HASTA LA VISTA PHILLY....for a week

So a week has transpired, and now my father is mad and insists that internet must exist in the NE or the grassroots campaigns would have never gotten OBAMA elected.  TO that i say" Yes true, but your hands are tied when the ethernet cable at the HAMPTON INN says too many subscribers are online and you are not allowed."  It truly feels like the fable of Mary, Jo, and the christian babe being rejected from the inn......

Well Philly was amazing!!!!!  I truly love that city.  The theatre is great, the people are great, and the food will knock your socks off!!!!!  Plus, the sights are majestic and historic. On Thursday, we had a great understudy rehearsal that consisted of all scene work.  Lauren was in all day, then Tally got added, then me, then Stacey ( which is slightly ironic which you will hear in a sec), and then Sara Andreas as Kate Chutney.  

For those of you out there actually following, Becky will be taking a one week vaca in Houston. So, Lauren and Rhiannon will be splitting the week as Elle.  I wanna say its the first week, but i dont remember. 

STAY TUNED FOR A BAR TO THE RIGHT THAT SAYS WHEN PEEPS ARE ON VACA

Also, Rhiannon is out all this weekend so if you are coming expect to see some glorious covers.

But i digress........

That night we had a tremendous show, still continuing to collect for BCEFA.  But, we actually got cheerleader outfits from the BWAY show to sell.   One did, and I dont know about the other.  They belonged to Lindsay Chambers--original company swing and petite lady.  And oddly enough, also a college friend of mine from Otterbein.

On Friday, I got a personal tour of INDEPENDENCE HALL. 

 My cousins husband JOE has been working for the Park Service for over 30 years, and has m

ore or less helped make it all work.  He even wrote all the literature and designed the models around the Liberty Bell---which was originally called the FREEDOM BELL but when it was acknowledged that the slaves were still not free they changed the name.  And here are two quick facts......#1 the crack was made on purpose and #2 in circa 2001 an ultra hippie was hanging out around the park for a week then came in with a drum mallet and hit the bell 4 times yelling FREEDOM FREEDOM FREEDOM FREEDOM before he was tackled and prosecuted because he had caused 4 chunks to fall off the bell.  And here is random fact 3-----all of the historic sites are actually owned by the city of Philly and the state of Pennsylvania. So, the national government leases the property for $1 for 100 years.  This is why the bell has stayed in Philly.....

Check out the video of my cousins hubby playing the ARMONICA---an invention of Ben Franklin that was based on wetting your fingers and playing your mammas good crystal. It was dwarfed by the invention of the HARMONICA and the modern day piano.

Later that day, we learned that Stacey Sargeant had given her four week notice.  She got a gig at the McCarter doing a great 5 person play, and couldn't get a month leave. So, maybe Amber Efe will be joining us soon.  She didnt have to do the DELTA NU scenes originally, because two tracks were combined for the tour.  But, never a dull time.  That being said, we also found out our drummer Marc Pardy will be doing LION KING in vegas. So, we lose him so he can be closer to his family.  I support but will miss our constant beat in the varying pits that we experience across this PURPLE MOUNTAINS MAJESTY.

On sunday, Josh Walden took a day off. So, amidst the ARMY-NAVY football game madness Jay Garcia became CARLOS.  It was hilarious and completely different from Walden. And, an exciting way to end the week. That night, a majority of us RAN ( literally) to the 30th street station to catch AMTRAK home.

Monday was GYPSY OF THE YEAR. THis is the annual BCEFA fundraiser endcap, which results in an ecclectic type VARIETY SHOW by the Bway shows ( with the addition of some OFF BWay shows). It was beautiful, hilarious, and sad all at the same time.  IT was inspiring to see Tyne Daly reminisce about the 80's( which i am sure most readers dont even remember because they werent born). But, LION KING did a beautiful dance, and the cast of TITLE OF SHOW wrote the final number, which curtailed on HAIRSPRAY singing I KNOW WHERE IVE BEEN with all the Motormouths to date and what castmembers were around.  I felt reinvigorated and inspired as an artist, and proud of my community of friends. 

That being said, i was ill on Tuesday and actually had to call out of the show---as did Leslie.  I could barely walk. So, i sat in the rain overlooking the park whilst our first show in HARTFORD happened.  It was an interesting fate seeing as how a year ago, i was here in Hartford and my life took a change i was not expecting.  Its funny how life comes around in full circle and the only constant is change and to just embrace it.

That being said----tonite we play WHIRLYBALL again!!!!!!  thats right, another hotbed of bumpercar madness.  Its a full day. I am doing a reading of a PILOT i wrote in our Bfast Buffet area, a show, and whirlyball?  It could be topped off by nothing better than Ass. Dir. Marc Bruni visiting and then us renting a party bus to PHILLY for the EAGLES vs. BROWNS game on monday........oh wait thats really happening.  Is it a dream? No, just the life of a touring gypsy!