Scott Radley: Two months later, Nick Cordero is still fighting

Two months ago Monday, Nick Cordero walked into Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles feeling unwell. Within hours he was on a ventilator in the intensive care ward. In the days since - many of them in a coma - he's been on an unimaginable roller-coaster of hope-inspiring improvements and devastating relapses.

None of us thought he'd be there 60 days," says Broadway star, American Idol" notable and close friend Constantine Maroulis.

What he's been through truly is unfathomable.

The Hamilton actor has had multiple infections, his heart has stopped and been restarted, he's had mini strokes, a temporary pacemaker installed, lost his right leg to amputation just above the knee, and has had holes develop in his lungs. All stemming from COVID-19, which has now cleared his system.

When he awoke from his coma a few days back, there was a surge of excitement. But his wife says things have levelled off a bit. In recent days, he's been given big doses of steroids to help with inflammation, large doses of Vitamin C and has been placed in a prone position for periods of time to help clear his lungs.

We've just been in a little bit of a standstill," Amanda Kloots said on Sunday. We're kind of just waiting to see if Nick gets better ... We've sort of done everything we possibly can and now we're just waiting to see if things progress in a way that is good."

Back in March, there were plenty of people here and elsewhere who might not have been all-that-familiar with the 41-year-old. Not everyone in Hamilton goes to Broadway productions or follows the Tony Awards, for which he's been nominated.

But the story of a young man getting coronavirus and going through every manner of suffering with the details transparently shared by his wife - combined with the strength and vulnerability she's shown - has caught the attention of people everywhere. Thousands and thousands around the world go to her Instagram account every day to see if there's anything new.

He's more famous than he's ever been," says Theo Koutalos, whose friendship with Cordero began at Ryerson Middle School when they would hang out and listen to Milli Vanilli. It's just sad that it's because of this."

Every evening at 6 p.m., people sing and dance to Cordero's song Live Your Life" and then post videos of themselves online. Including Broadway casts, musicians like Steven Van Zandt from Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, Maroulis and others. Celebrities including Sylvester Stallone have sent messages. Various newspapers and magazines and the American morning shows have covered the story. A GoFundMe page has raised over $550,000 US for the family.

Here at home, those who grew up with him are following every twist and turn and admit they're filled with a mixture of hope but also anguish as this drags on.

I have missed (checking for updates) a day or two because I get a little overwhelmed with it all," says Lou Zamprogna, the man who taught Cordero acting at his Theatre Aquarius camps nearly 30 years ago. I have ridden that roller-coaster so much that I could get depressed by it all."

He admits he's scared for his one-time student. But he clings to hope because Cordero is a special talent. And a close enough friend that seven years ago when Zamprogna's wife died, Cordero flew home from New York on an off day from his Broadway show to sing at a memorial for her.

Meanwhile, friends from high school have started a Facebook page called Westdale Friends of Nick Cordero where they can connect.

We're all trying to make sure everyone is staying positive," says Daphne Moen, who was a classmate and acted in numerous productions both on campus, at Theatre Aquarius and in New Faces before remaining friends over the years.

It's hard. She had plenty of sleepless nights, especially at the beginning. Koutalos, who says he's not one to pray much, has been doing a lot of that. Both watch for Kloots on Instagram every day hoping for any bits of good news.

Maroulis got to know Cordero about a decade ago when the two starred in the Rock of Ages touring show. They became very close. Brothers, is how Maroulis describes them. Especially since they share the same Sept. 17 birthday.

It's just hard to explain how unfair this is," he says.

But he has hope. They all say they have hope. They all talk of their belief that one day he'll walk out of the hospital, something hospital workers dealing with COVID-19 patients are calling a Code Rocky.

Maroulis says Cordero has a wife and baby son as motivation to get there. One other thing, too.

Live Your Life" wasn't a well-known tune three months ago. Today, it's been covered online as a ballad, a folk tune, a cappella, and seemingly in every other way. Heck, Maroulis just did his second version of it this past weekend with the cast of Rock of Ages.

Suddenly both the original and the various covers are getting play everywhere.

He's got to bounce back. He's got to," Maroulis says. His song is on the radio."

Scott Radley is a Hamilton-based sports columnist at The Spectator. Reach him via email: sradley@thespec.co