Film legend

Joseph's excitement was naturally hindered. There was still a full forty-five minutes before the premiere of "A Matter of Gravity", and the previous performance was still underway. The ticket collector at the entrance naturally couldn't let Joseph in and could only turn him away. He had to wait outside for quite a while. After the previous performance ended and the cleaning staff signaled that the venue was ready, Joseph and Hugo eagerly walked in.

The two of them walked up the stairs and found their seats in the VIP box on the second floor. At this moment, the entire theater was empty except for the staff pulling up the stage curtain. The enormous branch-shaped chandelier in the center of the theater pushed a creamy yellow light throughout the space. The small bulbs around it cast a lazy halo, dispersing the darkness in the corners.

Hugo sat in his seat, carefully surveying every corner of the theater. It was hard to imagine that just fifteen minutes ago, it was bustling and lively. As the heat in the air gradually subsided after the performance, it fell into a profound silence. As the showtime approached, people began to enter the venue one by one. Since Hugo and Joseph had purchased seats in the VIP area on the second floor, they could overlook the commotion below.

Perhaps because "A Matter of Gravity" was not a world-famous production, there weren't many tourists in attendance. Most of the audience consisted of local residents dressed in formal attire. Although Broadway had gradually declined in the face of various forms of entertainment such as cinemas and the internet since the 21st century, the 1990s were still the golden age of Broadway. The upper-class elites of New York took pride in attending a magnificent theatrical performance and were delighted to support Broadway on Broadway Avenue. Even opera and drama were considered equally distinguished invitations for a date. Therefore, it was not surprising to see local residents coming to watch the play, even if there were no tourists.

However, the attendance rate at the venue was truly disappointing. The theater was not large, accommodating only about three hundred people at most, yet at this moment, not even half of the seats were filled, and there were only five minutes left until the official start of the performance. No wonder Hugo and Joseph were able to buy tickets just now.

"Why are there so few people?" Joseph asked in a low voice, frowning. He clearly couldn't understand the bleak scene before his eyes.

If Hugo had been asked this question before the Golden Globe Awards, he would have expressed his confusion. However, now Hugo understood one thing: there was no everlasting popularity. Even a historically renowned artist was merely a name in the history books, lacking any appeal to the younger generation. Katharine Hepburn was a prime example.

In 1982, at the age of seventy-five, Katharine won her fourth Oscar for Best Actress with her performance in "On Golden Pond". After that, although Katharine still had film works released, she gradually faded away from the big screen. After 1985, she only appeared in two made-for-television movies. On the one hand, her advancing age brought serious health problems, and on the other hand, she focused her remaining energy on stage plays.

Stage plays were Katharine's starting point and would now become the culmination of her acting career.

"Because no one knows if Katharine will appear in this performance," Hugo said with a hint of regret and disappointment. He had learned from his chat with the ticket collector that Katharine, due to health issues, would only make a few appearances on stage in "A Matter of Gravity" every month or two. Moreover, for every Broadway production, there were at least three sets of actors maintaining regular performances, making it difficult for people to know when she would appear.

"But, but she's Katharine Hepburn! Why wouldn't any journalists know about it!" Joseph still felt greatly indignant, and it was evident that his admiration for Katharine Hepburn was a genuine and heartfelt kind of worship. Although Joseph didn't say it, Hugo speculated that perhaps Joseph became a manager because of Katharine Hepburn's influence.

"Because this is the entertainment industry, a fickle and restless entertainment industry," Hugo sighed deeply. When an artist lacks sufficient exposure, they easily disappear from people's sight and even get forgotten. Even a superstar like Katharine Hepburn is no exception, let alone those mediocre vase-like performers. "In fact, even if people knew that Katharine Hepburn would appear, there wouldn't be too many who would come. This is A 2Matter of Gravity", not "Cats"."

Upon hearing Hugo's last words, Joseph fell into silence. He himself had acted the same way earlier, the first thing that came to his mind was to watch "Cats", not "A Matter of Gravity". Presumably, other audience members were the same. Moreover, Katharine Hepburn had already gone through the most glorious fifty years of her acting career, and the sharp decline in attention truly robbed her of her past charisma.

In fact, "A Matter of Gravity" was first performed on Broadway in 1976 and was discontinued after one year. Now, after fifteen years, smaller theaters on Broadway would occasionally experiment with the play, with a screening schedule of only three shows per month. Hugo learned all this from chatting with the ticket collector, so he was mentally prepared for the desolate attendance rate before him.

However, even so, when he actually saw it, Hugo couldn't help but sigh. Not only was Joseph indignant, but he also felt the same way. It seemed like he was looking at his own future, but he was also curious. Since she knew she would be treated like this, why didn't Katharine Hepburn want to give up? Vaguely, Hugo felt he knew the answer, but he couldn't sort out his thoughts.

The performance was about to begin. The lights of the chandelier had already been dimmed, but one-third of the seats in the auditorium were still empty. It seemed impossible to fill all the seats.

Hugo patted Joseph's shoulder. "The show is about to start."

Joseph took a deep breath, collected his scattered thoughts, and focused all his attention on the performance that was about to unfold before him.

Soon, the heavy red curtain in front of them was opened, and Katharine Hepburn, dressed in a white robe with a black silk jacket over it, walked onto the stage with a cane. The audience erupted in enthusiastic applause. This legendary figure in American film history, still active on stage at the age of eighty-five, was a miracle in itself. Although Katharine Hepburn's deteriorating physical condition was evident from her slow and slightly unsteady steps, the audience showed their support with applause.

It was a very simple story about Mrs. Basil living alone in her mansion in Oxford, but her peaceful life was disrupted by her grandson Nick and his four companions, as well as the newly arrived kitchen steward who discovered inexplicable and mysterious events in the house. These miracles left Mrs. Basil perplexed, and she began to question her lifelong belief: Does God really exist?

Catherine naturally played the role of Mrs. Basil. What surprised Hugo was that Christopher Reeve, the handsome actor famous worldwide for his portrayal of Superman, played the role of Nicky, the grandson. He responded to Katharine's call and appeared on this small Broadway stage, which was truly a great surprise.

Throughout Katharine's acting career, her eccentric and madcap comedic traits, along with her wit and humor, had always been highly praised. Now, standing on the Broadway stage, she further magnified this lighthearted comedic performance, eliciting constant laughter from the audience.

About one-third into the performance, a group of people suddenly took their seats in the VIP box to the left of Hugo. In the darkness, Hugo couldn't see their faces clearly, but he could tell there were quite a few of them, maybe five or six. Their seating caused a slight commotion, and one of them even took off his top hat and slightly bowed to Hugo as a sign of apology. Hugo simply nodded in response, indicating that he didn't mind, and then refocused his attention.

Watching a performance in a Broadway theater was a magical experience. The acoustics of the small theater allowed the actors' voices to surround one's ears. Although the stage was at a distance, Hugo could see the performance clearly with the opera glasses provided in the VIP box. This immersive style of performance was truly awe-inspiring.

Especially when watching Katharine perform live from such a close distance, the experience became even more special. Hugo could clearly feel that Katharine relied more on changes in body language to convey emotions. This was due to the unique nature of the Broadway stage. Through the opera glasses, as he observed Katharine's facial expressions up close, Hugo realized what it meant to be naturally gifted. Every frown, every smile, every gesture flowed effortlessly, and that charm created by her every movement grew magnified in his line of sight, making his heartbeat unconsciously synchronize with the ups and downs of the plot on stage.

This was a completely different experience from watching a movie. The lifelike realism endowed everything with a magical power, allowing Hugo to release himself, laughing heartily, applauding and cheering. Although the number of live audience members wasn't large, it was clear that they were all theater enthusiasts who truly understood the art form. Their reactions were highly synchronized, as if there were over two hundred close friends and confidants watching together, creating an atmosphere of festivity and excitement.

So much so that when the first half of the performance ended and intermission began, Hugo didn't even realize it. He was still wondering, "Why did the curtain suddenly close? Hasn't the performance finished yet?" He was clearly immersed in it, completely unaware of the passage of time.

Joseph, also deeply enthralled, exclaimed, "It was absolutely fantastic! Absolutely fantastic!" He was so captivated by the performance that he didn't even hear Hugo's question. He just reluctantly kept his eyes fixed on the slowly closing red curtain on the stage.

Eventually, a voice from the left side of Hugo explained, "That was only the first half. The actors need a short break to prepare for the second half of the performance."