January 11, 2015: So there I was, standing on a stage in a sold out Bellmore Theatre next to the guy who is the Butch to my Sundance, Hutch to my Starsky, Beanie to my Cecil, Robin to my Batman...and Im thinking how did we get here? In October, the skys the limit, major film project, major theatre project on the horizon, reset has been hit on his life, love is in his heart and its time to finally go chase the dreams hes put on hold for everyone else for the last 52 years. By December, its a ferocious battle with cancer, chemo and an unfair hand dealt by the worst card dealer we know...life. But in this one rare moment, standing on this stage next to my pal, it strikes this old cynic that somewhere in the back of my sarcastic and unfortunate realist of a mind, that there is always some glimmer of light in the darkest of hours, Mark got to find out what George Bailey feels like and I got to remember that the parade of assholes that clog up CNNs headlines every day dont matter worth a piss in the wind. What matters is this sea of faces from every corner of Marks life, from beloved family members, actors and actresses hes shared stages with for 20 years, strangers who answered a call on facebook for support, musicians he recorded...at the end of the night, all friends. All sharing that moment when there is nothing in life but the common space that we occupy, the love that we share, the hope that we cling to and the memories we make. In the middle of the very thing that makes no sense is the thing that makes the MOST sense...who we are and what we are to each other when we flush our egos and share our vulnerabilities. And we laughed. And we laughed some more...for that is what comedy is about, And we cried, for that is what life is about, And we rose above it all, rose to the occasion because, in the end, that is what we all want to do most. We raised a nice amount of money to help Mark when the billing half of modern medicine arrives because of the generosity of people, many giving what they didnt really have to give, many giving above and beyond. I will remember our comrade Neil McKenna, who dropped off a large envelope at the theatre days earlier as a waiting surprise for my buddy, when he knew he could not be there...I will think of people like Alice Pagano, who mailed in from Atlanta because she shared a stage with him once...so many other friends who could not be there and also gave for love of a friend. And we will both remember the miles of faces in the audience, people gathered to celebrate not a passing, but the LIVING, our brother who will fight the fight to continue doing just that in the years to come. Hell, hes got plays and movies to do and love to make. I will remember Gary Smith, who started the ball rolling with the venue, Eddie Money who flew in from California to support his original Bill Graham, his parents and brother in the front row, friends we havent see in years, but who, when they heard George Bailey was in some trouble, came running from every angle. I will think of Valley Stream mayor Ed Fare and SallyAnn Esposito who are extended family as Mark and I have worked to help expand their arts scene over the last two years, and all the Villagers who contributed to the cause. I will think, as I always do, of my wife Joni, who is my anchor, the unyielding positive force that keeps me propped up and moving when there is nothing in my tank, and Tracy Frierman, whose unflinching strength and monumental efforts keep my pal going and his heart swelled with love for the universe, I will think of all the actors and writers who gave completely to share this night, but most of all, I will be in debt to everyone in that audience and will see your faces forever, for giving my bestie what he needed the most, the reason why hes done everything in his life and why he needs to stick around another 50 years. Or 60...Ill leave it up to him. I wish I could list every name, but Ive already had you reading more than you want to. You got things to do. God bless you all. God bless you, Mark, I dont know how we got here either, but I do know Im blessed that Ive traveled the last 35 years side by side, shoulder to shoulder with you. It has been my honor. It will continue to be. I love you, brother.
Posted on: Mon, 12 Jan 2015 16:42:55 +0000
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015