We wrapped up in Mississippi and made the drive to Arkansas. We performed as a part of the UACCB Spotlight Series in Batesville, AR. This is a very new series and we were the opening event of the season. The executive director, Brian, saw us perform when he was a senior at Arkansas Tech in Russellville many years ago. It was great to see him again and to work with him in this new adventure.
We rolled into the parking lot just outside the auditorium. There’s no real “loading dock” into the space but everyone was more than accommodating in making an easy path from trailer to stage. A nice crew of guys and things starting moving in!
Once load in was complete, we started our day. Keith and I had some work to do in getting the lights the way we wanted them and getting the intelligent lighting into place. Backstage was a little tight but Alan, Chase, and Cindy managed to get the illusions in and organized. We used every little nook on that stage. Once it all started to come together, I was pleased with the way it looked. I also debuted a new illusion for the audience and it got a GREAT response! It’s definitely a “keeper.”
When the doors opened at 6:30pm, the crowd started to roll in. In less than 15 minutes, we were near capacity. By show time, the auditorium was packed with an excited and enthusiastic audience. They were an awesome crowd! Their response to every illusion just fed the excitement even more and by the time we hit the finale, they proved themselves to be the best audience of the fall (so far).
Thank you Batesville for your support and enthusiasm!!