Broadway Cares AIDS Benefit
September 27, 1997
By Cindy Becker

I remember it well.......

It was a Saturday morn when the usual (or unusual) suspects (Janice, Karen, Amy and I) piled into the van at 7AM for our drive from Pennsylvania to New York. We arrived in NYC and went directly to Shubert Alley where the event was taking place. We immediately got in line to see the "stars" in their appointed hour. We had to wait for the finest to appear, but the wait was well worth it. Out they came! Susan first and Thorsten behind her. Amidst shouting and cheers, Thorsten looked over and waved to Janice. Susan smiled in her very demure way; she is one classy act. Susan and Thorsten were seated at the table. We were not too far back in the line so the wait was not too long. However, we were just about in front of them and Thorsten went to the picture area. Here we go again! We managed with the help of a friend to get out of line and have a picture with TK. At which point, he said Happy Birthday to me. He remembered from the week before when we spoke that my birthday last year was on the AIDS benefit day. What a guy!!!!

Now we are back in the autograph line. First up was Susan and she signed a picture for me that I had taken at the Thorsten play event the week before. She is such a cutie! Susan had on a white ribbed sweater and beige and white checked pants and was looking pretty slim. Thorsten had on a beige, v-necked, ribbed sweater, jeans, and a black jacket looking his ever so charming self.

Susan mentioned that they were really tired; they were in the process of packing up. Thorsten looked tired, but he still had that great smile. We went through the line, said good-by and proceeded to Charley O's for coffee and dessert. Inside Catherine Hickland and Michael Knight were seated two tables away; little did we know Thorsten and Susan would be joining them.

Of course being the considerate people that we are, we did not stare or bother them. <g> Susan and Thorsten left and waved good-by. That made our day. Oops, I forgot to mention, when I had my picture taken with TK I asked him if he wanted to join us for a beer at about 5:30 in his favorite bar, I was buying and he said he may do that. Well we went to that famous bar for dinner and guess who showed up and came to our table. Thorsten sat next to me and I was a nervous wreck, but not for the obvious reasons. I had coffee at Charley-O's and was told it was decaf...NOT! TK noticed how much I was fidgeting and asked me what was wrong. I told him it was the coffee and he said, "people pay good money to get that way"!!! He sat and rubbed my back for what seemed like an eternity, instead of only 20 minutes. We had a great chat. He had to run so we all left together. Once outside, we went to the parking lot and they had our car tied up, so we had to wait. TK asked what was wrong and I told him it would be 20 minutes until the car would be ready; so he waited with us. Unfortunately, Susan was not with him, but just as our car was available, his beeper went off and I'll bet it was Susan. He had to go and gave us all hugs and kisses once again. He waved as he lumbered up the steps and off we went with fond memories of Susan and Thorsten.