Broadway, a long street that traverses north and south of Manhattan Island in New York City, is home to dozens of theaters. The theaters located between 44th and 53rd streets on Broadway are referred to as "Inner Broadway," while those situated on 41st and 56th streets are known as "Outer Broadway."
The distinction between the two lies in the type of productions they feature. Inner Broadway showcases classic, popular, and commercial plays, while Outer Broadway presents experimental, lesser-known, and low-budget productions. There even exists a term called "Outer Outer Broadway," which emphasizes its avant-garde and experimental nature.
However, in 1912, Broadway hadn't yet reached its peak (that would come in 1920), so only Inner Broadway was prominent. The Wiskov Theater, on the other hand, was situated in a slightly more remote location.
Today, Tony Monet had been invited by Mike to attend a rehearsal of "Titanic." Ordinarily, the preparation time for an opera shouldn't be this short; it usually takes several months or even years. But perhaps Mike was capitalizing on the popularity of the Titanic, as he planned to launch it in just a month. Of course, his excuse was that Tony's writing resembled a script, making adaptation relatively easy.
Upon arriving at the theater, Mike introduced Tony to the main cast members: "Mr. Monet, this is Alan, who plays Leonardo; and this is Jenny, who portrays Kate."
Indeed, to avoid any confusion for Jack and Rose, Tony had changed the names of the main characters from the novel and, in a rather mischievous manner, substituted them with the actors' names. Little did he know that decades later in this time and space, this change of names would grant Leo DiCaprio the opportunity for this role.
As for the casting of this opera, Tony felt it remained true to the original. Alan, playing Leo, was handsome, and the girl portraying Kate had a charming plumpness to her.
Just as Tony was lost in his thoughts, Mike continued with introductions, "And this is the playwright, Groth!"
"Mr. Monet, I really enjoyed your novel in the Brooklyn Weekly!" Groth greeted excitedly.
"Thank you for your appreciation, and I also want to thank everyone for bringing my immature work onto the stage!" Tony expressed his gratitude.
"Mr. Monet, you're too kind. But may I ask you something about your recent article in the Brooklyn Weekly, 'Temple Treasure'? While it's truly captivating, you seemed very certain in the article about the existence of treasure in the Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala, India. Have you visited the temple in person?" Groth inquired curiously.
In fact, this question had been asked by many recently, and quite a few had doubted and even ridiculed him. So, Tony was somewhat regretful of writing that piece in this way. Nevertheless, at this moment, he had to persevere, despite not having visited the temple: "Although I haven't been to the temple myself, I can assure you that there is definitely treasure inside. If one follows the methods I described, it will undoubtedly be discovered!"
"Why don't you go and uncover this treasure then? Is it really due to fear of the local king and fanatical believers?" Jenny interjected with a mischievous grin.
Seeing Tony's slightly awkward expression, Mike stepped in to defuse the situation, "Alright, alright, let's not dwell on these unrelated matters. The most important task today is the rehearsal of 'Titanic.' You all should get ready!"
As a few actors departed, Mike apologized to Tony, "I'm sorry about that, Mr. Monet. The curiosity of these young folks is quite overwhelming!"
"It's alright. It's normal for young people to be curious like this. In fact, a lot of people have been asking me similar questions lately. Comparatively, they are being quite polite!" Tony Monet answered with a wry smile.
Subsequently, the rehearsal officially commenced. Even though this was Tony's first time attending an opera, truth be told, he found himself engrossed. The actors' performances were captivating, and the props were meticulously crafted. While budget and stage limitations prevented the creation of a lavish cruise ship as in the movie, many details were on point. The only regret was that the modification of the scene where "Little Leo" drew was quite substantial.
After the performance ended, Mike nervously asked Tony, "Mr. Monet, how did you find it?"
Tony applauded enthusiastically, "Absolutely fantastic! This is undoubtedly the most splendid opera I've ever witnessed. I believe that once this production is launched, it will surely be a hit!" (Tony's statement was sincere, given that this was the only opera he had seen, making it naturally the most impressive.)
"Thank you for your praise!" Mike expressed his gratitude.
After leaving the theater, Tony initially intended to visit Russell, the editor-in-chief of the New York Post, to discuss "National Treasure 2." Due to his signing with the "Brooks Weekly," Russell was somewhat displeased, so the success of publishing "National Treasure 2" this time was uncertain.
However, just as Tony was about to step into his carriage, he suddenly noticed a young girl quietly weeping in a corner across from the theater's entrance. Concerned, he walked over and asked in a gentle voice, "Little sister, what's the matter?"
"I, I can't find my daddy!" the little girl replied tearfully.
"Don't worry, dear. Let me ask you, where did you and your daddy get separated?" Tony inquired softly.
The little girl pointed towards the entrance and answered, "Right here. When my daddy and I came out after watching 'Romeo and Juliet,' somehow we got separated!"
Tony examined the girl's attire and realized that she was dressed well, having come to the theater with her father. This indicated that their family was likely well-off, so it was more probable that they had truly gotten separated rather than her being intentionally abandoned. He reassured her, "Alright then, you'll wait with me by the main entrance for your daddy. I believe he will come find you!"
After bringing the little girl to the entrance, Tony sought to alleviate her anxiety and asked, "Little sister, what's your name?"
"I'm Margaret, Margaret Mitchell," the little girl replied softly.
Though her voice was quiet, it struck Tony's ears like thunder. To confirm his suspicion, he hurriedly asked, "How old are you?"
"I'm twelve years old!"
"Is your family from Atlanta?" Tony continued to inquire.
"How do you know, mister?" Margaret asked curiously.
Tony thought to himself, "How could I not know? I've seen your 'Gone with the Wind' many times, although, well, it was Vivien Leigh's movie version that I watched."