Wednesday, March 7, 2007

My One Month Anniversary

My One Month Anniversary
Wednesday, March 7th

Yesterday marked my one month anniversary with Spamalot. (It was also my 33rd show, but who’s counting). Four cities (Naples, Memphis, Atlanta and now Baltimore) that couldn’t have been more different. A great group of new people. A really fun show to go and do every night. All that’s missing are my wife, dog, cats, apartment and all my NYC friends…

Thus far, I’m really digging my life on the road. The whole company of Spamalot has been very welcoming right from the start. Many folks have really made an effort to include me in group activities and make me feel at home. The crew has really looked out for me and helped me learn the show. Everybody seems to be having a good time backstage. Moving the show is a crazy thing, but everybody does their part, we get through that first night and it’s always better the next night. (Heaven help me, I sound like Paul Allan. But, trust me; it’s not like opening a show at Gateway in each new city.)

One night last week, things had calmed down sufficiently backstage that while Ken was calling the show, Francesca and I were each able to spend an act away from the deck. I took the first act “off” and went out into the house just to enjoy the show. I had a lot of fun watching everyone up there on stage and really got to appreciate the show. I hadn’t seen the show, except from the wings, since that first night in Naples. In Naples, I was watching the show, trying to absorb everything. While I really enjoyed it then, I had a lot more fun watching the first act in Atlanta. Now that our rhythms are a little more settled, hopefully I’ll have the chance to see parts of the show more often.

Things went relatively well last night for our opening in Baltimore. Stage Left, where I teach the show and spend the first several nights, appears to be a retirement home for stage hands. Of my two SL carpenters, the younger of the two appears to be 65. The two of them crack me up! They’re both about deaf, so their conversational tone is pretty loud, even when they’re standing right next to one another – not exactly what you want backstage! I did make one major faux paus last night: I wandered out on stage in the middle of a scene. While Dennis and his mother where telling Arthur about their autonomous collective, I was looking for the Lady of the Lake and forgot there was no masking behind the castle and just sort of walked through their scene… Whoops. Callie, our Dance Captain, was out front taking notes and totally busted me at intermission. The whole male ensemble spent Act II asking me if I’d care to join them on-stage for a number. That said, I felt like I was much more aware of the crews’ cues last night and did a much better job of teaching them. It will go better tonight – and I won’t make an appearance on stage.

I'll wrap up with some photos from Justin's Going Away Festivities (thanks to Francesca for the pictures!)

:
Darryl acted as M.C.
He and the "Corn Hos" make their entrance. The girls are still in their husks...

The "Corn Hos" performing to Jimmy Crack Corn
Angelina, Siobahn, Piper & Amy

Attacking Justin w/ creamed corn. Yum!

Angelina, Siobahn, Justin, Piper & Amy

The Spamily invades the Savoy.
That's Robert (Sir Robin) toasting the camera.

JV






2 comments:

SME said...

Looks like you've started a new sort of blog here...

S.O'C said...

two words: oh dear.