Me, My BFF Jason Robert Brown, Nick Blaemire
7 months have passed and I still can’t believe it happened. I got a message in my facebook inbox from a man claiming to be THEE Jason Robert Brown. He asked me to join him in concert at Subculture (where I had JUST done my one-woman show) where he’s been performing in residency. I died 3,000 deaths. Then, I thought it was a hoax. I figured it was a bored teenager pulling a cruel prank. But, it was the real JRB.
Weeks later, we met at his UWS home to choose songs and rehearse. I’m just casually sitting in his music room, peering up at his collection of TONY awards and show posters, playing with his puppy, on the morning that he finds out he’s an Outer Critics Circle Award nominee for Outstanding Orchestrations of “Prince of Broadway”. 16 year old Amber is screaming Bloody Murder. He hands me the sheet music to 2 new songs…..I get to sing BRAND NEW JRB TUNES…. Jesus Christ. And then we decide on “You don’t know this man”, that I first heard in college, as sung by my other BFF Audra Elizabeth McDonald (I gave her that middle name, so don’t look for it on wikipedia). We somehow landed on the jazziest, sexiest arrangement ever - and I was in heaven.
The concert was AMAZING. Getting to share the stage with JRB wasn’t even a dream come true, because I’d never dream that such a think could happen…from a facebook message. But I’m forever grateful to JRB for thinking of me, and becoming my BFF. #JRBandME