A Night at the Theater

Outside of low-budget school plays and small-town versions of the Nutcracker, it had been some time since we’d taken in a real production, so we were eager to attend Carrie Fisher‘s Wishful Drinking.

For those Bostonistas old enough to remember, Fisher, the offspring of actress Debbie Reynolds and singer Eddie Fisher, was the sultry/cranky Princess Leia before she got into drugs, was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, and dropped off the face of the planet.

Now, she’s back, touring America with her one-woman show and offering up a few laughs about her whole ordeal. (Sounds a lot like a certain someone else we know—we’re looking at you, Britney.)

Sadly, our night’s showing was a bit of a train wreck. Screwy microphones tried the patience of the audience, frantic stagehands rushed about, and cool and collected Fisher was forced to yell her lines. After fewer than 30 minutes, a premature intermission was called and, after another half-hour, a barefoot Fisher, armed with only a pack of smokes, attempted to continue. But her efforts were stunted and tech problems ultimately closed the show early, much to the frustration of the crowd, who wanted its money ($75 each) and time (two hours) back.

Still, the whole affair carried a surprisingly heartfelt theme. We sympathized with Fisher, both the actress and character, and were amazed that she’s never really given up. Because of this and despite the mishaps, the entire night was an entertaining—albeit, unplanned—performance in itself.

–MIA GANT