Dreams came true for many Gilmore Girls fans on Friday, April 5th, as they got to live out one of their wildest fantasies, spending an evening talking with the kind, clever, and charming Lorelai Gilmore in Stars Hollow. Okay, obviously it wasn’t the Lorelai Gilmore, but it was the equally charming, kind, and hilarious Lauren Graham, and instead of the quaint and cozy fictional town of Stars Hollow, it was the historical and grand Lincoln Theatre on U Street. While on tour for her recent book, Have I Told You This Already, Lauren Graham dazzled audiences as she told captivating stories and shared many life lessons.
Lauren Graham is an acclaimed actress, with one of her most well-known roles being the witty Lorelai Gilmore on the WB/CW series Gilmore Girls. This role landed her nominations for a variety of accolades, including the Screen Actors Guild, Golden Globe, and Satellite Awards. Some other shows and films she starred in included Parenthood, Bad Santa, The Pacifier, Because I Said So, and Evan Almighty.
Though her acting work left a huge mark on viewers, she’s also an acclaimed author. As a long-time lover of books, Lauren wrote her first fictional novel, Someday, Someday, Maybe, in 2013, which became a New York Times Bestseller. In addition to Have I Told This Already, released in 2022, Graham wrote other groundbreaking books. Talking as Fast I Can tells stories of life on the Gilmore Girls set and In Conclusion, Don’t Worry About It is an expansion of the commencement address she gave at her alma mater, Langley High School.
Though she still shares a few stories and references to her time in Gilmore Girls, Graham steers away from that narrative and more toward storytelling and advice in this recent book. She recounts her time living in New York, shares emotional stories about the heartbreaking decision to give up her dog for adoption, and gives advice on navigating life as an up-and-coming actor. Though her book came out in 2022, Graham explained that she had never been on a book tour before and wanted the opportunity to finally sit and share her stories with fans, but the pandemic and other life events had kept that from happening.
The atmosphere in the Lincoln Theatre was intoxicating. The minute her co-host and moderator Sam Pancake (an actor featured in films and television shows including Curb Your Enthusiasm, Friends, and Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life) introduced her, fans went wild as Graham graced the stage with poise and gratitude.
Graham expressed her enthusiasm to be back in DC several times throughout the performance, proudly proclaiming that she went to Langley High School in McLean and played Dolly in their production of Hello, Dolly! Her excitement almost couldn’t be contained when she talked about how she and her friends would visit bars in downtown DC and dance the night away together. She then shared fond memories of her father taking her to Smithsonian museums and Kennedy Center performances as a child.
The show consisted of a mixture of questions, some from cohost Sam Pancake, and others submitted by the audience. Each time Graham answered a question, she would take a meaningful pause and provide a response that left the audience feeling one step closer to knowing her better as a person and a friend. She answered a variety of questions, from what her favorite comfort film was (her answer being Godfather 1 and Godfather 2, which earned many laughs) to what other career she would’ve pursued if she hadn’t become an actress.
One unexpected question did pop up near the end of the show. An audience member had asked if Lauren had any thoughts or memories she wanted to comment on regarding her friendship with the late Matthew Perry. As soon as the question was asked, I expected the energy to shift suddenly from silly to somber, but Graham refused to let that happen. We watched her embrace the silence in the room and use it to share a heartfelt story. Graham recalled when Perry bought her a pickleball set for her birthday with a card reading “Be Older”. A smile appeared across her face as she shared how happy Perry was about the reception of his book and how he felt he was helping others.
I was thoroughly impressed with this show and how Graham used her love of storytelling to share her thoughts, experiences, and wisdom with the crowd. She constantly kept people smiling, engaged, and intrigued. It was a memorable evening for everyone, as she made every single audience member feel like we were chatting with our old friend, Lorelai, AKA Lauren.
FINAL GRADE: A
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