This past week was a whirlwind of driving and performances…and I loved every minute of it. Of course, Alan did most of the driving. Somewhere along the way, I picked up an infection in my right elbow. It swelled very large and was so painful to bend – and there’s no way anyone could even touch it. That meant medications for me…and the steering wheel for Alan.
VAN NOSTRAND THEATRE – BRENTWOOD, NY
After returning to Virginia from a fantastic tour in New Mexico and Colorado, we were on our way to New York to perform in and around the Big Apple. The first stop was the Van Nostrand Theatre in Brentwood, NY.
We had a great crew that was excited about us being there. The attitude of the crew makes such a big difference in how the day moves forward. And when there is an excitement in the air about us being there, it just makes us all want to work harder. This crew enthusiastically moved several tons of equipment to the stage….we were on our way!
Cases were unpacked. Lights were put into place. Scenery was over into place. It was time to start putting the “finishing touches” on everything to turn this stage into the world of “Theatre Of Illusion.”
Our performance was the last one in this season of events. We wanted to send them out on a strong finale and give them a great show. We had a full house of enthusiastic people who were ready to have a good time…and we all did have a great time!
CoMMA – MORGANTON, NC
We were on the road very early the next morning to make the trip to Morganton, NC. We stopped in Lynchburg for a few hours to pick up Eli – our new stage assistant who will start with the show in Fall 2012. We wanted him to have the experience of spending a few days with us on the road, setting up the show, seeing how it all comes together, and then watching it all from the audience perspective. It was good to have him along on the trip.
We arrived the night before the show at Comma…checked into our hotel…and walked up the street to get some food at Denny’s. I could help but click this picture of one of the local businesses – they sell it all!
The following morning, we were on our way to the Community Auditorium to start our day. This is not our first time to perform here and, I have to confess, I love working with these guys. Bill Wilson is one of my favorite people and I enjoy the time I get to spend talking with him. Tony and his technical team make every minute of the day totally enjoyable – never a complaint, always willing to do what’s necessary to make it all work. We were set up in record time and decided to relax a while before dinner.
I was especially happy about the way tickets had been selling for our show. Our show was on a Tuesday night and marketed heavily to a family audience. The marketing team did an exceptional job. And Kylie, in our office, arranged for two radio interviews for me as well. It all paid off and we had a terrific audience…and it was a great privilege to be the final performance of their season!
THE EMELIN THEATRE – MAMARONECK, NY
Once again, we were back on the road early on Wednesday morning. We dropped Eli off in Lynchburg to wrap up his final exams and prepare for graduation. After a few hours, we were on our back to New York for a Saturday matinee at the Emelin Theatre in Mamaroneck, NY. A nice article in the local paper preceded our arrival!
Another great crew for us to work with – and a good thing because this theatre is situated in the downtown area of this quaint community. We parked our 65 foot semi truck and trailer on the street in front of the theatre, loaded in the equipment through the fronts doors, and ramped it to the stage. Years of “road experience” has prepared us for almost any type of situation – and this theatre was a little different than our normal performance space. Nonetheless, Cindy and the guys made it all come together.
The weather on this day was gorgeous – sunshine, warm temperatures, and a great day to be outside. I was fearful that we would lose the audience to the great weather! But, when doors opened at 2:30pm, the near capacity crowd made their way to their seats. We had some excellent volunteers on stage with us with equally excellent responses to the illusions. When I walked through a solid concrete wall, I could hear the gasps of the audience from inside the concrete! It was a fun afternoon!
QUEENSBOROUGH PERFORMING ARTS CENTER – BAYSIDE, NY
After the show in Mamaroneck, we drove back to our hotel in Queens…just a few blocks from the Queensborough Performing Arts Center (QPAC). This was another one of those shows that I was really looking forward to. I’ve never worked with Susan but our email exchanges and phone conversations over the last year have been fun! I knew this was going to be a blast – and it definitely was! And we had a great article in the Queens newspaper, the Times Ledger, promoting this Mother’s Day performance!
After we dropped off the truck, we walked around the area close to the hotel. There were so many great restaurants all around us. We were drawn into a place – simply because it smelled so good – and enjoyed some of the best roasted chicken I’ve ever had. It was nice to be able to spend a little time – just Cindy and I – sitting in a not-so-fancy place eating great food. It’s been a busy year and we haven’t had the opportunity to do that very often.
The next morning, Sunday, we made our way back to the QPAC to start setting up for another matinee performance. Another great crew was there to meet us and get the day rolling. (I just have to say that we’ve had a great year of working with great crews!!)
Another smooth day – loading in, setting up, getting ready. And WOW, what a GREAT audience!! It was the perfect way to end our run in New York – and we are already talking about a return visit!
Now, we are enjoying a couple of days at our place in Virginia before driving to Princeton, NJ for our last show of the season on Friday night at the McCarter Theatre.