I apologize that this is so long...But it’s totally worth reading!!

     I find it to be an incredible mystery of life how one person can leave such a lasting impression on another person. It is amazing how someone you have just met can leave their handprint in your heart forever.

     It is difficult to express in words the whole experience I have had with meeting Keala. I never could have expected it to go any farther than my getting her autograph.

     While Hairspray was in WI, I saw it 4 times! I was worried that I’d be biased, seeing as I love Marissa. However, I was in for such a treat. I knew as soon as Keala sang the first note of Good Morning Baltimore that I was going to be hooked. Boy was I right! The first time I went to the show in WI (which was actually my second time seeing the show--I saw it in L.A. while Marissa was reprising her role) I was there on June 5th with Tracy, a friend of mine. We got the backstage tour, which was awesome all on its own. Then, before the tour ended, Steve Quinn said “Come here Dannah, I want you to meet someone!” and he took me to Keala’s dressing room. She was putting her hair getting ready for the show. The first thing she said to me was “Has anyone ever told you that you look like Lisa Loeb?!”, and then she saw my Hairspray skirt and thought that it was awesome. She let me come in and look at her costumes and all. She showed me a picture of her and Travolta...little did I know that my picture would soon be up there too! Keala told Tracy and I a few stories, and then we had to go so she could get ready. I remember her telling me, “We’re all exhausted, so the show will be good. We’ll be like ‘kick it out! kick it!’ haha.” I could not believe how much energy she had!!

     As I was saying, the show was absolutely amazing. During intermission Tracy told me that it was by far one of the best shows she had ever been to. That made me so happy!! I was blown away also. I could not believe what I was seeing before me on this stage. After the show, Tracy and I went to the stage door. We waited for about 15 minutes, but there was no Keala, so we decided to leave. I went home and first thing the next morning I wrote her a letter and made sure to mail it to her the same day. I simply could not get the performance out of my head.

     My friends got annoyed with my talking about it so they were like “C’mon! Let’s go! I want to see why you are hyping over this show...”. On June 9th my friends Tyler, Emily, and I went to the show. When Good Morning Baltimore finished they both looked at like someone had just shot them with a stun gun. It was awesome!! My friends finally understood why I am such a Hairspray fanatic. At intermission they were both practically begging to go to the stage door.

     As the show ended we made our way out the exit to the stage door. I was just so excited that I was going to get Keala’s autograph. I was not going to leave there without it!! A few of the other cast members came out of the door, and we got their autographs. We were just standing there and I was making a fool out of myself. Then I saw Keala inside talking to Charlotte Crossley (Motor Mouth Maybelle) and she saw me and we were both like “Oh my God!!!”. She came out the stage door saying my name. I almost died. No, literally, almost died! She remembered who I was!!!!!!!!! I got a hug from her and she signed my program. I also got a picture with her. She was like “I can’t believe you came back!!” Then she asked if I had gotten her letter, and I said “No” and she told me that she sent it and she even went out to get stationary for it. I was SO excited...I could not believe this was happening. She turned to the girls behind us and was like “Oh, sorry, I was talking to my friend Dannah here...”. You cannot image what I was feeling. We talked for a few more minutes and then she said she was going out. I think she was worried we weren’t going to get home safe. Well, we got home...I don’t know how safe it was, but we got home!! As Emily and Tyler and I drove down the streets we couldn’t help but shout. So there we were driving in downtown screaming out the windows. It was great fun. But it gets better!!! I got Keala’s letter the next day. She is so darn sweet. For the record, she picked out very nice stationary, haha. The letter now sits on my dresser and I read it every day!

     Anywho, I had tickets to go to the show with Tyler, Mrs.Cavil-my 9th grade English teacher, and her husband on Sunday the 12th. As I was watching the show I thought “Oh gosh...I can’t believe this is the last time I am going to see her!!” and I started talking to Tyler. We realized we had just enough money to see Hairspray's final performance by getting student rush tickets. At the stage door we waited for Keala again. Mrs. Cavil had never been to a stage door, and she was nervous. She’s a shy person when it comes to things like that, which was a big shock to me. When Keala came out of the stage door saying “Dannah!! Hey!!” Mrs. Cavil just couldn’t believe it. I told Keala that she was amazing as usual, and then told her I made her a gift. She said “No!! You didn’t!! Oh gosh, you’re going to make me cry!!” She started to open it, and the first thing was a picture of us from Thursday night in a little Hawaiian frame. She said “Oh my God!! This is so perfect!! My dressing room is all Hawaiian!! Ah!! You are going right next to Travolta in my room.” then she started to cry, and I got a big big big hug. Just for anyone who cares, Keala gives amazing hugs. And I have heard that Mom Settle does also!! I told her there was more in the bag. The next was a beach ball. I had gotten the beach ball as a cast gift from the show I was in my Sophomore year of High School. I wrote messages on it like “Way to rock the Diary State!” and “You gotta dream big to be big!”, “You Can’t Stop the Beat”, “Love your #1 fan, Dannah” and so on. She said “My dresser’s going to hate you because she didn’t think of this first!!” It was pretty cool. The last thing I made her was a trinket box. It was in the shape of a heart and had a pink hibiscus flower on it with gold accents. Inside I had punched out hearts and wrote messages on them. She said “Oh my God!! They are like little Valentines that you don’t have to eat and won’t disintegrate!!” I’m so happy that she liked the stuff. I got another great hug, too!

     She asked what we were doing now, and I said that Tyler and I were going to stick around and find a way to waste some time so we could catch her last performance. Now, I really can’t tell you how the next thing happened, because I still am not sure myself. Keala canceled her physical therapy (shh...) and went out to eat with Tyler, Mr. and Mrs. Cavil, Jane Blass (from the show), and I, at Victoria’s across from the theatre. I was stunned that this all happened...I am still stunned!! They started talking about Russle Crowe throwing a phone and getting sued. Keala turned to me and in the most serious way possible said “Whatever you do, do not throw a phone. Just whatever, just don’t throw a phone.” It was hilarious. Jane and Keala told us about a game that the cast played on stage called Murder. Someone starts out as the killer and if that person winks at you, you have to do something to make it look like you died. I thought that was pretty cool. They also told us how Jane puts her mole in a different spot each night, and one time she stuck a fake eyelash in it, and Jacqueline Arnold started freaking out because she has OCD and it bugged the dickens out of her. Funny stuff. So, we finished eating, and took the rest of Jane and Keala’s food--Lord only knows why--and told them we were going to sell it on Ebay. You just wait. Our waiter though, creepy guy, very creepy. He reminded me of someone that jumped out of the mafia.

     Anyway, Tyler and I went back to the theatre to get our student rush tickets. We could not have asked for better tickets. We were about 6 rows back smack dab in the center. You could see everything!! I was so sad, this was really the last time I was going to get to see Keala perform. I should probably point out that we did not go just to see Keala--the entire cast was absolutely amazing. However, none left quite as big of an impression on me as Keala did. I digress. At the risk of sounding like a total dork, I cried the entire show, knowing that I’d have to say good bye at the stage door. I think it was one of their better performances though. Now, I could just be imagining this, but at the end of the show, where Tracy spins and spins, I think Keala pointed to me...haha. It was very cool!

     At the stage door I took pictures with a few of the other cast members. Charlotte Crossley told me I had to come see the tour when it’s in Chicago this winter. Lord knows I’ll do anything humanly possible to do so!!! While I was talking to Charlotte, Keala came out. I started to cry instantly. *dorky* She promised me that it wasn’t good bye, and that she’d keep in touch with me. She whispered a few other things to me that could make just about anyone feel like the most special person on Earth. I got the best hug ever from her and a great big kiss on the forehead! Tyler calls that hug the “Energizer Bunny Hug” because it just kept going, and going, and going, and going...So sad...but she has kept her promise to keep in touch!!!

     Not only did I get to talk to Keala a ton, but her mother also thanked me for supporting her daughter. It is the sweetest thing ever. The whole Settle family is absolutely amazing! One of the reviews for Hairspray was, “If life were everything it should be it’d be more like Hairspray!”, and I say “If life were everything it should be, we’d all be more like the Settle family!” (Oh gosh, I’m corny!!) There are simply no words that could describe how this whole experience has made me feel. As Mom Settle said, we are destined to meet certain people. Keala, I promise to love life and live it to it’s fullest.