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With stars in our eyes and our feet on cloud nine, we floated back to the Garden State, to Millburn, NJ. Ahh, New Jersey…while I do not enjoy many aspects of this state, I will concede that several nice things have come from here, including Frank Sinatra, Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, and most importantly, the über-talented and dreamy Zach Braff of ‘Scrubs’ fame…mmm.
Millburn, NJ, is a 9.9 square mile township with a population of around 19,000. Because of its close proximity to Manhattan, Millburn is becoming a quickly growing community among young professionals. The township recently celebrated its sesquicentennial (150 years) in 2007. Notable residents of Millburn include actors John C. McGinley (also of ‘Scrubs’ fame) and Anne Hathaway, and stylist Rachel Zoe. Downtown Millburn is very idyllic and has many tasty eateries.
Millburn is home to the prestigious 1200-seat Paper Mill Playhouse, the state theatre of New Jersey and residence of the New Jersey Ballet. The Playhouse is one of the most acclaimed not-for-profit professional theatres in the US, attracting close to 300,000 people annually. With its great location (nestled in the woods along the Rahway River), as well as its focus on producing large scale shows, the theatre is like a Broadway Theatre thirty minutes from Broadway. Originally a paper mill until 1928, the Paper Mill Playhouse was one of the first theatres to begin the regional theatre movement in the United States. As we toured the theatre’s lobby filled with pictures from past shows, we were inspired to know that we would be performing on the same stage that had been graced by many stars, such as Betty Buckley, Barbra Streisand, Christine Ebersole, Kristen Chenoweth, Ann Miller, Bernadette Peters and a young Anne Hathaway.
We performed two great shows to sold-out audiences at the Paper Mill Playhouse. Our composer, Aron Accurso, attended one of our performances, and we were all happy to see him again after working with him last year in Berkeley. Aron is an extremely talented composer, conductor, lyricist and Broadway pianist, and I guarantee that you will be hearing his name one of these days at a future Tony awards ceremony.
Next stop – the Jorgensen Center at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT. Until the next adventure…
Ciao!
XOXO-
Janine
After a lovely five nights and four days in Westhampton Beach, we hit the road again. We were bound for snowy Hartford, the capital of Connecticut and also the second largest city in the state, with a population of 125,000 (the largest city being Bridgeport). Located on the Connecticut River, Hartford is almost 400 years old and is among the oldest cities in US. It is the home of the nation’s oldest public art museum (the Wadsworth Atheneum) and oldest public park (Bushnell Park). It is also the home of Trinity College and was where the TV show ‘Judging Amy’ was based. Hartford is nicknamed “The Insurance Capital of the World” as it houses the headquarters of many of the world’s insurance companies, and insurance is a major industry of the region. Famous residents of Hartford have included Mark Twain, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Sophie Tucker, Charles Nelson Reilly and Katharine Hepburn.
Our performance venue in Hartford, CT, was located in the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts. Constructed in the 1930s, by the same architects who designed New York City’s Radio City Music Hall, the building features a Georgian Revival exterior and exquisite Art Deco interior. The center houses two theatres: the 2800-seat Mortensen Hall and the 908-seat Belding Theatre, where we performed. The Belding Theatre has a gorgeous decorative painted ceiling, and generously uses wood, rich colors and textures. No seat is more than 75-feet from the stage.
The most unique aspect of our performing experience at the Bushnell was the fact that the National Tour of ‘The Lion King’ was performing there at the same time, in the adjacent theatre! Check out the picture of our smaller trailer next to their trailer in the loading dock. While we loaded in our set, the music of their opening number wafted through the air. We got to see many of the puppets and costumes up close, and even had the opportunity to chat with many of their actors and crew. Not only were our backstage areas adjacent, but so were our dressing rooms. One of our performances occurred simultaneously with their matinee show. It was funny to see ‘Rafiki’ in full make-up, talking on her cell phone in the stairwell, as we walked to places. We giggled with excitement as we saw many characters in various states of dress (including naked!) and smiled as we heard their show on our dressing room monitors. Some of their cast was just as excited to see us as we were to see them, and peeked their heads into our theatre to catch a glimpse of our show. Such a surreal experience!
And to top off our 'Lion King' bliss-induced euphoria…we had an opening act for our show – JuggleJoy - two friendly, magical, and yes, juggling clowns. We are definitely moving on up in the world, blog reader.
Ciao!
XOXO-
Janine
From the bitterly cold temperatures of Lebanon, NH, we voyaged back to The Empire State, to Westhampton Beach, NY. Located on the south shore of Long Island, Westhampton Beach is part of the town of Southhampton, and is one of the fastest growing communities on Eastern Long Island. It is considered to be the “First Hampton” in that it was the first village in the Hamptons to begin renting out rooms.
Westhampton Beach is a popular seaside resort and one of the historical summer colonies of the American Northeast. During the summer, I imagine that this coastal village is probably very busy; however, during the dead of winter, it is absolutely barren, with many closed businesses and nary a person in sight. I was surprised that all of our performances were packed when I hardly saw any people on the streets. On one day in our Hampton stay, the weather was so inclement with torrential winds and rain that the emergency alarm system sounded.
Over the course of three days, we performed six full shows at the intimate Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center. This 425-seat theatre was extremely cute, complete with its own Susan Lucci Dressing Room. It seems that Ms. Lucci, who is a resident of the Hamptons, was also a major donor to this theatre in her pre-Emmy days.
Despite its cuteness, the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center had absolutely no wing space and the stage space was small, making all stage traffic and set changes precarious. We were reminded of our days at OCPAC during the first leg of the tour, with its small elevated playing area and minimal wing space.
I finally got antibiotics for my sinus/ear infection and am slowly starting to recover my strength and spirit. Although I am getting used to not being able to breathe, smell or taste food, nothing is more disconcerting than not being able to hear. Imagine performing a musical for six shows while being completely deaf in your left ear and partially deaf in your right ear – AAAGGGHHH!
Next stop – the Bushnell Center in Hartford, CT. Until the next adventure…
Ciao!
XOXO-
Janine
The next city in our ‘Strega Nona’ adventure was Lebanon, NH. Nestled in the Connecticut River Valley in Western New Hampshire, Lebanon has a population of 12,640 and is the home of Dartmouth Medical School. Lebanon is a cute, picturesque New England community, complete with colder New England temperatures and plenty of snow.
Over a period of two days, we performed three shows at the Lebanon Opera House. The Lebanon Opera House is a two-tier, 803-seat venue with a slightly raked stage. Performing on a raked stage with a rolling set is definitely an interesting and exciting experience. Throughout all of our shows, we had to keep an eye of the set, in case it started to roll or move downstage. At one point in our first show, I almost got hit by a runaway trunk following a set change.
During our shows, we also kept an eye on the audience, hopeful that Tomie DePaola, the author of ‘Strega Nona’, would be there. We had been told that there was a possibility that Mr. DePaola might attend one of our New Hampshire shows, as he is a resident of New London, New Hampshire. Unfortunately, he did not attend, but all three of our performances in Lebanon still went well despite my lingering cold, which I fear has now developed into a sinus and/or ear infection.
On our final evening at our hotel, the lovely Courtyard Marriott, our bartender Josephine told us that the hotel had been visited by the Extreme Makeover TV Show and Barack Obama in his pre-presidential days. As I enjoyed a warm bowl of soup and hot cup of tea at the bar, I watched the Hope for Haiti telethon for the victims of the massive Haiti earthquake and felt extremely grateful and appreciative to be where I am in my life. Every time that I am feeling sorry for myself, I remind myself of those in far worse conditions than I am, and remember just how fortunate and blessed I am.
Next stop – the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center in Westhampton Beach, NY. Until the next adventure…
Ciao!
XOXO-
Janine
Isn’t it funny how life imitates art and vice versa? The onstage diva is just as demanding off the stage. The shy, socially awkward, intellectual individual in real life portrays a similar persona in a show. The examples are endless.
And yes…this phenomenon exists in the ‘Strega Nona’ cast as well. To varying degrees, we all share similarities with the characters we play in the show. Take the character of Strega Nona, for example. As the show’s lyrics indicate:
“She celebrates life,
She celebrates living,
She celebrates joy and the simple art of giving,
She celebrates love,
She celebrates laughter,
She celebrates joy, she celebrates love, she celebrates life!”
Much like Strega Nona, I, too, am a celebrant of life, always trying to find the positive and always appreciative of everything. Unwittingly, I have also taken on Strega Nona’s role as counselor, advisor and nurturer. In the play, the citizens of Calabria turn to Strega Nona to solve all their problems and she gladly accepts, often at the expense of her own needs. Similarly, the cast looks to me to help them with their problems, provide guidance and advise them.
Lately, the cast morale has been at an all-time low, and emotional levels are at an all-time high. The touring regime is extremely grueling and exhausting, and many people are overwhelmed by this schedule. It is not easy being away from the comforts of home and loved ones, and waking up day after day in a new location. For several, the experience of touring has so defeated them that every setback that we encounter, no matter how big or small, has now become an insurmountable obstacle, incapable of being resolved. Many of the cast are at their breaking points, ready to snap under the lightest of weights.
Although this is the general feeling that pervades most of the ‘Strega Nona’ cast, it is not a sentiment that I completely share. While I do agree that touring is a very difficult lifestyle, I am extremely happy and grateful to have this opportunity. I have come to embrace this experience with open arms, and see any hiccups that we encounter not as obstacles, but as learning experiences. I guess this attitude comes from being older and wiser, having experienced much and many more difficult situations in my lifetime. In a nutshell, I have learned not to sweat the small stuff, because in the long run, the stress of all that worry does a number on both your mind and body.
Being the empathetic soul that I am, however, I have not been immune to feeling the collective negativity that has hovered over our cast recently. And like my ‘Strega Nona’ character, I have felt impelled to help my fellow tourmates. The other evening, I tried to provide advice to some of my castmates, inciting them to stop worrying about small issues and wallowing in minutiae, and instead divert their energy toward other positive venues, be it reading a book or engaging in physical activity or enjoying the company of a new acquaintance. Acting is a very tough and difficult occupation, and I wanted to impart to them that if they did not develop a thicker skin, and instead let every small thing get them down, it would be very difficult to survive in this profession. Unfortunately, what I thought was a lesson in tough love was misinterpreted as being a judgment filled with spite and hate, and resulted in many tears being shed by my castmates, feelings being hurt and me feeling like a complete idiot. Everything that I had said was not said out of meanness, but love rather, and had I known that it would cause the reaction that it did, I would not have said it.
As a result of this incident, I have made a resolution to myself that I will only play Strega Nona onstage and not in real life. Of course, I will continue to be like Strega in our shared joie de vivre and positive outlooks, but I will no longer try to solve everyone’s problems. It is neither my place nor my responsibility to do so, and as everyone is an adult, they should be able to figure things out on their own. I will continue to lead by example and will be supportive, but will not offer advice or teach life lessons or help them make decisions. Unlike the Strega Nona character, who manages to solve everyone’s problems, including her own, by hiring two helpers, I do not have the luxury of doing so. It's just little ol' me. Why carry the weight of everyone’s problems on my shoulders and neglect my own issues?
It breaks my heart to have to make a resolution like this – I am a nurturer and enjoy helping people and teaching them. However, given the current volatile emotional environment, I feel that this is a necessary sacrifice, both to maintain my sanity and health, and also to maintain the integrity of the show. I must do my best to salvage and preserve what remaining relationships I have left with my castmates; I cannot live in constant worry, afraid that every time I do or say something, it will be misinterpreted or will hurt feelings. In some strange way, I know that my words of wisdom will not be missed. I think that it will be best for me to mince my words, remain silent and keep to myself, so that I will not feel impelled to help everyone, and ultimately, so as not to result in a misunderstanding. From now on, until the end of the tour, the only lessons that I teach will be onstage during a performance.
It has been quite cathartic to get this off of my chest, fellow blog readers, but I definitely feel much better. Now if only I could get rid of this dreaded cold…
Until the next adventure…
Ciao!
XOXO-
Janine
Immediately following our Kupferberg Center show, we drove to the capital city of New York, Albany. Sitting on the Hudson River, Albany is the second oldest city in the state of New York (the oldest being New Amsterdam) and the oldest surviving European settlement from the original Thirteen Colonies. It is named in honor of the Duke of Albany, James II of England (and James VI of Scotland). Duke of Albany was a Scottish title typically given to the younger son of the King of the Scots. I wish that we had had more of an opportunity to explore Albany, as many of the historical buildings that we passed resembled structures that I have seen in Europe.
One of the most prominent buildings of the Albany skyline is The Egg, a performing arts venue that, in fact, resembles an egg. Designed by Wallace Harrison and built between 1966 and 1976, The Egg sits in Empire State Plaza on a stem that goes down six stories to support the weight of the massive inclined building. The venue houses two theatre facilities and was the topic of the They Might Be Giants song, ‘The Egg’.
We performed one show in the 982-seat Kitty Carlisle Hart Theatre at The Egg. The audience was quite full, but it was a trying performance as I could not hear myself throughout the show. Perhaps the elliptical shape of the venue may have contributed to the odd acoustics I experienced during the show…or perhaps it was my cold, still wreaking havoc on my body.
Next stop – the Lebanon Opera House in Lebanon, NH. Until the next adventure…
Ciao!
XOXO-
Janine
Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day! From wet Williamsport, PA, we trekked to Flushing, NY and tried to prepare both mentally and physically for a busy upcoming week. Unfortunately, my cold had not gotten any better and left me feeling sad, homesick and lonely. Nothing is worse than being sick, without the creature comforts of home, in a strange city by yourself. I was definitely bummed when I had to stay at our hotel by myself while the rest of the cast got to venture into Manhattan. Thank goodness our hotel, the LaGuardia Courtyard Marriott, had a nice workout facility and a T1 internet connection, two things to keep me sane and healthy.
The next day was the first of two ‘hell’ days for the week, complete with an early morning load-in at one theatre, two performances, load-out and another load-in at a different theatre. Our first stop - the Walt Whitman Theatre at the Brooklyn Center for Performing Arts in Brooklyn, NY, which opened in 1955. Recently refurbished in 2004, the Whitman Theatre is a beautiful three-tier, 2350-seat venue that features an ornate art deco interior and has been graced by Tony Bennett, Itzhak Perlman and The Beach Boys, among other artists. We performed two sold out shows at this venue. Although I was still sick, I made it through both performances, but unfortunately could not stop sneezing and felt vocally tired.
And our second New York stop? The Kupferberg Center at Queens College in Flushing, NY. We performed one sold-out show the following day at the 2124-seat Kupferberg Center. I was feeling much better this day and the performance was good. I was still disappointed that my first tour encounters with the Big Apple had been hampered by sickness, but was pleased with the performances that I was able to produce despite my illness. If I could make it through one ‘hell’ day while I was sick, I could make it through anything!
Next stop – The Egg in Albany, NY. Until the next adventure…
Ciao!
XOXO-
Janine
After a brief stay in Virginia Beach, we hit the road again, this time bound for Williamsport, PA. Located in northeast Pennsylvania, with a population of around 30,000, Williamsport is the home of the Little League World Series, the headquarter of the ShopVac Corporation, and the birthplace of the national newspaper, Grit. At one time, Williamsport had more millionaires per capita than anywhere in the world.
Upon arriving in Williamsport, my initial impression is that it is a very quiet and sleepy town – at times, it seems like we are the only people in this soporific village. Our hotel – the Genetti Hotel and Suites – looks like it is from Stephen King’s ‘The Shining’, with its ballroom and side-by-side elevators in the lobby. Throughout my stay here, I had the feeling that I would turn a corner and encounter the Grady twins, beckoning me to come and play with them. A bit too creepy for my taste, but comfortable nevertheless…
On our first night in Williamsport, we had dinner at Franco’s Bar, a cozy Italian family-style restaurant decorated with posters for Liquore Strega. The restaurant owner said that the liqueur was from the town from which her family came in Italy. Liquore Strega is a yellow, herbal liqueur from Benevento, Campania, Italy, that has been produced since the 1860s. This 80-proof digestif counts saffron among its 70 herbal ingredients and is often called “The Witch”. With its Strega-inspired decor, I felt that it was serendipitous that we had stumbled upon this restaurant…kismet!
Unfortunately, the dry throat which I had attributed to the cold climate and heating turned out to be sickness. Blech! Luckily, I had an entire 36 hours off before performing in Williamsport, so I spent my entire time holed up in my creepy hotel room, trying desperately to get better. Not the way that I wanted to start the tour off and hopefully, the only time that I will be sick on this leg, fingers crossed.
We performed one show in Williamsport to a small, but appreciative audience at the Community Arts Center on an extremely cold, rainy day. The Community Arts Center is a gorgeous, converted movie theatre that has been in existence since 1928. This 2100-seat, two-tier theatre is a synthesis of ornate Spanish, English and Oriental décor and is one of the top venues on the Eastern Seaboard. Overall, my performance felt off as I was not in the best vocal health and felt mentally dull due to the cold medications. I have got to shake this illness and shake it soon.
Next stop – the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts in Brooklyn, NY, and the Kupferberg Center in Flushing, NY. Until the next adventure…
Ciao!
XOXO-
Janine
From blustery Burlington, VT, we headed south to Virginia Beach. We stayed the night in Rochelle Park, a subdivision of Hackensack, NJ. Everything that I have learned about New Jersey, I have learned from MTV, The Sopranos and Bravo…and sadly, most of what I have learned is true. Although Hackensack is an inner ring suburb of NYC, located 12 miles northwest of Midtown Manhattan, it possesses none of the sophistication or charm of New York.
The following day, we travelled through four states on our journey – New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. I was excited to return after twenty years to Virginia Beach, the place where I spent many a summer in my youth. Located on the Atlantic Ocean and the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia Beach is the most populous city in Virginia. To arrive at this city, one must travel the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel, the world’s largest bridge-tunnel complex. Measuring a total of 23 miles, including approach roads, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel is the only direct link connecting Virginia’s eastern shore with Virginia’s mainland at Virginia Beach. This four-lane bridge is one of the Seven Engineering Wonders of the Modern World, has been crossed by more than 100 million vehicles, and was featured in ‘Mission Impossible 3’. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel even offers a driver’s assistance program, where the police department will arrange for someone to drive a customer’s personal vehicle across the bridge whenever the customer has a phobia of heights, bridges, tunnels, etc. Fortunately, we did not have to make any such arrangements.
In Virginia Beach, we performed two shows (one full school show and one small public show) at the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, a beautiful 1300-seat, three-tier theatre. At our public evening show, we met an eager high school student, who was extremely inspired by our performance. It was refreshing to be able to provide advice for this student as he embarked on his journey toward a career in theatre.
One thing that I am noticing on this leg of the tour is that the cold dry air and overzealous heating systems everywhere are wreaking havoc on my throat. My throat feels like a desert regardless of how many bottles of water I drink. Hopefully, this condition does not persist or this could mean future vocal trouble. Yikes!
Next stop – the Community Arts Center in Williamsport, PA. Until the next adventure…
Ciao!
XOXO-
Janine
Swaddled in our many layers of warm, winter clothing, we journeyed at the crack of dawn from balmy Boston, MA, with its 9-degree F weather, to even balmier Burlington, VT, with its -4-degree F temperatures. Located in Northwest Vermont, on the eastern shore of Lake Champlain, Burlington is the largest city in Vermont. With a population of close to 40,000, it was recognized in 2009 by Forbes Magazine as one of the prettiest cities in the US. It is the home of the University of Vermont and also the birthplace of the Ben & Jerry ice cream enterprise, the band Phish, serial killer Ted Bundy and former Democratic chairman Howard Dean.
Burlington is a very beautiful and idyllic hamlet. The several feet of snow and bitterly cold temperatures only helped to enhance Burlington’s quaintness. We spent one snow flurry-filled afternoon exploring downtown Burlington and its many shops on the Church Street Marketplace.
Over a three-day period, we performed four shows to full audiences at the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts. The Flynn Center is a two-tier, 1425-seat venue with a great local crew (including a wardrobe crewmember named ‘Dragon’) and two sweet resident dogs. Our performances at the Flynn were successful and also unique - for the first time in our adventures out on the road, we had to use one of our understudies. During our voyage from Boston to Burlington, Kevin (our Mayor) came down with a bad case of the flu and his understudy Jen (who is also my understudy) had to fill in for him for two performances. We were on our toes for the shows, trying to cover for lines and set changes, but we made it through. With the cold weather and our exhausting schedule, I am sure that we will probably have to make use of our understudies again, but at least we will be better prepared.
While staying in Burlington at the Holiday Inn, we encountered Mitzie, a wonderful server at the hotel restaurant. During dinner one evening, Mitzie informed Jess and I that 30,000 troops from Vermont had recently been deployed to for their second tour of duty. The Holiday Inn in Burlington hosted a going-away event for some of these soldiers and their families. Mitzie said that seeing these soldiers and their families and knowing all that they would experience in their lives made her realize and appreciate just how lucky she is in her life. Her sage words of wisdom also brought perspective to me, making me realize just how fortunate I am in my life - another great and memorable moment in my Strega Nona adventures.
Next stop – the Sandler Center for Performing Arts in Virginia Beach, VA. Until the next adventure…
Ciao!
XOXO-
Janine
Happy New Year, blog readers! I hope that you had a wonderful and safe holiday season.
After enjoying a seven-week break, filled with friends, family, plenty of rest, good food and lots of exercise, we returned to the road and were Boston-bound. In the week prior to our departure, the ‘Strega Nona’ cast had reunited for a pasta party at our Bay Area producer’s house and a brush-up vocal rehearsal. It was nice to catch up and everyone was certainly brimming with excitement for the next leg of our tour. The 2010 leg of the ‘Strega Nona’ tour is three times as long as the previous part of our journey: 74 performances over a three-month span, in much larger markets and venues. How could we not be excited?
We had a long flight from Oakland, CA, to Boston, MA, making stops in Los Angeles and Chicago. At one point in our journey, we were not sure if we would make it to Boston on time since there was a large winter storm in Chicago. Fortunately, we arrived in Boston safely (and without much delay) and I was able to enjoy a nice bowl of New England clam chowder before retiring to our comfy rooms at the Hyatt Regency Boston.
The weather in Boston is definitely much colder than what we are used to in the Bay Area – highs in the 20s and lows in the teens. It takes twice as long to get ready because you spend all of your time either adding or removing layers and layers of clothing. Long underwear is quickly becoming a welcome necessity and regular part of our daily attire.
Our first day back on the job consisted of our usual routine (load-in, laundry, light focus, etc.), but also included a little sightseeing, a snow flurry or two, a short promenade through Boston Common, a pick-up rehearsal, dinner with our producer, Eva, and a workout at the hotel fitness center. Busy, busy, busy!
Boston Common is a lovely historical 50-acre park, located across the street from our venue, the Colonial Theatre. It is one of the oldest city parks in the United States. The British Army camped there prior to the American Revolution, before leaving for the Battle of Lexington and Concord, and the park was the site of many public hangings until 1817. During our lunch break, my castmate Jen and I visited the Common’s Central Burying Ground. It was very beautiful, yet eerie to see the many tombstones dating from the 18th and 19th centuries, jutting up from the snowy ground. Even eerier, however, was seeing a large falcon perched on its nest in the middle of the cemetery. It was as if this large bird of prey was a sentry for the Burying Ground and all who passed through it, both living and dead.
Our pick-up rehearsal was a bit rough. It is amazing to me how much our minds and bodies are able to retain memory-wise despite a seven-week respite. While we were able to get through the show and maintain most of the lines, moments and bits, the show felt foreign and out of sync to me. Even though I had spent my seven-week break exercising regularly and reviewing my lines on a daily basis, I still found myself running out of breath and searching for my lines – not an extremely settling feeling. In theatre, there is a superstition that if you have a rough last rehearsal, you will have a great opening performance. I hoped that this would be the case tomorrow because I certainly did not feel like it.
My unsettling sentiments were quickly displaced, however, when we went to a lovely Italian dinner at Teatro with our producer Eva. We enjoyed a nice dinner, complete with delicious food, good wine and great theatrical conversation and advice. I left the restaurant feeling invigorated and ready to tackle our impending three-show day.
Located in Boston’s historical theatre district, the Colonial Theatre is the oldest continuously operating theatre in Boston, featuring 21st century technology in a lavishly decorated 19th century setting. The theatre opened in 1900 with a production of the heroic melodrama, Ben-Hur, featuring a cast of 350 people and a chariot race using eight live horses. With its three tiers of 1800 seats, the theatre has played host to many theatrical world premieres, including Oklahoma and Porgy & Bess, and has served as the starting point for many national tours. The roster of performers who have treaded the boards at the Colonial include the Marx Brothers, Helen Hayes, Ethel Merman, George M. Cohan, Orson Welles and Will Rogers, among others. What a groovy and comforting feeling to know that I would be performing on the same stage as many of my theatre idols!
In the course of one day, we performed three shows to packed, appreciative audiences. Although the first performance was still a bit coarse, by the second and third shows, we had finally settled back into the swing of the things. A great opening and great start to the next leg of our tour…
Next stop – the Flynn Center for Performing Arts in Burlington, VT. Until the next adventure…
Ciao!
XOXO-
Janine
