The Crying Lady.

Today, we attended Carl and Dale's first performance as "Jim" and "Steve." They were, in a word, hilarious and wonderful. But the one thing people wondered was whether the emotional impact of the show would be retained. We needn't have worried.

After the show, there was a woman who stayed around afterwards at the door, tears streaming down her face. She was an actress who said it was one of the most moving pieces of theater she had ever seen in her life. It was really touching.

Watching the show was amazing because it was our first time to actually SEE it! Dale was hilarious and droll. Carl, who plays all these little side characters was hysterical. Clearly, he had thought through each one and made them all different. (I never really was able to do that very well, I have to confess).

So, we leave New York knowing the show is in good hands. People seeing it for the first time won't even know we were ever in it. There were some people there who had seen it before and they told us they thought it was just as powerful. Just as funny.

So, The Big Voice stands on its own. And I know that after Dale and Carl have more stage time, they'll start finding newer and fresher moments. Man, what a treat. What a glorious send-off.

Next stop: Home with the cats.