Cats production stage manager, Darragh Parsons, and associate conductor, Steve Hunter, met 28 years ago on the Toronto set of Cats at the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre. It didn’t take long for sparks to fly after their first meeting, and now, after more than a quarter of a century, Steve and Darragh are still going strong. Here, the couple takes us behind the scenes (so to speak) and tells us how they met.
How they met
Steve: We met in the original production of Cats. I was playing keyboards in the orchestra and Darragh was production stage manager. The show ran for four years, and we didn’t even see each other until after two years [had passed], when the show went on the road in Canada.
The first date
Steve: We first started noticing each other in the fourth year of the show when it was playing at Massey Hall. One day, we went across the street to St. Michael’s Hospital together to see Greg Bond, who was recovering from a brain tumor operation and who first played Rum Tum Tugger in the show. Greg didn’t live much longer after that, and since we both had had losses in our own families, we held hands coming back from the hospital. After that, I started driving Darragh home occasionally from work, and we started clicking.
The proposal
Darragh: We both felt that we were old enough and ready to take that step. Steve brought it up and said, “You’re everything I want,” and, “I think we should get married.” I said yes. I had just made him dinner at my apartment. Later, he went and bought an engagement ring.
The marriage
Steve: We were married at McLean’s House at Sunnybrook Hospital. I had been playing weddings and had worked at McLean’s House, and so suggested that as a venue. Darragh was amazed that I had that kind of taste and readily agreed! She was working at Phantom of the Opera and the day off was Sunday, so we got married Sunday, January 7, 1990, and took a two-day honeymoon to Horseshoe Valley so that Darragh could be back in time for the Wednesday matinee. Talk about theatre dedication!