Not Me

In December1999, Anita and I saw a pre-Broadway performance of Aida in Chicago at the Cadillac Palace Theatre. I believe it was the first time Chicago hosted a pre-Broadway show (which basically means they use the full Broadway cast and sets but do a several week run to iron out the kinks).

Elton John and Tim Rice adapted the old Italian opera into a rock musical. The story of Aida is classic: Radames, a captain in the Egyptian military, conquers an area of Nubia and turns all the people into slaves including (unknowingly) the princess, Aida.  She becomes a handmaiden to the Egyptian princess that Radames is supposed to marry but he falls in love with Aida instead. He gives all his possessions to the Nubian slaves to prove his love, but then is punished – the two are buried alive, but together.

We both loved this musical. Anita loved Heather Headley’s portrayal of Aida (she was a Northwestern graduate and a big deal in Chicago). I loved Adam Pascal (of Rent fame) as Radames. Anita didn’ t like Pascal’s voice. We both were captivated by the love story and especially since it was an inter-racial couple with a Black Nubian Headley and a White (as portrayed by Pascal) Egyptian. It kind of spoke to us as the same kind of couple to the acceptance in a mainstream way.

I have been listening to this one song “Not Me” for some months now. It’s the song where Radames realizes he is in love with Aida and he and Aida and the princess sing about love.

“And who’d of thought a love could be this good? Not me. Not Me.
My secrets and my passions understood. Not me. Not me.”

This is my favorite line. It conjures up great memories in Chicago with Anita and truths about love that we shared.

Here is an amateur video of that scene from the original Broadway cast.