El final (the end)

Oh. My. Goodness.
After 66 shows, 30+ postcards, 3 unsuccessful attempts at taking a picture of the "Welcome to Georgia" sign, and 1 deceased deer...it's done. Over. Kaput. Terminado. Fini. THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD First National Tour has reached the Emerald City and is no more. Word for Theatreworks is that it's not booking in the spring, so unless something changes, I may have been in the ONLY touring cast of YBR. Sad to think that no one will ever wear that lime green pimp suit ever again...that thing is FIERCE.

I got the market cornered on Fierce.

We finished up at the Katherine Hepburn Theater in Old Saybrook, CT (nicknamed "The Kate") for a small but pleasant crowd, and after a tasty cast dinner at the Penny Lane Pub, we are headed back to NYC to sleep, baby oil all the mic tape residue off our faces, and get back on the audition circuit. Well, except Danny, McBee, and myself. Tomorrow at 9am (ugh.) We're unloading the set at two different warehouses and dropping off the cargo van to get serviced. Extra pay, hey hey hey! But after all that, my involvement with YBR will be at an end. I can't say I'm particularly emotional, because touring has been really draining. The show has been fun to perform, and I have enjoyed that experience, but if I never have to lug another 9-foot metal mirror frame up two flights of stairs in 30 degree weather ever again, I will die a happy girl. :-D
It's been kind of higgeldy piggedly this last week, with today's show having been rescheduled from last Sunday, and Wednesday's show being cancelled, cutting our hotel stays (and also per diem pay) short. However, it was kind of a blessing in disguise for me, because I got VERY sick on Tuesday night and woke up on Wednesday feeling like hell. I'm still getting over it today, and I've taken a good number of alternate notes for my songs in the last few shows. Ah, the life of a sick alto!
I was also blessed with a visit from Oli for a few days, fresh off his contract on the Norwegian Spirit. He got to see the show on Thursday, which it was really special for me, since the only thing he's ever seen me perform are the shows on the ship. Who knew I could ACT too! I've been very lucky to have some people who are very special to me come to see the show: Cecilia, my dad, Gary T'To, Karine and Marc, Yaniv, Mandi, and Oli...all at different venues, but all proud of me and my work. What more could a girl ask for?
As far as what's next for me...who knows? I'm looking forward to settling into my new place in Hamilton Heights/Harlem, Christmas in SoCal/Tahoe, cruising on the Noordam with Liz in January, and just getting back into the audition circuit--but this time as an Equity member! Here's to moving forward! I'd love to book a summerstock gig, but I certainly wouldn't say no to a local show! But if I nave to travel, I certainly know which discount hotel chains to avoid..!
Thanks for following along on this show, and please keep checking my website for more updates as they come.
Gracias!

Puedo ver La Ciudad Esmerelda! (I can see the Emerald City!)

Only nine shows, eight days, seven venues, three hotels, and fifty-four costume changes before the end of this tour! Not that anyone's counting...

Tony modelling the gripped gloves I bought for the cast

We had a great week off for Thanksgiving, and are back in the swing of things, doing shows in New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, and New Hampshire. It's been getting coooold up here, so I bought us some mittens with grips to help with those freezing load-ins. We had a stop in Kingston, NY last night on our way to Schenectady, and it was very picturesque. Also, very very cold. It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!
I think the cast is getting excited to finish this tour and jump into Christmas/Hannukah with the passion that can only come from having lived out of suitcases and made pre-dawn runs across the GWB for three months. We've all had an incredible experience on this tour, and I think we'll all take something away from this.
I mean, besides the Equity Card. But oh man, does that count for a LOT!
I'll update a little more as we get closer to the end.

Hasta pronto!

Hogar (Home)

Aaaaah, to be back in NYC!!
After almost seven weeks on the road, we are back in Empire State! We had a local show in Greenwich, CT yesterday, and we have our big 50th Anniversary Fundraiser show in Tribeca this afternoon, followed by a talk-back session with the audience. Then we are OFF for all of next week, and I can't wait to go back to California and put my long-dormant cooking skillz to work to create a fabulous Thanksgiving feast with my family.
After many moons of eating anemic muffins and weak "coffee" at Super 8s across the South, I can't tell you how wonderful the taste of NYC deli coffee is. Also, not having to pack up all my stuff every other morning to check out and head out for points unknown...the simple joys, I tell ya..
Since I last updated, we had another show in Ohio, followed byt wo days off and a late afternoon show in Donegal, PA. What a welcome respite that was! I got to see Frank lloyd Wright's "Fallingwater" mansion, which was spectacular.

We also took a night trip into Pittsburgh, which turned out to be a lot less "pit"-y than I expected! In fact, it was really very nice! And the men...looked...like...men! Actually, they looked like lumberjacks, if lumberjacks got it on with hipster frat boys. Which, hey, they probably did, I'm not judging... :)  There was an incredibl;e view of the "Golden Triangle" from Grandview Avenue up on Mt. Washington, and what a sight to see the city all lit up and sparkling down below. It reminded me of seeing Hong Kong from Victoria Peak many many years ago. Well done, Pittsburgh!

We moved on to a single show in western Maryland where I had NO cell service (Verizon gave me service in the backwater canyons of the Blueridge Mountains in Virginia, but not in Frostburg, MD. Go figure). We had our first--and thankfully, only--triple show day that day, and I have to say that we pulle dit off with flying colors. We then drowned our aching muscles in margaritas at a local Mexican place. We DESERVED those bad boys. We also got to hang out with some of the student techs, which was really nice. usually, the techs--if they involve themselves in our show at ALL--pack us out and say goodnight. But these guys were rockstars. :) Loved it!

After a 12-hour day on the road, we finally made it up to Quechee Gorge, VT for a day off and a double show day in Woodstock (no, not THAT Woodstock). I spent my time having a PT session for my shoulder (resulting in a cool looking kiniseotape up my right side...La Bruja looks even MORE badass now!), heading to the Ben and Jerry's factory in Waterbury, VT, drinks in Burlington, and being totally overwhelmed by the adorableness of eveyrthing in Vermont. Seriously. If Martha Stewart had a child with Town and Country magazine, it would be named Vermont. It actually snowed a bit, which was lovely...but also a little dangerous, as we were constantly seeing signs proclaiming the dangers of Moose Crossings. A deer hitting our van was bad enough...a moose? We'd have no chance. Neither would the moose, frankly, but still. Yours Truly kept her eyes PEELED, for sure!

Anothe 10-hour drive, and we were home in NYC. What a treat to see the Welcome to the Empire State sign, and the lights of the George Washington Bridge looming ahead of us. Even the sights and smells of taking the 1 to my fabulous friend Yaniv's apartment (where I'm currently shackin' up) brought a msile to my face. Which must have been weird, because I was still in full stage makeup. Ah well, it's NYC. We all look like freaks. :)

That's all for now,
Hasta pronto!

Adios, Ohio

It got coooooooooold.
We actually had a few flurries today on th way to Independence from Dayton. Crazy!

We've had some...interesting...shows in the last few days, now that our big three-day trek northward is over.
We had two shows in the basement of a church in North Royalton, OH--or what we've dubbed a "churchatorium". It was the first time in a whil that we've had to unload ALL of our set equipment, including the speaker stands and tons of cables. It really is a blessing when we're in an actual performance space!! The thing that stood out for this venue for me, however, was the absolute SILENCE that followed my big solo ("Powerless"), in which La Bruja conspires with her Monkey to destroy Dora and get the precious zapatillas de rubís. The schoolchildren of St. Albert the Great Christian School were NOT havin' the Bruja's satanic chicanery, apparently. I have never been more uncomfortable in a performance. Caro was a bit sick and her Monkey wasn't 100%, which maaaaay have had something to do with it, but I doubt it, because eveveryone LOVES Monkey. And seriously...UTTER. SILENCE. In the second show, someone STARTED to clap, then instantly stopped when no on else joined in. No bueno.
Today's shows were at the lovely Victoria Theater in Dayton, and the kids LOVED it. What a difference a lack of religious stranglehold makes...
I got a WONDERFUL surprise after the show, when my uncle Jim happened to be n the area and stopped by to say hello! It had been much too long since we'd seen each other. It just so happened that he was in Dayton one of the few times a year he has business, and it coincided with my show! It's a shame he couldn't see it, but it was a treat to get to spend a little time with him.
We have one more show in Ohio tomorrow, again in North Royalton, then we're off to Donegal, PA for a muuuuuuuuuuuuch-deserved two days off before a 1pm show on  Monday. I'm going to sleep like a CHAMPION this weekend.

Oh, also, we hit a deer on the freeway yesterday. That was definitely a new experience. Sorry, Bambi.



That's all for now, mama had a looooooong night last night. Oh, Dayton, you are a wily mistress...

Hasta pronto!

Hola, otoño! (Hello, autumn!)

And so we crawl our way north...

We had our last show in Florida on Thursday the 3rd, at the Coral Spring City Center, home of the World's Least Helpful Tech Crew. The day before we performed at the GORGEOUS Kravis P.A.C. in West Palm Beach, home of the World's MOST Helpful Tech Crew (also Diego, World's Most Unexpectedly Attractive Tech Crew Member...thank yooooooooou, Florida!), to a crowd of 2,000 very enthusiastic school children. Neither venue featured the inexplicable Clap-Along, and I'm kind of hoping that's the last we'll get of it. I think I'm alone in the cast with this feeling, but hey, theater etiquette starts early! After our show in Coral Springs, we began our long trek north to Sylvania, Ohio via Cordele, Georgia and Corbin, Kentucky. Google map that bad boy. That's a lot of driving.
Melissa left us on Thursday to fly to Pennsylvania and sing for her BFF's wedding, so it's only been six of us cruising up the 75 and soaking up all the...um...billboards advertising pecans, fireworks, and anti-abortion. The South is WEIRD, y'all.
Yesterday was the first day in many weeks we experienced actual chilly weather, which is a bit of a disappointment. Yes, I know it's November and by all rights I should have busted out some peacoats by now, but there was a certain amount of schadenfreude in knowing that my New York friends were shivering their buns off in unexpected mid-October snow while I was traipsing around Miami in a tank top. Le sigh.

We got a little treat in Vero Beach on Thursday night, with comp tickets to see Boeing Boeing at the Riverside Theater. Our Stage Manager's friend Jen Cody (who--fun fact--voiced Charlotte LaBouf in Disney's The Princess and the Frog) played Gabriella in the show, and it was a really nice production. We went for a post-show drinkypoo afterwards, where we got our first round taken care of by a trio of very grateful Canadians whose Porsche we jumper-cabled. You know,  people make jokes about how NICE Canadians are, but these guys went above and beyond the stereotype. I ordered the MOST expensive red wine by-the-glass on the menu, instead of the cheapest! DREAM BIG. All in all, it was nice to get out of our routine of show-drive-hotel-internet-sleep and see some really great theater. 

Add look damn good doin' it, too.

Also, tonight we visited the site of the very first Kentucky Fried Chicken (originally "Sander's Cafe"). Who knew it was right here in Corbin?

I love doing this stuff.

Hasta pronto!

Feliz Día de Las Brujas! ("Happy Halloween!")

How appropriate that I'm playing La Bruja on this particular holiday, eh?
We're en route to Clearwater, FL (home of the mirrored Virgin Mary...Google it) after four shows and three days in and around Palm Beach, FL. We stayed at a cute little inn right on the water, where we enjoyed complimentary breakfasts, the sound of the waves lapping at the shores, and the torrential downpour that flooded the parking lot. Seriously. Whoever invented the phrase, "When it rains, it pours" must have been a Floridian.
We have no plans for All Hallow's Eve, though I'd be content with wine and Hocus Pocus on TV. Can't say I've been a big fan of Halloween since I outgrew my (adorable!) Voting Booth costume, so I'm not too disappointed. Besides, we have a 10:45 show tomorrow. And with a job like mine, it's pretty much Halloween EVERY day. Yeah, that's my excuse to not party tonight...yeah...that's it...

Also, this.

The shows continue to go over well, but we encountered a strange phenomenon in two separate venues: clapping. So much clapping. Not the good kind, with the tumultuous applause and roses thrown onto the stage. Clapping ALONG. What's with the clapping along to everything? I appreciate the enthusiasm, but it makes it so hard to hear the music! Luckily, the kids were too hair-raisingly terrified of my Bruja that they weren't inclined to clap during MY number (yeah, that's it...), but it got kind of old. On the other hand, I'm a crotchety old bruja in real life too, so there's that to consider..
I had some very special visitors on Saturday, with the arrival of two of my favorite French Canadians! The lovely Mademoiselle Karine St-Marine and her fabulous Arby's-lovin' love Monsieur Marc-Andre Bourbonnais planned their Florida vaycay to coincide with my tour dates, and they came to one of the shows in Lake Worth! I hadn't seen them in such a long time (tu me manques beaucoup, Québec!! Gaaaaah! Je vais revenir a te voir bientot!), and it was so nice to spend the (rainy) day with them. I'm very fortunate to still have them in my life, when so many other things have a tendency to go away.
Have a safe and Happy Halloween, and eat a mallowcreme pumpkin or 40 for me!
Hasta pronto!

He aprendido una cosa nueva ("I learned something new")

How much kids clap along with the songs is not an indication of how much of the show they understand, but it IS an indication of how much they're enjoying it.

Thanks a bunch, Belle Glade, Florida.

That is all.

No hago blog. Bronceándome. ("Can't blog. Tanning.")

My mother informs me that I haven't posted here in a while. But there are a few good reasons for that:
1. We've been in Florida, and it's been sunny. Sunshine > Blogging
2. I've been taking a good amount of pictures and Facebooking those bad boys, so a lot of the minute details of my days have been chronicled there.
3. I've been really damn tired.

However! I am currently recovering from tummy troubles, stretched out on a 3-seater bench in the passenger van, en route to Miami, so here's a little update..

My fabulous, wonderful daddy came to see the show when we were in Smithfield! It was so nice to Bruja it up for him, and in true Jack Linberg style, he pimped out the show to anyone close enough to hear. He even convinced a kid that there was a competition going on among the classes at the show, and the winner was the class who could cheer and laugh the most. NO WONDER there was so much commotion coming fro/ House Right...! Sadly, a highly rated hole in the wall BBQ place in the area closed too early for us to share some father-daughter pulled pork sandwiched, but we made do with a beer at Ruby Tuesday (another first for me! I'm racking up all kinds of new East-coast chain restaurants!), after which I rpomptly fell asleep, sprawled over the sheets of my Super 8 hotel room for a good four hours.
I told you I've been really damn tired.

After a repair stop for the cargo van, we headed (reeeeeally really far) south to Tampa, where the theater was stunningly beautiful (and old. And MUSKY.), and the sandwich shop I went to for lunch was helmed by a 60-something Pilipina with the sweetest demeanor and best stories (and adobo!).
Then, three days in North Fort Lauderdale, where those of us without family in the area finagled our three night sit-down to a lovely Westin--for the same price! HELL-O in-room Starbuck's coffee, complimentary check-in Chardonnay, and enormous jacuzzi!! We had a day off, and I got to explore Ft Lauderdale for the first time as a tourist. I was a mere five miles from Port Everglades, where my little MS Maasdam used to dock on our Panama Canal/Caribbean cruises. I watched a ship disembark (I think it was a Princess ship) and got majorly nostalgic. Later, back at the hotel, I kept seeing luggage with brown MS Eurodam tags them..turns out they were docking on Sunday. I wish I could've seen that big ol' ship pull into port! The biggest déjà vu moment was as we were driving off to Jacksonville and I passed by the street with the Publix grocery store where I used to pick up baby carrots, and the Ross where I bought my white dress that I wore to many a Formal Night on the ship. Very weird, but it was nice to reminisce.

In Jacksonville, we got cut from two shows to one (budget? Not selling? We don't really know. The rumor is that the show isn't selling well because people are worried it'll be too bilingual), but the theater was gorgeous. Then off to Ormond Beach, which was blissfully only an hour and a half down the road (take a look at my past five days of itinerary, and you'll see the long hauls we've been doing),which gave us some time off. I was majorly H.A.L.T.-ing (an acronym Tony taught me: Hungry Angry Lonely Tired) by the time we got there, so Danny, Tony, and I took a quick trip to nearby Daytona Beach. I got to frolic in the warm Atlantic waters again, terrify some sandpipers, and see one of America's most heavily populated beaches at the tail end of it's season. You can't tell when you're watching MTV's Spring Break specials on TV, but Daytona is a really beautiful stretch of beach, with cute little shops and a weird mix of Southern pride and beachcomber style. Happy Hour at Chili's, then it was an uttery uneventful evening.
Another cancelled double show today (making it a single show), where the coordinator thanked us and wants to bring the show to the western counties, where 65% of the kids are Hispanic. It was so nice to hear feedback, especially in the last week when we've been wearing a little thin. Also, the coordinator bought us donuts. Bam! Double excellence!

I'm excited to see how the show is received in Miami and the environs, what with all them Spanish-speakin' folk down thurr, and I cannot WAIT to see Miami! Lincoln Road, South Beach, Cuban food every five feet...oh baby. But first, another nap.

Hasta pronto!

En mi mente, me voy por Carolina ("In my mind, I'm goin' to Carolina")

I had a really lovely day off today in Smithfield, North Carolina.
Yes, THAT Smithfield.
What?
You've never heard of Smithfield?
Why, it's only the happening-est suburb of Raleigh this side of the Johnston County Airport!

I'm still a little overwhelmed by the fact that I've woken up for the last seven days in the Carolinas, two states I knew absolutely NOTHING about, nor ever had any desire to discover of my own volition. And frankly, I've been very pleasantly surprised! We were in Asheville (NC) for the last couple of days, and what a gem of a city that place is! It very much reminds me of Santa Barbara in CA, with the very eco-friendly, locally-sourcing, vegan-munching, micro-brewing vibe, and the abundance of 20-somethings embracing both the ideals of Southern hospitality and global consciousness. Also, the prices. Very, very high prices. EXCEPT when it comes to beer! Cheap beer! I never paid more than $5 for a pint of a locally-brewed beer, and oh my oh my there were some tasty selections (Pisgah Pale, for one, named for the nearby Nat'l Forest). Today was a day off in Smithfield, and I was the only one who didn't have paper, laundry, or episodes of The Good Wife to catch up on, so I took myself on a date to probe the depths of Smithfield. After hitting up the outlet mall (adjacent to our hotel, btw) and treating myself to some cute charcoal-grey heeled booties and a soft-serve from Dairy Queen, I headed into town. Though "town" consists of about 2 swuare miles of antique stores and law firms (go figure), I headed straight for the Buffalo Creek Greenway, a 3-mile paved path through the woods surrounding the Neuse River. I walked the whole length and got a kick out of all the hellos tossed my way. I was more relaxed and less on guard than I would have been in a similar situation in NYC.

This picture taken by a Hello-er.

Of course, NYC doesn't have meandering paths peppered with tiny creeks and chirping cicadas (cicadas? crickets? I don't know. Bugs are weird down here) either..

The greenway ended at the local high school, and I looped around down Buffalo Ave back to the the trailhead. All in all, I probably walked a good 5 miles over 2 hours...so I totally deserved that pulled pork sandwich and shave ice I ate later.

Right? Right?

I took a quick jaunt over to Sunset Memorial Park to see Ava Gardner's gravesite. It was interesting to see that this woman (who was born and raised in Grabtown, a small farm village a few miles outside of Smithfield), ranked #25 on AFI's Greatest Female Film Stars of All Time, is buried in a tiny family plot in a small town in north Carolina, right beside her brother, and a few steps from her parents and other family members.

There were other memorials and tombstones that were SIGNIFICANTLY more pimped out than hers, and you never felt like you were going to AVA GARDNER'S gravesite..you were going through the Gardner's Family Gravesite. A classy broad indeed. Unfortunately, I didn't get to town in time to visit the Ava Gardner museum, but I think she appreciated my visit.

"You bet I did."

We perform tomorrow and Tuesday at Johnston Auditorium on the campus of Johnston Community College, then work our way south to Florida for a good two weeks of exploring America's Favorite Peninsula.

But most importantly...

MY DADDY IS COMING TO THE SHOW TOMORROW!!!
I'm so excited! He has some business meetings in Charlotte (a good 2 hours away...MAJOR brownie points...redeemable in actual brownies, most likely), then is making the trip to see the show. I get a few hours with him before he has to head back for some p.m. meetings. WHAT A GOOD DADDY!! I have a feeling that North Carolina-style BBQ pork is in our near futures. To Yelp!

Shows are still going really well, and the kids are having a great time. They're gonna LOSE it when we're actually performing in Latino-heavy areas, especially with two Cubanos in the cast!

Hasta la próxima vez...

Una semana al camino (One week on the road)

We are currently in Anderson, SC, looking forward to a day off tomorrow before our performance at Clemson University on Wednesday. I can't believe it's only been a week since we first set out from NYC knowing that we wouldn't be returning for another 7 weeks...it feels like it's been a month. The bizarre time passage feeling is a lot like how felt on the Maasdam a year ago. Time flies when you're...not sure where you are? It's been dreary and overcast all day--or so I was told. I slept the entire car ride through Tennessee, and only knew where we were when i started seeing the palmetto-and-crescent-moon emblem popping up on road signs. I have to admit, behind California (birthplace pride aside, of course), I think South Carolina has the coolest-looking flag in the union.

Not quite as cool as a brown bear and a star, but it'll do.

The shows have been well-received in our venues in Virginia, and the people there have been very warm and welcoming. Must be something in the water Down South...  :)

I'm hoping to see the Georgia Guidestones tomorrow, in Elbert County, Georgia. It's been heralded as "American Stonehenge". Well, I've seen the English version, might as well see my own country's version too!

¿Cual día es? (What day is it?)

Phew!
In the last two days, I moved out of my apartment (and left my fabulous king bed!! Tragedy!), had three shows in a lovely little theater in Maryland, and traveled a grand total of somewhere around 700 miles. I am currently in Vineland, NJ, and have just had my first experience at a Bennigan's (not a fan of the Broccoli Bites.), and we have an hour drive tomorrow morning to our shows in Wildwood, NJ, after which we'll drive to Danville, VA. I've lost all concept of days of the week, hour of the day, and sleep schedules. BUT! The shows have gone pretty well, though we're still having pretty frequent audio problems (monitor went out today, mics going out during shows)...hoping that the kinks will get worked out soon. We had a bunch of incredibly helpful stagehands at Prince George's Publick Playhouse for the last two days, and what I wou;dn't give to have them at our vans for every show! Load-in and load-out were a breeze, which was good, because it started to rain on us after today's last show!
I was very fortunate to have my fabulous Aunt Gail come to the show yesterday, with her friends Patty and Haydee in tow. We went to a tasty Mexican joint called Sierra for dinner, where Patty's lovely husband Joe greeted us with a full round of margaritas ready to go. That man is a keeper, I tell you! Sooooooo great to spend some time with Gail, and I'm so thankful to have family that's supportive of my erratic but sparkly lifestyle.

Fear the sparkly.

Early early early call tomorrow morning, but I'll leave you with something I never thought I'd see in my lifetime:

Yup. Delaware. Brave new world.

Toma por el Pueblo de Calabaza! (Drink for Pumpkinville!)

It's our last night here in beautiful western New York, and despite the lack of population, the scenery is absolutely gorgeous. Totally idyllic early fall foliage. I'm loving it.
We had two really great shows at Salamanca High School/Middle School, and for the first time, we went out in the hallway after the show to say goodbye to all the kids. They seemed really excited to see us. We were like rock stars!....for very short, brightly colored groupies.
Today also marks the second time we've been graciously fed by the school's cafeteria, and let me tell you...MY high school's cafeteria was nothing like this.

We loved it. We had lunch with the school's drama/band teacher, who introduced us to a student of his as "professional actors from New York". The student's reaction was priceless, like we were the suddenly so important. Too cute.

We got our itineraries confirmed through November 10, so if you want to check it out, the calendar posted on the "News" section of my website: http://www.barrielinberg.com/News_JJKE.html

Our load-out is getting quicker, which is a huge relief. It's no fun doing two shows after building the set, then get all higgeldy-piggeldy when we're already tired, trying to load the van again. We'll have it down to an art soon enough, I'm sure!
After the shows today, Carl Michael, McBee, and I were plannign on going to Alagany to take a walk, but instead decied to go to Pumpkinville, which had been recommended to us by almost all the locals. Being a huge fan of freshly-pressed apple cider like I am, I was all kinds of on board from Day 1. It was a really cute, nice place, with hay rides, products for sale, apples, squash, and tons of pumpkins, plus a fun corn maz that took us a good 40 minutes to navigate. I bought some hommemade jam, a bumper sticker for my laptop, and half a gallon of cider that had been pressed on Saturday. MONEY.

Tomorrow, we have one show in Arcade, NY, then it's a loooooong haul back to NYC for two days off before we REALLY hit the road. We'll be gone from Oct 2 til just before Thanksgiving!! Time to pack!

Quote(s) of the Day, from 9/25

"You need to take a Wawa chill pill." -Caro, to Melissa
"All my straight friends are married. Or gay." -Tony
"It some kind of Jesus shit...with an R...REDEMPTION!"- Danny

"Estuviste en el espectáculo de Dora?" ("Were you in the Dora play?")

And so it begins...

We had out very first show day yesterday, at Floral Park Bellerose School in Floral Park, NY (in Queens), at 10a and 1p, for an estimated 500 kids (?) and teachers. Let me begin this post by saying that I am grateful for this job, and it is a truly rewarding experience to share what I love with The New Generation, many of whom have never seen live musical theatre before. I know--and love, may I add--that in the life of a theatre performer, there will always be uncertainties and surprises. That being said, I find it therapeutic to share not all only the good and brilliant, but the frustrating and ugly bits of my strange and beautiful life.
So.
I was up at 5, to make it to the parking garage in Harlem at 7. We were running a little late, but the commute to the school was pretty uneventful (although I did have my first run-in with NYC toll booths. Who knew you had to STOP for the arm to come down in the FASTPASS lane? Not me, as it turned out. I didn't hit it, but it was an adventure for everyone in my van!). When we got to the school, we discovered that the theatre (which is beautiful, btw) was only accessible through a series of hallways, stairs, and one (much appreciated) elevator. So our load-in became an episode of Legend of the Hidden Temple, only with big/cumbersome/numerous set pieces. This being our first show, we haven't quite gotten our set-up down to a fine art, so it was a little rough, plus we were on a time crunch from leaving later. We pulled it together like the champs we are, and the first show was a lot of fun, and the kids really seemed to enjoy it. It was a new experience having the sound system set up in a real hall, and it turns out we were WAY oversinging, thinking that we weren't coming through the system as well as we actually were. *learning experience!*

Tony's mic and my mic both cut out intermittently through the end of the first show, so when we came back from lunch (at a very tasty local pizza joint!), McBee got to work on fixing our mic packs. Tony's was a quick fix, but mine was a whole different matter. A bum cable, as it turned out, and all our replacement cables were duds as well. We kept my shaky cable in, and I proceeded to do the entire show singing as close to people's faces (and mics) as possible, to pick up off their microphones. With my garlic breath from lunch, I'm so grateful for their fortitude. :) I missed my quick change with Melissa (Dora) in the opening scene, while I was doing pre-sets and preparing for my scene after the scramble to get my mic fixed. Not an excuse, but DAMN did I feel stupid, and Melissa was a true pro and made it work. I owe that girl a beer. Or twelve! The show was hectic, but I think we did a great job, and the kids responded pretty well.
It had started raining at lunch, and it didn't let up by the time we had to load our set back into the van. So, back through the Hidden Temple, then waiting for the kids to be released from school, then loading the van was a long process. BUT! While toting our peices through the hallways, tons of kids kept waving to us, clapping, and just wanting to talk to us. The best was when we were in the theater, toward the end up breaking everything down, and a whole horde of kids were released into the theater to wait for their parents, and they EXPLODED into applause, chanting our (character's) names. What a great feeling. Hopefully some of these kids will remember us fondly and maybe even a few will pursue the arts, the way I did after seeing Les Mis when I was four. Not that I'm necessarily comparing a Broadway touring company of Les Miserables to our rag-tag bunch of artists, but even so...
We finally got back to the Harlem garage at 5:30p, exhausted (but revived from our gas station ice cream!), but happy. We tried to hop on the 1 train, but it stopped at 92nd street (probably because of the UN conferences going on downtown. The jerks.), so we found other ways of getting home, which for me involved walking through Central Park with Carl Michael and Carolina, catching a cab to Grand Central, and finally getting home on the 7. I. Was. POOPED.

Best night of sleep, EVER.

Travel day tomorrow, to Olean, NY, then three shows in the area Mon-Wed!! Bring on the free continental breakfasts!

¡Vamos ya! (Let's go!)

Had a great, busy, luxurious day off today.

Tomorrow is our first show, in Floral Park, NY. Van call at 7am in Harlem. Eek. Let's play "How Many Strange People are Riding the 1 Train With Me at 6am?" !!

Agujas son divertidos! (Needles are fun!)

today was our first run-through with an audience of people! People who have never seen the show! People who need people! They seemed to really enjoy it, and it was so nice to hear the sound of laughter and applause, as opposed to the scratching of our AD's pen as she jotted down yet another fudged blocking formation, or another "Oh" instead of "Ah". Not to say that these things aren't important, but sometimes we get so bogged down in the mechanics and details of a show that we forget WHY and FOR WHOM we're really doing this, why we do what we do. It was a great feeling, if not the most flawless of shows. Dev (our director)'s godson even came, along with his mother, Andrea Burns, who originated the role of Daniela in IN THE HEIGHTS on Broadway. It was kind of fantastic to perform with someone like that looking on, but to be honest, I completely forgot she was there two minutes into the show, I was just so focused on the job at hand. After the show, she and her son congratulated us, and she made a point to tell me that she was impressed with my performance. Grain of salt or no, that feels good. Muy muy bueno.
During our lunch break, I went to the Chelsea Sports Medicine Clinic to be seen by the doctors there, who would determine exactly what is wrong with my shoulder. After much poking, prodding, twisting, and pushing by the (rather attractive) doctors, they concluded that I haven't done any crazy damage to my rotator cuff, onyl strained it, a condition which should be remedied by anti-inflammatories and PT. They did suggest that some prolotherapy injections could help relieve the pain (after an initial couple of days of more soreness), but that he generally didn't go that route until after PT results had been seen. I stressed to the doc that I would not be physically in NYC consistently enough to follow a PT plan, and we agreed to go ahead and try the prolotherapy now, in addition to going through as much PT as I could while in NYC. I got 17 injections along two major tendon/muscle lines, which HURT and STUNG like crazy. The shock caused me to hyperventilate and convulse, and I had to lie down for a hot minute before dragging my butt up and jelly-legging it back to rehearsal, where I proceeded to do yet another run-through (the one that Ms. Burns attended).

I suffer for my art.

After the run through we had some music brush-ups with our Musical Director, the same who told me to belt the F in my song "Powerless". I belted the D that precedes it, and he seemed pleased, but encouraged me to "push myself" to get to the F. I suggested that that is perhaps not the healthiest choice, considering I only have one more rehearsal day left, and no travelling vocal coach to make sure I'm using a brand-new singing technique correctly and safely. Still not sure what I'm oging to do about that. it turns out  my director assumed that I was merely makring through the song this entire rehearsal process, and that I secrely possesed the ability to belt an F and was simply choosing not to. C'mon, seriously?? I go full-out on everything else, why would I hold back on that if I had it in me? So now I feel bad that with my current skill set, I am disappointing my bosses, but also angry that I am expected to pull this feat off without any help. I may be La Bruja, but I'm no Wizard.
Anyway, later, we broke down the set, and I stumbled back to Queens for some well-deserved chicken curry and wine. We have one more rehearsal tomorrow, then a load-in of the set to the van, then a BLISSFUL day of rest....then our first show on Friday! Here we goooooooooo!

El final del camino está en vista (The end of the road is in sight)

Is it Saturday? Where am I? Who are you people and why do I have castanets in my hands?

I can't believe our rehearsals are almost at an end! Only four more days until they set us loose on the world, and while I am excited to begin performing for the kids, we still have a good amount of work to do. We started doing run-throughs a few days ago, and HÍJOLE is it hard to keep up my energy like that for an hour straight! If I'm not on stage, I'm doing a quick change, or backing up harmonies, or setting props for the next scene, etc. Never a dull moment! Blissfully, every run--flawless or otherwise--becomes the one solid hour of the day  in which I am incapable of thinking about the things going on in my life I'd rather forget. So despite all the physical and mental stress that are part of this process, I am thankful. So, so thankful.
Anyway...
The show is coming along great, and our costumes are fabulous, and I hope to get some pictures up soon. There are four other TheatreWorks shows in rehearsal at Chelsea Studios (Charlotte's Web, Junie B Jones, Skippyjon Jones, and Seussical), and it's been really interesting to hear snatches of songs from the other productions, as well as chat with some of the other performers.
Tomorrow is our producer's run, where The Powers That Be will sit in on our run and pass judgment on us mere mortals. Eek! It will be our first time with microphones!! Then we'll have our invited dress rehearsal on Tuesday, then on Wednesday we load the van, and then Thursday off, and then we have our first show on Friday!
I have our itinerary up through October 13th posted in the "News" section of my website, and if any of you out there would like to see a show, let me know, and I'll figure out how to make it work!
In other news, I have to figure out which storage facility I'm going to use to store my stuff while I'm on the road, since I'm moving out of my apartment on September 30. Gah! When it rains, it pours, right?

Hasta la próxima vez..

¿¿Ya es una semana??

¡Caracoles!
Has it seriously been 6 days since we started? I feel like today was my 2nd day of rehearsal, at most. The time has gone by so quickly, and we've made so much progress...my concept of time is waaaaaay off. I think I speak for all my castmates (and SMs, directors, and choreographers) when I say that brains have been FRIED this week. We've done some great work, no doubt, but damn. Information overload. Whoo!! Looking forward to our day off tomorrow (except that I have a bunch of errands to take care of, so it's not quite as relaxing as I'd like it to be...ah well, no rest for the wicked!!)

We should be finished putting up the show on Tuesday, after which time it'll just be drill drill drill until we have this show down pat. We have a producer's run on Sunday, so there's a certain amount of pressure to have it gorgeous by then, but I know we'll do fine. We should have our official schedules for the first four weeks of tour no later than Wednesday, and I can't WAIT to have a more clear picture of where we'll be. I posted a tentative calendar on My Website if you'd like to see a rough outline of where we're going, but be sure that I'll have the solid schedule up as soon as I can. I can't wait to start this journey!

Despite being exhausted, it feels so incredible to be back in a rehearsal room, reviewing choreography, stressing over word-perfect lines, getting frustrated when wigs aren't fitting correctly...this is my happy place, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

¡WEPA!

El Primer Día

And so it begins...

We started the day off with a meeting with an Equity rep who explained all the ins and outs of being an Equity member and what being a cast member of a Theatreworks show entails, plus all the benefits, costs, co-payments, fees, dues, 401(k)s, and Actor's Fund resources that are available to us. By 10:30 my brain was close to exploding. I'll have to sort it all out later, but at the end of the day, I am a member of a worker's union! Hooray for labor laws!
Immediately following we had a safety meeting with a therapist from a performing arts clinic in the city, teaching us about good nutrition while on tour (buy stock in trail mix and baby carrots!) as well as how to not blow out our backs while lifting set pieces. Forget sick dance moves, I'm more at risk moving the magic mirrors!
The rest of the day was music, music, and more music.

This show is FILLED with fabulous music, and while I'm not on stage the whole time, I'm singing a lot of the harmony parts offstage, usually while setting up set pieces and helping with quick changes. "No rest for the wicked" takes on a whole new meaning...
My cast mates are fabulous, talented, and legitimately Latino, which makes me the sole honky in the cast.

STAY IN SCHOOL, KIDS! AND LEARN ANOTHER LANGUAGE! You'll stay employed!! Today was busy busy, but thank goodness for our fabulous musical director Zach who was patient and positive through it all.
And then the skies opened up and rained like a champion, and all my music got wet.
So thank goodness also for hair dryers.

¡WEPA!

Welcome/Bienvenidos!

¡Hola, amigos!
This is my first attempt at blogging, but seeing as how I will have access to the interwebs during my next three months touring with Theatreworks USA's production of The Yellow Brick Road (hereafter referred to as "YBR"), and I regret not journal ling by adventures aboard the Maasdam last year, here we go!
I'll use this blog to post updates on the rehearsal process, life on the road, as well as tidbits about the show as I go alone. We don't get our official schedule until two weeks before a week of touring, so for those of you in the East, I'll keep you posted to as which cities we'll be visiting and hopefully some of you can make it down to see the show!
As for the show itself, you can click on the link above to read about it and see some video clips of the cast that performed it here in NYC at the Lucille Lortell theater. I'm playing La Bruja (The Witch), and two other smaller roles. I couldn't be more excited!!!
Rehearsals don't start until September 6, So check back then and I'll have more to tell then.

¡Gracias, y hasta pronto!