On The Road Again

Here we are, back on the road...  A couple of weeks ago, I left New York and set out on the SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE tour.  A new adventure.  It was a bit of an odd situation, since most of us had already done the production at The Gateway over the summer, but there were a few people from that production that either didn't want to or couldn't continue on with the tour, so we had 5 new people (3 on stage tracks + 2 swing tracks) learn the show, as well as a new Stage Manager, a new-ish Musical Director and some new band members.  That made rehearsal and tech a little lopsided at times, but by our opening night, things were mostly on track.

I knew going into this production that is was going to be a challenging contract, but sometimes you have to do them anyway...to get back on top of your finances, get your Equity Health weeks in, because you love the show, because you need some time away, because you love the people you are performing with, who knows... and it has definitely been challenging.  It's been a lot of cities in a little time... I counted at some point and I think that we had either stopped in or passed through 15 states in one week.  So yeah.  That's a lot of time on a bus.  Or in an airport.  If there are two things that I love and honor, it's my need for occasional (occasional+...habitual??) solitude and my penchant to nest...now, those are two luxuries that aren't abundantly available with this type of schedule.  But like I said, I knew that it was going to be challenging...

And the funny thing, I actually think that it hasn't been that bad.  I started enjoying my time on the bus after I decided I didn't need to sleep the whole time away.  Since when do I need 12 hour of sleep a day?  It just made me feel grungy and groggy.  Instead I've spent most of my time knitting (thank you Sadie for teaching me and giving me a challenging pattern so that I don't get bored!!), writing and as soon as I find the charging cord for my Kindle, I'm gonna get back to that long book list I have.  It's also pretty incredible to see the things that pass by the windows of a bus while you're making your way across the country...from the changing leaves on the mountains of Vermont to the huge herds of cattle grazing in the fields of Texas.

I also love hotel living.  I'm not quite sure why, actually.  Is it the continuously clean linens?  The tiny shampoos (I love anything miniature or giant sized...)?  Cable TV?  Who knows...maybe it's something intangible that I haven't quite pinned down yet.  But I do love it.  It ironically feels like home.  Or maybe it's the fact that it doesn't feel like home...more like freedom or vacation.  And after this week, we should start to move a little (a LITTLE) less and stay a little longer in the hotels (sometimes)...maybe I'll even get to take some things out of my suitcase and nest a bit. :) Oh, and a free gym.  There's always a free gym at the hotel...and I've even started using it!

The show itself makes this schedule a bit easier.  First of all, the show comes in at a swift 1hr 45min.  Wham bam, thank you ma'am, on the bus to the hotel.  Plus my track is pretty easy.  Sing a few songs, dance a couple of dances...let everyone else do the rest of the work.  (The last time I was on tour, it was with HAIRSPRAY and I essentially spent two and a half hours running and jumping up and down.  It was exhausting.  Super fun! ....but exhausting.)  We had a few hiccups with our tech in the first few performances - the joys of changing theatres every night! - but that has since eased.  Knock on wood!

One of the reasons that I, personally, decided to take this tour was to get away.  I love exploring new places, I love leaving the "busy" behind, and I love having time to take care of myself...the last often takes on a different meaning each day.  So hopefully the upcoming weeks will make that easier, but more importantly, I need to start taking that time for myself.  Starting with cozying up on this rainy day and watching the Lifetime Original Movie that's about to come on.... ;)

-e

PS:  I was just reminded that a year ago today, I was just about to open THE PRIMADONETTES in Sarasota, FL.  I was just about to spend months watching sunsets, eating delicious seafood, singing iconic songs, getting in the best shape of my life, attending Selva Sundays, and slowing and arduously evolving into a new version of myself.  Oh, where has the time gone this year??  How does it go so fast and yet contain so many events and twists and turns?  How are we back here yet again?

"Time is free, 

but it is priceless.

You can't own it,

but you can use it.

You can't keep it,

but you can spend it.

Once you've lost it, 

you can never get it back."

...but that's a whole other post!

Extended Midwest Vacation!

Alright, I think that most people in the NYC area might agree that I've been pretty MIA for the last couple of months...but it's with good reason! Back in June I did a show out at the Gateway called SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE, an experience that was honestly one of the best times I've ever had, with some of the most wonderful people I've ever met, doing a show that is very near and dear to my heart.   That same production is headed out on tour!  However, I had a couple of months in between to play with.  Most of that I spent in the city working at The Skylark, but honestly the money there was just not what it should be.  SOOOO, I decided that it would be a better option for September to just sublet my apartment a month early and head home for a couple of weeks.  I don't think that it's ever been a secret that New York City gets on my nerves sometimes....the over-crowdedness, the smell, the cost, the dirt, the grind.  I love NY, but I LOVE to leave NY too.  So instead of just working to pay rent, I went home and ate all of my parents' food. :)

My extended trip home was much, much needed.  It's been so long since I've had very much time at home without a wedding or a holiday or other event...and it is SO nice to wake up and literally have nothing that I have to do that day.  NOTHING.  No responsibilities, no plans, no nothing.  I spent a lot of time bike riding on the bike path along the river, exploring places that I haven't been since I was a kid - Pottawatomie Park, Island Park, the Japanese Garden, the Fabayan Windmill - and places that I never knew existed either.  I hung out in downtown Geneva a bit, which has actually become an awesome little downtown with new wine bars, chocolate shops, boutiques, trendy restaurants, outdoor seating and festivals (I finally got to enjoy Festival of the Vine...I did NOT appreciate the joy of a wine fest in my youth!).



It was also so great to spend time with my family.  I made a lot of meals and watched a lot of football with my mom and dad.  I also got to spend time with Ryan and Sadie and Abby, which I love.  Sadie was helping me learn to knit (made much more difficult by a previous few rounds of beer...haha) - I'll post a picture when my first project gets a little farther a long!!  It was also so fun to spend time with my niece, Abby.  It's great to get to a point where she is comfortable with me and knows me and has fun with me.  It's hard to form a relationship with a 2 year old when you live hundreds of miles away and only see each other for a few hours at a time once every few months... Makes me very happy to hear her call me "Auntie" or "Eein" when I walk in the door! And she's such a sweet little girl, I just love getting to spend time with her...



What else did I do for 3 weeks?  I went to the library, worked out at my parents gym, went out to eat, took a side trip to Ann Arbor for a Michigan game,  drove down to Starved Rock for some hiking and nature, baked pies, went shopping with my mom, caught up with old friends, met my dad for lunch, watched HGTV, slept 9 hours a night, woke up at a decent time every day, and generally felt healthy, happy and renewed.  It was awesome.  And just what my sanity needed before I popped back to NYC for a couple of days of rehearsal before heading out on the SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE tour....but THAT'S a whole other post! :)