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!!!

Nuf Said---

This is a rightly said epitaph by MSNBC's Olbermann

BYE BYE BOSTON and Hello Muggings

So today was an interesting one........

Matinee audience was quite possibly the most cadaver-like peeps we have had to date.  I am guessing they were tired from church and green bean casserole in the basement afterward, but it never fails....at the end they were on their feet.  It could be the ole BLUE HAIR MATINEE syndrome.....but I swanee we thought they hated us.

Jay was great going on for Tally---as expected a small bit of misformations but no major tragedies.  And, he drove the golfcart like a pro!!!!!

The evening show proved a little interesting with Mamie hurting herself coming out of SERIOUS. The cafe tables are not eh most sturdy objects ever made by man.  One night Ven sent the entire table and chilled champagne sprawling. But, she seriously injured her foot.  So, going into BLOOD IN THE WATER she left stage to tend to a bloody bruise.  Other than that, not much changed. But, Sara Andreas did have to take a break from Leslie teaching her all the NICEST KIDS IN TOWN ography from HAIRSPRAY to jumprope.  And, Spencer was great filling in for VEN again as well.  For dinner, a wee excursion to FAJITAS AND RITAS was had. The food was great, though STACEY was having a small mexican baby during show two. But, we we are guessing that they had someone not showup to work because they were totally understaffed and full of anxiety filled starving customers.

Also, a wee bit of a clarity.  In the post about Ven I said he had been kicking for Jehovah.  I received a few emails asking if he was a JEHOVAH'S WITNESS. The answer is a no. After some research, and remembering the SCRIVNERS from my childhood, I don't actually know if it is possible for a JEHOVAH'S WITNESS to be in a musical. None the less, for one to be in LEGALLY BLONDE where they say OMIGOD almost 4 million times( please know that its not an exact number).  If somebody else knows something, please help educate me cause the official website didn't exactly dictate whether one could sing or dance. I just know that Delwin's older sister was Valedictorian and couldn't be at the joint worship service or graduation.

To close, we were treated with two boxes of clothes that were used either by the broadway cast or from other shows and made out like banshees.  I got a great suit of Borle's from GAY OR EUROPEAN, though i will have to remove a shoulder pad cause he is a little lopsided and has more shoulderpads on the right side, as well as an Armani jacket of BRIAN DACRY JAMES' from the SCOUNDRELS tour.  Happy day of the Pagan Sun God i say........

And kudos to Lauren, Kevin, and others for completing our mural for the theatre. It rocked and left stripper dust, all over the place, to remember us by for weeks to come.  And i will say it, we would have liked to stay here a few more weeks and loved the deck crew. They were the best we have had thus far.  But honestly, if DIRTY DANCING can be here 10 weeks why not give us another one?  LEts start a petition to come back what do you say?!

In closing, I thought you all should know that we ended up making over $25,000 for BCEFA in a week and a half in BOSTON.  It was totally inspiring, and great to hear the responses from the crowd as wee children threw in allowance money and moms threw 20's.   It will be cool to see how much we get by Dec.

Off we now go to Cleveland.......

Laughter and hurt poochies

So in Ven's update I forgot to include another injury, that being of ROXIE our Bruiser standby. Two days he got excited and ate part of a new phone recharger.  Sadly to say, he had to be taken to the hospital.   Apparently some metal had been injested--but he is on the upswing to be sure.

Yesterday, Spencer once again made the audience swoon( speaking of, they were the most rucus audience we have had and it felt great).  But, Murphy's Law and the gods of live theatre swung their heavy gavel.  Right before the Legally Blonde Ballad, Elle smacks Callahan for kissing her.  

Well, the UPS GUY track has to do the actual slap sound offstage( i hope that doesnt spoiler it. Also, the descant at the beginning of IRELAND is MAMIE PARRIS offstage). So last night, Spencer came about two seconds after the actual slap.  The audience roared--multiple times.  ANd, Ken lost it.  I think he actually doubled up with laughter at one time.  He tried to restart about  4 times and couldnt get the line out, egging the audience on even more.  We all rushed backstage to see what was happening. He finally recovered, but that is one of many reasons why i love doing theatre over film====you never know what will happen!!!!

The crew also have decided that the first friday of each month is now going to be MUSTACHE FRIDAY. So, enjoy some of the pictures of our backstage counterparts. Some involve some odd Amish looking beard. I wish I could have been involved, but our contractual clause is that we must be clean shaven.  Also after the show, we decided to play a little shakey face and hair flip at a wee pub.  This is explains Gretchen's ELVIRA doo........

Here is to our last weekend in Boston.....

Update on VEN

Last night Spencer did a kick ass job covering VEN, but today the verdict came in.

VEN has a muscle strain that involves the PUBIS muscle---i would guess from kicking for Jehovah at the beginning of the IRISH DANCELINE.  So, he has now been prescribed a small Apothecary of meds to take until better.  It could be sunday, or a week, but either way Spencer will be on til at least Sunday.  

Never a dull moment on the touring circuit---lets just hope nobody else falls victim to strain or sickness.  Sunday Tally has a personal day, so JAY will also be on.  This is where it gets interesting.

There is a story that has been passed on down from the BWAY company when Rusty Mowery had to go on at the end of Act 1.  They were one girl shy, and both females swings were on.  So, adorned with FALSIES( fake eyelashes), rouge, and a wig he quickly became the S in WOODS in the Act 1 Finale.  Hold your breath-----this boats about to rock!!!!

Future of Musical Theatre

Ven got this sent to him.....its from THE ONION and is completely fake, but totally hilarious. And I think in all joking there is some truth.

More understudies and a new president

Well lets start with sunday....

Sara Andreas went on for both shows again...and was flawless as expected. She has this red-brown wig and sings the crap out of it(which is actually really hard to get out of parachute fabric pants).

Since Thursday, we have been collecting for BCEFA after the shows---and its going great. As of last night, we have collected $15,000. Its amazing, cause we didnt even collect on sunday. What with 4 more weeks of collection we could have over 50,000 bones collected.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE THROUGH BCEFA's SITE via LEGALLY BLONDE TOUR

Monday, Kevin BeeBee(one of our Company Managers) and I drove up to MAINE for some R&R. This trip completed Kevin's presence in all of the Continental US states. Driving up the foliage was amazing, and the weather...perfect. We ended up in OGUNQUIT, which is actually the P'TOWN of MAINE and has a Political Sign Cemetery as you come off the highway. I worked up at the OGUNQUIT PLAYHOUSE most of last summer, and fell in love with the town.

It is an artists village that didn't become an official town until the 80's. They don't allow any chain stores in town and won't allow a traffic light. In a word: quaint. One could even say, with a Middle Eastern accent, PARADISE!!!! In the winter, the population goes down to a mere 600 folks.

We met my friend KIM ( former company manager of the playhouse) at the best breakfast place in town---AMORE. Leanne, the owner and one of the most shining people i have ever met, greeted us with a smile and a hug. After shoveling dainty morsels of heaven into our mouths, without their amazing HASH, all three of us went for a stroll down the Marginal Way. This is a picturesque mile-long walk along the oceans edge. It leads from the main beach down to PERKINS COVE. It was as peaceful as i remembered, having run and meditated along its edge every day i could last summer. We then took a scenic drive down to YORK, so I could show Kevin the lighthouse---also giving Kim time so she could go work on publicity for our friend and heavenly hilarious friend Sally Struthers, who is currently on tour with an anniversary tour of NUNSENSE. We froze, watching the fattest seagulls i have ever seen and a class of scuba divers from U of NH dry in the wind. We then drove back up the winding country highway to check in to the ADMIRALS INN. This great hotel, which 20 years ago was a sketchy bathhouse, was left solely to our own private occupancy.

So, some blueberry beer and hottub was had before a search for lobster. Dame Starling(Kim) drove us to three places, all to no avail, before heading back to the infamous FRONT PORCH. Its the piano bar in downtown OGUNQUIT, that also has great food. We gnashed, whilst I was recognized by some locals. I tried to introduce myself, to which they gave me a Cheshire Cat grin sand said " Oh, I know who you are." It was a lil weird thinking that men citywide remember that they have seen me pseudo naked and may not exactly place that it was in a show. Thus is my life........

That night BeeBee enjoyed more of the hottub and Salty Dog, enjoying the night. You can see every star in the sky up there, and helps remind you of why we live. Its a simpler place, and a reminder that we have lost track of what is important in life. All you need is natures beauty, friendship, and not always get caught up in the rat race. A night on the most comfortable beds i have been in for 2 months, and then another great Bfast at AMORE. I shoveled some succulent HASH( that had minimal taters) and then caught a beach walk where we collected shells. the recharge was complete, so we headed home.

tuesday night, MAMIE had a personal day, so Sara Andreas was on again--with Coleen back in business.. We were all excited to get done with the show and see how the election was going, also seeing as how a handful of peeps had gone back to NYC specifically to vote ( not having been able to get absentee ballots). After the show, in which Andreas once again rocked, a group of us gathered in Spencer and my abode. We then witnessed the single most influential event of our lives, now knowing what our parents went through with the CIVIL RIGHTS movement, moon landing, and any other major event between 1950 and 1975. A lot of us sat, cried, and listened to the first BLACK man ever to give his presidential acceptance speech. There was in international party, but none like the group of Boston U kids that joined in the streets and blocked traffic. they siphoned the flow of cars down to a single lane, High-5ing and cheering for close to two hours. That was, of course, until a small army of RIOT GEAR CLAD BIKE COPS showed up and sent the kids scattering. it was an amazing night!!! BPM's roommates Jamie Grayson and Landon Beard also came to celebrate.

yesterday, we all were reeling from the bliss, also attempting to buy OBAMA shirts---none of which could be found. And then, Principal Understudy #3 went on. This time, it was Leslie going on for VIVIENNE. Megan was out. Also, HAL( our lead producer) was in the house. And, my Maine ladies came down to see the skit. So, it was a full house. Leslie rocked, Hal was gleefully happy, now tonite VEN is out and SPENCER is on.

yesterday, Ven was feeling like he pulled something. So, combined with today's U/s rehearsal, Paul Canaan coming in to co-teach a workshop with Nat Joy JO, its going to be another action packed day. 

All Hallows Eve and PRINCIPAL COVER #2

Boston is grand-----its been a great week of temperatures fluctuating like the body heat index of a menopausal beauty. But, the bodacious FOLIAGE makes up for it ten fold!!!!!

Thursday, our understudy rehearsal was cancelled to make room for costume fittings.  All the costumes were supposed to have come in, from the now dead broadway company (R.I.P), but then it all got cancelled.  Apparently some costumes were sold to London with the rest of theBROADWAY package(which is typical), but we now learned that we actually dont have all the costumes we thought we would have because they are across the pond.  Its interesting, but I guess comes down to the benjamins when all else fails.  That day, a friend of mine came in from Cali for a workshop out on Cape Cod, and we met up and walked through the Commons.  We actually went through CHINATOWN first and saw this awesome mural. But, we alos just so happened to stumble across the BULL & FINCH pub.
 

This is what CHEERS, the TV show, was based on.  Its on the BEACON HILL side of the park, and is a great place. They shot the outside of the BAR for the TV show, but then used a studio for the rest of the show.  The inside looks nothing like the TV set, but they have since created a replica of the TV show down at the NORTH MARKET--which is actually downtown in the midst of the FANEUIL HALL MARKETPLACE. So, there are two CHEERS--people knowning your name everywhere!!!!!

 That night, after the show, we had our first night of fundraising for BROADWAY CARES EQUITY FIGHTS AIDS (BCEFA).  We are selling signed playbills, custom cards by JOSH WALDEN, a signed jumprope, a signed piece of the HARVARD paper Becky pops out of, have the standard money buckets, and VEN is taking pictures with people as the UPS guy.  Our first night we made 2000 dollars, and now have made well over 8000 dollars in just two days( still waiting for last nights total).  Its great!!!!!  We will be collecting into Dec, so wait for a grand total. 

This happens after the show every night, so wait to see cast members in hats as you leave the theatre.  Give $5, $10, deeds to your house, we even take small children or angry spouses to sell on the black market.  

Friday was the great and wonderful HALLOWEEN.  One of our traveling stagehands, Garry, is from Boston and arranged a party for us at BOSTON BILLIARDS.  We all rushed over as soon as the curtain was down, also after a talk back with the EMERSON COLLEGE musical theatre cats, and it was on.  IT was a cluster of random costumes and laughs.  A core group dressed as SEXY Wizard Of Oz characters( with friends from NYC coming up), Becky was SARAH PALIN, Spencer was a MOOSE, Kevin BeeBee was our Head Carpenter Brian( hilarious), J was a UPS Guy/Dick in a box, and one of my favs was Ven dressed like a ghost. 

He cut two holes in the hotel sheet and was walking around going OOOOOOOOHHHHH.  I piddled in my pants more than once, especially when he hid in the corner and pretended like nobody could see him.  Another, which i forgot, was Jeff and Josh as SIERRA MIST. Josh was Sierra Boggess as the LIL MERMAID and Jeff was a stagehand with a mist bottle.  We are some funny M&%*^&% F&#*$%$S!!!!

Saturday, the BCEFA rep Monsieur Graziano came up to see the show and enjoy our fundraising efforts.  He gave a wee speech before the evening show, sharing stories from people that have been helped by the fundraising, and told us that we are the 2nd largest HIV/AIDS aid contributors in the country. THATS HUGE!!!!!   That also coincided with a gift basket being sent by Donna ViVino of the WICKED tour. 

They were McCain and Obama cookies.
 

They were hard, but inspiring......and then ANDREAS was on.

Coleen called out due to ankle problems, so Sara Andreas was on.  They threw some costumes together and a wig, and she was thrown on.  AND WAS EXQUISITELY FLAWLESS!!!!!!

  Following up her YELLOW BRICK ROAD TO THE EMERALD CITY, it was a great weekend for her.  She is the second understudy to go on for a principal contract and showed that people should never get pidgeon-holed as SWINGS.  This happens all the time--but mamma rocks the socks!!!

What will happen today?  who knows.......it is the day of the Pagan Sun God as well as the adopted day of the Christian Jesus.....so all possibilities are GLOWINGLY possible on a SUPERSTAR level!  And tomorrow I get to go to Maine.....