Cleany Your Seaty in the Windy City

So I'm sitting our dimly lit dressing room, shaded strategically so that old man Murphy can take his ritualistic 2 show nap, and amid savory sips of my capitalistic STARBUCKS realized its time for a mid Chi-Town update. 

First off let me say that this last weekend was the 

WORLD Beard & Mustache CHAMPIONship. 

If you have never read about it  CLICK HERE

Also, there was a picture of a soldier in Afghanistan. 

Read the article of why REAL MEN WEAR PINK overseas.

Our preview went smashingly well, which was celebratoriously received by our friends in the resident company of MARY POPPINS.  We did a ticket exchange, which means Our bosses and Their bosses swapped tickets so we could see each others skits. Kinda cool right? 

The next day was our opening--on--a-Wednesday. But first, we had another soundcheck so that everything was just right.

That night we went across the street for our party, which was full of adorable lil fans in PINK. We then cabbed it thru rain to ROCKIT, to wrap the night. Its a great bar with pool tables and delicious comida. Our old pal and producer Mike Isaacson even came with friends. It was a right ole' hootnanny!! 

Thursday saw the assembling of a bike gang. A slew of us went and bought bikes to traverse the hectic streets a lil easier, while also working the waistline to offset the awesome food in the Windy City.  Our first weekend saw Casey on for the 1st time as Stenog, cause lauren was gone all week. And if u havent seen her, she is a pint sized cat lady of adorability. Sunday produced a mixer with Jersey Boys cast at rockband karaoke. That's right, a live band to make u feel like u are actually Steve Perry.  

Impossible? 

I say yes....nobody is Steve Perry.  

With our 2nd week came Tally going on twice and Barry on twice for Emmett. They both soared in this palacial theatre, which was no surprise to anyone. Also added in was Amber rockin it fro-style as Paulette. Thursday, however, was chalk full of fun. 1st was a Macys promo for the TONYS. Natalie, Jeff, + Lauren got to judge the contest. It was kids singing preappro

ved songs. And the winner....well I don't know who it was but it ended with Lauren singing "So Much Better" in the scarf department, to a track that was a step higher than our show version. I wish I had even a picture. That day also came the announcement of a revisit to the ELLE FANDANGO...only this time its the ELLE SWITCHEROO.

CLICK HERE FOR THE OFFICIAL RELEASE

The city of Dayton will see only Lauren as Elle and Nashville will see the return of Laura Bell for the week.  Go buy tickets now kiddies!!!! 

That night was another gloryous WHIRLBALL event paid for by our producers. They totally know how to keep up morale amongst the touring ranks  A bus awaited us as the curtain came down, and we scurried into the night for 2 hours of fun packed Ball de Whirly. It was the first time for a lot of peeps, though with the attendance of producer extraordinaire Doug Meyers competition was at an alltime high. If I had the pics of the unisex bruising that happened, it would look like pictures of domestic violence. Those metal steering cranks do some serious damage!!!! 

Jump two days, and saturday gave birth to Tiff as mom because......

 (cue the musical theatre horns) 

Cara was Paulette all day. She kicked some serious heinie.....what I love is how totally different all the possible hairdressers are!! 

The holidays took us to Doug Meyers pad for BBQ.

 He bussed us up into what was the closest thing to a musical theatre museum. His house is full of childhood memorabilia, the show posters of the ones he has produced, his sons awesome Star Wars Legos, and oh yeah....his 2 TONY awards sitting above the piano. 

That's right....

readily available

 for photoshoots!  

Monday was the CUBS Game. 

Mr D.B. Bonds got to sing

"God Bless America" and the "Star Spangled Banner".

 

                                                                               At the end, Challenger the bald eagle was released then quickly chased by some pidgeons. We were hoping it would eat one in the cold air, but alas. 

We were sitting right behind home plate( with a few peeps in the SKYBOX ON SHEFFIELD), and other than a Triple Play that was technically only a double play(which rarely happens), the highlight of the cold night was the 7th inning stretch.
Who sang? None other than Mr T...yes that Mr T.Check out the video of he and DB I spliced together. 

Tuesday brought the first of 4 shows with Lauren as Elle and Casey on as the stenog. Why u ask? Well I am guessing by now word is out that there is a montage of the touring shows on the TONYS. So, Becky will be singing SO MUCH BETTER, from what I know along at least Kate Rockwell + Stacey Sargeant + Cara Massey. Thus, Lauren will also be ELLE the entire last weekend we are here, alongside me as Warner. Adam will be on for Warner the beginning part of the week.   

Things to come:  

#1 Tiff as Brooke on Friday 

#2 Our Benefit Cabaret next monday 

      Here's the info again: 

6p.m. - 8p.m. 

Showtunes til 2am 

SIDETRACK 

3349 N .Halsted at Roscoe 

$25@door or $20@Adam Zelasco's FBook  EVENT

Benefits BCEFA/Chicago House  

I will close with this, a quote from a weird lady that spoke to my friend Maria in the Wrigley Stadium Bathroom. 

"If u sprinkle when u tinkle be cleany and wipe the seaty" --lady in bathroom 5/25/09 

THE BOSS before the WINDY CITY

Well here BPM, Spencer, and I sit in the early morning of another tuesday morning.  This one is  little different though....

We sit, slightly sleep deprived, in the observatory deck of an AMTRAK train from ST PAUL to CHICAGO. Which, all in all, I believe is an 8 1/2 hour trek.  It wouldn't be that bad, all three of us love long travels on trains. But, there is a gaggle of AMISH families and the strong aroma of manure filling the air.  I am guessing one of the brothers---i will call him stinky BROTHER JEBEDIAH---may have IBS. Because, everytime he walks through the car with his button flap crotch open, the strong nose curdling stench of fertilizer and top soil beats our senses into a bloody pulp.  Yet, he and the other men are well manicured.  To this I say, "Is it possible for an Amish man to be stinking and still be called Metrosexual due to hair product and cuaffage?"

Since Rhiannon came back, things have flown by.  Our put-in/dance cleanup went smashingly well!!!  RUSTY MOWERY, dance captain to the stars, was amazing.  He tweaked some things, and also solidified some moments that had either mushed into oblivion or we never even had.  These were things that all parties involved didn't remember when we were mounted.  This would also be why he and James Sampliner are the cats going to LONDON to set that company ( which by the by is all Brits).  Once done we had Rhiannon's first night back, which also brought the 1st of 2 night with Barry Anderson on as Emmett.  He was amazing.

He was lovingly endearing, awkward as Emmett should be, and pulled the audience in with him the whole way.  I felt like a proud brother!!!!   If i had pics this would be where I inserted them.

We also had a vocal cleanup with James, who was completely happy with the show---spare some tweaks here and there once again.  

Other than that it was a pretty much cut and dry week.  All three Kate/Chutney covers went on---Andreas, Tiff, and Jenkins....and we soon see the return of Megan Lewis as Lauren leaves us for a week.  

But, after seeing DR. MAMBOS COMBO again ( who rocked the mic as always) a few of us stayed behind in the Twin Cities.  This is why the 3 of us are now on the train.

We stayed behind to see the BOSS, Bruce Springsteen, in concert at the EXCEL CENTER next to the Ordway.  BPM has been now 15 times, and it was the virginal voyage for the rest---including Josh Campbell who came along. We got General Assembly seats on the floor.....which means you have a chance at heaven.   There is a lottery 3 hours before the show and if you are part of the mass of fans selected you get the honor of standing on concrete for close to 6 hours to be within 50 feet of the front of stage.  We sadly fell out of the bracket chosen, which was boosted from the normal alottment of 500 to 600 people due to the size of the crowd.

 It was the 2nd largest turnout for the Lottery--1159 people i believe.

So dejected, we went to use some free drink chits at a local restaurant we ate at for opening night.

I will now go on record as saying that BRUCE gives one of the most amazing concerts I have ever been to. It ranks in my top 4---with FARMAID '98, BEN FOLDS at CARNEGIE HALL, and ETTA JAMES at the NEW ORLEANS in Vegas alongside it.  

Not only was it the earliest he has started all tour, but he plays continually for close to 3 hours with no breaks.  This has happened for 35 years, and astounding seeing as how he turns 60 this fall.  Also astounding is the fact that his amazonian best friend Clarence Clemons--the tall Black man in the ornate MJ looking band costume, is 67 and still rocking it out 4 nights a week.  BPM thinks this may be his last tour--so we saw history in the making . It was action packed, non stop, and as a now FAN awe inspiring as a performer.  He is truly the peoples entertainer.  And not only did he open with THE BADLANDS, but he takes requests.  They have a thing called STUMP THE E STREET---which is impossible He grabs signs from the audience and decides what songs are next.  They played a song that they have never done on tour---EVER----and we got to watch it.  And GOOD LOVIN was better than I ever remembered!!!!   Nils Lofgren on guitar is just jaw dropping.  He shredded at every turn.  My favorite is when he started doing whirling dirvish turns while still fingerpicking at the speed of sound.  

Also, he has a new drummer. If you watch CONAN O'BRIAN you know that his band is led by MAX WEINBERG.  Well he has also been BRUCE's drummer since the dawn of time. But, with the LENO takeover, Max is unavailable for concerts. So, Bruce has brought on Max's son---Jay Weinberg.  He is 18.  

Thats right, 18!!! And after only playing drums for 4 years he is playing for THE BOSS.  Not bad when most kids are too busy drinking their freshman year in college away!!!!

The story goes that Bruce gave jay a list of 200 songs to learn. Jay came back a month later and Bruce then gave him another 500 to learn. And learn he did.  Jay brought a level of ROCK and energy to the concert that is unabashedly unique, and something fans haven't seen from Max. This was evident when he even shredded a drumstick during the BALLAD OF TOM JOAD.  And, from BPM's prediction, he's going to be a staple in concerts from here on out.   History in the making on all levels!!!!

Before I  close this lil ditty....I want to plug a great organization.  Since Bruce is the people's entertainer, he dropped the backdrop and sold all the tickets behind the stage for 20 bucks.  He then gave those ticket proceeds to benefit 

SECOND HARVEST HEARTLAND.  They are an organization in Minnesota that gives food and aid to families that are down and out.  Recently, they are especially helping the families of those that have lost their jobs with the recession.  Its the only safety net that some families have, and a massive gesture coming from a generous performer who pays all the people on stage alongside him the same that he pays himself.  Selfless?  I would say so.   Its the little things that can make this a better earth to be on, and I now know why they call him THE BOSS.   Its gestures like this that remind me why I don't shop at WALMART---when the CEO's and the WALTON CLAN donate under 5% of their net profits to charity while their full time employees still live below the poverty level.....please excuse the soapbox.

In closing.....

HAPPY NATIONAL RIDE YOUR BIKE WEEK!!!!   Commute, car share, or hop on that banana bike Schwinn and take a lengthy ride to your nearest tree. Hug it, and hear the wind gently whisper THANK YOU for saving the environment one small step at a time.

I sit here not broken hearted.....a PUT-IN/CLEANUP has just started

So I sit here in the middle of our RUSTY MOWERY Cleanup/ RHIANNON's Put-IN Rehearsal, and thought it only fitting that I update the blog now.  And while we are here, the Tech Staff and Josh Campbell are off playing PAINTBALL again....

Last week was great. Not only did an army of pink shirt wearing families come from Becky's hometown ( i think the # was actually over 300 and were shipped in a fleet of buses). But, we also had a great party, hosted by Becky's parents at the ST. PAUL HOTEL.....which involved even more people from her hometown.

It also gave us a week of Andreas as BROOKE WYNDHAM, which then end capped with Tiff Engen going on as well for 2 performances. Check out her smoking courtroom outfit!!!!!!  She did amazing---and she never covered it on the BWAY so I think she has now played everything except Callahan.

Sunday night, not only did we sadly say goodbye to Kate Rockwell----with a great party at the W Hotel, but also got to see MAMBO'S COMBO at BUNKERS. They are amazing, if you have never seen them. They are a staple of the TWIN CITIES, and from what I am told have played there every Sunday and Monday night since the beginning of time. They have all played with PRINCE (or insert the symbol), seeing as how its his hometown, and Jellybean(his guitarist) is also there every night. And if you have never heard Margaret Cox sing, you have missed out on some musical brilliance!!!! Needless to say, I went back again monday night. 

Also, Monday brought a tour of the GUTHRIE---which is the most beautiful theatrical complex I have ever seen.  Its open all day to the complex ( their motto is YOUR new Guthrie Theatre), and my college bud David Alpert ( who was Asst. Dir on the GUYS AND DOLLS revival and is Asst. Dir. on the new Kushner play there) gave me the V.I.P tour.  Its breathtaking!!!  Google it!

But back to FUNK.....

From what James Sampliner our Music Supervisor told me, who is back in town for a cleanup tomorrow, this is the home of FUNK. George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, and all the P-Funk AllStars came from here. Without the TWIN CITIES, we would have no funk!!!!!

Last night Lauren got to go on for Margot as we await....( cue the horns) .....putting RHIANNON back into our show, and cleaning up our dance numbers from start to finish. Thats right kiddos, the PMS GIRLS are back intact!!!!!




What also came this week was the notice that Alex Ellis will be leaving after Chicago ( so warm up your KAte/CHUTNEY routines if you want to be out here) and the arrival of our new Vacation Swing---Casey Leigh Thompson. She was in the BWAY company as it closed last fall.

Lastly, I want you all to know that we are doing a Cabaret while we are in Chicago.

It will be at SIDETRACKS on Monday June 1st. It will benefit both BCEFA and a local charity ( which I don't know the name of).
So, wait for more details on that!!!! I think tickets will be $20 and feature most of the cast!!!!!

Alex is also going to be VIV all week....so expect Tiff and Andreas swapping off all week.

Til then friends.....

Whose on TOP and whose on BOTTOM now?

We just took home 3 BROADWAY TOURING AWARDS!!!!!!!

CHECK IT OUT HERE!!!!!!!!


And just in time for a CINCO DE MAYO celebration!!!!