Once upon a time
There was light in my life
But now there's only love in the dark
Nothing I can say
A total eclipse of the heart
over me. The next seven minutes we spent doing what can only be described as one of the greatest air performances of all time. For the complete story I turned to my old friend and ex-roommate Annie to hear her perspective on that night.
Annie
SRM: So, readers, I am joined by my dear friend Anne-Caitlin Donohue. Annie, sweetie, thanks for talking with me about that night. I need some help filling in some holes.
ACD: Um, sure. What is this for?
SRM: My blog. I told you about it. You've read it, Annie. The blog!
ACD: No, sorry.
SRM: (Pause) Oh. Well. I actually write about you a lot.
ACD: Really?
SRM: Well, sure. I mean, (laughing) we have had some times together.
ACD: What have you written-
SRM: Nothing! Just about the wedding-
ACD: -because this may have to be cleared by my agent. I mean, you can't really disclose anything without signing- I mean, there might be some legal stuff, you know?
SRM: (Pause) Ok. Yeah. I'll sign whatever you want. I didn't realize that you might not want me to-
ACD: It's not that I don't want- you know I'll support you in whatever you do. I mean, blogging. Wow! That's...that's so- Of course I'll let you share some stories. I mean, we've got nothing to hide, right?
SRM: Relax, Annie, any story that implicates you in anything also implicates me so you're totally covered.
ACD: (Laughing) I don't know what you mean. Why don't we just get on with this...
SRM: Right, right, right. Back to the subject of today's blog. We are recalling how 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' became legendary. So, Annie, the night of your birthday, can you describe for us how you began to perform to the song?
ACD: How I began...
SRM: Right, how did you begin- did you feel drawn to the song before we played it or was it spur of the moment. How did you begin to perform that night?
ACD: I'm not sure I follow. The...the song came on and we danced, right?
SRM: (Pause) Well...I mean, yes. The song came on and we danced. It was a little bit more than that though, right? It was like we were channeling Bonnie Tyler or something. It was so intense!
ACD: Yeah.
SRM: So, what was it like for you.
ACD: Um-
SRM: For me, I kind of felt like I left my body for awhile, you know? Like I was looking down at us from above.
ACD: What is that?
SRM: What?
ACD: That picture?!
SRM: Oh! That's of the performance! Of the 'Total Eclipse' dance. Rachel took pictures, remember?
ACD: Yes, but what are you doing?
SRM: I dunno, really. Boy, I was SO into it, you know? Like, wow! Just in a different place. I don't even remember half the stuff we did.
ACD: What are you doing there? It looks like you're attacking me!SRM: What? Don't be ridiculous. Look at the next one. We're dancing.
ACD: Okay.
SRM: I mean look at how into it you were! This was our moment, man! And for years now whenever that song comes on we have to perform it again.
SRM: We performed at your wedding, for the love of Pete!
ACD: Oh, right! That's what that was! Now those pictures totally make sense!
SRM: (Pause) So... it really wasn't that great of a performance for you?
ACD: No, it's not that it wasn't great. I mean it was awesome, obviously.
SRM: You're not 'putting off sparks' though, so to speak.
ACD: Well, Steph, for me it was pretty simple. I was just really drunk.
SRM: Yesssss, that's right. It's all coming back to me now.
ACD: Yeah. So...
SRM: So not a magical moment where were possessed by the soul of Bonnie Tyler?
ACD: More like a moment where we were possessed by Jack Daniels.
SRM: Right. And at the wedding...
ACD: Pretty sure we were also drunk.
SRM: Huh.
ACD: Sorry to break the news-
SRM: No this is good. Now there's no mystery, you know. It's not some magical moment in the past. It's something we can do again and again. There's a formula. We just need booze!
ACD: Sure.
SRM: Wow! I feel liberated.
ACD: Great. Glad I could help. Also, and this is not a big deal, but it's Anne Procopio now.
SRM: What?
ACD: My name. I got married so instead of Anne-Caitlin Donohue it's Anne-Caitlin Procopio. So...instead of ACD it's ACP. Just, you know, for your own knowledge.
SRM: (Pause) So do I have to go through and change all of the ACDs to ACPs or something?
ACP: NO! Just...FYI. For the future.
SRM: For the future, right.
I'd like to thank my guest, Anne-Caitlin PROCOPIO for helping me shed some light on the issue of how we go about making a regular old song into something 'magical'.
Answer: Booze.
Also interviews given by Anne-Caitlin Donohue or Anne-Caitlin Procopio are entirely fictional.
