Freezing temperatures, the desert, and forgotten American heroes

 

 

A bit of a contradictory title, but the best way to describe the past week!  I hope this blog finds everyone well, and that your January is great!

 

This past week was an interesting one, as it was the first week since I have been on tour that I was not with everyone as the tour continued.  I certainly missed everyone, but it was also great to be out on my own.  So, this blog will be a little split, but I wanted to make sure I still talked about what the boys and m'am where doing in Schenectady, as well as what my experience in Arizona was like. 

 

The boys and m'am spent the week in the subzero temperatures of Schenectady, NY, home of one of my favorite theatres, Proctor's.  In the 6 years I toured with the Nebraska Theatre Caravan's production of A Christmas Carol, I played the Proctor's 4 times.  It is an unbelievably gorgeous old theatre; it also it attached to an "arcade" with an historic hotel, music store, and quite a few little shops inside it.  The theatre went through a massive renovation the one year my tour didn't head there, and though it is very modern now and able to accomodate bigger national tours, it definitely lost a smidge of the charm behind the curtain.  The theatre itself remains relatively unchanged from the time it was built, but the back of the theatre now hosts many more modern dressing rooms, and a larger loading dock.  Originally, the dressing rooms were on a series of 4 or 5 floors with railings that gave a look all the way down to stage right.  One of these, in the middle of all of the rest, was never used by actors; in fact, it had become a bit of a storage room to deter anyone from going inside.  Why, you may ask?  Because.  It is haunted. 

Now, I realize that there are quite a few people that don't believe in ghosts, and may think that that type of thing is extremely far-fetched.  I assure you, with the things that I saw, it is.....VERY MUCH HAUNTED.  I'm sad that I didn't get to be there, but I certainly didn't miss the cold.  It was cold there, even for a Maine boy.

But, the cast was honored by being presented the key to the city (pictured above), and they had a great experience at the Blue Note record store; again, jealous. 

 

However, I was out in the sunny weather in the greater Phoenix area of Arizona, premiering my show, Walkin' The Line: A Tribute to Johnny Cash.  This is something that has been in the works even before I was on tour.  JR McAlexander is a friend of mine who music directed me in countless shows.  He now owns a production company of his own, and had approached me with the idea of putting together an original Johnny Cash tribute.  I got the week off, and for the majority of tour in my spare time, I have been piecing together bits of biographical dialogue, and finding exactly the right songs for the show.  And now, all of my work was about to come to life. 

 

I arrived in Phoenix on Sunday night while my cast was closing Million Dollar Quartet in Providence, and after moving into my condo for the week, I went straight into rehearsal.  I knew JR and Chris Rose on bass from working with them before.  But the other three musicians I had never met.  Things gelled very quickly, and we opened the next day.....gulp. 

 

Monday night we ventured to the Sunland Village East RV Park and set up.  It was a moderately small stage, but the room held a couple hundred people.  It was nerve-wracking for sure to get up there for the first time, but we all made it through with limited problems.  The next day we did two shows at another park, this time the first show had about 350 people, and the evening show was sold out with about 400.  They had asked for a show with no intermission, so me and the boys cut 4 songs; crazy to be up there so long without a break....but both crowds really seemed to enjoy it. 

 

On Wednesday, I had the day off with no show, so I went to Milano's music in downtown Mesa to look at guitars, Bookman's music (one of my favorite resale stores) and bought entirely too many books, and just chilled for much of the night.  The next day we had probably our best show at Mountain Brook Village, close to Apache Junction in Gold Canyon.  Just goregeous in that area....and, the show was sold out in this great little space with a band shell.  The crowd was so raucous (perhaps it's that they all brought their own alcohol....), that when I stepped onstage after intermission to sing A Boy Named Sue, it sounded like the original recording at San Quentin!

 

I used my day off on Friday to drive far out into the desert and visit the Ira Hayes memorial.  Now for a little history lesson.  Ira Hayes was a member of the Pima Indian tribe, located in the Phoenix Valley.  His tribe was quite poor when WWII came around, and Ira enlisted in the Marines in the hopes that he would bring prosperity to his tribe.  He was one of the 5 Marines who hoisted the American flag after the battle of Iwo Jima, imortalized on film and in pictures.  When he came back from the war he went on tours around the country; but his "fame" was short lived.  There was nothing for him on the reservation, and he began drinking and was often in jail.  He died on the reservation, face down in a ditch...where he drowned.  It's a horribly sad, yet very important story.  This man who was a war hero who was all but forgotten, along with his people.  As I drove out there, the desolation I witnessed was just unbelievable.  Dirty faced kids playing in the desert sand.  Mangy dogs roming the streets.  Homes and buildings that look like they belonged in WWII era France after having been bombed by Nazi planes.  Just awful.  The park was closed, but I was able to take some pictures through the gates...so the trip was a success overall.  If you would like to know more about Ira Hayes, I suggest the book A Heartbeat and A Guitar; it's about Ira, Johnny Cash, and Peter LaFarge, the Native American singer/songwriter who wrote the song.  On a sidenote, I was pleased that that song got such a warm response; the whole reason I added it into the show was that we were in the very land his people lived in.  So I was glad the meaning was not lost on them. 

 

My final show was on Saturday night at the Apache Junction High School Performing Arts Center.  A great little theatre, that by showtime was completely filled with 650 people.  Again....just crazy to think that there were that many people in an audience waiting to see my show.  A show that at one point was just a pipe dream, but now had become a reality.  The show went extremely well, and I will be getting a video of the performance soon that I will share clips of!

 

I flew out of Phoenix on Sunday morning, and after a long day of travel, arrived in Albany, NY at 1 AM on Monday morning.  Let me tell you.....it was cold.  And, quite a bit different from the desert climate I had just come from.  The next morning, after little sleep, I put all of my belongings on the bus, and was greeted with warm welcomes and questions from everyone I saw.  It really was great to be back. 

 

So, it seems like the cast and crew, though having to deal with bitter cold, had a great week, and mine was quite a success.  I am writing you now from The Sweetest Place on Earth, Hershey, PA.  We close the show tonight and head off to Columbus, OH tomorrow.  So, I will be working on this week's blog hopefully in the next few days.  I apologize for the lack of videos lately, but there will be more soon I hope!  Anyway, enjoy, and thanks for following!!!

 

 

 

 

 

"With a firm reliance on divine Providence"

 

Yay!  The picture uploader is fixed!

 

Hello, everyone!  I hope this blog finds you well, and that for those of you in the East, you are doing you best to stay warm.  As for the title to this blog.....I hope you can tell me from which important historical document it comes....

 

It was a quick, but very cold week for me in Providence.  We arrived on a balmy Monday afternoon, and I laid pretty low that evening, save a trip to the mall next door.  My week was spent, primarily, getting ready for my Johnny Cash tribute show, Walkin' The Line.  However, I was able to see the sights a bit, and sample at least a smidege of what Providence had to offer. 

 

During the day on Tuesday I walked around a bit and took in some of the beautiful architecture in Providence.  Later in the evening, I made my way to the Providence Performing Arts Center; what an amazingly gorgeous theatre.  Built in the early 1920's it's one of the many historic Loew's theatres that are still in existence.  It's also one of the many theatres we visit that have murals for each show that has come through there for the last few years.  It's not only cool to look at all of the murals and see what famous performers have been through each city, but also to see so many friends who have passed through in various shows.  The most interesting part of opening night in Providence was that Jam and I took part in a new revolution of theatre going: Tweet seats.  During the show, the two of us were on Twitter, messaging back and forth with patrons in the back row as they watched.  It was really interesting to see their comments AS the show was going on, and it even landed me an intereview with the Associated Press!  How cool is that?  I'll make sure to let you all know when it comes out. 

 

Wednesday was spent, yet again, preparing for my show.  On Thursday, we had a rehearsal on stage (pictured above) that was very different from our usual rehearsals.  Austin had us all sit in a cirlce, and we basically just jammed through the show; passing verses and solos back and forth.  It was a great way to just kinda find our groove as a band, and also for everyone to remember that THAT is what that night really was; just a bunch of guys sitting around and sharing their love for music.  My parents and 3 of their friends came in that day, because I went on as Sam Phillips that evening.  As long as I have been on tour, and as many times as my parents have seen the show, they had never seen me as Sam.  So, it was a treat for me to not only perform (it had been nearly 7 months since I had been on as Sam), but also for my parents to see me do something completely different. 

 

On Friday, I said goodbye to my parents and spend a good amount of the day with Ben, our new Jerry Lee.  Talking about the show, our philosophies on theatre, and then seeing Django Unchained.  Damn.  Talk about a great movie. 

 

Again on Saturday, I prepared for my show.  Susan was nice enough to help me clean up my motorcycle boots, and to alter my "show" pants.  She is truly a saint.  I packed everything up as I left the theatre that night, and got ready for my early flight to Arizona the next morning. 

 

I'm writing you now from Mesa, AZ, where I have done 3 peformances of my tribute show, with one more tonight, and one Saturday.  But, I'll talk more about that in my next blog.  I have to say though, it's very strange to know that my tour peeps are still trucking along, and that I am not with them.  But, I'll be joining them again in just a few short days, so it will be a very nice reunion. 

 

Well, that's about it from Providence, but I hope this finds all of you well.  More next week about my show, and then I rejoin the tour in Hershey, PA!  See y'all soon!!

 

 

 

 

"Breakfasts come and go, Renee. But Hartford? The Whale? Hey, they only beat Vancouver..once, maybe twice in a lifetime"

Not so pleased that the picture uploader still isn't working.....grrrrrrrrrr



Click here to see my pictures from Hartford on my Facebook page!

Oh well!!  I hope everyone is well!  Nothing like starting off a blog with a quote from one of my favorite movies, Mallrats.  It was a great week in Hartford!  I wish I had some crazy stories or lots of exciting news for you....but I don't.  In fact, there's one way to sum up my free time in Hartford.

Hot dogs.

Now, I know what you are thinking...."What does he mean, hot dogs?  Like, he just sat around and ate hot dogs?'

Yes.  Yes I did. 

Ok, that's not all I did.  I think that with the long stretch in DC and the holidays, we were all looking for a quiet week.  Though Hartford is a great little city, I would have to say that the majority of the cast didn't really do a whole lot.  And there is certainly nothing wrong with that. 

Opening night marked the first show for our new boys, James Barry as Carl Perkins and Ben Goddard as Jerry Lee Lewis.  The audience in Hartford ate the show up.  It was just what those boys needed to give them a little confidence, and really give them a warm welcome to our family.  I really can't say enough good things about these guys.  I couldn't have hand picked two more talented and personally amazing guys to come on tour.  Just a great attitude, professional work ethic, and a passion for performing.  We couldn't be happier to have them out here with us. 

Now to the important part of the week.....Woody's Hot Dogs.  Good lord.  If I lived in Hartford, I would probably eat there every day, and thus, I would weigh 700 or 800 pounds.  All of their hot dogs are foot long, and the buns are prepared on the grill....they come out looking more like a perfectly made grilled cheese sandwich than a hot dog bun.  They have tons of amazing dogs on the menu: I tried the Chicago, the Saint Bernard (kraut, swiss cheese and deli mustard), the Reuben (kraut, swiss and thousand island dressing), the Baked Bean (just like it sounds...New England Baked Beans on a dog), and my own concoction of pulled pork and slaw.  However, the dog they are famous for, and undoubtedly the best hot dog I have ever had in my life, was the Deputy Dog: topped with home-made pulled pork, melted cheddar cheese and barbecue sause.  Wow.  Just unreal.  I made fast friends with the owners (I went there 5 times), and they even took a picture with me!  If you are in the area, go there, get a dog, and look for me on the wall!  Just some amazing people serving up fantastic food.  Gotta love it. 

The majority of the cast also attended an open mic night at a local bar, The Russian Lady.  Steve Benoit, Jam and Billy all got up and did a few original tunes and covers.  Kelly sang as well, and I decided to get up and do a couple.  It was great to hang out with everyone in a place like that and be able to yes, sing, but to do something very different than we all do in the show.  And quite frankly, Steve did the best cover of Neil Young's Heart of Gold that I've ever heard.  Complete with harmonica. 

So, that's about it for the events from Hartford.  I'm a little behind on my blog this week, as I write this to you on my final night in Providence, RI.  I will write one for this week as soon as I can....I've been a bit preoccupied with getting ready for the events of next week.....and now to let the cat out of the bag....

I'm heading to Phoenix, AZ tomorrow to premiere my Johnny Cash tribute show, Walkin' The Line.  I've been working on it for quite some time, so it's crazy to finally see it come to fruition.  Hopefully it will be well received, and I'll be posting clips from it once the week is over.  It's going to be a crazy, stressful, yet exciting week.  Thanks to those of you who keep reading, and again, I apologize for not having any direct pictures up there!  I'm trying to find out from Blogger what the problem is.  Anyway, enjoy, and I'll be back as soon as I can!  Wish me and my show luck!

The holidays, our 400th show and another changing of the guard in our Nation's Capitol

First of all.....sorry there are no pictures this week!!!  Ironically, I took about 500 pictures in DC, but the uploader for my blog doesn't seem to be working.  I'll add some to this one as soon as it works!!!
Click here to see my pictures on my Facebook page..

Hello all!  I know it's been quite a long time since I've written, but that's because we were in Washington, DC for three full weeks.  It was pretty eventful, so I'll do the best I can at remembering all that happened, though it may not be in any particular order.

The first week, I laid pretty low, because I knew that the holidays would be pretty busy and eventful...what with shows and a visit from Amy and my parents.  I've been to DC quite a bit over the years; my parents and I have been there with my brother numerous times on vacations, and I even went there for a week when I had time off from tour last April.  It's one of those cities, like NYC, where people think you can see everything in a day.....it's just not possible.  Even a week isn't really enough time to see "everything".  There are so many museums, monuments, historic places....the city is almost endless.  Especially if you depart from the usual "tourist attractions".  Because I had been there so recently, I decided to take the first week to just get used to being in the city, and not really do any sight seeing; other than the fact that after years of visiting there I have seen almost all there is to see, I wanted to wait and visit a lot of places with Amy and my parents. 

As the first week continued, we had a few rehearsals with our new Carl Perkins, James Barry.  He continued to shine and grow and learn the ins and the outs of the show every single day.  We also gave a warm welcome back to Steve Benoit who is joining us for the month.  He was out with us last year as the Elvis/Cash cover while Billy took over the role of Elvis for Cody.  This time is no exception.  Our first week in DC was the last for Cody for a bit, but he'll be joining us again in February.  It's so great to be able to watch Billy go on for a month; the Thunderstudies are all very supportive of each other, and to watch him shine makes us all proud. 

Through a random coincidence, the 25th Anniversary National Tour of Les Miserables was not only in DC for the first two weeks we were in town, but they were also staying at our hotel.  So, I was able to reunite with a couple of my buddies from years past that are on the tour, and another old friend of mine who was just joining the tour as we arrived.  It was great to reminisce a bit, but also to appreciate the success we have enjoyed since last we saw each other. 

As the week drew to a close, we were approaching the holidays.  Eric, aka Mr. Phillips, our director, invited us to his house over the Potomac River in Arlington, VA.  It was such a warm, cozy place to be on a cold and rainy (almost snowy) night.  And, it was nice to feel like we were a family at a home away from home.  Christmas Day was a bit lonely; I've been away from home for the last 11 Christmases, and it's starting to feel just like every other day.  I took myself out for Chinese buffet, and then headed to the theatre for the show.  Since I haven't talked about it yet....The Kennedy Center.  It's really an honor to be at a theatre that so many legends have performed at.  It is a MASSIVE complex: 4 (I think) theatres, a huge concourse, mulitple restaurants, and a giant lobby for all of the theatres.  It was a pleasure to be there for 3 weeks, even if we didn't have any WiFi....

Amy arrived the day after Christmas, and my parents arrived two days later.  I had two seperate Christmases with each new arrival, so that certainly made up for being alone on Christmas day.  Rehearsals continued, as James continued to work hard and get ready to step in as Carl Perkins.  Amy and I tried to get in to see my friends in Les Mis on the 27th, but the tickets were just too expensive.  Instead, we walked by the White House in the bitter cold, and then took a cab across town to see the movie, Les Mis.  I was pretty awstruck and overcome by the sheer grandness of the movie.  I told her I would probably cry like a child....and I did. 

Following rehearsal the next day, my parents arrived.  They and Amy saw our show Saturday night which happened to be our 400th show on tour, and the next day I went on as Cash for the matinee!  So, they saw two shows in a row, and were able to see me perform, which was an unexpected bonus.  Monday was my day to spend with my 3 visitors, so we headed out to Arlington National Cememtery in Virginia, just across the river from the Lincoln Memorial.  I hadn't been there in quite a long time, so it was great to go back.  One of the most amazing things about Arlington is seeing the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  Through rain, sleet, snow, freezing rain and heat, these men guard these fallen soldiers.  Their ritual is one that has existed for more than half a century, and it is an honor to be chosen to guard the tomb.  Walking around in the cold for hours made us all quite hungry, so we headed back to Capitol Hill, and went to a place Amy had suggested, Tune In; a Captiol Hill instution since the 40's.  The food was great.  My dad said he had the BEST seafood alfredo he had ever had.  Who'd a thunk?  From there, we drove to the FDR Memorial, which I also hadn't seen in quite a while.  It really is quite breathtaking, and vast.  By that point it was dark, quite cold, and I needed to head to work.  So, we headed home, and I took the trek to the Kennedy Center. 

The following day, Tuesday, I said goodbye to my parents as they journeyed back home to Maine, with a stop in my favorite state (not) New Jersey along the way.  Amy and I headed to the Smithsonians on the National Mall.  First we went to the Museum of Natural History, and then the American History Museum.  I'm pretty sure I had never been to the American museum, and their exhibits on American wars were quite stunning.  Unfortunately, a lot of the museum was shut down for renovation....so no Mr. Roger's sweater of Fonze's jacket for us. 

As the week began to grow short, so did Amy's time with me.  Unfortunately, she started feeling quite ill as well.  So really, Wednesday was the last day that we really went sight seeing.  That day we tackled the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, The World War II Memorial, The Vietnam Memorial, The Korean War Memorial, and took in the renovations of the Reflecting Pool as well.  I never knew there was anything IN the Lincoln Memorial; there is a small exhibit downstairs that we were able to see for the first time, and I even visited the gift shop and bought a pin! 

Thursday we ventured out for a bit and took a tour of Ford's Theatre where President Lincoln was shot....as well as the house he died in across the street.  They have really done a great job with all of the renovations, and making a beautiful museum in each space. 

As the week drew to a close, we also welcomed Ben Goddard to our MDQ Tour family.  Ben was the original Jerry Lee on the West End, and great friends with Rob Lyons.  It's kinda funny that we ended up trading one British Jerry Lee for another.....and he is gonna do just fine.  A great guy, immensely talented, and very eager to do a great job and become part of our family.  Welcome, Ben. 

Our final show in DC marked another parting of ways....Martin Kaye, who had been with us from our beginnings in September of 2011, and Rob Lyons who had joined us just 6 short weeks prior left us that day.  They are going to Las Vegas to become part of the brand new Original Las Vegas Cast of MDQ.  We will miss our boys, but we are excited for their new opportunity, and spreading the love of MDQ all over the country!

I'm writing you currently from Hartford, CT.  It's a bit cold, but I love being back in New England.  Trying not to hibernate, and actually get some work done for my upcoming project......more on that when the time comes. 

I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday season, and that the new year is treating you well.  More from the East Coast next week!!

A new brother in the City of Brotherly Love

The crew at the Magic Garden

 



Our first restaurant experience in Philly

 



The Liberty Bell....duh.....

 

 

Rocky

 



 

 

 

Cody and Martin during the power outtage

 



Signed Playbills for BC/EFA

 



Independence Hall

 

 

As Christmas quickly approaches, I hope that everyone is staying warm and spending time with their loved ones.  Last week we were in Philadelphia, one of my favorite cities, and here is a little recap of the events of the week. 

 

Our flight out of Durham was delayed, so what was supposed to be a relatively quick travel day became a much longer one.  But, once we got into Philly, we were all ready for some food.  Billy and Rosie had spent quite a bit of time in Philly, so they suggested a place nearby our hotel, The Continental.  A kind of upscale dinner focusing on tapas, a group of about 9 of us went.  Wow.  One of the best meals on this leg of the tour by far.  We shared quite a bit of things, but probably the best thing I had was the lobster macaroni and cheese made with orzo pasta, and the French onion soup dumplings.  MMMMMMMMM. 

 

The next day a group of us went out for a smidge of sight seeing, despite the cold weather.  We walked to the "old city", and along the way, I saw from afar, many of the historical sights I've seen on my prior two trips to Philly.  One of my favorite places I've ever been, Independence Hall, home of the 2nd Continental Congress, and the drafting of the Declaration of Independence.  Now, having been there before, I opted not to go this time.  Philly is an amazing city with so much to see....so I didn't want to go back to places I had already been. 

 

The cold-weary travelers stopped in for what turned out to be the longest wait for hot food in the history of the universe.....thankfully the food was good, or else they would've had a mutiny of leather-jacket-wearing, pompadour having, not so gentleman or lady-like people on their hands. 

 

On our way back to the hotel, we did stop at the Liberty Bell.  Though I had been there before, it was nice to stop in and see the finished complex surrounding it; it had been under construction the last time I was there.  And besides, it's the Liberty Bell; if you are in Philly, you kinda HAVE to see it.  And it is synonymous with freedom and America.....so it was a welcome visit.  Then it was off to get warm at our hotel and head to opening night.  The Forrest Theatre is one of the older theatres in Philly.  It truly looks like a slice of Broadway in Pennsylvania.  It also has the distinction of bein the only theatre I have ever played that has it's dressing rooms in a seperate building......now, to explain, it's not as though the boys and m'am had to walk outside in the cold to get to stage.  But, there is a tunnel connecting the buildings to lead the actors to stage.  The show, as usual, went off without a hitch, and the Philly crowd really seemed to love it. 

 

One of the best parts of our week was that we were in such a great part of the city.  Shopping all around us, and TONS of food options.  The shopping was a plus, because I was able to get a few more things for Christmas, AND, to finally bet my BRAND NEW iPad mini replaced.  I was having a lot of problems with it, but the folks at THIS Apple store were nice enough to replace it for me.  Major weight off my mind. 

 

On Thursday, the Jam and I ventured to the Reading Terminal Market for....surprisingly....my first Philly cheesesteak of the trip.  And....only my first of the day.....  The Market is this great place with tons of vendors...with everything from chocolate, to southern style BBQ, to the first ice cream made in America.  The cheesesteak was exactly what I wanted.  Hot, tasty, and great.  I also got to stop by the Hard Rock while we were there, so that small part of our trip was great.  We then met up with Corey, Billy, Rosie, Rob, and his wife Roisin.  We headed to South Street, one of my favorite places to shop in vinyl stores, and we got to see something that has always stuck with me about Philly; the Magic Garden.  I've passed by it the last two times I've been in Philly, but it was never able to be visited before this trip.  A guy (don't remember his name....oops....) started creating this MASSIVE sculpture in/on his house, and in a vacant lot.  It is comprised of glass, tile mosaic, plates, bicycle wheels....anything you can imagine.  It is truly stunning.  It's so amazing, it's hard to know where to look.  I took a ton of pictures, but they just don't do it justice.  See the one above with the blue glass bottles. 

 

From there, we headed on down South Street, where I got to visit one of my favorite stores, Crash Bang Boom; kinda like a non commerical Hot Topic.  And, I had my SECOND cheesesteak of the day.....ok, I split it with Jam, but still.  Jim's Steaks on South was quite good, but I think I preferred the one I got at the market.  As we continued on our trek, we headed down to the water, and then to a little place Billy wanted to show us....Delancy Street.  When Billy was in college there, he'd often walk down that street to calm himself and clear his mind.  It is an older, wealthier part of Philly that is filled with brownstones, coblestone streets, and quite a few old relics of America....for instance, one home had a "Don't Tread On Me" flag flying out front, the original symbol of the USA.  We walked close to 5 miles to and from South Street, so it was time to head home and rest a bit before heading to the show that night. 

 

On Friday, I ventured out on my own for the first time in the last few cities.  I walked quite a bit, and got to take in the sights in Philly I had never been able to see before.  I stopped by the Philadelphia Free Library, the Benjamin Franklin Institute, and the art museum, with the famous steps Rocky ran up, complete with a statue commemorating the movie (see above picture).  On the way back I took in the Rodin memorial, and stopped at Underdogs, a hot dog place close to the hotel.  I had walked about 4 miles before I got back to the theatre for rehearsal.  It's crazy to think that in the first year of tour, we only lost one technician, and one actress...well, not "lost", but they left us.  And, since this leg of the tour started, things have changed every couple of weeks.  In Philly, we welcomed the newest MDQ family member, James Barry.  He will be taking over as Carl Perkins in January, and I have to say, he's a pretty rad guy.  Now, he's a Red Sox fan and a native New Englander so I'm partial....but still.  We had a short music rehearsal with him, and I'm anxious to see just how great he will be; if he has that much of a grasp on the show after just a couple of days, the sky is his limit.  I should also mention, he was a part of the original cast of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson; a little-known show with great music, and an unorthadox manner of story telling.  He is a great addition to our little family. 

 

On Saturday, we experienced something we have yet to on tour: a power outtage. 
We were at the theatre, and just before half hour, the power in the entire theatre, as well as a few other buildings nearby, went out.  We were told that it would be at least an hour and a half before we'd get power back, so we made the best of it by standing in the emercency-light-lit hallways.  People get bored.....enjoy the videos below......

 

Along with eveything else above....we were also working on our newest project....our 2nd Christmas song for our battle with Once.  I have a lot of pictures from the audio recording....and the other portion I will not mention yet....suffice to say, it will be MONUMENTAL.  And I will make up for the secrecy with pictures and video at a later date. 

 

One of the most amazing things about Philly was that our BC/EFA campaign finished....and we raised $52,000!!!!! Pretty amazing for only 3 weeks of collecting.  Not only is it great that the Broadway and tour communities take part in such a worthy cause, but it's a great feeling to know that by presenting a show that people seem to love and asking for donations, we are able to help people who really need it at this time of year.  And to meet people in the audience who are living with AIDS, HIV or cancer and are so touched by our collecting is so heartwarming, and something I will never forget. 

 

Well, that's about it from Philly.  We are here in our nation's capitol, Washington, DC at the moment, and we are quickly approaching Christmas and New Years.  With all of the business, visits from family, fellow actors in Les Miserables and White Christmas nearby, I probably will wait until the end of our stay here to update you.  So, if I don't write before then, please have great Chrismases and New Years parties, and I'll write soon!

 

 

 

 

Durham, Duke University and a little friendly holiday competition....

Is he cute, or what?

 



THE Durham Bull

 



Outside of the Burt's Bees factory

 



He's a baseball player!

 

The Durham Performing Arts Center

The Duke University Chapel

The lighting of the Lucky Strike Tower

The Durham Bulls mascot

I'm hiding from cockroaches and bed bugs

Giant family dinner

Billy as Chuck Zayas

 I'm a VERY happy man

 

 

I hope this last week treated you all well!  Not to spoil anything, but I will say the week in Durham was pretty uneventful.  That said, I certainly have some stuff to update you on. 

 

As we left Baltimore, we were all looking forward to the fact that it was our first travel day in weeks with a direct flight.  We didn't really have any plans when we got into Durham, but we knew at the very least we would have most of the evening to relax and explore.  Little did we know....

 

We arrived in Durham, and took the bus from the tiny airport to our hotel.  Within minutes of our arrival, it became very obvious that the hotel was not up to our standards.  Or, to ANYONE'S standards, for that matter.  I won't tell you the name of it, but it rhymes with EXTENDED STAY AMERICA.  My room was "fine"; I wouldn't say it was great, and I wouldn't say it was clean, but it was ok.  However, the rest of the company experiences cockroaches, bed bugs, dust, general filth, and in one case....NO FURNITURE in the room.  So, it was decided by company management that we would not be staying.  However, that's easier said than done to find a hotel that will immediately take in 28 people for a week.  With time to waste until a new hotel was found, the entire cast and crew made their way to a small German restaurant nearby.  These poor people had no idea what was coming.  They hadn't opened yet, but we waited until they did.  Though it took quite a while to get food, our server was quite nice, and the food was very good.  It may have been annoying travel day, but all of us being able to let off some steam and eat good food together was a great experience.  Later on in the evening, we got the word that we had a new hotel, so we all made our way there. 

 

The next day I explored the area immediately around the theatre.  The Durham Performing Arts Center is directly across from the American Tobacco Campus; it's a renovated cigarette factory filled with restaurants, cafes, office and retail space.  It's a pretty cool little area.  I got my hair cut at a great little barber shop, American Tabocco Barber, and then walked around taking pictures for quite a while.  Also near the theatre is the Durham Bulls ballpark, home of the team by the same movie, and made famous by the Kevin Costner baseball movie Bull Durham. 

 

Opening night went extremely well, and the promoters threw us an opening night party at a local restaurant.....probably some of the best food we've gotten at an opening party on the whole tour.  To be honest, a lot of my time in Durham was spent at a large mall nearby.  Not only was I doing a bit of Christmas shopping, but I've been having some problems with my brand new iPad mini.  The problem still hasn't been cleared up, but hopefully soon. 

 

On Friday, Vince and I went to see the Duke campus.  I've been a Duke basketball fan for a very long time, and I've always heard they have a beautiful campus.  I was not disappointed.  We strolled around for quite a while, but we were most taken with the Duke University Chapel (pictured below).  I had to make some obligatory purchases of Duke schwag. 

 

Saturday brought the more interesting/exciting things of the week.  In between shows the crew at the DPAC had a potluck cookout for us.  It's always so nice to be able to mingle with the local crew, and share some fantastic food.  After the between show cookout, some of the cast and I headed to the jam room to record a Christmas song.  Strangely, our cast has quite a few friends in the Broadway cast of Once, and they challenged us to a Christmas song battle.  Their first song, White Christmas, was extremely well done, and we knew we needed to turn it up a notch.  So, we recorded our version of Mele Kalikimaka (video below).  Both songs have gotten a great reception, and a lot of buzz on social media, and now we are just awaiting the next installment from the Once cast as we work on OUR next song/video.  Let me tell you....it's gonna be EPIC. 

 

I'm writing you know from the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia.  I've been here quite a few times, but I've always loved this city.  I'll be looking to see what I haven't gotten to see here before.  AND, we welcome a new cast member this week.....more on that later.  I hope you are having a great week!  Enjoy!