In 1999 I had the pleasure of seeing Teri on stage in Cabaret four times. Yes, four times. I'm a nut like that. The first was in Chicago because I was traveling with my mother and we went to see a Cubs game (Back then I loved them b/c they had Mark Grace and man I LOVE Mark Grace...he's retired now...so sad) Anyway, I saw her on stage then and was so happy. Then she came to Washington D.C and I was living in Sterling, Virginia at the time and it was just perfect. My friends Crissy and Julie came to visit and we just had to give her a token of our appreciation. A gift basket. Mainly full of items for Emerson, who was almost two at the time. It consisted of a teddy bear (we each got a bear for ourselves as well), some bath items, Swedish Fish etc. We dropped it off at the door before the matinee show and then were informed that Teri was ill and would not be performing in the afternoon show. Like the girls we were, we cried...and cried...and the theater manager felt bad for us and remembered that we had dropped off the basket so he gave us tickets to that nights performance, in the "press" boxes that looked over the stage. We were ecstatic, went home had pizza and returned. When we returned Sean came running to us and said our seats had been changed...to RIGHT in front of the stage. We were floored to say the very least and sat there like giddy school girls as the dancers flirted with us in character. When Teri came out on the rafters above the stage where she yells out her first line, and she looked right down at us...so we were beyond giddy. When Teri came out on stage she came right out to us and waved, she was a foot away from me and I just didn't know what to think. Desirously happy works. The whole play was fantastic, and I was even pulled on stage to dance with the emcee, which was totally scary, especially since he didn't believe I was twenty four at the time, guessing instead that I was seventeen. I've never looked my age.

After the play we wanted to meet Teri but didn't know where to go, so we waited out front until a cop told us it was best we get out of that area...it was DC after all. The next day Crissy had to go home but Julie and I decided we had to see the show again, of course, and went. The seats weren't nearly as great, but this time someone told us where to go to attempt to meet Teri. We waited for a while, with some rather strange people who professed their love for Sweeney Todd (Shudder) and when Teri came out she gave us looks like she knew us but didn't know why and of course I couldn't talk. Julie asked if she got our basket and her face lit up saying "You're the Ariel girls!" (Most of the basket was made up of The Little Mermaid merchandise given she mentioned in some interview that it was Emerson's favorite movie. She talked to us for quite a bit, being so sweet and signed our playbills. We left on a happy Teri high and got lost in Washington DC at one am which is never fun.

We went again for the last show on September 4, 1999 and had the pleasure of meeting Jon as well. We had made up another basket, mainly of relaxing bath items since now she could relax and even a rubber ducky where Jon professed "It's a duck." when Teri handed the basket to him.

A few months later this photo was published in an Australian magazine. When I informed the person who put the photo on the net that my friend and I had made the basket he gladly sent me the photo. I still smile when I see it remembering what joy Teri brought to us those days with her awesome performance.

That was five years ago, but my adoration for Teri has never dwindled. Even though I've given up my life long acting dreams, she's still my idol...for her sweetness, her talent and so much more.

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