We are still getting some great feedback from the workshop we had in Broken Arrow, OK. A feature article was in BROKEN ARROW LEDGER and featured on the Healing Thresholds website – a site that provides current information on autism therapies for parents, therapists, teachers, and physicians.
We left Ft. Worth and the people at Bass Performance Hall with great memories and prospects of a return engagement. We made our way toward Orange, TX and the Lutcher Theatre. This would be our first time working with Jim and Lynae, tickets were selling well for the show, and they had arranged for some activities with some very special kids.
Thursday started off with a bang with a 6am television appearance on ABC 12’s GOOD MORNING SOUTHEAST TEXAS. Molly, the reporter, was fun and excited. We had two live segments and then taped a segment for the noon news.
After the morning show, I went back to the hotel to catch up on some computer work. Around 9:45am, Lynae picked up Alan and I and we were off to Lake Charles, LA (only about 30 miles away) for a radio interview with Gary Shannon on 92.9 THE LAKE, one of the more popular stations in the area. Once we wrapped here, we were on our way over to KPLC-TV for an appearance on the Noon News.
After lunch, we met up with Gary and one of his co-workers for lunch at a very quaint restaurant in downtown Lake Charles. The food was good but the company and conversation were great. It was nice to sit and relax, share stories, and get acquainted.
The highlight of the afternoon was our visit to the Hughen Center. This is a place filled with dedicated professionals and volunteers who love these kids. The majority of the residents have been placed there by Protective Services because the kids were not being care for properly or were being abused. We performed a little magic and then spent time teaching them some tricks.
Many of them came up and performed their magic for the rest of the group. Once we finished the teaching segments, everyone came back into the main room and we did a quick little 15 minute show for them. What a fantastic audience!!
After packing up our stuff, Lynae drove us back to Orange and dropped us off at the hotel. While loading our stuff back into the trailer, we posed for a quick picture with the rig.
Around 4:45pm, she picked me up for one last television appearance on the LIVE AT FIVE evening news. This was done live from the stage of the Lutcher Theatre! Once done, it was back to the hotel for dinner and some rest.
LUTCHER THEATRE PERFORMANCE
The next morning, me and the guys made our way over to the Lutcher Theatre. This is a beautiful venue in downtown Orange. I had originally expected a restored turn-of-the-century vaudeville house. That’s definitely NOT the case! This is a stunningly beautiful, modern performing arts center.
David, the technical director, was ready for us when we arrived. And the local IATSE 183 was there to get things loaded in and help with the set up. The day moved along really well and when Cindy arrived around 3:30pm, we were almost done with everything. We finished up with the last of the details just around dinner time…and they made a homemade meal for us including some southern banana pudding!
With dinner behind us, it was time to focus on the show. Doors would open in an hour and we were expecting a near-capacity crowd for the performance. There’s not a bad seat in this house and I was very pleased with the way the show looked on their stage.
The show went really well. We had some great volunteers from the audience to assist in the illusions and the responses were incredible. In the end, the honored us with a standing ovation. Afterwards, in the lobby, I had the chance to talk with hundreds of patrons, hear their favorite moments, and connect with them on a more personal level.
Thank you Lutcher Theatre for a great experience!!