"Hairspray" on Broadway and meeting Ashley Parker Angel of O-Town and "Making the Band"
My friend Alex and I had time to go into New York City for an afternoon, and we found out that Ashley Parker Angel, the heartthrob of former boy band O-Town (which we were obsessed with), was starring as Link Larkin in "Hairspray" on Broadway. It was a total no-brainer, we had to go. Alex splurged and got us some really good seats (thanks Alex!) and we settled in for the show.
It was AMAZING. If you've seen the play or seen the 2007 movie starring John Travolta, Nikki Blonsky, Michelle Pfeiffer, Queen Latifah, and Zac Efron, you know what a feel-good story it is. I love the movie (inspired by the musical which was inspired by John Waters' 1988 film of the same name) and the play just took it to another level. The upbeat feeling was contagious and I literally didn't stop smiling the whole time. Starring with Ashley Angel were Aubrey O'Day of Danity Kane and George Wendt of "Cheers"! It was a great, super fun show.
Afterward we waited outside for the actors to come say hi; we were dying to cozy up to Ashley. I'd met him twice before (in 2001 and 2002), but Alex never had, so we were really excited.
When he came out he was super foxy, obviously, and really nice to everyone. When I stepped back to take a photo of Alex with Ashley, a bunch of little girls squirmed in front of me to get autographs and pictures and I didn't get to take a photo with Ashley before he headed off between shows.
But since I love him and I'm crazy, I chased him down the street a little bit. (Please don't judge me!) He was very kind and posed for a picture with me. And then I might have cried a little in an alley. (Unconfirmed reports.)
All in all, it was a fabulous experience! APA 4ever.
STORY & PHOTO CREDITS
Written by Christina LeBlanc
Photos by Christina LeBlanc and Alex Poulin