You Never Know Who You Might Meet In the Cheap Seats

My wife, Cynthia, and I were sitting down ready to watch a closed-circuit feed of a great show about to happen live in a theater across the parking lot.  The live venue seats had quickly sold out months ago.  We didn’t mind as all 20 of us town-folk were huddled near each other in the middle of our ‘overflow’ room capable of seating 200+.  Our room offered us budget friendly tickets and also access to free concessions of popcorn, candy and drinks.  There was an impromptu party’esque atmosphere from everyone’s anticipation of the great show to begin on-screen, but little did we know it was about to get even better.

Cynthia and I were seated on the periphery of the twenty people, when I felt someone tap me on the shoulder.  I wondered what unexpected friend was letting me know they might be joining us, so I stood up and turned.  A big smile came across our faces when we saw a familiar man, dressed head-to-toe in denim, looking like he fit right in our small, Western town in the middle of Arizona.  Before I could say anything, his perfect timing delivered his trademark humor in that familiar voice, “Hey, who did you have to know to get these seats!”  Cynthia and I were already laughing with American comedy icon Jay Leno sooner than we had expected as his main show had not yet started.  The rest of the twenty joined the fun as the former NBC-TV Tonight Show host continued walking the room, shaking hands, saying hi and taking photos.

Cynthia, especially, was happy to meet Jay in-person as she has a background in improv and stand-up comedy.  In LA and NY, Cynthia was honored to work with and learn from other greats comedians such as Jonathon Winters, Carl Reiner, Tim Conway, Sid Caesar, Rodney Dangerfield and more.  She also wrote an autobiographical self-help book with humor, that has uplifted many, called Diary of a Modern Day Goddess.  During the ten minutes or so that Jay was in the room, Cynthia had intuited that he seemed more contemplative in-person than his stage persona.  Perhaps there was something more than usual on his mind or perhaps he was saving his energy for the main show?  Cynthia also knew, like Jay and other performers know, that whatever was on his mind, the show must go on.  My wife, being the natural joy-maker she is (one of the reasons why I love her), wanted to help Jay smile more.  So, when Jay joked to her about the bargain seats and that they were in another building entirely, Cynthia laughed and said, “It doesn’t matter.  These are now the best seats in the house because we got to meet you!”  She and I thanked him for coming to visit us all and we posed for a photo together.  Cynthia and I returned back to our seats feeling uplifted.

Jay, now seeming more uplifted up by all of his interactions in the room, happily went back across that parking lot to perform in front of the theater ticket holders where he proceeded to bring the house down with non-stop laughter.  His excellent performance was even more amazing as it had been announced to the audiences before Jay arrived on stage that Arizona’s US Senator, John McCain, had just passed away.  For an hour-and-a-half, Jay transported us all away form the reality of real life with his humor.  

At the very end of Jay’s performance, he took a few minutes to acknowledge John McCain’s passing.  He briefly then looked up and told his audiences that we were lucky to live in Arizona and to have had McCain, an American War-Hero, as Senator.  Jay told the audiences that he used to write some jokes for McCain who was also a friend.  He reflected that anytime McCain appeared on the Tonight Show he always told the same favorite joke, apparently not one that Jay wrote.  Choking back tears, Jay ended the show by putting his head down and asking everyone to pray for John McCain and his family.  It had been a memorable night that ended with a standing ovation.  

Cynthia and I now realized that the passing of Jay’s friend may have been on his mind when we all met.  That night was a reminder that you never know who you might meet in the cheap seats and how sharing a kind word, a smile and laughter can make everyone feel like VIPs, regardless of where one may be sitting in life.

If just for a moment, Jay, we hope you too may have felt lucky to have found yourself in Arizona that night.  

Best wishes Jay on the rest of your American comedy tour.

James