Remembering Robin Williams & How We Can Keep His Memory Alive

When I was very little, I remember watching Robin Williams guest on all of the late night talk shows & his style was spellbinding. At lightning speed, he could cover subjects spanning from the absurd to perspectives that completely made one consider the world in a totally new light. And it made a huge impression on me that comedy could be something more than just a chuckle, but rather a living, breathing, work of art.

My little mind simply couldn't begin to process or articulate what I was seeing. All that I knew was that what he was doing was so special.

"He's a GENIUS," I remember my mom saying. This impacted my outlook on comedy tremendously, and it planted a seed that made me appreciate great comedians beyond the laughs...for their brilliance, no differently than I viewed the likes of Einstein, Beethoven, Da Vinci, etc. Well...with one exception - I admired the fact that the ultimate goal of a comedian's work was to uplift others. That people would dedicate their lives to use their creativity with that aim struck me as such a beautiful way to serve the world. All one has to do is look at one of Robin's performances to see what I mean. His joy & enthusiasm seemed to leap out from the TV, as he wove a masterful piece every time. Before he was Aladdin's Genie, his work was magical in its own right.

I remember how excited I was when my godfather, the youngest cast member of Broadway's HAIR, shared stories about how he watched Robin during his lunch breaks back in the day, when he was an unknown, performing his comedy on the streets of NYC. Even then, he had everyone in stitches.

In high school, when we were studying Emerson and Thoreau, our English teacher had us watch Dead Poets Society in class. His character brought our studies to life and also reminded me of so many of the wonderful teachers I had at that time.

When I was producing my one woman comedy show during my senior year, I typed out one of his specials when I was studying different ways to format my content. Seeing how he pieced his show together in written form made me appreciate his work that much more. There were so many layers to it. Again - genius.

The next year I was studying in San Francisco. We had a dance class where we covered dance styles that would have been completely foreign to me - if not for the fact that I had seen The Birdcage at that point more times than I could possibly count. I remember calling home all giddy saying, "It's crazy! Those Martha Graham, Fosse and Twyla moves are JUST like what Armand did in his "eclectic celebration of dance"! (https://bit.ly/VeXbwE)

Sadly, this had NO positive effect on my dancing abilities whatsoever. During this time we had opportunities to see some plays put on by our A.C.T. conservatory. It just so happened that the play I was attending let out just as a line was starting to form outside the theater next door. I was curious and asked someone what it was for. When they said it was "a standby line for Robin Williams," I could barely contain my excitement! But then reality hit - I saw a sign saying that the show was "SOLD OUT". I counted the people in the long line ahead of me. Fortunately, they were all especially friendly, so I ended up standing there chatting with them. When I was getting ready to leave, the stage manager came out of the theater and the standby folks were pressing him for seating info. He joked with them a bit and then I went up to him and asked him what were my chances "realistically."

"Let me let you in on a little secret," he said, crouching down in a hushed tone as if he was passing along some sort of classified information. "There is NEVER such a thing as a 'sold out' show! They always have a ton of VIPs that don't show up. Hang around - this might just be your lucky day!"

I had my family on the phone back in Puyallup, Washington and they were as excited & hopeful as I was! When I got to the head of the line, there were two tickets left! The whole standby line cheered each time someone new from the line was able to get a ticket - we'd all become BFFs at this point! (Little did I know that my first job in television would be working with audiences at Letterman, and I have to say, there is something very special about comedy fans - they're the best!) :)

And it worked out perfectly: we all sat in the middle row, front and center, for Robin Williams Live! I'll confess...a few happy tears rolled down my cheeks as I was waiting for it to start.

Then one of my fellow new standby pals passed down a little Kleenex packet. Turns out - we were ALL sniffling! It was the first stand-up show I ever attended. Being in such fun company & seeing one of my heroes perform live is something that I'll always treasure.

Then everything came full circle in NYC, when I had an opportunity to say hello to Robin when we were both at The Comedy Awards. The last thing I wanted to do was bother him when I knew he was probably tired after a long taping, but he was standing nearby. I'm shy talking to people as it is, but I didn't want to miss the chance to tell him thank you. And I'm so glad I did. I squeaked out something to that effect and he was so kind. The funny part was when someone offered to snap a picture, my camera's button got stuck. THE HORROR! The person apologized and gave up, but Robin didn't! He fiddled with it until it was fixed, maneuvered it around (I'd started giggling at this point) and took the picture himself! (You can see that photo above and yours truly giggling in all my squinty glory!

I'm so grateful that I had the opportunity to say thank you, but I feel so sad knowing that someone that brought so much joy to the world was in so much pain. But then I think of his character reciting Whitman in Dead Poets Society, "That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse". He's left us with a beautiful, brilliant verse that has just as much of a potential to inspire us, as it does to leave us with a heavy heart. Let this serve as a catalyst to celebrate life by making every effort to cultivate joy where we're at and do all we can to uplift & serve others with the unique talents we've been given. Just like Robin Williams did. ?

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Andrea Simmons is a senior producer, strategist, writer and creative consultant living in New York City.

Specializing in thought leadership, strategic direction and innovation, her creative solutions to marketing, engagement, customer success, partnerships, public relations, and sales have guided clients and brands to reach their full potential in the entertainment, health/wellness, fashion, beauty, fintech, philanthropic and humanitarian communities. She is passionate about bringing a brand's authentic voice & mission to life, as well as championing clients' needs and bringing a voice to those without a platform.