Bienvenido a Miami!!!!

It's been a great couple of days here in Miami.  On Tuesday, the boys and m'am, along with Dan Mills who is the Carl Perkins u/s in NY did a promo at the Hard Rock Cafe here in Miami.  It was a pain to get there (the cab driver tried to take me to the Hollywood, FL Hard Rock that's 15 miles away), but they rocked it out.  Later that night, the Thunderstudy boys and I headed to the American Airlines Arena to sing the National Anthem and play a promo at the Miami Heat's home opener against my boys, the Boston Celtics. 

The Anthem went pretty well....although the sound guys didn't seem to remember to turn on our mics...and we were hoping it might be televised....oh well.  The promo went great, however; we played to over 400 people in the arena's beer garden.  Man, it was a lot of fun. 

I'm getting ready to play Sam Phillips for the rest of the weekend.  I will be on for the Friday night show, as well as both shows on Saturday and the matinee on Sunday.  I'm not sure whether I'm more or less nervous to perform as Mr. Phillips or Cash.....I guess we'll find out. 

Anyway, enjoy the new pictures and videos, and tell your friends!

Yay Florida!!! Yay Christmas!!! Yay, I went on!!!!!

It's been a little bit since I've updated my blog, so here's what's been happening. 

We had a great run in Indianapolis, eventhough most of the cast succumbed to what I have dubbed the MDFlu.  We had a few understudies go on, and continued to collect for BC/EFA.....we ended up raising just about $40,000 and selling a TON of albums.  And, I may have made a silly video of Billy.  Check it out here.....

Then, we headed off to sunny Florida!  It was a short week here in Naples, since we only had shows on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.  But, the show was well received, and most importantly....I GOT TO GO ON AS JOHNNY CASH!!!!  It was an amazing experience....though very much a whirlwind, and I couldn't have done it without the help of my castmates, and the support of Rachael and my parents; thankfully, they were they to watch!  Now, we are hunkering down for a few days to celebrate Christmas, as the cast goes their seperate ways.  So, a Merry Christmas to everyone, and I'll have A LOT more news when we get to Miami!

Big surprises and great times in Indianapolis!!!!

There is oh so much to tell.  We arrived in Indy on Monday, and the last few days have been kinda a whirlwind.  Tuesday was a great opening night; a really cool theatre, a suprise performance by David (one of the Thunderstudies) on bass, and an opening night party at the Rathskeller.  It's at this restaurant/bar that our Million Dollar Brewski was unveiled, and we finally got to try some!  It's great! 

Last night came the BIG surprise.....W.S. "Fluke" Holland, best known as being a part of Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Three, recording the original takes of Blue Suede Shoes and Matchbox on drums, AND being part of the recording of the Million Dollar Quartet, played with the cast onstage!  That's right!  He came up on stage and played Matchbox and Run Run Rudolph with the boys!  Beforehand, we had the pleasure of getting some pictures, talking to him, and hearing some great stories about how he got his start. 

Today, a bunch of us were lucky enough to get a personal tour at the Sun King Brewery, makers of our Million Dollar Brewski!  I've never taken a tour like that, so it was cool to see the actual process of making beer. 

So, enjoy the videos and pictures, and stay tuned for a lot more news in Florida!

MDQ, Nascar and an ice rink

It's been an interesting few days here in Charlotte.  We are in the midst of the ACC Football Championship; Clemson vs. Virginia Tech is at 8 tonight, and there are crazy, rabid fans for both teams roming the streets.  The entire Clemson team is staying at our hotel as well; so....I don't know whether to root FOR them (because the partying at our hotel tonight may be insane) or, root AGAINST them so that no one will be out partying.......I guess we'll see what happens.  So, me and the Thunderstudies did a promo tonight outside the NASCAR Hall of Fame near a public ice rink;  and here are some videos of our adventure.  Enjoy!

Charlotte, Thanksgiving, and more!

Hey, everyone!  It's been a few days since I've posted, but we have just finished our first week of three here in Charlotte, NC.  I am blown away by the beauty of this town and it's architecture; at the same time, I'm surprised at the fact that most businesses close earlier than their posted hours, and/or weren't open for the duration of the weekend.  That, and the amount of "homeless" who stop and ask for money with a similar story "I've never asked for money in my life.......I came up here last week from South Carolina.......I just need (insert random amount of money here) to get back 'home'".  But, it's been a great week.  Rachael came to visit, and although we had limited options for food for a few days, we made the most of our time, and got to see some really great stuff!  We went to the Mint Museum of Modern Art on Friday, which was breathtaking, and on Saturday we visited the Discovery Place and their Mummies Of The World exhibit.  So awesome.  Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of the mummies, but I DO have some great pictures from the museum. 

This week has been special; most of all to me because Rachael was able to visit, but also because we got to join the majority of the company for a fantastic Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant called Harvest Moon.  All organic, locally farmed, and totally delicious food.  I highly suggest it.  On top of all of that, I got to watch Austin go on as Jerry Lee, AND Billy go on as Elvis this week.  I could not be more proud of either of them.  The crowds loved them, and they really showed all of the hard work and preparation they've put into their roles. 

Oh!  And, they boys, and m'am, also rode a float in the Thanksgiving Day Parade here in Charlotte.  You can watch the video above!  Stay tuned for more news from Charlotte, and I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

Thank you, Milwaukee!!!

We had a great time, and a great run here in Milwaukee.  A few of us went to the Harley-Davidson Museum, and the Thunderstudy boys and I sang the National Anthem at the Bradley Center, where the Bucks play....when there is NBA basketball.....but we sang for a Milwaukee Admirals game (the AHL affiliate of the Predators).  Now, we're off to a 3 week stay in Charlotte, NC tomorrow morning. 

I have to say, I love cold weather....but MAN was it cold in Milwaukee.  Hopefully it'll be a bit warmer in Charlotte, but I'm hoping not TOO warm.  Stay tuned for news from our next stop!

MDQ cares

So, the cast did something pretty amazing today.  We went into a local recording studio here in Milwaukee, National Recording, and recorded two songs for an album to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids.  I will give you more details as we find out release dates, etc.  But in the meantime, check out our rehearsals in the studio.  As we approach the holidays, please consider making a donation to BC/EFA, or by buying one of our recordings. 

More promo videos from Milwaukee!

Milwaukee, you rock me

Well, we've only been here in Milwaukee for about 24 hours, but already the city has made a big impact on me.  Last night the majority of the cast and crew headed to a landmark restaurant, the hard to find Safe House; a spy-themed restaurant.  Not the most amazing food, but the ambiance more than made up for it.  I've taken a ton of pictures already, including a couple of great ones (above) of the Bronze Fonze, not far from our hotel.  I went to the Milwaukee Public Market today with the cast that didn't perform at today's promo and watched the show and took some great videos (above).  Austin and I feasted on some fried cheese curds and Chicago hot dogs.  MMMM MMMM MMMM.  Now, I'm here at the Marcus Center For The Performing Arts, enjoying opening night!  Check back soon for more news!  Including a report of the Thunderstudies' rehearsal with Chuck Meade on Thursday, our recording session for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids tomorrow, and me and the Thunderstudy boys singing the National Anthem at a hockey game on Friday!

So much to tell!!!!!!!!

What an amazing couple of days!!!!  My friend Doug Yeomans invited me and the MDQ peeps to see his band play at the Allen Street Hardware Cafe last night......and almost EVERYONE not only showed up to the gig, but he invited us up on stage!  So, I sang a couple of Cash songs including "Hurt", as well as The Band's "Weight", "Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)" with Martin and "Will The Circle Be Unbroken?" with everyone that showed up!  What a great night!  Then today, Billy, Rosie, John Michael, Austin and I headed to Niagara Falls.  We had an amazing time walking around and taking pictures (eventhough it was about 30 degrees, and we saw our first snow of the year), stopped by the Niagara Hard Rock so I could get a couple of pins, got some grub, and then finished the day off with a trip to the mall.  All in all, and fantastic day.  Hope you enjoy these pictures....more to follow!

More videos!

Here are a couple videos from our last stop, Pittsburgh, and our current stop, Buffalo!  Enjoy!

Buffalo, NY. Are you there? Hello?

So, I've been in Buffalo for a couple of hours.  My first thought is......dear lord, is ANYTHING open?  We are staying at a GORGEOUS hotel, and the theatre looks and sounds amazing.  I guess I should be thankful that there is a Starbucks AND a Dunkin' Donuts a couple of blocks away.  But as far as anything else?  Yikes......

A couple of videos from Rochester!

Me and the cast performing at a promo in Pittsburgh!

Here's a great video of my and the cast at a promo this past Tuesday!  Enjoy!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaBRfMTzXT4&feature=colike

A day in Pittsburgh

I took most of the day today to walk around Pittsburgh.  After a trek with some of the cast to the Strip area of Pitt (no, not "strip" as in, take off your clothes) I ventured via cab to the Pitt Hard Rock Cafe, in a really cool part of town, Station Square.  All of the buildings in the area are either converted train stations, or old mills.  So, I took the time to explore a bit, and take a few pictures.  Here are some of them....

Me and Cody on TV in Pittsburgh!

Check out our interview yesterday morning on CBS station KDKA in Pittsburgh!

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=6406545

Pittsburgh, PA

I'm finally back at our swanky hotel, the William Penn after a LONG morning.  Cody and I met with our local promotional rep, Diana at 7 AM, and headed straight to a radio interview.  Then, after a scenic tour of the greater Pittsburgh area (I got to see Heinz field where the Steelers and PITT Panthers play, and PNC Park where the Pirates play!) we headed to do a TV spot on KDKA, a CBS affiliate.  We stopped for a bit afterwards; just long enough for Cody to order a hamburger at 9 AM, and for him to be accosted by everyone in the restaurant for looking exactly like Elvis.  Then, off to another radio interview. 

We ventured back to the hotel, picked up the rest of the cast, and proceeded to the Steel City Center for our promo. 

Me, Cody, Lee, Martin, Kelly, David and Billy Bob rocked out 6 songs for the media reps there, and chowed on some free lunch from Damon's Sandwhich Shop.  Fantastic. 

All in all, it was a successful start to my day, and to our stay in Pittsburgh.  It started a bit early, and was certainly hectic, but great nonetheless.  Keep your eyes peeled for new video posts!

Backstage at the Thunderstudy's promo in Toronto

Promo in Toronto

In the lobby of the Palace Theatre in Cleveland on opening night!

Opening night in Cleveland! Kicking off the tour!

Opening night in Cleveland! Kicking off the tour!

Me in my dressing room at the Palace Theatre in Cleveland

The cast getting ready to fly to Cleveland

Welcome to my blog!!!!

So, I've never actually kept up with a blog, but most of my other castmates have started doing them....so, I'm jumping on the bandwagon.  We are officially in our third city with the National Tour of Million Dollar Quartet.  My first thoughts of Pittsburgh are......AWESOME.  Had a great dinner with almost the entire cast at Primanti Brothers, saw the theatre, and I am gearing up for an early morning and a VERY long day tomorrow.  I have a promo that starts at 7 AM and continues until 12:45.....then, back to the amazingly gorgeous William Penn Hotel to rest, then off to the theatre for opening night.  Phew.  So, keep checking back for updates, new pictures, and a BUNCH of videos I've taken thus far.  Enjoy!