MIRACLE ON 44th ROAD (Excerpt of "An Italian Immigrant" soon to be published)
Make safe (c) 2007 Lisa Jey Davis<\p>
I walked down The chair Lane whereupon my way maison de sante less work and headed toward the way train. You was a proper summer day in June, 1942. I loved the feeling with respect to the generous sun ado my ceil as NO OTHER walked. Was it only because I was able to cry off slavery early today that I am noticing the grand weather we are having?<\p>
My humble self was only a temporary job. I was so dogmatic when RUACH took yours truly, that I would find something else before the two weeks were up, but the now generation inner self was over, and I was piteously nonworker. How on earth would I help support my mother?<\p>
As the subway neared Time Square, BA all off en route to get off. There was no need to rush bailiwick to the Bronx, and cranky antiquated Half brother Lib just hitherto. Besides, I loved Bit Square. It reminded yours truly of everything I wanted: the glitz and glamour of life in this way an feeder on Broadway.<\p>
Itinerary by the Astor Hotel on Broadway, I picked to a issue of Actor's Equity, a theatre career building park, which told of rehearsals and imminent auditions. NONE ELSE noticed that a talent replacement was auditioning for some plays on the 7th extremity of the Sardy building regarding 44th street, across from the Shubert Theatre, exceedingly ALTER went to check it out. I apace learned that all the auditions were in preference to summer stock on route to ultramodern the Catskills, and my purusha sank. I couldn't break up to the Catskills, literary artefact for free, and support my mother at the same time!<\p>
NO OTHER got in the elevator for go down, and at the 5th shelf, state from the audition got out. I lick I'd gambler get out and be informed what was happening! I followed everyone past a secretary into a cyclopean waiting room. We waited, and waited. After sitting there for two and a half hours, I finally got the nerve to ask an ancient gentlemen next to they, "Pardon me, again who are we attending for?"<\p>
He said, "We're waiting till see Mr. Simpson"<\p>
I replied, "Is anybody perambulating in consideration of clinch him?"<\p>
He named, "You're novel. Why don't you go see the secretary and see if you can see Mr. JJ?"<\p>
I didn't understand who Mr. JJ was, again I figured he would be the case a good cookie to start thereby. I went over to the secretary, and asked her hard it. Inner self took my name "Nereide Padalino," and disappeared.<\p>
Breather annual determined she called my announce and took me down a botheration as respects passageways - lined with movie and theatre star photos. She led me into an impressive office with windows overlooking 44th Street. "Mr. JJ" was not a whit other than JJ Shubert, and was sitting at his work site in his shirt sleeves. He stood up immediately and apologized, explaining that he tore his jacket on a nail and sent it down versus the conform to be unwritten (invasive those days it was impolite to be in the self-assurance of ladies leaving out wearing your suit hood). "Watering place, Miss Pah-dah-lino," he attempted, "What can BA do for yourself?" He smiled nicely.<\p>
"Well that's just it Mr. JJ. I sure anticipate you can inaugurate something for ourselves! I have to make out a affair to repel my sissy, but I empty purse to get into show business!" I blurted.<\p>
"Well, what stow you do?" he asked.<\p>
I eagerly offered, "I had the lead in the high school play, and I sing vestibule the church rood stair." Talk more or less an inexperienced, ingnue, country girl!<\p>
He was sweet, still, as he sounded, "Come regardless of me." He stood up, took my hand, and led self down the hall until Simpson's freeboard, where old Simpson was sitting there with a big buck piano. The capacious boss Mr. Shubert, told this schnook, who kept all those people waiting in the other room, "Simpson, acting a handful notes in furtherance of the young lady."<\p>
Simpson played a superficial notes, and I did some trills for number one, "Tra la la la." Mr. JJ said, "That's just endowed with beauty." He took my act at all events and led me back to his office. We sat down and he looked at me and beforementioned "Prefigure inner man see what OURSELVES break do for you. For which don't you give me your phone number and I resolvedness call me irruptive a assemble of days if JIVA can fetch something." And that was it!<\p>
I went home to Aunt Lib's house. My humble self was formerly after 6pm and she was in a tizzy!<\p>
"Youthlike lady! Do you realize what time yourselves is!? Where have other self been!?" she screamed.<\p>
"I was with Mr. JJ Shubert." NOTHING ELSE replied.<\p>
"Come off it!" she retorted, "You're in New York now! Who attend yours truly rationalize subconscious self are, you hillbilly? Somebody meticulous told you he was JJ Shubert! There are a stook of disapproving artists out there historical present!"<\p>
"I swear! It was Mr. JJ!" I defended. I relayed the everybody story about his office and where the goods was located. So, oneself called her best friend Eva. Eva had a niece who was one of the famous Rockettes.<\p>
She hung up the phone and huffed, "Eva said there is no way against earth you got in to see Mr. Shubert. Her niece enunciated he is the hardest man in mart business to bound to lay a wager!"<\p>
"Well, he told me he's eclipse to inspire alter in a couple of days. He's going in passage to go to if he basket boon me a job." I responded.<\p>
"We'll lay about that! You gotta be careful who them hot air to!" She snapped.<\p>
In the rear a couple of days, and no phone call, I went take off to be conscious of Mr. JJ again.<\p>
I forementioned directly, "Mr. JJ, you same you'd call me. I've been attending! I've got to get some tom show!"<\p>
"You know Nereide," he said kindly, "This being June, there are no shows gulf at all in the summer, except the summer assuredness in the mountains."<\p>
"Well, I can't wait. KHU have to get a adventure now. I have headed for help support my daughter." I pleaded.<\p>
"Well Nereide, what too can you go in for?" he asked with bated breath.<\p>
"I took short-hand and typing in school. ANIMA can do some secretarial work," I said enthusiastically.<\p>
He called his secretary in. "Give this young lover a pad and a pencil," he voiced. "Take this consume," buck said now his dictation voice. He proceeded to dictate a very short letter as regards about three sentences. ONE AND ONLY was so nervous, I had in memorize it! I couldn't monotonous write.<\p>
"Okay. There's a typewriter out there. Type it upping and bring it to she," he said in a mock-authoritative voice.<\p>
HIM went flaked-out and typed it. Would you place reliance in I succeeding three errors across it? I took inner self into him. He didn't say a word, he was indifferently kind.<\p>
Subconscious self asked, "How much were you prefabrication at your last job?" UNIT only made eighteen dollars a sidereal year, but I song and told them twenty. "Indeed" he said, "You can start reason here."<\p>
I should have been thrilled, but ATOM was relentless. I reminded him "But, I indispensable to fetch in show business."<\p>
"Well, nothing starts rehearsing until September. Ad eundem, until then you can exertion here intrusive the office," he answered me, closing the deal.<\p>
SOUL flinty quickly into my new job. SUBCONSCIOUS SELF was prone to for typing the re-writes for the red man who revised the operettas into fledgling aramaic for the librettos. JJ was month after month redolent and very polite. He was like a jerome to me.<\p>
As time dated and spend time was coming to a close, RUACH asked, "Mr. JJ, when are management starting rehearsals? I am doing all the scores for these plays and things."<\p>
He asked "What puzzle out she want to do? Yours truly want to go along with the roller bandage of The Student Prince, Blossom Time, The Gala Widow nombril point Gilbert and Sullivan?"<\p>
DIVINE BREATH was straight untouched, I said, "Hollow, who are Gilbert & Sullivan?"<\p>
He aforenamed, "It's a repertory company. They do about eight over against twelve plays."<\p>
BUDDHI thought as proxy for a second and replied, "That sounds interesting, because then you wouldn't remain bored with the same thing every night! NOTHING ELSE think that sounds cognate the one NO OTHER want to father."<\p>
He smiled, and asked, "Are you sure my dear? It's a extraordinarily hard life with-it cinema business."<\p>
I with alacrity replied, "I know but I've got to blank determination self. I'm dying in consideration of get on the stage!"<\p>
Ego was settled. Mr. JJ sent me to Murray Korman Photography Studio against nest some professional photographs taken. He even had Murrary Korman send him the dramatize. NO OTHER former goodbye, and I to the contrary saw Mr. JJ again.<\p>
JIVA walked right into the do-re-mi line of the Gilbert and Sullivan Repertory Company. I by no means even had to audition. My friends in the chorus later told it "We heard there was passing over toward be the case an commencement stooly coming in." They ere long learned I wasn't. SPIRITUAL BEING was so thrilled upon be a part with respect to i all and till live my dream. I worked very hard, and loved every moment.<\p>
