Rather than to create separate blogs for each of our three Wisconsin stops from this week, I have decided to combine them all into one blog. While each destination of our Wisconsin tour was unique in its own way, the overall visit ultimately was not very eventful or exciting – pretty much our same routine of travel, loading in, performing two shows, loading out and driving to our next venue.
Stop # 1 – 3/16/10: Hartford, WI. The first city in our Wisconsin week was Hartford. Located 40 miles northwest of Milwaukee, in southeast Wisconsin, Hartford has a population of 11,000 people and was an early car manufacturing center. Two of the first things I noticed upon entering Wisconsin were the generous spirit of the locals and their delightful accents. The people from Wisconsin are extremely approachable and hospitable. This area seems to be very community- and family-oriented, and it is apparent in the Wisconsinites’ pleasant, helpful demeanors. And then there is that wonderful, almost lyrical accent…how could one not smile after hearing conversations peppered with “you betcha” and “don’tcha know”?
Our Hartford performance venue was in the Knoll Theatre at the Schauer Arts Center. Originally a canning factory from 1918, the center was renovated in 2001. Our theatre had 571 seats and was very cute and rustic, complete with wooden beams. As we were all well-rested, our two sold-out performances in Hartford were solid and strong.
Stop # 2 – 3/17/10: Eau Claire, WI. Happy St. Patrick’s Day! The next point in our Wisconsin journey was Eau Claire. The city, whose French name means “clear water”, was named for the Eau Claire River. According to local legend, early French explorers who had been journeying down the rain-muddied Chippewa River exclaimed, “Voici l’eau claire!” [‘Here is clear water!’] when they arrived upon the Eau Claire River. Nestled in the west central part of Wisconsin, 90 miles east of Minneapolis/St. Paul, the city’s growth was driven for many years by the lumber industry. Its recent economy, however, has been shaped by the opening of a number of plants that manufacture computer hardware. Two famous Eau Claire residents were the advice columnists/twin sisters Abigail van Buren (of Dear Abby fame) and Ann Landers.
We performed two fairly full shows at the State Theatre, an 1117-seat theatre that originally was a vaudeville stage and then a movie house. Built in 1926, the theatre was closed and renovated in 1982, and finally reopened in 1986. Although the State Theatre has a great local crew, this theatre is currently run down and in a dismal state internally. This venue was so sad, dirty and dilapidated that it was very difficult to enjoy my brief time there. Plus, I am sure that the fact that I have now caught another cold and that my bedbug bites have still not healed did not help to improve my Eau Claire encounter. On a brighter note, I was able to savor some great Wisconsin cheese in Eau Claire. Hooray for yummy, fried cheese curds!
Stop # 3 – 3/18/10: Wausau, WI. There are only 13 shows left and 13 days left on tour! The last stop in our Wisconsin week was Wausau, located in the central portion of the state and divided by the Wisconsin River. Settlers were drawn to the area in the mid-1800s and the city derived its name from the Ojibwe language, meaning “a faraway place” or “a place which can be seen from faraway”. As with many Wisconsin cities, Wausau was built around the lumber industry, but is now known for its ginseng cultivation and red granite.
Our performance venue in Wausau was the best of our Wisconsin venues: the Grand Theater, a building of architectural grandeur, elegant surroundings, massive arches and fluted columns accented with gold. Built in 1927, this 1214-seat, three-tier venue features state-of-the-art technology and wonderful acoustics. We ended our Wisconsin whirlwind with two great, filled-to-capacity performances. Following our shows, several of us started to prepare for our return home after six months on the road and shipped some belongings home so as not to be over the airline maximums. Throughout our Wisconsin sojourn, we were fortunate enough to have nice, Spring-like weather and temperatures. Sadly, it looks like this weather trend was short-lived as more snow and rain are in the forecast for the Midwest.
Next stop – Centre East at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, IL. Until the next adventure…
Ciao!
XOXO-
Janine
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