Almost Astonishing

I need to start off by saying I am a fan of Broadway in Chicago. Do not fret! I love and am a fan of Broadway everywhere, but for the purposes of this story, you need to know that I am a fan of Broadway in Chicago on Facebook. So, Broadway in Chicago's Facebook status on Thursday was along the lines of "Can you name the five shows that Sutton Foster has starred in on Broadway along with the role in each?" Why yes, Broadway in Chicago, yes, I can. And I did, replied back, and thought nothing of it. Later, while shopping for a poster board in the glamorous aisle-ways of Walmart, I get a text saying that Broadway in Chicago has sent me a message, "Congratulations! You answered our Sutton Foster Facebook question correctly and won..." What? Facebook, don't you tease me! So I did the replying back with the letter "n" about 5 times to get the whole message, which read:

Congratulations! You answered our Sutton Foster Facebook question correctly and won two tickets to tonight’s performance of Sutton Foster at 7:30pm at The Broadway Playhouse Theatre at Water Tower Place. Please confirm that you and a guest will be able to attend tonight’s performance and what name you would like to leave them under at our Box Office Will Call.

Tickets? To see Sutton Foster? Wha-What?!?!

Side note for those who don't know, but I love Sutton Foster (or could you already tell since I knew all the shows she had been in plus roles?). She is amazing and is one of my favorite (if not favorite) Broadway stars. The last time we were in NYC, we went to see a show specifically cause she was in it (no joke, my Dad and I ran to the theatre to make sure her name was on the call board while Mom and Codi went to TKTS). Sadly, after waiting at the stagedoor in the rain, she didn't come out. As for this concert in Chicago? Yes, I knew about it, however, it seemed like a far-fetched idea that my parents would not go along with. But now the tickets were free! We've got to go!

Back to the aisle-way at Walmart. If you were to peer down it at this moment, you'd see the most excited person to ever be in an aisle-way Walmart. I dug out my phone and called my daddy.  "Hey daddy! How long would it take to get to Chicago if we left right now?" I rushed out. "Hmm, with all the construction going on and traffic, I'd say about 4 hours." I check the time. It's 3:39. The show's at 7:30. There was no way to make it to Chicago, find the theatre, park, and get in to the show on time. My wild imagination had already begun to run away with the idea that I would be in Chicago that night- in the city!- enjoying the lovely stylings of Sutton Foster- whom I adore! Oh well... not this time.  I did ask them if I could possibly have tickets to another night (I believe there were 4 shows?), they enthusiastically replied "We'll see what we can do!" so I basically was waiting around for a message from them all weekend (Yes, I was doing the pathetic why-won't-he-call-me? routine). To end a short story that has taken an un-proportional amount of time to tell, they didn't call and I didn't get to see Sutton. C'est la vie, non?

Here, make yourself feel better after reading such a depressing story by listening to "Astonishing" to celebrate my almost astonishing moment. Enjoy!   

Two-A-Day

This morning I went to my first Eastern Illinois football game. Used to football traffic and tailgating, we left home about two and a half hours early... which was most definitely not needed! We got to school and parked right in front of the stadium in all of five minutes. Different, eh? Since tailgating had not started yet (don't you people know that should start a good two days before a game? I'm joking, of course. Football fans at Auburn are too intense.), we walked around school and looked at all the athletic fields. The actual game was quick and we lost (short and sweet description, huh? I could never be a sports journalist!). Highlight of the game? Why that would be meeting Sean Payton of course (head coach of the Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints)! After EIU's game, we rode up to the University of Illinois in Champaign and attended their game. So, as a person who does not consider herself a football fan, I attended two games in one day. I must be crazy, right?

Ben Bailey