me to the bus station on their way to the BFRV house.

11:10 am
Arrive almost on time at Chili's, although naunahan ako ni Anne. :P I order the Chicken Crispers like I always do, and am completely amused by the white gravy. "Dude! It tastes exactly like normal gravy. But it's, like, white!" We have lunch (in gigantic servings, thanks Chili's) with Kathleen, Christine, Tina and Ate Walter, who entertains us with his insider thoughts on Pinoy theater. Loved the whole "if theater companies were bands" analogy. "Folkie NGO woo-hoo band" and "weirdo Russian band" hahahaha.

1:35 pm
Still at Chili's. Realize that oh shit we should've been at the RCBC Plaza like thirty minutes ago. Finish calculating our KKB divisions (so we can take advantage of the 20% discount, thanks Chili's), skeedaddle on out of there to catch a taxi.

1:42 pm
Make it to the RCBC Plaza with enough time to spare. I mention once we're in the elevator that I once shared the same elevator with Tim Yap on my way to see Dogeaters (Jon Santos' Donna Summer number FTW). This leads to a confession from both Walter and myself that we regularly read the trash-tastic online gossip rag, ChikaTime.

1:45 pm
Upon reaching the 4th floor, introduce Walter to the remainder of our Front Row Girls barkada, Tom, who has brought her friend Pia with her. Walter and Tom hit it off instantly because they both have a thing for Reb Atadero. Pia and I click because EEEE FELIX.

1:50 pm
Peruse the memorabilia. No more "I'm Not Wearing Underwear Today" shirt? Boo! Instead settle on a program for Jam's birthday. Kacheapan ang ate niyo -- pero in fairness, pinag-effortan ko yan! It's the thought that counts! Wait until after the show, at the 4:41 log.

2:00 pm
I love that Philippine professional theater shows always start exactly on time. We're all in the front row, arranged according to our personal preferences in terms of theater crushes: Tom and Walter in Team Reb, myself and Pia in Team Felix, Tina and Anne in Team Reuben, and Kathleen and Christine in Team "Come on, you guys, they're all great!"

2:07 pm
Due to guzzling glass after glass of Coke Light (it was refillable, thanks Chili's), I realize that I really, really need to pee. But demett the show's already started.

2:15 pm
Realize that while sitting front row at Altar Boyz was great, Avenue Q is an entirely different banana since the stage at the Carlos P. Romulo auditorium is much, much higher up. Still, it's great to have a different perspective.

2:31 pm
Fuck different perspectives. I'm sitting by the left side, and 50% of the time, their faces are hidden behind their puppets. Me to seatmates: "I hate that they're all right-handed."

2:43 pm
After "The Internet for Porn," I can tell that all the aforementioned front row Theater Crush Teams have now officially defected to Team Joel.

3:00 pm
Still have to pee. Grabe magkaka-UTI ako sa show na 'to.

3:48 pm
"The Money Song" number.

Felix (as Princeton): "All we got was a used ticket to Altar Boyz."
Front Row Girls: "SQUEE!"

Keep in mind that most of the girls watching Avenue Q in the front row with me were the same ones I watched Altar Boyz with, in the front row as well. Cutely ironic. I think this was their favorite line in the show. =))))

3:55 pm
Nicky's "I think I know your type," followed by Rod's "My cup runneth over!" are my favorites.

4:00 pm
The show ends to very enthusiastic applause from a sold-out auditorium. I'd mentioned earlier to Walter that the most disheartening thing about being a theater lover in the Philippines is when a fantastic show plays to an undeservedly small, unenthused crowd, which is more likely to happen than not seeing as theater has such a small fanbase around these parts. Luckily, Avenue Q got all the love it deserved.

4:01 pm
Wave at cast members Joel and Frenchie during the curtain call; feel awesome when they wave back. Hee, I'll always be a fangirl.

4:09 pm
Exchange a whole bunch of "HOMAYGAD THAT WAS AWESOME"s with the girls. They love it. I'm relieved.

4:15 pm
I still have to pee.

4:20 pm
I'd warned the gang earlier on that it might be more difficult to stagedoor at Avenue Q as compared to Altar Boyz since there was going to be a much bigger crowd here, and as it turns out, I was right: there was a long-ass queue of people wanting to get their pictures taken with the cast. I choose to stay behind, though, because I needed to get my program signed for Jam. While waiting, Tom goes on paparazzi-mode and takes pictures and videos of Felix and Joel, and makes comments about the hotness of Joel Trinidad.

4:41 pm
Finally able to get a hold of the cast, starting with Joel. Super nice as always. I explain that Jam was the one who helped me get my program signed back when we watched Avenue Q on my 18th birthday, so this time, for her 18th, I was trying to return the favor.

4:42 pm
After this, I tell Joel that "I have this friend who totally loves you," and vanish into the crowd for a moment to retrieve said friend. Tom is uncharacteristically shy in this moment (remember, this is the same person who glomped PJ Valerio and Chevy Mercado at first sight), so I literally have to drag her over to Joel. She gets her picture with him and I'm like, "She wants to hug you, too," and Tom's like, *GLOMP*. Tom Cheeseburger, you are my hero.

4:45 pm
My fellow Front Row Girls are like, "Uy, Felix is free, now's your chance" and I freeze up like I always do. They're not as pushy as Zobel people (hahaha), but I remember that I need the program signed, so with a surge of newfound manliness, I go over to Felix without anybody dragging me this time. He's such a sweetheart eeeee! And so very pretty.

4:49 pm
Run after Frenchie Dy before she reaches the elevator. Looove her! She pwned that stage as Christmas Eve, like, everything she said drove the crowd nuts! She's also very sweet, and she did remember me from the dress rehearsal haha.

4:55 pm
End up with a program that has variations of "Happy 18th birthday, Jam" scribbled all over from most of the members of Avenue Q. Thank personal fairy godmother Lorna Lopez for the awesome time, and get my parting gifts.

5:10 pm
Go back to Greenbelt with Anne and Tina, exchange goodbyes and promises to reunite for Mulan Jr., Hairspray and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.