And in the role of Moi... GAVIN ESHAM

Oh, Gavin, Gavin, Gavin.

I did not always love Gavin Esham. In fact, cast in 2004 as the frightened, lonely soul at the center of Wallflowers, Gavin and I loathed each other upon sight. Gavin’s love life had soured and he hated the show, hated the role and hated me. I returned the sentiment with equal aplomb and called him a bitter, over-the-hill go-go boy.

Gavin and I squared off and glowered at each other for two weeks. Then something happened. I was asked to attend a run-through. The piano started, Gavin Esham looked up from a chair stage center and launched into the opening number. Ten minutes later (yes, this thing I am obsessive about is all of ten minutes long), as Gavin and Jennifer Waldman played out the piece’s last moment, I had tears streaming down my face.

I had come to a horrible realization: no one plays me better than Gavin Esham.

And that is exactly what he does in Sylvia So Far. He is recreating his performance from last year’s La Mama production and he plays Teddy, the character based on me.

I do love Gavin. He is a gorgeously gifted singer and actor. Much more importantly, he is a wonderful guy. We’ve sort of, well, been through it a couple of times and we are still friends.
He is simply a dear, good man. And, to my knowledge, was never actually a go-go boy.