2/20/10 – “Trenton Makes, The World Takes”…Trenton, NJ

Satisfied at having been able to perform finally in Maryland, we put the pedal to the metal and hit the road again. We prepared ourselves mentally for another crazy day, complete with a blitzkrieg-like schedule that would take us to not one state, but three states in the course of a day: driving from Maryland, loading in and performing in New Jersey, and loading out and staying in Connecticut.

First stop of the day – Trenton, the capital (and almost the exact geographic center) of New Jersey. Dating back to 1719, the city was originally called ‘Trent-towne’ after William Trent, one of the leading landholders in the town. Trenton was the site of George Washington’s first military victory in the American Revolution: on December 26, 1776, Washington crossed the Delaware River to Trenton. Trenton functioned as a major manufacturing center in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and as a result, the slogan of the city became “Trenton Makes, The World Takes”. This motto is still prominently displayed on the Lower Trenton Bridge. In 1968, the city and more than 200 of its businesses underwent significant damage as a result of major civil disturbances that occurred the week following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.





We performed only one show in Trenton at the Patriots Theater at the War Memorial, a setting of Italian Renaissance Revival splendor. This luxurious, 1807-seat venue has been the stage for many world-class artists, including Louis Armstrong, Leonard Bernstein, Duke Ellington and Bob Hope. Our audience, which numbered in the 100 to 200 range, looked tiny in comparison to the number of empty seats in the house, but was just as vocal and appreciative as any full-size audience. Among the audience members again was our composer, Aron Accurso, who we had last seen at our other New Jersey performance at the Paper Mill Playhouse. It was fun to be able to reconnect with him. Following our performance, we went out to appetizers with Aron, and even let him enjoy the experience of riding in our tour van, an experience that I am sure he will not forget. =)

Our Jersey visit was short-lived, and before we knew it, we dashed onward to Connecticut. Unfortunately, our short two-hour drive to Connecticut ended up taking us over four hours as we encountered all of the notorious New York City traffic. Anxious and bleary-eyed, we arrived in Westport, CT, ready to settle down after a jam-packed day.

Next stop – the Kelley Theatre at the Quick Center in Fairfield, CT. Until the next adventure…

Ciao!
XOXO-
Janine