Morning Rant, Evening Rave

I began my Saturday with a rant about unruly children, but I’m ending it with a rave. The day turned around after the family in the neighboring room checked out of our hotel. It became a day about lovely surprises once I reached the theater. My day went from "worst brats" to bratwurst:) Here’s how the rest of Saturday played out:

1) We had a sound rehearsal for the “Aristocrats” at noon before the matinee. Individual attention was paid to how each singer was miked and then the group was balanced. The result was that the show never sounded better than it has today...both shows!

2) In the afternoon performance, Kate Manning was on as Eva and Pilar Mulhollen made her debut as the Mistress. Both were excellent. Kate’s dad came all the way from Connecticut to see her in the lead role.

3) Between shows our Secret Santas were revealed during a bratwurst and burger barbecue thrown by the locals. My Secret Santa was Bobby, our carpenter. My final gift from him was a 10 lb Ghiardelli chocolate bar. It’s not a typo...LOL... a 10 lb bar of Milk Chocolate. The question is...How do I get it home on the plane? It weighs, uh, 10 lbs and I'm already over the 50 lbs per bag limit:)

4) The Green Bay Packers are playing the Jacksonville Jaguars in professional football tomorrow. The Jaguars are staying at our hotel. It’s literally full of tight ends, wide receivers and split ends...and I’m not talking about our cast:) Billy, one of our actors, was picked up last week in Detroit while riding the hotel elevator by a player for the Arizona Cardinals. He has high hopes for this weekend. Hehe!

5) After the show, Kathy, who stars as Eva Peron, bought the cast a round of drinks in the Sports Bar in the hotel. Her generous gesture was in honor of the holiday and our Christmas break. She’s a doll!

It’s snowy and cold beyond belief here, but the week has been filled with wonderful moments and only a couple of snafus... the rock in the chili and a night of noisy neighbors. But, despite a rocky start to the day, I’ve had a great time this week and I’m ending my Saturday with a rave for Appleton. Here’s to many more weeks like this on tour!

Morning Rant, Evening Rave

I began my Saturday with a rant about unruly children, but I’m ending it with a rave. The day turned around after the family in the neighboring room checked out of our hotel. It became a day about lovely surprises once I reached the theater. My day went from "worst brats" to bratwurst:) Here’s how the rest of Saturday played out:

1) We had a sound rehearsal for the “Aristocrats” at noon before the matinee. Individual attention was paid to how each singer was miked and then the group was balanced. The result was that the show never sounded better than it has today...both shows!

2) In the afternoon performance, Kate Manning was on as Eva and Pilar Mulhollen made her debut as the Mistress. Both were excellent. Kate’s dad came all the way from Connecticut to see her in the lead role.

3) Between shows our Secret Santas were revealed during a bratwurst and burger barbecue thrown by the locals. My Secret Santa was Bobby, our carpenter. My final gift from him was a 10 lb Ghiardelli chocolate bar. It’s not a typo...LOL... a 10 lb bar of Milk Chocolate. The question is...How do I get it home on the plane? It weighs, uh, 10 lbs and I'm already over the 50 lbs per bag limit:)

4) The Green Bay Packers are playing the Jacksonville Jaguars in professional football tomorrow. The Jaguars are staying at our hotel. It’s literally full of tight ends, wide receivers and split ends...and I’m not talking about our cast:) Billy, one of our actors, was picked up last week in Detroit while riding the hotel elevator by a player for the Arizona Cardinals. He has high hopes for this weekend. Hehe!

5) After the show, Kathy, who stars as Eva Peron, bought the cast a round of drinks in the Sports Bar in the hotel. Her generous gesture was in honor of the holiday and our Christmas break. She’s a doll!

It’s snowy and cold beyond belief here, but the week has been filled with wonderful moments and only a couple of snafus... the rock in the chili and a night of noisy neighbors. But, despite a rocky start to the day, I’ve had a great time this week and I’m ending my Saturday with a rave for Appleton. Here’s to many more weeks like this on tour!

I'll Be Home For Christmas

It’s bone chillingly cold. It was four degrees when I went to the local bakery this morning about 10:30am. We had early curtains today - a 1pm matinee start time and 6:30pm evening show. It’s good that we’ll be finished by 9pm, as most of us have to be up at 6am to catch early flights home. Yes - Home!

There’s something special about flying home for Christmas after being gone for three months. I’m eager to sleep in my own bed, help my folks organize our Christmas week traditions, to see my brother, wife and nephews ...to once again be surprised at how they’ve changed.. to be bewildered at how Buddy and the twins are nearly adults. I’m even ready to grumble back and forth with my dad. Three of my friends have lost their mothers in recent weeks; it’s the reason I never take any visit home for granted. Even grumbling can be a tradition:)

I won’t see my sister and her family this Christmas. Colleen’s in-laws are taking their four sons, spouses and all of their grandchildren on a seven-day holiday cruise from Los Angeles to Mexico. It’s the first time my sister will not celebrate at least part of the holiday with my parents, but her father-in-law has Huntington’s Disease and his family wants to make the most of this Christmas. His health is failing.

Appleton was a big surprise. A small city of 72,000 with a good manufacturing base, low unemployment, a commitment to its roots, historical restoration and the arts. It’s been a pleasure to play the three-year old Fox Cities Performing Arts Center and I look forward to returning here someday, whether on a tour or just for a visit.

I didn’t make it to the museum housing the Houdini collection, as a visit to a dentist was more important, but future employment might take me this way some day.... Ya never know. There is a terrific Italian Restaurant by anyone's standard here called Victoria's and a wonderful bakery called Tastee Bakery. I highly recommend both for quality and price.

I’m out of Appleton on Delta at 9:35am, switch planes in Cincinnati and should be in Houston by 2:20pm. My parents are driving in from Brenham and picking me up at IAH in my truck. We’ll head to the mall in Katy to finish a little shopping and by early evening, I’ll be eating dinner at my folks home in the country, sleeping peacefully in my bed with not a word of Evita dancing in my head:)

It's time to pack up my computer and hit the sack! I wish everyone safe journeys in the days ahead and hope that they too will be home for Christmas ... wherever and, by whatever definition, that may be. Hugs!

( A picture of three Hos is worth a thousand words... )

I'll Be Home For Christmas

It’s bone chillingly cold. It was four degrees when I went to the local bakery this morning about 10:30am. We had early curtains today - a 1pm matinee start time and 6:30pm evening show. It’s good that we’ll be finished by 9pm, as most of us have to be up at 6am to catch early flights home. Yes - Home!

There’s something special about flying home for Christmas after being gone for three months. I’m eager to sleep in my own bed, help my folks organize our Christmas week traditions, to see my brother, wife and nephews ...to once again be surprised at how they’ve changed.. to be bewildered at how Buddy and the twins are nearly adults. I’m even ready to grumble back and forth with my dad. Three of my friends have lost their mothers in recent weeks; it’s the reason I never take any visit home for granted. Even grumbling can be a tradition:)

I won’t see my sister and her family this Christmas. Colleen’s in-laws are taking their four sons, spouses and all of their grandchildren on a seven-day holiday cruise from Los Angeles to Mexico. It’s the first time my sister will not celebrate at least part of the holiday with my parents, but her father-in-law has Huntington’s Disease and his family wants to make the most of this Christmas. His health is failing.

Appleton was a big surprise. A small city of 72,000 with a good manufacturing base, low unemployment, a commitment to its roots, historical restoration and the arts. It’s been a pleasure to play the three-year old Fox Cities Performing Arts Center and I look forward to returning here someday, whether on a tour or just for a visit.

I didn’t make it to the museum housing the Houdini collection, as a visit to a dentist was more important, but future employment might take me this way some day.... Ya never know. There is a terrific Italian Restaurant by anyone's standard here called Victoria's and a wonderful bakery called Tastee Bakery. I highly recommend both for quality and price.

I’m out of Appleton on Delta at 9:35am, switch planes in Cincinnati and should be in Houston by 2:20pm. My parents are driving in from Brenham and picking me up at IAH in my truck. We’ll head to the mall in Katy to finish a little shopping and by early evening, I’ll be eating dinner at my folks home in the country, sleeping peacefully in my bed with not a word of Evita dancing in my head:)

It's time to pack up my computer and hit the sack! I wish everyone safe journeys in the days ahead and hope that they too will be home for Christmas ... wherever and, by whatever definition, that may be. Hugs!

( A picture of three Hos is worth a thousand words... )