BRADLEY
RAPIER

WEEK 38

CHECK PLEASE…!

Between 2009-2011 our acclaimed stage show, GROOVALOO, based on true stories of the Groovaloos, played Off Broadway and toured the US.

After each performance we would come to the lobby and talk with members of the audience. It was extremely moving to have strangers tell us what affected them and why, and then to hear some of their incredible stories. Every night I would clean up and get changed as quickly as possible.

We had just finished a performance during our Off Broadway run in New York. It was near the end of the week and with the intense physicality of the production I was moving pretty slow. When I finally made it to the lobby the cast and crew had left.

There was a fairly large restaurant called Union Square Cafe that we often went to post-show, so I headed that way...

In New York a number of celebrities came through to see GROOVALOO. That night I heard that Scottish actor Gerard Butler was there, known for iconic starring roles in “300”, “Law Abiding Citizen”, “ and as Stoick, the short-tempered chief in the hit film series, “How to Train your Dragon”. I was bummed to have missed him, but my mind was on food and sleep.

As I walked in the restaurant I heard a cacophony of familiar, loud voices. I turned to see the cast, crew and friends making noise and filling up over half of the top section, about forty of us in all.

Then I saw Mr. Butler in the restaurant talking to the host. I walked up to him, introduced myself and thanked him for making room for us. I figured he had some ownership in the place with the way he was attending to our group.

He quickly replied, “I don’t own the restaurant. I just saw your show and was so inspired by the stories, the message and the incredible dance I thought I’d see what I could do to make sure they could make room for all of you!"

I then watched as Mr. Butler proceeded to take his time and make his way around to sit at each one of our separate tables, and join the conversation. He was so relaxed, but extremely engaged. And with that accent of his, it was as if he was an old friend.

I remember, along with questions about our show,  he and I had this cool discussion on how he had spent some of his early years in Montreal where my mother was raised, contrasted with what my parents experienced when they moved to his homeland of Scotland where my father went to med school. Culture shocks all around!

It was getting late and an associate of his came over to tell him it was time to go if he wanted to catch his flight the next morning. Mr. Butler said his goodbyes, thanked us again for a wonderful show and left.

About thirty minutes later we were ready to go as well. When we asked for our bills, we were informed that Mr. Butler had paid for everyone one of us, friends and all, including a generous tip!

You might say, “Easy for him, he had the means!” But he didn’t have to do it, and he definitely didn’t have to hang with us so long in the manner he did.