ROCK AND ROLL, Opening, and some massages

We are now in BROWNS heaven !!!!!

The travel was easy, with my dad driving down from Michigan to meet us at the airport. We checked into our hotel, which also has a grocery store less than 5 feet away which is great because we HAVE A FULL KITCHEN!~!!  We have been on the road for over a month and now we all get to cook every meal if we want.  I guess its the small things that matter.

But that said, a group of us went out for dinner.  We went to STAR, which is actually right next to the OHIO THEATRE.  Its a great restaurant, which is actually in the place of the old entry way to the theatre.  The food----amazing!!! And, found 

out that not only did my dad know Stacey's acting mentor in NYC when they both studied with Strasburg, but he and MAmie both have toured with Kenny Rogers.  Madame Parris in 98 and my dad way back in the 60's.  Even better---STAR is where our opening night party was. So, all things were looking up.

We decided to walk back on 13th street, which is now FORBIDDEN WAY.  Apparently that is where the CL cast got held at knife point, but honestly not that scary.  There is just a scaffolding on the front of a building that I am guessing could be the launch point for some trouble. But, now the producers/theatre are providing a WALKBACK service in groups after the show just so nothing happens. But, according to our sleepy front desk security guard nothing really happens much.  I am guessing it is simply the close proximity of the GREYHOUND station to where we are and the socialites that congregate.

Yesterday also brought an interesting revelation-----PROP 8 reared its dirty head again.  WE all found out that the Artistic Director of SAC MUSIC CIRCUS had donated money. There was a huge uproar in the theatre community, he apologized and in turn donated money to the HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN, and then today resigned.  I fear this wont be the last time this will happen.....but in the words of Rodney King---CANT WE ALL JUST GET ALONG!!!!  Live out of love and happiness and not fear. ( i am now removing my soapbox)

So, this theatre is a bit wee in the back.  Rochester was crazy small, but here is an even smaller ordeal--literally.  Some girls are quick changing in a converted loading dock---that is ICE cold.  I may hang meat to dry during the shows.   But, my quick change booth, along with BPM, Zelasko, and Walden is in the foyer to the stage door.  Thats right, our naked j-bird butts are on parade if one walks in the stagedoor.  This could come back to haunt me later, but its hilarious.  The underbelly of the theatre is like a labyrinth, and there is little to no crossover space. So, SL has a metal spiral staircase to help come up from the caves.   Its great--and everything I love about live theatre.

The show was interesting--with i think 50% of the ladies feeling sick.  We had to condense some rails, lose 2 people in the hall sequence prior to SO MUCH BETTER, and it was not devoid of chaos.  Mine was the greatest I think though, with my dad watching and all.  Coming off for the EXTREME cross, i quickly stripped naked to find my dresser with the costumes for the HARVARD YARD. Somebody had grabbed the wrong basket--so needless to say there was no PFORZHEIMER.  Josh and Paul tried their damnedest to make the scene work, but i think it seemed a little----especially with no OPRAH WINFREY line.  I came back on as the band invades, cause there is no way Becky's lift would have happened.

Also, Dame Lewis went up during GAY OR EUROPEAN and sent the intern/callahan bunch into a murmur of silence.  IT was like their was a dance break that somebody forgot to move in, but McLean jumped back on with his FRENCH line.  It felt like a weird show, but the food at STAR was amazing!!!!! A Maryland crab stuffed Rainbow trout with lemons risotto?  COME ON!!!!   Also, amidst the live theatre mayhem, one of our head producers MIKE was in town. And, as I was shoveling piles of Salmon on my plate i was attacked by a man in a leather coat.  This person turned out to be the infamous GEORGE STILES.  

He helped write the new music to MARY POPPINS, which the tour of is apparently opening in Cleveland. So he, along with his writing partner Anthony Drew and the widow Elizabeth Sherman ( whose Husband and brother-in law wrote the tunes to the movie) are in town shooting a PBS special for the opening.  AMAZING!!!!  

CLICK HERE FOR THEIR OFFICIAL WEBSITE

I did George's THREE MUSKETEERS at NORTH SHORE MUSIC THEATRE last fall, and we became fast friends.  it was great having the artsy types around all the time.  Also, apparently he is in talks with Jerry to work on one of he and Anthony's shows.  So, they were doing some homework.  I put in a good word, and am hoping to catch some java before the week is out.  They are great peeps, but I had to go put my dad to bed so no late nights were possible.

We avoided 13th street this time, seeing as how some hooligans were hanging beneath the scaffolding(our instincts were dead on), and pappa and I stayed up late into the night hashing life and this thing called BIZ.

Today, Jennifer the Masseuse( from Buffalo) drove into town to help give our bodies a wee break from the compaction of jumproping.  And, she is amazing!!!  Apparently she used to be the head masseuse for the BILLS, and know Spencer & I are going to try to get the company to fly her out all the time.   Cause daddy is getting old and these bones need some love...in the form of a massage.  


 

OH----also yesterday Rev Billie( my dad) and I scoured the ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME.  It is one of the raddest places I have ever been. Thats right, i said rad. They have a crap ton o' costumes from different peoples tours, Janis Joplin's car ( which was stolen at one time and then returned and repainted all psychedelic like), and an entire LES PAUL section---to barely nip the tip of the rock iceberg the museum contains.  It is along the lakeshore, right next to the BROWN's stadium and a huge wind turbine.  Football, wind energy, and rock & roll---what else do you need?  

Well to wrap up, this is how Cleveland got the museum. Apparently USA Today was doing a poll to figure out where it should be, and it was judged by call-ins to a 1-900 number. The first day, 20,000 natives called in--blowing the next closest cities call-in # of 1,000 to shame. So, then they conducted a second day.  This time the toll reached 110,00 people.  Isnt that crazy!!@!  The city unified on TV, Radio, and any other form of communication to rally and get the museum.   So in the end, a little while after the Cuyahoga river and the mayor's hair had both caught on fire ( which is true) they got a huge glass pyramid of ROCK LEGENDS that looks like the LOUVRE butted up against a huge ocean.   Never what i thought Cleveland would offer to the table......

oh and Veterans day was yesterday.  So i called my brother, being a survivor/vet of Operation Iraqi Freedom III.  He survived, and i am grateful and will lift him up, but it still doesn't we have to agree to the war.  What with Bush admitting that speaking infront of a MISSION ACCOMPLISHED flag 5 years ago was wrong, its time to do something. OBAMA lets see some magic!!!  Also, here's some history.  TAPS is originally called BUTTERFIELDS LULLABY.  The only reason its been nicknamed TAPS is because its symbolic of the three taps that are played at the end of a day.  So there it is AMERICA......stars, stripes, and rock & roll music theatre!!!