About 3 years ago Jason went to Las Vegas on a business trip. Not being a golfer or a gambler, he decided to take in a show, and was ecstatic to discover there was a brief run of Star Wars: The Musical being shown at a downtown casino. Tickets were relatively cheap, but being the über-geek that he is Jason tipped the guy as he came in and got a front row seat. The show was mesmerizing. There were singing robots, flashy space sequences, a great dance number with lightsabers, and of course, the big finish with a Death Star explosion that left the audience covered in gold confetti and on their feet demanding an encore. Jason was smitten.Right before the trash compactor scene there was a dance number where 30 female stormtroopers came on stage and did an elaborate cha-cha before being shot by Han and Chewie. Seeing so many lovely ladies in stormtrooper garb fulfilled a fantasy for Jason that he didn't know existed. After the show he hung around and was able to make his way backstage to meet some of the actors.
Most of the actors were kind and signed a few autographs but quickly went home. It was late and this was just another gig. One of the stormtroopers, however, continued to hang around and struck up a conversation with Jason. Using courage he normally lacks he asked her out for drinks, and soon the two were conversing in the casino lounge over a couple root beers.Turns out the trooper, whose name was Stephanie, was a big Star Wars fan and had moved to Vegas a few weeks earlier after losing her job as a costume designer at a theatre in Gasket, Texas. Small towns just can't sustain theatres it seems anymore. Moving to Vegas she planned on working as a designer on some of the shows when she saw the opening for a dancer in Star Wars: The Musical. She had always liked dancing and decided to take a risk.
Fate seemed to be working to bring Jason and Stephanie together and they spent the next two days together in a whirlwind romance. The two Star Wars-struck lovers found themselves falling more hopelessly in love as they took in the Grand Canyon, roller coasters, the wildlife refuge, and a surprisingly good buffet at the Golden Nugget for only $9.99. Standing in front of the fountains at Bellagio, Jason proposed and Stephanie said yes.
The next few hours were a blur for the couple as they planned and executed the wedding. Stephanie designed and sewed together a beautiful but simple white dress while Jason was able to find and rent a formal stormtrooper uniform for the occasion. Vows were exchanged and the couple had just enough time to kiss and return the outfit before Jason had to make his plane at the airport and fly back home.Unfortunately the Force was not with the couple and the days following were a rude awakening to the reality of what they had done. Jason was unable to get any more time off from work for the rest of the year to visit Stephanie and she was not willing to move to Virginia where there were no job openings for a costume designer in Jason's small hometown. Hurried and disjointed phone calls in the middle of the night finally culminated in a joint decision to end the marriage. The final straw was their difference of opinion on Ewoks. Jason found them annoying like Jar-Jar Binks while Stephanie thought they were cute and cuddly. Three weeks after it had begun the marriage was annulled.
Jason is rather quiet about this time in his life, reticent to bring it up. In the subsequent three years he hasn't had a relationship and in fact hasn't even had a date. His marriage to Stephanie both fulfilled his wildest dreams and justified his fears about being able to sustain a long term commitment. This trip back to Vegas will surely bring back memories for Jason, good and bittersweet, but he has made a personal promise to keep looking forward and not back. Channeling his experience he plans to be wary of making a similar mistake again and make sure Jay doesn't do the same.
Vegas is home of Star Trek: The Experience you know.
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