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!