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With our fingers crossed again for good weather and safe travels, we migrated back to Maryland, this time to the city of Frederick. An outlying community of the Washington DC Metropolitan area, Frederick is situated in west central Maryland, and is the third largest area in the state (behind Baltimore and Rockville), with a population of 60,000. Founded in 1745 as “Frederick Town”, it was named for one of three people: 1) Frederick Calvert, 6th Baron Baltimore, one of the proprietors of Maryland (the most likely individual); 2) Frederick Lewis, Prince of Wales; or 3) Frederick “The Great” of Prussia.
Frederick has served as a major crossroads throughout history, playing an important role in the French and Indian War, the American Revolution and the Civil War. Due to its geographic location, it functioned primarily as a market town until the early 19th century, when it also became one of the leading mining counties of the US. It is the home of the Maryland Shakespeare Festival, and also the resting place of Francis Scott Key, author of the national anthem, “The Star Spangled Banner”.
I was excited to be performing in Frederick because I would have the opportunity to see my best friend from high school, Sarma. It had been several years since I had seen her last and I was looking forward to catching up. I was also very excited to see our Frederick performance venue, the Weinberg Center for the Arts. Originally called ‘The Tivoli’, the theatre opened in 1926 as a movie and live performance venue. Although the original theatre was decorated with crystal chandeliers, marble and silk wall coverings, it eventually deteriorated and was flooded in 1976. The theatre was completely renovated and reopened in 1978 as the Weinberg Center for the Arts. Since its reopening, this 1165-seat venue has been dubbed ‘The Jewel of Frederick’.
Unfortunately, immediately upon our arrival to Frederick, eight of our nine tour members, including myself, became violently ill with a NASTY stomach bug. The majority of my two days in Frederick was spent either in the bathroom vomiting, at urgent care, or passed out in my hotel bed. Given our proclivity on the road for eating in restaurants, I imagine that our illness probably resulted from poor food handling procedures at some establishment that we had frequented. I feel like my body has been steamrollered. My body is weak, my voice is hoarse from vomiting, and my diet now consists of chicken broth, saltines, ginger ale and watered-down Gatorade. Not the great start to the Year of the Tiger that I had envisioned!
Fortunately for our group, our Frederick performance, like our other Maryland show, was cancelled due to snow. This cancellation was a blessing in disguise as there is no possible way that anyone in our group could have performed that day in our poor states of health. While I am sad that I did not have the opportunity to see my friend Sarma and perform for her and her children, I am hopeful that there will be an opportunity to do so in the near future.
Next stop – the Schwartz Center for the Arts in Dover, DE. Until the next adventure…
Ciao!
XOXO-
Janine
Happy to be free of our less-than-satisfactory hotel accommodations and eager to be able to perform again, we embarked from Bel Air, MD, and set sail for Ithaca, NY. Founded in 1790, Ithaca was named for the Greek island of Ithaca, home of Ulysses of The Odyssey. It is located in central New York on Cayuga Lake and is the home of Cornell University. Ithaca has served as a small retail and manufacturing center, producing shotguns, clocks and automotive parts. In the early 20th century, Ithaca was also an important center in the silent film industry, producing many cliffhanger serials which often featured the local natural scenery.
Ithaca is one of the most politically and culturally liberal of the American small cities. In June 2008, almost 6000 members of the Ithaca community formed a giant human peace sign, making Ithaca the unofficial home of the world’s largest human peace sign. Notable native residents of Ithaca include actress Mary McDonnell, and authors Alex Haley (Roots), Vladimir Nabokov (Lolita), E.B. White (Charlotte’s Web), Rod Serling (The Twilight Zone) and astronomer Carl Sagan.
Ithaca Commons is the downtown shopping area of Ithaca, an outdoor pedestrian mall with many boutiques and restaurants. Located right off Ithaca Commons was our performance venue - the State Theatre. Originally an auto garage and dealership, the State Theatre opened in 1928 as a cinema and vaudeville palace. Decorated with a mix of Moorish, Gothic and Renaissance motifs, the theatre has 1626 seats and a painted ceiling containing tiny lights that resemble stars. Although we played to a great, packed audience, it felt weird to return to the show after having five days off. Among our vocally enthusiastic audience members was one of my dear college friends, Cheryl, her two children, Ethan and Ivy, and her sister Claire. Cheryl and I used to perform together in Reno, both in college and at local theatres. Check out this picture from when we were in Into the Woods:
It was so good to see Cheryl and her kids! I loved seeing the excitement on their faces and awe in their eyes following the show - there is nothing better than experiencing the show through the children’s eyes. Plus, I felt happy knowing that I made Cheryl’s children the envy of everyone by giving them small pasta noodle souvenirs.
We ended our Ithaca stay with dinner at the Ithaca Ale House to celebrate the birthday of one of our tourmates, Jess, and the start of the Year of the Tiger (my year!) for Chinese New Year. The snow fell softly on sleepy Ithaca Commons as I walked back to my hotel, and I had a feeling that this would be a great start to my new year.
Next stop – the Weinberg Center for the Arts in Frederick, MD. Until the next adventure…
Ciao!
XOXO-
Janine
The morning after the snow storm, we packed our van and headed off to Bel Air, Maryland. While the storm did not drop a lot of snow on Massachusetts, it had dumped almost six feet of snow on the Virginia/Maryland/Washington, DC area, shutting down all roads and businesses in the area as a result. We all kept our fingers crossed during our journey, hoping that we would make it to Maryland in a safe and timely fashion.
Founded in 1856, Bel Air is located in northeast Maryland, north of Baltimore. It is teeming with many retail businesses and restaurants. Two of the most notable natives of Bel Air come from a great American acting family: Edwin Booth, one of the greatest American Shakespearean actors of the 1800s, and his brother, John Wilkes Booth, American stage actor and assassin of President Abraham Lincoln.
Unfortunately, after six hours of our seven-hour long journey to Maryland, we learned that our Bel Air performance was cancelled due to the snow. Since we were almost to Maryland, we continued on to our hotel near Bel Air. I spent my time off enjoying a dinner of Maryland crabcakes, working out, blogging and preparing for an upcoming audition. Fortunately, like our cancelled Lowell shows, our Bel Air performance has also been rescheduled. I hope that the weather does not cause any more cancellations in our schedule. Please keep your fingers crossed for us, blog readers!
I have noticed that ennui and restlessness have settled in among the tour members, especially in locations where we are hotel-bound. TV, reading, and the company of others only manage to occupy our attentions for a brief span of time, and we find ourselves searching for additional outlets of excitement. For some, this stimulation can be found in working on audition pieces, play-reading groups, or the playing of board games; for others, this inspiration can be found in long workouts (my personal favorite) or long soaks in the hotel hot tub (my roommate Jess' personal favorite). And yet for others, this excitement can be found in novelty purchases and the peals of laughter that they generate. We all manage to keep ourselves entertained somehow!
Next stop – the State Theatre in Ithaca, NY. Until the next adventure…
Ciao!
XOXO-
Janine
Riding on a surreal cloud of Tomie dePaola-inspired mirth, we floated toward Lowell, MA. The huge winter storm still had not arrived, but was on its way, set to arrive within the next 24 hours.
Located 30 miles NW of Boston, Lowell is the fourth largest city in Massachusetts, with a population of 103,000. Due to its position at the confluence of the Merrimack and Concord Rivers, it was founded in the 1820s as a planned manufacturing center for textiles. Several businesses and products originated in Lowell, including CVS/pharmacy, Moxie Soft Drink and telephone numbers (Lowell is the 1st city in the US to have phone numbers). Lowell is also the birthplace of several important individuals, such as Jack Kerouac, Bette Davis, James Whistler, Olympia Dukakis and Ed McMahon. With its motto of “Art is the Handmaid of Human Good”, this arts-friendly community has served as the filming locale of several movies, including ‘School Ties’ with Matt Damon and Brendan Fraser, and ‘The Invention of Lying’ with Ricky Gervais and Jennifer Garner.
Our performance venue was at the Durgin Hall Center for the Arts at UMass, a uniquely-configured 900-seat venue. We had a very late load-in at UMass, but unfortunately, did not get the opportunity to perform at this venue. Our two shows were cancelled due to snow (although very little snow accumulated in Lowell), and we got an unexpected day off to rest and relax in Lowell. (On a brighter note, our Lowell shows have been rescheduled and we will be returning in a couple of weeks).
While in Lowell, I participated in my first newspaper interviews with The Connecticut Post and The Delaware State News. While both interviews were conducted via phone, I still found them to be a bit intimidating…let’s hope that my answers were coherent and intriguing!
Next stop – HCC Amoss Center in Bel Air, MD. Until the next adventure…
Ciao!
XOXO-
Janine
From amiable Amherst, MA, we rambled to the capital of New Hampshire, Concord. Situated near the geographical center of the state of New Hampshire, Concord has a population of 42,000. One of the most notable residents of Concord was Christa McAuliffe, the teacher who died during the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986. The weather in Concord was cold and crisp as a huge winter storm was making its way toward the Northeast.
Lately, road weariness and disorientation have set in. I often wake up in my hotel room, unsure of where I am or what day it is. Travelling in the van has become a tedious, but necessary venture, and I find myself wishing that we were at our destinations moments after we have embarked on our journey. Nevertheless, I try my best to keep my spirits elevated and make the most of every opportunity that presents itself.
Our performance venue in Concord was at the Chubb Theatre at the Capitol Center for the Arts, a cute two-tier, 1306-seat theatre. We played two sold out shows to boisterous audiences, and both shows were sharp and brimming with great energy. The highlight of our performances in Concord? Tomie dePaola*, the author/illustrator of over 200 books, including the ‘Strega Nona’ stories, attended our second Concord performance! It was a delight to meet Tomie – he is such a wonderful, charming and radiant individual. He joked with me about how I had lost weight since the last time I saw him and how I had paid for his swimming pool. This was definitely one of the best moments of the tour for all. [*For more information about Tomie dePaola, please visit his website at www.tomie.com.]
Next stop – Durgin Hall at the University of Massachusetts in Lowell, MA. Until the next adventure…
Ciao!
XOXO-
Janine
Following a brief flat tire delay, we hit the road again, this time bound for Amherst, MA. Located 73 miles west of Boston, Amherst, which is also called ‘A-Town’ or ‘The Herst’, has a population of about 35,000. This town is home to three colleges: Amherst College, Hampshire College and UMass Amherst. Amherst is named for colonial governor Jeffrey Amherst, a hero of the French and Indian War, who, according to legend, won Canada for the British and banished the French from North America. He was also infamous for considering the use of small pox covered blankets in warfare against Native Americans.
Amherst is the birthplace of Emily Dickinson, the prominent and celebrated American poet, and Noah Webster, author of the American dictionary. Other prominent Amherst residents include actress Uma Thurman and author Augusten Burroughs. Like most of the New England towns that we have visited, Amherst was bitterly cold.
We performed one show to a packed audience at the UMass Fine Arts Center, an 1800-seat venue with a great local crew who are proud of their theatre. Our performance at UMass was the first show since I have been sick where I have felt physically well enough to perform. Of course, my cold still persists, but I have learned how to cope with it. Sudafed, Sudafed, my kingdom for some Sudafed!
As this was the first show at which R.J. was running sound completely by himself, there were a few sound issues, but nothing that was not insurmountable. I had to improvise and cover a few times, but it kept me on my toes and kept the show fresh. With time, I know that these issues will be corrected as R.J. gets more comfortable with the show, but I always love a good challenge.
While in Amherst, we went to the local Buffalo Wild Wings, where they gave us fitting crowns. We went out to eat one evening with a couple members of the local stage crew. I have noticed lately that we are starving for new social contact and interaction as we spend the majority of our time together. We swarm newcomers voraciously, eager to learn every aspect about them. Perhaps we have learned everything that there is to know about each other or perhaps we have grown weary of each other. I hope that it is not the latter, but increasingly think that this may be so.
Next stop – the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord, NH. Until the next adventure…
Ciao!
XOXO-
Janine
After a brief visit to Peekskill, NY, we returned to New York City, this time to perform at the TriBeCa Performing Arts Center. I love the energy that I felt the instant we reentered the city – this truly is a city that doesn’t sleep, constantly bustling and thriving.
Over the course of two days, we performed three shows at the TriBeCa Performing Arts Center. The TriBeCa PAC is a 913-seat venue located at the Borough of Manhattan Community College. Our shows were well attended, drawing school audiences and public spectators, including our producer, Eva Price, and our booking agents, the Brad Simon Organization.
As I had mentioned in an earlier blog, I had bought a ticket to the NYC Ballet to see ‘Sleeping Beauty’. On Friday night, I treated myself to a delicious monkfish dinner and went to the ballet at Lincoln Center with four others. Our seats were in the Fifth Ring, which meant that not only were they cheap, but they provided the best overall view of the stage. ‘Sleeping Beauty’ was a lovely and beautiful ballet, and the perfect experience to cap off our almost full week in NYC.
Unfortunately, our New York visit ended on a bittersweet note. Our Technical Director/Sound Designer, Craig Freeman, departed the tour after our final TriBeCa performance. Being the ultra-talented individual that he is, Craig was offered a great opportunity on Broadway: the A2 position for ‘A Little Night Music’ (he will be the second to the lead audio person for the show). I know that if I had the opportunity to work with either Angela Lansbury or Catherine Zeta-Jones, I wouldn’t turn it down, so I can only wish Craig the best in his new endeavors on Broadway. Farewell, Craig…you will definitely be missed!
We now have a new tour member, R.J. Romeo, who will be our technical director/sound op until the last week of the tour, at which time Craig will return to the tour for our final week. Because we have spent almost the entire last four months together, everyone on tour is like a family. Like any family, it is difficult to see a family member leave home. And like any family, it is fun and exciting to welcome new members into the clan. I am sure that R.J. will become part of our Strega Nona family in no time.
We waved goodbye to Craig and NYC, and attempted to hit the road for Amherst, MA, but unfortunately, a flat tire hampered our departure. I couldn’t help but think that perhaps it was a sign from the universe, telling us that it was not the right time for us to leave New York City.
Next stop – the UMass Fine Arts Center in Amherst, MA. Until the next adventure…
Ciao!
XOXO-
Janine
