Revolving Door
Dec. 10th, 2005 12:10 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mrdreamjeansThis is a week for the "Evita" Tour record book. We've got at least 15 people with some version of a head cold or flu, all at different stages of illness. Yesterday, I was out of the show, as well as my friend Mary. So, one of our female swings filled in for Mary and the male swing, Halden, went on for me for the first time. At intermission Sarah (Eva) dropped out of the show and Dena took over for the second act; Wendy, our second female swing, went on for the rest of Dena's regular show. It was nuts in wardrobe for a bit!
Tonight, Richard, Mary and Sarah were out of the show and all swings on. I didn't realize that our conductor, Elaine, is also ill and so is our company manager, DeAnn. I guess the temperature changes in San Antonio did more of a number on the cast, crew and orchestra than I realized. I think that I've not been quite as bad off as some of the others because I got a flu shot last week. (At least, that's what I'm telling myself:) I felt all right doing the show tonight ... just a bit of a headache ... and sniffles. Contributing to everyone's malaise is the very dry climate in Tempe and record setting pollution numbers leading to poor air quality. It's hard to imagine since it's beautiful here ... 72 degrees and sunny ... it's been sunny all week.
Harold, our Production Stage Manager, was understandably on edge leading up to tonight's curtain. Four of our cast members are sharing a house 30 miles from the venue. Andrew plays Magaldi, Rob is his understudy, Candy is the tango dancer and Laurie is an ensemble singer. They gave themselves two hours to drive to work, but still didn't arrive till 10 minutes before the show was to start. There was a shooting today on one of the main freeways in Phoenix. A guy was just driving along and was shot to death, killed at the wheel. His passenger managed to steer the truck to the side of the road and bring it to a stop. Needless to say, traffic was snarled for hours.
On a slightly different note, I called my friend Marybelle in Houston this afternoon. She answered the phone sneezing and coughing. I asked her how she came about her cold. Her answer shocked me. She stopped briefly at a CVS Pharmacy near the medical center last Thursday. She locked her car, but left her school satchel in the back seat (plus her purse underneath it). She was gone only for two minutes. She came back to find her window smashed and everything stolen out of the car. Within two hours, the thieves had charged $3000 worth of merchandise in an area near the Astrodome and had tried to cash checks using her ID. Unfortunately, crime is way up in Houston since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Marybelle thinks the stress of the robbery, and driving her car with a broken window, led to her cold. Marybelle never misses work ... or shows ... Yet, she had to take a day off to regain her identity.
As stressful as is the revolving door at work, I'll take the changing weather as a reason to be ill .... over being robbed ....
Tonight, Richard, Mary and Sarah were out of the show and all swings on. I didn't realize that our conductor, Elaine, is also ill and so is our company manager, DeAnn. I guess the temperature changes in San Antonio did more of a number on the cast, crew and orchestra than I realized. I think that I've not been quite as bad off as some of the others because I got a flu shot last week. (At least, that's what I'm telling myself:) I felt all right doing the show tonight ... just a bit of a headache ... and sniffles. Contributing to everyone's malaise is the very dry climate in Tempe and record setting pollution numbers leading to poor air quality. It's hard to imagine since it's beautiful here ... 72 degrees and sunny ... it's been sunny all week.
Harold, our Production Stage Manager, was understandably on edge leading up to tonight's curtain. Four of our cast members are sharing a house 30 miles from the venue. Andrew plays Magaldi, Rob is his understudy, Candy is the tango dancer and Laurie is an ensemble singer. They gave themselves two hours to drive to work, but still didn't arrive till 10 minutes before the show was to start. There was a shooting today on one of the main freeways in Phoenix. A guy was just driving along and was shot to death, killed at the wheel. His passenger managed to steer the truck to the side of the road and bring it to a stop. Needless to say, traffic was snarled for hours.
On a slightly different note, I called my friend Marybelle in Houston this afternoon. She answered the phone sneezing and coughing. I asked her how she came about her cold. Her answer shocked me. She stopped briefly at a CVS Pharmacy near the medical center last Thursday. She locked her car, but left her school satchel in the back seat (plus her purse underneath it). She was gone only for two minutes. She came back to find her window smashed and everything stolen out of the car. Within two hours, the thieves had charged $3000 worth of merchandise in an area near the Astrodome and had tried to cash checks using her ID. Unfortunately, crime is way up in Houston since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Marybelle thinks the stress of the robbery, and driving her car with a broken window, led to her cold. Marybelle never misses work ... or shows ... Yet, she had to take a day off to regain her identity.
As stressful as is the revolving door at work, I'll take the changing weather as a reason to be ill .... over being robbed ....
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no subject
Date: 2005-12-10 07:03 am (UTC)You had posted a schedule, but I can't find it. Are you working over Christmas, or will you be home in Texas?
no subject
Date: 2005-12-10 07:32 am (UTC)I'll take Amtrak down to DC on the evening of 12-24; we open in DC on the 27th. I'm spending Christmas with my dear friends Henry and Geoff. They live in Arlington. They've been a couple for 28 years and been in my life for 13. Thank goodness for friends. Christmas is my favorite holiday and I hate spending it alone ...
I just got a call from the theater in Seattle. It appears I'll have even less time between the end of "Evita" (Feb 12) and the beginning of "Wonderful Town" than I thought. I begin rehearsals on Feb 21. It gives me 9 days to get organized and drive to Seattle. I wonder if my life will ever settle down...
Have a great time with Merry-aoke! Please give my regards to everyone I know who attends. I'll be in touch with Steve to continue to brainstorm for "what's next":)
Ola papi
Date: 2005-12-10 08:47 am (UTC)You have to DRIVE to Seattle? I take it it's not corporate Evita-like? How long will WT run?
Say hi to Chip for me (even though we've never met) when you see him - thanks.
Re: Ola papi
Date: 2005-12-10 03:56 pm (UTC)The Seattle gig is a regional production and as such, I'm hired as a local (it's where I was living when I got "Evita".) I will be taking another long look at relocating there ... The production, with rehearsals included, runs from February 21 through April 9. After that, we'll see ...
I will most certainly pass along your greetings to Chip! HUGS!
The Show Must go on! {cough!}
Date: 2005-12-10 10:37 am (UTC)Re: The Show Must go on! {cough!}
Date: 2005-12-10 04:03 pm (UTC)The fact that we've got 12 singers and dancers sharing a dressing room space designed for children-sized people probably has something to do with it too:)
On an entirely different note ... I spoke with Jonathan and Pat yesterday ... sad that they've broken up. It breaks my heart to hear it ...
"It was nuts in wardrobe for a bit"
Date: 2005-12-10 02:58 pm (UTC)Re: "It was nuts in wardrobe for a bit"
Date: 2005-12-10 04:10 pm (UTC)I'm sure you understand what it's like when the leading actor drops out during a performance. For the woman playing Eva, it's also a major change of make up, wigs and accessories as well as her set of clothes ... and for Eva, it's all about the clothes ... Luckily, we have a terrific traveling wardrobe department!
Hugs from dry and polluted Arizona ...
no subject
Date: 2005-12-10 03:54 pm (UTC)I can't wait until for your presence here in Seattle.
BTW, we have a tempurature inversion now as we speak. Smog piling up but thankfully, it's supposed to be washed away by Monday with a wet front coming in. It's that time of year around here y'know. :-)
Please say hi to Chip. Yes, we've met while he was in Seattle doing a show. A very sweet guy btw as I'm sure you already know.
no subject
Date: 2005-12-10 04:17 pm (UTC)Getting the flu shot last week in San Antonio was my way of trying to avoid the situation we're in now. You put 55 actors, crew and musicians together in a theater, a hotel, on a plane, it's a recipe for passing along germs ... and not necessarily from each other. The plane rides are the worst. I read, that if the person on a plane next to you is coughing and sneezing, that you have a 75% chance of catching their cold/flu!!!! This entire week, during quiet moments in the show, you can hear audience members hacking and coughing ...
Glad to hear Seattle is going to have some cleansing rain... Where I live in Texas has been cold and there's been a lot of rain too ... at least the air quality will be improved. Hugs!
no subject
Date: 2005-12-10 04:20 pm (UTC)Yes, I can understand how easy it would be to get a cold etc, especially while on a plane.
Get well!
Oh, just so you know, it's currently 30 Degrees and clear outside. Brrr! :-)