Kurt's on Broadway?
Title: Kurt's on Broadway?
Fandom: Glee
Written: July, 2010
Rating: PG
Words: 2000
Summary: Kurt gets cast in the most recent revival of Hair. And then Rachel becomes his biggest fan.
------
None of them expected Kurt to be the first to get a big break in show business. Especially Rachel. Hell, he even beat Jesse, who's been out of school for two years longer, studying theatre for two years longer, and looking for work for two years longer.
But there it is: Kurt's name, headshot, and bio in the Playbill for the (newest) revival of Hair. He's a tribe member and he understudies Woof, so it's not like he's the star, but still, he's on Broadway.
Rachel tries not to be jealous when she hears the news. She and Kurt had never been the best of friends and they'd rarely spoken after high school, just the typical "Happy Birthday!" post on facebook and the occasional comment on a status. When Kurt's status changes from "Finding out today!" to "Booked it!" she clicks the "like" button and comments: Congratulations!
She's in the audience for the first preview, and she can't take her eyes off him.
He's giving the type of performance he never gave in high school. The uninhibited, fluid, in-the-moment kind of performance that only comes with complete confidence in yourself. Rachel gets it, she gets why he looks so different. He's in New York City, performing on Broadway, and those days of slushies-to-the-face are far behind him. Now he's in an iconic Broadway show, and it's only a matter of time before he gets a huge fan following.
Well, Rachel is not about to let that happen before she gets her two cents in. She is Rachel Berry and that is Kurt Hummel, and she is not going to let anyone forget that she knew him first.
She waits patiently at the stage door after the show, holding out her Playbill and politely saying thank you to the other cast members. So far it's just been the stars that came out, none of the tribe members making an appearance. She understands why; people are less likely to recognize them, which makes the walk incredibly awkward. Do they stop and sign Playbills and talk to confused fans or do they make a run for it and hope nobody notices?
Kurt tries to make a run for it. He almost gets away with it, too, because he's at the end of the barrier and nobody's stopping him, but Rachel won't have that.
"Kurt Hummel, get over here right now and sign my Playbill!" she orders, watching as his face pales and recognition forms in his eyes.
"Rachel?" he comes over, a half-smile on his face.
"The one and only," she grins, hopping over the barrier and linking her arm through his. The security guard starts walking towards her, no doubt to tell her off, so she tells Kurt, "Tell Mr. Security-Guard-Man that I'm allowed, okay? I don't want to get arrested."
Kurt looks like he's at a loss for words - because Rachel Berry did just hurdle a barrier to talk to him properly - but he waves the security guard away and starts walking with her, their arms still linked.
"What are you doing here?" he asks, and she grins that magnificent, maniacal grin that was so over-used back in high school.
"Did you really think I was going to miss your Broadway debut?" Rachel asks, poking him in the side with her free hand. "Regardless of our friendship status at the moment, we were part of the original New Directions, which makes us practically family. And while I certainly wasn't expecting you to be the first one of us on Broadway, that does not under any circumstances mean that I'm going to be bitter about it and not support you on your big day."
She gets all this out in one breath.
Kurt looks wary, but he smiles back anyway.
"Thanks, Rachel," he says. "It is nice to see you again."
The two of them end up at a Starbucks down the street, sipping lattes and telling each other stories about what they did in college, what shows they've been in, who they've kept in contact with (for Kurt it's Finn, Mercedes, and Quinn and for Rachel, strangely enough, it's Jesse, Tina, and Mike), what brought them to New York in the first place, and any other number of things until the barista kicks them out. Then they just stroll through the brightly-lit theatre district, not caring that it's a terrible idea and that nobody should ever be walking the streets this late at night.
"So how'd you land a Broadway show?" Rachel asks finally, for she's been avoiding the topic all evening.
"I couldn't tell you," Kurt laughs. "It was an open casting call, so I figured, what the hell, and I came and auditioned. I didn't expect it to go anywhere, but they liked me so I got lucky." He shrugs before continuing. "I expected to have to work my way up to Broadway, do some regional productions and some touring stuff, maybe land something off-Broadway, never just make the leap from reading for workshops straight to Broadway."
"You're really lucky," Rachel muses, wishing that she had been able to go to the open casting call. She'd seen the ad for it, but had gone to the audition for a touring company of Wicked instead. But she quickly steers her thoughts away from this, because the more she dwells on it, the more she'll regret it.
They say goodbye and head home after Rachel assures Kurt - twice - that her apartment isn't that far away and that she is not going to get raped on the way there.
The next day, Rachel writes on Kurt's facebook wall. Any chance you can snag me a ticket for opening night? Kurt leaves a comment an hour later, saying, I'll see what I can do ;)
Her ticket and invitation to opening night come in the mail four days later. Rachel goes to see the show again and waits at the stage door afterwards so she can say thank you. Kurt doesn't try to run away this time; people know who he is now and compliment him on his performance.
Kurt and Rachel meet up a week before opening night and the pair of them go shopping for their outfits. Rachel keeps saying that she doesn't need a new dress because nobody will know who she is or why she's there, but Kurt won't have any of it. He drags her into store after store, dressing her up like she's his plaything.
She looks fantastic. Kurt decided that she's his date to the opening night party, so she's on the list to get backstage after the show. She gets to talk with the woman playing Sheila while she waits for Kurt, who tells her about an audition for a new Off-Broadway show that weekend. Rachel gets the director's phone number and a promise from "Sheila" to put in a good word for her.
Kurt escorts her to the opening night party and they get their picture taken. Kurt gets interviewed and she gets asked what her name is.
The caption on their picture on says "Kurt Hummel and guest." Rachel sends a link to Kurt's facebook with a joke that says, "Look who's got his own tag, Mr. Famous!" She tries not to let it bother her.
She goes to see the show again. Kurt told her to let him know ahead of time when she'd be there so he can get her backstage, but she doesn't tell him. She waits at the stage door for him, listening to teenyboppers dressed in hippie skirts squeal over the show. They stare at her, jealousy written across their faces, when Kurt notices her, laughs, and links arms with her as he leaves.
Rachel gets a callback for the Off-Broadway audition, so she goes back to see Hair so she can thank the woman playing Sheila. She notices that Kurt's name is on the understudy board and immediately calls him to yell at him for not telling her. Kurt gets cheers after all his lines and solos, and Rachel sees the same group of teenyboppers proclaiming their undying love for him during intermission.
She kisses him at the stage door. He makes a joke about her anatomy not being compatible. The teenyboppers glare some more.
Rachel looks at BroadwaySecrets that Friday, heart swelling with pride when there's a secret about Kurt. It's his headshot with the caption, "Best Woof ever!"
She takes him out for coffee after his Saturday matinee and doesn't tell him why. He's obviously confused, but hey, free coffee. He's not complaining.
Rachel becomes a regular at Hair. Kurt's co-stars joke about how she should just join the cast and be done with it, since she probably knows the entire musical by heart. She gets invited to all their cast parties and drops off little gift-bags when there's a birthday. Eventually, she's hired to run the ticket lotto and is officially working for the Broadway production of Hair.
They throw a party to celebrate their 100th performance. Rachel is Kurt's date again. He gets interviewed and she gets asked her name. Again. One reporter recognizes her and asks if it's fun running the lotto.
Their picture on has the caption, "Kurt Hummel and Rachel Barry." She sends the link to Kurt's facebook with a joke that says, "And I always thought 'Berry' was easy to spell. LOL!"
She books the Off-Broadway show and sends flowers to "Sheila." She still runs the Hair lotto, because it doesn't interfere with her call time. Kurt comes to see the show on his day off, and Rachel thanks her good fortune that their shows' dark days don't match up.
They fall into a pattern, Rachel going to Hair on her day off and Kurt going to see Rachel's show on his day off. When Mercedes comes to visit Kurt, she and Rachel hang out when Kurt's working. When the entire Hudmel clan comes to see Kurt, Rachel takes them around the city when Kurt's working. When Rachel's dads come to see her show, Kurt sits next to them in the theatre and takes them out to dinner. When they find out that Jesse - finally - made it to New York, they both go to see his show and fangirl over him when he comes out of the stage door.
It's a nice, easy friendship, the one they've formed. Rachel's working now too, so she doesn't even feel jealous anymore, and she's known as the adopted tribe member to the rest of Kurt's cast, so it doesn't even feel that weird knowing he's on Broadway and she's Off. They meet up with Jesse sometimes, who's still a little awkward around them even though they've both forgiven him a long time ago.
After six months, Kurt gets bumped up to full-time Woof. Rachel auditions for Wicked but doesn't make it, so she stays with her Off-Broadway show. There's talk about taking it to Broadway next season, and she hopes it's not just a rumor. Maybe they'll take her with it.
Rachel goes to Kurt's first official show as Woof. His performance is flawless, and since he knows where she's sitting, he messes with her every time he runs into the audience. At one point in the show he gets down on one knee and presents her with a bouquet of daisies, kissing her cheek before running back onstage.
She waits for him outside the stage door, smiling as people scream his name and shove Playbills in his face. Kurt poses for pictures and smiles around at everyone. He kisses her when he reaches her, and she laughs and says, "I thought our anatomies weren't compatible."
She can feel the jealous glares of all the teenyboppers when Kurt links their arms and starts walking away, saying, "Just call it special treatment for my number one fan."
Fandom: Glee
Written: July, 2010
Rating: PG
Words: 2000
Summary: Kurt gets cast in the most recent revival of Hair. And then Rachel becomes his biggest fan.
------
None of them expected Kurt to be the first to get a big break in show business. Especially Rachel. Hell, he even beat Jesse, who's been out of school for two years longer, studying theatre for two years longer, and looking for work for two years longer.
But there it is: Kurt's name, headshot, and bio in the Playbill for the (newest) revival of Hair. He's a tribe member and he understudies Woof, so it's not like he's the star, but still, he's on Broadway.
Rachel tries not to be jealous when she hears the news. She and Kurt had never been the best of friends and they'd rarely spoken after high school, just the typical "Happy Birthday!" post on facebook and the occasional comment on a status. When Kurt's status changes from "Finding out today!" to "Booked it!" she clicks the "like" button and comments: Congratulations!
She's in the audience for the first preview, and she can't take her eyes off him.
He's giving the type of performance he never gave in high school. The uninhibited, fluid, in-the-moment kind of performance that only comes with complete confidence in yourself. Rachel gets it, she gets why he looks so different. He's in New York City, performing on Broadway, and those days of slushies-to-the-face are far behind him. Now he's in an iconic Broadway show, and it's only a matter of time before he gets a huge fan following.
Well, Rachel is not about to let that happen before she gets her two cents in. She is Rachel Berry and that is Kurt Hummel, and she is not going to let anyone forget that she knew him first.
She waits patiently at the stage door after the show, holding out her Playbill and politely saying thank you to the other cast members. So far it's just been the stars that came out, none of the tribe members making an appearance. She understands why; people are less likely to recognize them, which makes the walk incredibly awkward. Do they stop and sign Playbills and talk to confused fans or do they make a run for it and hope nobody notices?
Kurt tries to make a run for it. He almost gets away with it, too, because he's at the end of the barrier and nobody's stopping him, but Rachel won't have that.
"Kurt Hummel, get over here right now and sign my Playbill!" she orders, watching as his face pales and recognition forms in his eyes.
"Rachel?" he comes over, a half-smile on his face.
"The one and only," she grins, hopping over the barrier and linking her arm through his. The security guard starts walking towards her, no doubt to tell her off, so she tells Kurt, "Tell Mr. Security-Guard-Man that I'm allowed, okay? I don't want to get arrested."
Kurt looks like he's at a loss for words - because Rachel Berry did just hurdle a barrier to talk to him properly - but he waves the security guard away and starts walking with her, their arms still linked.
"What are you doing here?" he asks, and she grins that magnificent, maniacal grin that was so over-used back in high school.
"Did you really think I was going to miss your Broadway debut?" Rachel asks, poking him in the side with her free hand. "Regardless of our friendship status at the moment, we were part of the original New Directions, which makes us practically family. And while I certainly wasn't expecting you to be the first one of us on Broadway, that does not under any circumstances mean that I'm going to be bitter about it and not support you on your big day."
She gets all this out in one breath.
Kurt looks wary, but he smiles back anyway.
"Thanks, Rachel," he says. "It is nice to see you again."
The two of them end up at a Starbucks down the street, sipping lattes and telling each other stories about what they did in college, what shows they've been in, who they've kept in contact with (for Kurt it's Finn, Mercedes, and Quinn and for Rachel, strangely enough, it's Jesse, Tina, and Mike), what brought them to New York in the first place, and any other number of things until the barista kicks them out. Then they just stroll through the brightly-lit theatre district, not caring that it's a terrible idea and that nobody should ever be walking the streets this late at night.
"So how'd you land a Broadway show?" Rachel asks finally, for she's been avoiding the topic all evening.
"I couldn't tell you," Kurt laughs. "It was an open casting call, so I figured, what the hell, and I came and auditioned. I didn't expect it to go anywhere, but they liked me so I got lucky." He shrugs before continuing. "I expected to have to work my way up to Broadway, do some regional productions and some touring stuff, maybe land something off-Broadway, never just make the leap from reading for workshops straight to Broadway."
"You're really lucky," Rachel muses, wishing that she had been able to go to the open casting call. She'd seen the ad for it, but had gone to the audition for a touring company of Wicked instead. But she quickly steers her thoughts away from this, because the more she dwells on it, the more she'll regret it.
They say goodbye and head home after Rachel assures Kurt - twice - that her apartment isn't that far away and that she is not going to get raped on the way there.
The next day, Rachel writes on Kurt's facebook wall. Any chance you can snag me a ticket for opening night? Kurt leaves a comment an hour later, saying, I'll see what I can do ;)
Her ticket and invitation to opening night come in the mail four days later. Rachel goes to see the show again and waits at the stage door afterwards so she can say thank you. Kurt doesn't try to run away this time; people know who he is now and compliment him on his performance.
Kurt and Rachel meet up a week before opening night and the pair of them go shopping for their outfits. Rachel keeps saying that she doesn't need a new dress because nobody will know who she is or why she's there, but Kurt won't have any of it. He drags her into store after store, dressing her up like she's his plaything.
She looks fantastic. Kurt decided that she's his date to the opening night party, so she's on the list to get backstage after the show. She gets to talk with the woman playing Sheila while she waits for Kurt, who tells her about an audition for a new Off-Broadway show that weekend. Rachel gets the director's phone number and a promise from "Sheila" to put in a good word for her.
Kurt escorts her to the opening night party and they get their picture taken. Kurt gets interviewed and she gets asked what her name is.
The caption on their picture on says "Kurt Hummel and guest." Rachel sends a link to Kurt's facebook with a joke that says, "Look who's got his own tag, Mr. Famous!" She tries not to let it bother her.
She goes to see the show again. Kurt told her to let him know ahead of time when she'd be there so he can get her backstage, but she doesn't tell him. She waits at the stage door for him, listening to teenyboppers dressed in hippie skirts squeal over the show. They stare at her, jealousy written across their faces, when Kurt notices her, laughs, and links arms with her as he leaves.
Rachel gets a callback for the Off-Broadway audition, so she goes back to see Hair so she can thank the woman playing Sheila. She notices that Kurt's name is on the understudy board and immediately calls him to yell at him for not telling her. Kurt gets cheers after all his lines and solos, and Rachel sees the same group of teenyboppers proclaiming their undying love for him during intermission.
She kisses him at the stage door. He makes a joke about her anatomy not being compatible. The teenyboppers glare some more.
Rachel looks at BroadwaySecrets that Friday, heart swelling with pride when there's a secret about Kurt. It's his headshot with the caption, "Best Woof ever!"
She takes him out for coffee after his Saturday matinee and doesn't tell him why. He's obviously confused, but hey, free coffee. He's not complaining.
Rachel becomes a regular at Hair. Kurt's co-stars joke about how she should just join the cast and be done with it, since she probably knows the entire musical by heart. She gets invited to all their cast parties and drops off little gift-bags when there's a birthday. Eventually, she's hired to run the ticket lotto and is officially working for the Broadway production of Hair.
They throw a party to celebrate their 100th performance. Rachel is Kurt's date again. He gets interviewed and she gets asked her name. Again. One reporter recognizes her and asks if it's fun running the lotto.
Their picture on has the caption, "Kurt Hummel and Rachel Barry." She sends the link to Kurt's facebook with a joke that says, "And I always thought 'Berry' was easy to spell. LOL!"
She books the Off-Broadway show and sends flowers to "Sheila." She still runs the Hair lotto, because it doesn't interfere with her call time. Kurt comes to see the show on his day off, and Rachel thanks her good fortune that their shows' dark days don't match up.
They fall into a pattern, Rachel going to Hair on her day off and Kurt going to see Rachel's show on his day off. When Mercedes comes to visit Kurt, she and Rachel hang out when Kurt's working. When the entire Hudmel clan comes to see Kurt, Rachel takes them around the city when Kurt's working. When Rachel's dads come to see her show, Kurt sits next to them in the theatre and takes them out to dinner. When they find out that Jesse - finally - made it to New York, they both go to see his show and fangirl over him when he comes out of the stage door.
It's a nice, easy friendship, the one they've formed. Rachel's working now too, so she doesn't even feel jealous anymore, and she's known as the adopted tribe member to the rest of Kurt's cast, so it doesn't even feel that weird knowing he's on Broadway and she's Off. They meet up with Jesse sometimes, who's still a little awkward around them even though they've both forgiven him a long time ago.
After six months, Kurt gets bumped up to full-time Woof. Rachel auditions for Wicked but doesn't make it, so she stays with her Off-Broadway show. There's talk about taking it to Broadway next season, and she hopes it's not just a rumor. Maybe they'll take her with it.
Rachel goes to Kurt's first official show as Woof. His performance is flawless, and since he knows where she's sitting, he messes with her every time he runs into the audience. At one point in the show he gets down on one knee and presents her with a bouquet of daisies, kissing her cheek before running back onstage.
She waits for him outside the stage door, smiling as people scream his name and shove Playbills in his face. Kurt poses for pictures and smiles around at everyone. He kisses her when he reaches her, and she laughs and says, "I thought our anatomies weren't compatible."
She can feel the jealous glares of all the teenyboppers when Kurt links their arms and starts walking away, saying, "Just call it special treatment for my number one fan."