by Alex Marcoux
On the Friday before the Super Bowl, Global Records shipped the unmarked corrugated boxes to record distributors all over the country. Orders for the album The Light had been placed weeks earlier. Timing was perfect. The Light would reach the distributors Tuesday morning, two days after Anastasia’s unveiling.
Pasadena’s Rose Bowl was bulging with 98,374 football watchers. Garth Brooks and Vanessa Williams sang the National Anthem before the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills took the field.
Anastasia was pacing in her dressing room, waiting for half-time to approach. Her heart was pounding so hard she was beginning to feel weak.
“Relax,” Stephanie told her as she took a drag from her cigarette. But Anastasia could not relax and continued to pace.
Natalie stuck her head in the door. “They’re down to the two-minute warning. I guess that means you’ll be on in about twenty minutes.” She laughed at her own humor, then closed the door.
Five minutes later, Sidney knocked on the dressing room door. “How are…,” but she did not finish her question. It was obvious that Anastasia was quite nervous; she looked green. Sidney went to Stephanie. “Steph, would you be able to give me a couple minutes alone with Anastasia?”
Stephanie considered saying no, but realized it would be best all around if she left quietly.
Anastasia was still pacing. Sidney took Anastasia’s hand and directed her to sit in a chair. The entertainer had a distant stare. Kneeling, Sidney tried to make eye contact with her, knowing she had less than ten minutes to snap her out of it.
“Anastasia talk to me,” she said calmly. “Anastasia-“
“I’ve never been this scared in my life,” Anastasia said faintly. “It’s not just the hundred thousand people out there; how many are watching on TV?”
“This is a very large audience,” Sidney agreed.
“I’ve never performed to a crowd this large with so much at stake. I keep wondering what if I freeze? What if Steph’s right and this is too much of a change? Am I going to lose my existing fans?”
Sidney knew she had to work fast. “Anastasia, I’m not going to lie to you. This is the biggest show of your career. As far as your fans are concerned, for every one you’ll lose, you’ll gain two. Anastasia, you’re going out there and you’re going to blow them all away.” She paused, then continued, “I know this, do you know how?”
Anastasia nodded distantly.
“Because you’re the best, Anastasia. You’re the most talented performer of your generation. The last thing you’re going to do is fall apart out there. This is your business, and you’re damn good at it. You’ve got to trust me, Anastasia. I know this business better than most. And I’m also damn good at what I do. What we’re doing is right; I have absolutely no doubt. This is going to put you back on top.”
Natalie knocked on the door and entered, but she could see that the two women were not finished. She whispered to Sidney, “The players are off the field. They’re setting up the stage. Will she be ready in five?”
“I’ll let you-“
“Yeah, I’ll be ready.” Anastasia stood up. “How do I look?” she asked Sidney.
Anastasia was conservatively dressed in a white suit. It was elegant, stylish and feminine. She wore fashionable pumps with moderate heels. Sidney wanted to promote an image of seriousness to be consistent with “The Light” theme.
“You look great,” she handed Anastasia a black cloak. “And you’re going to be great; you know that don’t you?”
“Yes. I do,” Anastasia answered as she swung the cape around her shoulders and walked out of the dressing room.
The fifty-yard line was transformed into a state-of-the-art stage and a voice came over the speaker system. “May I have your attention please?” The plea was repeated over and over again, and gradually the roar of the crowd subsided as their attention was drawn to the replay projection screen where the announcer addressed the audience.
“For almost five months now, we’ve listened to ‘The Light.’ It has remained the number-one song for almost three months. Up until now the artist has remained anonymous. But tonight, for the first time ever, our mystery singer will appear in person to perform The Light.’ “
The applause from the stadium was thunderous, and remained steady for close to three minutes before it fell to a level that would enable the show to continue. Liquid nitrogen was released around the base of the stage, forming a large cloud that encompassed the stage. Then the chemical formed a cloudy hallway running from the stage to the sideline.
The music began, and from the sideline a figure entered the cloud, walking toward the stage. A camera followed the ghostly figure through the cloud as she sang the first verse, broadcasting her performance on the replay monitors. When she ascended the stage, the audience could see she was wearing a black hooded cloak and sunglasses, obscuring her face.
The lyrics were synchronized perfectly. Her performance was truly moving and the audience seemed reflective. Anastasia could feel her excitement build, and her confidence grew as she heard the audience respond to her performance.
When the song came to the end, Anastasia’s attire was still concealing her face. The audience cheered with satisfaction and Anastasia bowed appreciatively. Without missing a beat the music started again, but this time playing one of Anastasia’s most successful songs, “I’m Here to Stay.” She removed the hood and flung her cloak, then her sunglasses, off the stage, revealing her identity to the crowd as she began to sing. Anastasia could feel her goose bumps and the hair rise on her back as the audience responded with a thunderous show of approval.
While Anastasia performed the choreographed number, a stagehand placed her guitar and a stool on the stage. When she finished the number, Anastasia moved the stool and guitar to center stage. The cameras caught her flawless smile as she began strumming the initial chords of one of her new songs, a love ballad titled “I Deserve.” As she finished the lyrics of the song, she was aware that the crowd was standing and cheering. She remained sitting and smiled to the crowd as she finished the final chords with her guitar, then she stood and bowed to the audience.
It was then that Anastasia knew she was back. The crowd remained standing, cheering in satisfaction. She smiled and blew a kiss to the camera, then waved to her audience as she was escorted off the stage to the sidelines, where security attempted to control a large crowd. Anastasia could feel the tears form as she made her way through the crowd.
In the dressing room, Natalie and Stephanie hugged and congratulated Anastasia. Natalie handed her a tissue.
“Where’s Sidney?” Anastasia searched the dressing room.
“She’s setting up a press interview, and we have five minutes to get you ready.” Natalie pulled the chair out in front of her dressing mirror, and Andrea, the make-up person, quickly tidied up her hair and makeup. A few minutes later, the door opened and Sidney walked in. She smiled and said, “Congratulations.”
Anastasia embraced her. “Thank you for believing in me,” she whispered. She quickly backed away, but Sidney saw the tears in Anastasia’s eyes.
“Are you okay to do this?”
“Yeah.” She reached for a tissue.
“They’ve been prepared with a bunch of ground rules. Basically they can only ask questions about your performance tonight, nothing else. Do you understand?”
Anastasia nodded.
They quickly went over some signals to each other, in case Anastasia felt uncomfortable or Sidney wanted to abort the interview.
He watched the half-time show from his home projection television, and was impressed with Anastasia’s performance. So far, it’s better than the game, he thought as he turned the volume up to hear the interview. Clearly, the press was also impressed and supportive of the artist’s new style.
“Anastasia, how did you do this? How did you pull all this off?” an aggressive interviewer asked.
“I didn’t do this. This was a team effort. We did it. And we wouldn’t be here with
out the head of our team,” Anastasia stated.
“And who is that?” the reporter asked.
“Sidney Marcum,” Anastasia answered. Then she reached out of the camera’s view to where Sidney was standing and hugged her. Sidney was caught off guard and blushed as the cameras caught the embrace.
When Anastasia’s interview was finished, he flicked off the TV with the remote. Interesting, the man thought. Then he reached for the telephone handset, and pressed in the numbers.
“This betta be good, the game’s not over,” a man answered.
“This is Michael Whitman. Is this Joey?”
“Yes, Mr. Whitman. How can I help you?”
“Is this a good time to talk? I have a job for you.”
“For you, any time is a good time, Mr. Whitman.”
Chapter 14
Four songs from The Light quickly climbed the charts in the months that followed. The album went platinum in no time. Sidney worked overtime to effectively manage Anastasia’s schedule. Contrary to the previous year, requests for product endorsements, concerts, and special appearances cluttered Anastasia’s calendar.
Sidney also initiated discussions with a movie producer to cast Anastasia as the leading actress in an upcoming movie. The producer, Timothy Clausin, was searching for an actress with singing experience to effectively play the role. His only hesitation with Anastasia was her lack of acting experience. Brett Pillar, the hottest actor on the screen, had already been cast as the leading man.
In April, Anastasia visited Sidney’s office unexpectedly. “What’s up?” Sidney asked.
“We need to talk about my tour this summer.”
“What about the tour?”
“We’re scheduled to perform in Denver, I think in August.”
“Okay, what about it?”
“I want to boycott Colorado.”
“You want to what?”
“You know-boycott Colorado. A lot of entertainers are boycotting the state. Streisand, Liza, Madonna, Whoopi, to name a few.”
“Since when have you become political?”
“What’s happening in Colorado is just wrong, Sidney.”
Sidney had become familiar with the boycott on Colorado. Apparently a gay activist group had promoted boycotting the state to oppose the recent adoption of Amendment 2 to the Colorado Constitution. The amendment was put on the ballot after Colorado for Family Values, a Christian fundamentalist group, lobbied hard for the measure. It surprised the nation when the amendment won in the election the previous November. The effect of the amendment legalized discrimination of gays and lesbians. Immediately following the election a lawsuit was filed alleging that Amendment 2 was unconstitutional. Denver District Court issued an injunction against the amendment, stopping it from being enforced, until arguments were heard. Trial was set later that year.
“Look Anastasia, we’ve had the commitment in Denver since last year and-“
“Fuck the commitment, Sidney. This is important to me,” Anastasia interrupted.
“Would you let me finish?” Sidney was irritated. “Let me look into this boycott and Amendment 2. I’ve heard mixed reviews about whether the boycott truly helps…,” Sidney appeared to be searching for the words, “whether it helps your cause. Don’t worry about it, and whatever you do, don’t say anything to the press. Okay?” Sidney searched for a response. “Okay?”
“Okay,” Anastasia reluctantly agreed.
“Is there anything else?”
“Well, actually yes. I’ve been thinking about a way to show everyone how grateful I am for what MPI has done for me. In May it’ll be one year with your company. I want to do something special to show my appreciation and say thanks.”
“You just did.” Sidney returned her attention to the papers on her desk.
“Why do you have to make this so difficult?” Anastasia’s voice rose.
“Excuse me?”
“I’m trying to talk to you and you’re blowing me off.”
Sidney rested her pen on her desk, giving Anastasia her undivided attention. “What do you have in mind?”
“I’d like to take everyone out for a night on the town. I want to treat everyone at MPI along with his or her partners. I’ll rent a limo or two and make sure everyone has transportation, and gets home safe.” Anastasia looked for a response. “Well?”
“This sounds like something you want to do. Then do it.”
Anastasia smiled at her small victory. “Do I ask Michelle to check your calendar, or do you keep your own calendar?”
“Don’t worry about my calendar, set it up. If I can make it-great, otherwise I’m not going to lose sleep over it.”
Anastasia was obviously pissed. “You know Sidney, sometimes you’re just a plain asshole.” She turned and stormed out of the office.
A couple weeks later Natalie approached Sidney at her office. “I understand you’ve upset Anastasia.”
“So what else is new?”
Natalie knew how to handle her friend. “Sidney, this party is Anastasia’s way of trying to be nice. She wants to show her appreciation to everyone, but mostly you. You’re not making it easy for her.”
“She doesn’t need to thank me; I’m just doing my job. Remember, she hired us?”
“Why do you fight these social events so much? Are you afraid you might have a good time and enjoy yourself? Or is it because you don’t want to get to know the people you work with? Or God forbid, perhaps you’re afraid they’ll get to know you.”
Sidney was visibly irritated. “Are you through?”
“No.” Natalie knew she was pushing it. “This is important to Anastasia. Go to this party, if not for her, for yourself.” Natalie walked around Sidney’s desk and rested her hands on Sidney’s shoulders. Then she leaned over and whispered in her ear, “Sid, I love you…it’s time to get on with your life.” Sidney did not see the tears in Natalie’s eyes as she kissed the top of Sidney’s head. Natalie walked casually out of the office.
*
Anastasia and Stephanie seemed to be in a feisty mood when Natalie arrived at the village bar and grill. Before Natalie had a chance to sit, Anastasia asked, “Well, did you talk with her?”
Natalie looked toward a waitress as she approached their table. “What can I get you, honey?”
“Draft beer, please,” Natalie answered. She sat between Stephanie and Anastasia.
“You two ready for another round?” the waitress asked Stephanie and Anastasia.
“Sure,” Stephanie answered.
“Since when have you been hanging out here?” Natalie asked as she checked out the pub.
“It’s convenient to Steph’s apartment. We occasionally visit when we stay in the city,” Anastasia answered.
“So, did you talk to HB?” Stephanie asked.
“HB?” Natalie asked.
“You know-homophobic bitch,” said Stephanie.
Anastasia poked her. “Stephanie, relax.” Then she turned her attention back to Natalie. “Did you talk with Sidney?”
Natalie pulled out her cigarettes and lit one. “I saw her.”
“Is she coming?” Anastasia asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe…maybe not.”
“What is wrong with that woman?” Anastasia asked.
“The woman’s homophobic, that’s what’s wrong,” Stephanie said.
Natalie just shook her head at Stephanie’s speculation.
“No, she’s a bitch, but I don’t think she’s homophobic,” Anastasia said. “Natalie … is it true about Whitman?”
Natalie was curious. “What about Whitman?”
“Michelle told us that Sidney was married to the man,” Stephanie answered.
“Really, what else did she tell you?” Natalie wondered what Michelle knew; she had only been with MPI three years.
“Sidney lives with a younger man,” Anastasia said. It sounded more like a question than a statement.
“And her heart was broken when a guy named…Chuck or Charlie du
mped her,” Stephanie added.
“Why the sudden interest in Sidney?” Natalie asked.
“Sidney knows everything about us and we know squat about her,” Stephanie started.
“We know you’ve known her longer than anyone at MPI, and she dates a high school principal named Scott,” Anastasia continued.
“Even though she’s shacking up with Mr. Jail Bait,” Stephanie said.
“And she lives in New Jersey,” Anastasia finished. “So, tell us. Are we right?”
Natalie saw a curiosity in Anastasia’s eyes that she had not seen before. “Okay, I’ll clear up a few points, but when I’m finished, that’s it. No more gossip. Do I make myself clear?”
The two nodded.
“Sidney was married to Michael Whitman shortly after she got her MBA. They were married about five years, and from what I understand, they divorced about…twelve years ago.”
“From everything I’ve heard about Whitman, he’s such a great guy. What did he see in Sidney?” Stephanie pried.
“Well, let’s just say people aren’t always what they seem.” Natalie was getting frustrated with Stephanie. “Sidney’s not the enemy here; she hasn’t done anything to you. Why do you always have to slam her so much?”
“She hasn’t done anything? What about turning our lives upside down?” Stephanie seemed bitter. “I don’t live with my lover anymore. I can’t travel with her. If we go out together, I can’t even sit next to her. We don’t do the bars anymore. Our life sucks and it’s all because of that-“
“Leave it alone, Steph. I’ve told you, those were my choices. We did what we had to do.” Anastasia was getting irritated.
The waitress finally returned and served their drinks.
“What about the rest?” Anastasia asked.
“The rest?”
“The younger man and the man that broke her heart,” Anastasia continued.