Reflecting back

Jumped around my blog tonight and re-read some old posts and re-lived some old memories. The last show was such hard work and great stress but in the end (and not just because of the way it ended) I can say I loved it better.

I looked back and saw that this show lacked that wide-eyed excitement of each city. Suppose that comes with experience... one no longer appreciates as much... but I think I just saw more last time - and lived more. And I think, in the end, people actually bitched less on ASU - not sure how that is possible but it seems to be true.

Still can't get blogger to let me post photos - oh please someone explain to me why.

In the mean time I found, on Youtube, the commercial Clooney shot in Atlanta the night before we opened at the Fox in Atlanta on ASU.

Enjoy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4SQT8epHOc

Elvis has left the building

The final show of the tour is underway. It's bitter sweet. After a day or so I might be able to put it all into words. For now I only hear applause.

In other news - that thing I had and then lost... as of this afternoon I have it once again. So one month of "me" time and then back on the wheel.

for now... tours over.

DISNEYLAND!

It was so much fun. Unlike Disney World the entire park is right there for you to enjoy. No monorails or buses needed to go from point A to point B. You just walk across from one gate to the other. I liked that about this park.

It wasn't overwhelming and you didn't feel like you were missing out on doing something. We went two Mondays in a row and I can say we did everything I was hoping to do.

We did miss riding the new Nemo ride but the 3-5 hour wait on the opening day was insane. In fact because of the opening day of Nemo the second Monday in the main park was a little claustriphobic.

As you can see from the photo: I even got in on the fun by wanting my picture taken with a character.

Highlights included the Pirates ride - the additions that have been made to match the movie don't stand out so bad that it makes the ride feel old. Also the West Coast version is SOOOOO much longer than the Florida one. After all these years still a beatiful feat of creativity and technology.

The Haunted Mansion is the same.

Despite all the drops I enjoyed Splash Mountain but it made me want to see Song of the South again. I can still remember in the 3rd grade watching it in the cafeteria at the end of the school year. Since Disney refuses to put a comment at the front of the film about the stereotypes in the film it will probably never been seen.

The California parade was so well done. The floats are very well maintained and look beautiful. I even got some happy tears during that and the fireworks at the end of the night.

Good Friends - No work and much fun!

And I think Patrick might have turned me into a mini-pin head - yikes - buying those things adds up.

We are currently on our final day in Tempe. Although we have made our own fun I am glad to be getting back to Califonia. During the day it's just too hot. The nights are okay but as I have said in many of my postcards from this city you walk outside and it's like living in your clothes dryer.

We went to downtown Phoenix last night to a cool bar called Amsterdam. Great layout and a fun space.

Tonight some of us are laying low and breaking out the Wii. Yep - got myself the new Nintendo system and it's fantastic. There has been much bowling and tennis played in our room in the last week.

Only two weeks left. And big announcement for those of you who don't know. I will be taking about 4 weeks off to see family and have some R&R in Los Angeles and then it's back to NYC for pre-production on a tour that hits the road around September 3rd.

Boy that was a long post : )

In the Mean Time... Tempe!

Have some fun things from Costa Mesa to post but in the mean time I need to get this off my chest.

Here in Tempe - the entire theatre from building to interior walls, chairs, musical stands are ALL Terracotta color (you know Salmon!) EVERYTHING. You would think in a desert people might want to see other hues.

Oh and we have a cricket somewhere in the office. It's awake and driving us MAD.

How long til we get back to California?

A Bear for Charity

An example of how doing a little something for a charity can make a big difference.

The bear above was created by one of our wardrobe people. He is a Jailhouse Rock Bear and was sent to the Matthew Shepard Foundation for their annual Bear to Make a Difference benefit. Along with some show swag he brought in $400 for the charity.

A Mighty Fine Showing!!!

...And yes that is my VERY messy desk in one of the markets that he is sitting on. Let me tell you - one has to be VERY flexible when you tour. One city you are in a fancy office with your own desk and the next city you could be typing on your laptop as it sits on a stand one would use while eatting a tv dinner in a living room. No joke!

In other news - 4 1/2 weeks to go on this one. 3 more cities after we leave where we are. Happily we are in Southern California for what remains of our last day off and last non-travel (Golden) day. So Monday - I'm going to DISNEYLAND!!!

A little culture

So four of us went between shows tonight. It was such a lovely way to spend two hours. Funny, entertaining, and sweet. I am sorry to Leslie and anyone else who might be reading this who would be more excited then I was to see Wilco perform. Sadly I wasn't aware of them before the show but now I am. I enjoyed the 'alternative' band from Chicago very much.

They ended the broadcast with Elvis' That's All Right... It might be a coincidence but I think not. I suspect our little show got into someone's head and they thought it a fun way to end tonight. (a few of them are coming to our show in exchange for us getting to see theirs)

If anyone was listening tonight - yes that was the four of us who laughed, screamed and applauded louder than everyone else when the song started.

Minneapolis ends tomorrow and then TWO WEEKS OFF!!!!!

Things I forgot to share

Nebraska Photos - the Haymarket Watertower and the Quick Nick's Garage - I am sure it's some chain in that part of the country but I thought it so cute and original. Like I walked back in time.

Atlanta photos include:

The theatre announcing the show

The famous Fabulous Fox organ which is played every night as the audience filters in. I was never sure when up on deck if I was in the time before talking pictures or at a baseball game.

And a little something left briefly in the poster box in front of the theatre. If the guy in the photo looks familar it's because it is supposed to be George Clooney. From what I was able to piece together they used the Fox exterior the night we loaded in for a European commercial shoot that featured Clooney as a period actor at a film festival. The commercial, from what I looked up online, was directed by Robert Rodriguez. Pretty darn cool.

Been busy

Sorry for the lack of updates but things have been busy. As some folks know I arrived off layoff late due to a death in my family which made what would have been the calm two weeks in Cleveland - well nuts. We made it to Atlanta (where I type this from a very cool new Hyatt property called Hyatt Place - I mean look at that TV!!) and the week flew by. Tomorrow is a Golden Day - where I essentially hang out with the cast and then get them on a plane on Tuesday morning at the ass crack of dawn.

Where are we headed you ask?

Fort Worth, Texas where I will watch my 33rd birthday come and go.

Um - How time FLIES!

It's only a WATCH!!

I DID NOT BOOK THIS TOUR. I AM ONLY ON THIS TOUR. IT IS ONLY A WATCH. THIS WASN'T OUR FAULT.

Something I didn't know:
Statement as of 11:05 am CDT on March 31, 2007

... This is the season of increased severe weather activity...

Know the difference between a Tornado Watch and a Tornado Warning.

A Tornado Watch means that conditions are favorable for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening weather conditions... and listen for later statements and possible warnings.

A Tornado Warning means that a tornado has been sighted or indicated by radar. When a warning is issued... take cover immediately.

It is only a WATCH!

Never boring!

I really hope DENVER plans on being nice to me next week with it's weather - that is for sure

Sharing photos from Memphis

Split week in Nebraska so in the mean time I thought I would share somce photos from Memphis. I am very behind in my blogging - sorry all but it's been busy getting everything set for a split week, a week off, and the next city we go into too.

So here we are photos from Graceland.

The only thing I will say about the day there is that people I think mock the idea of this place. I think it's wrong too unless you've taken the tour. Many of us were very moved by the experience. It was walking in this man's footsteps who burned bright and then out. When you see the 20 some year history of his rise and fall and end the tour at the gravesite it's very moving.

So here are the tangiable things you can take with you when you go - pool room, planes, cars, front of the house and back of the house. Interestingly it's not as large as I expected.

Ducks and Crazy Monkeys

The more indepth stories from last week in Memphis are forthcoming but in the mean time I show you the Ducks at the Peabody and a Monkey Statue in the TV room at Graceland - It's a Crazy Monkey - no?

(and yes I know I am behind on updates - although Raleigh will be might quick because it's been pretty lowkey - although I got to see two great friends while here in NC. Megan and Mer - it was great to see you!!)

I love them but this is why I must keep my distance

Youtube video removed because someone's parents rightfully yelled!

This is what happens to actors when they hit the half way point of a tour with the help of Mr. jack Daniels

I was tucked in bed NO WHERE near this... they are LOVELY people but this is NUTS!

enjoy - because you better believe I laughed at their silliness

In other news I got my bowling game on tonight a 191 and a 165 - thank you very much!!!

Columbus - Need I say more?

Ordered in food because there was nowhere to eat when the area shut down around 6pm every night. Shows went great but the storm on the first night made for a small house. The hotel was fine but even that was dull. Columbus goes firmly on the 'Places I would NEVER want to live' list.

The WEST!

Sacramento and LA were fantastic. The show went wonderful. I got to spend a ton of time off during the Sacramento dates. Okay it was only two days off in two weeks which might seem odd to most people but to me it was great.

The first say off we went to San Fran. Had a nice lunch, hung in the gayborhood. Then we saw Legally Blonde - not my cup of tea after I felt the show went off track about 20 minutes in but it started off great and the cast was fantastic.

In week two - the day off was amazing. We went to Napa. I haven't felt such calm in so long. There was no sound to Napa just beautiful weather. I will upload pictures as soon as people share them with me. We went to the Cakebread Winery where I became a member of their wine club. We also went to Opus One. The tasting was $25 a taste but where else was I going to find myself near $25 glass of wine. It was well worth it.

Craig also came to Sacramento and worked the tour for the second week. That was a lot of fun and he did a fantastic job covering as a stage manager.

Our final night in Sacramento was Super Bowl Sunday where the entire company who was watching the game was treated to a round of drinks when a man at the bar one his bet on the game. How much you ask? Over $500,000 split between the three guys who were there. Very odd in the bar of a Courtyard Marriot.

Then it was off to LA for the week off. My body was in rest so it didn't take long for a migraine to kick in. I listened to what my head was telling me and rested most of the week (that and worked on advancing the show). Managed to catch a movie at the Arclight theatre with Craig and saw Virginia Wolff with Kathleen Turner. I enjoyed it but boy was it long. We also had dinner at a great Tapa restaurant and Mark and I caught a small comic book collection. There was also bowling - broke a 150 - thank you very much.

Oh and after all my trips to LA I finally flew out of LAX.

Then it was back on the road - on the east - where it was COLD and BORING!

Tucson Photo I forgot to share

It makes me laugh

Maybe you had to be there...

And back to Snow

After a lovely week off at home with Mom and Dad it was back to the road and back to the snow. East Lansing in January is COLD - VERY COLD. It was like being back at Fredonia being on the campus where the theatre was - it was just WAY bigger! I think you could have fit 10 Fredonia Campus' into the foot print of this place.

While here we put together one of my casual benefits like I have done back in Astoria and we raised another $800 plus for Broadway Cares. It was a nice night without a lot of headaches.

Tomorrow we head west to California. Sacramento to be exact. We will be there for two whole weeks and then have another week off where I will be in LA visiting friends. (Hey, why go to snow country when you can stay where it's sort of warm? Although those folks who saw snow in Malibu might not agree with the warm thing. Welcome to Global Warming!)

I'm extra excited because not only do we actually get a decent amount of time off while in the next city Craig is coming to train as a stage manager on the show. So I will not just get one week of Craig time but TWO!!! Not only that but I have pals who live in San Fran which is very close and we are planning a trip on the day off in the second week to wine country. Might be the off season but looking forward to being on a real California Vineyard - extra points for you 80's soap fans who might understand why.

If you've been living in a bubble - Clinton threw her hat in the ring as did Obama. It's going to make for an interesting party election. I only hope the Brownback's of the world don't make headway on the other side because someone like him as president would make for an even scarier exsistance.

Okay off to start my load out - the joys of only a 1pm matinee on the final day in a city!! If only the hotel had Showtime!

From Snow to Rock

As Mary requested... and the cell phone camera continues to amaze.

Here is a photo of the snow while driving to the airport to check things out for Monday's travel day. THANKS AGAIN GALS!

And then compare it to the photo I took of the road while on the bus from the Tucson airport to the hotel. Have I mentioned this is a very monocromatic city? Tucson is rocks, rocks, gravel, rocks, cactus, rocks and more rocks. Yes, very brown compared to all the fluffy white stuff I saw in Denver.

Happy New Years

From above our hotel in Denver! Cool huh?

Photos!

Well hello everyone - Photos from Denver.

The statue is of Hamburger Mary - where we did our benefit while here in town.

The "living room" shot shows how hotels can look like livingrooms if you don't turn around and see the elevator

The tree was designed and made backstage by one of our light guys. Cool huh?

The storm photo was 16th Street Mall in Denver the day after. See not so bad...

Oh and that is me waving hello at the afternoon party in the presidental suite of the Marriott around the corner from where we are staying.

HELLO ALL and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!