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Ode to Andrew from a "Death of a Salesman" Groupie

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After my stroke, Andrew officially created the position of "Cultural Director." My coming to the razor-thin edge of almost dying affected all of us. 

In this new post, he wanted to take advantage of living closer to the city. No longer tucked away in the country, where the city was a good hour and a half by car, now, on a good night, we are only 36 minutes from midtown. (Andrew times it.) We regularly shoot into Manhattan to hear concerts at Carnegie Hall and Geffen Hall, attend the opera at The Metropolitan, see Broadway shows, and visit museums. In our town, we also have a Music Hall from the 1860s and Jazz Forum. I like to boast that this venue is on  Downbeat Magazine's list of the "100 Best Jazz Clubs in the World." 

For upcoming concerts, I'll get a text: "Listen to Sibelius violin concerto and Dvorak 7. Later in the month we hear Beethoven quartet 15. His late quartets are extraordinary."

Next text: "Also Silbelius symp 1 and Grieg piano concerto."

We recently had tickets to "Death of a Salesman" on Broadway. As the George Washington Bridge came closer on the Henry Hudson Highway, I was suddenly overcome with how lucky/thankful/blessed I am to have this life and this husband. 

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During the drive to the city, I realized that I'm a "Death of a Salesman" groupie. I've literally been around the block with the play and have seen it at the Broadhurst, Majestic, and Winter Garden theatres. 

In 1984, Dustin Hoffman was "Willy Loman", and John Malkovich was "Biff", the son. You know the phrase, "You could hear a pin drop?" Well, you could hear a pin drop that night in the Broadhurst Theatre. The audience was absolutely silent until someone screamed. Then, separately, someone in the balcony had a heart attack. Unforgettable.  

The second time I saw "Death of a Salesman" was in 2012 at the Majestic Theatre. It was directed by Mike Nichols, with Philip Seymour Hoffman, who played "Willy Loman" and went on to receive a Tony Award nomination for Best Leading Actor. Andrew Garfield, then so young, played "Biff". 

The next morning, after the Winter Garden Theatre performance, Andrew and I were talking about how it truly was a "Broadway Moment" to see Nathan Lane and Laurie Metcalf in a pinnacle performance as Willy and Linda Loman.

"Don't you love being in a theatre and that happens?" I said. "Where there's a complete hush and the audience is absolutely riveted by what's taking place on-stage? It doesn't happen often, but I love when it does."

Andrew came and embraced me. "I love seeing that smile on your face. I came so close to losing you that I promised myself to try and fill your life with travel, culture, and everything so I could see that smile."

My husband is a keeper. Thus, the photo at the top. I always put the Tiffany & Co. glass alphabet block, received as a baby gift, at the "A" and "B" angle.  

Andrew + Bonni = True Love.


 

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