The Dawson’s Creek reunion happened in NYC tonight with the benefit to raise money to fight cancer in honor of their own and our own as fans too, James Van Der Beek. James sadly did not get to attend tonight which is just cruel as he had to pull out last minute due to virus illness. He posted this earlier today on Instagram @vanderjames “This is the evening I’d been looking forward to MOST since my angel Michelle Williams said she was putting it together, way back in January…So you can imagine how gutted I was when two stomach viruses conspired to knock me out of commission and keep me grounded at the worst possible moment. Despite every effort… I won’t get to be there. I won’t get to stand on that stage and thank every soul in the theater for showing up for me, and against cancer, when I needed it most. But I DO have an understudy. A ridiculously overqualified replacement who would have been #1 on my wishlist (had I ever dreamed he’d be available). Someone my kids would definitely consider an upgrade over me… Plus, he already knows how to get to the theater. So that’s convenient. The role of “Dawson”, usually played by James Van Der Beek…Will be played by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Can’t believe I just got to type that. Everyone please enjoy all the love in that room. Shine some on my family. I will be beaming and receiving from afar in a bed in Austin. And thank you @lin_manuel . You were a hero to my kids before… now you’re a demigod 😇”
James did send in a video that played in the theater tonight with him saying “I can’t believe I don’t get to hug my castmates. My beautiful cast in person. I wanted to stand on that stage and thank every single person in this theater for being here tonight. From the cast and the crew to everybody who was donated time had been so generous and especially every single last one of you. You’re the best fans in the world. I just want to say thank you”
Narrating the night was Renée Elise Goldsberry and also in attendance tonight were Michelle Williams, Kerr Smith, John Wesley Shipp, Mary Margaret Humes, Meredith Monroe, Busy Philipps, Mary Beth Piel, Nina Repeta, and Kevin Williamson. They did a live reading of the pilot episode. They also played a beautiful music video of home video footage that has popped up online. I would assume that footage is from Mary Margaret Humes’s collection if I had to guess cause she has posted so much of her home video behind the scenes footage on her Instagram in the last while. Go to her Instagram at @thereal_marymargarethumes to see her posts of footage. Steven Spielberg also sent in a video tonight that played too with him saying “Dawson, you made it. Maybe someday I’ll get to have a Dawson’s closet” I keep saying I wish I could have been there tonight as I check all the videos that have shown up online. LOL. Dawson’s Creek was a show that absolutely hooked me from the night I watched the premiere on The WB in early 1998. Tickets for this event sold out in less than 12 minutes when they were initially put on sale. They had this beautiful closing moment with this encore as Goldsberry started singing I Don’t Want To Wait and bringing out the rest to sing along. That also included two of James’s kids singing a solo part while the rest of the family walked on stage to join in the finale too. I got teary watching this video of this cast and show that meant so much to me and still does. So watch and enjoy!
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