I could not believe it. I planned to attend my first musical in three years and I recognized the main star. I had no idea John Lastly was just a stage name.
I used to attend musicals most on Broadway, at least six a year. I live in Boston. New York is close enough to experience the theater but not close enough to make it a simple trip. I guess I lived my once-desired career vicariously through my excursions but then COVID happened. My visits to New York via the Acela corridor on AMTRAK came to an end. The Manhattan theater district went dark.
After COVID, it took time to get back into the routine. Finally, I was with a friend and we both chose to go to the newest show on Broadway — Massachusetts the Musical. It is supposed to be a wonderful story of John Adams and his trip to France from Hough’s Neck, a part of Quincy, Massachusetts that juts out into Boston Harbor.
I should note here that Quincy, is pronounced Quin-zy not that horrendous Quin-see which is the one in Illinois. All other parts of the country use that Illinois pronunciation and it is like fingers on a chalkboard to New Englanders.
Anyway, I looked forward to the show and I bought the tickets for myself and Bill. Bill paid for dinner; we each paid half of the hotel room. We enjoyed supper at Papa’s on 46th street off of 8th Avenue in Hell’s Kitchen. Bill chose the place as we both enjoy Italian food and I found they serve the best popovers in the Northeast. Our hotel is right above it as well so it was convenient there and to the theater three blocks away.
As the show began, The main character John Adams, came out singing “How Long Is the Trip Across the Ocean, How Long to France.” John Lastly whom I had heard of but never saw before brought the role to life.
I was caught off guard. I immediately realized who John Lastly is. He may be a great star in New York, but I knew him in high school as Joseph LaToye. We met on the first day of auditions for the school play. We instantly became good friends and planned our future as actors.
College came and I studied theater at the University of Massachusetts at Boston. Joe chose to try to get into theater in New York immediately. That was the last time I saw him until that night when the show began.