Boston

Wednesday, January 30th

Last Friday evening marked my 400th performance with Spamalot. 51 weeks of Python fun. Good heavens that's a lot of "Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam..."

Boston was been busy, both personally and professionally. Our arrival in Beantown marked the beginning of a period of intense personnel change for the tour. In the coming weeks we will replace a whole bunch of cast members: 2 ensemble women, King Arthur, Patsy, Sir Bedevere & an ensemble man will all be replaced before the end of Florida. Fran Curry (1/3 of Team Wardrobe) said farewell last week and joined the Avenue Q tour. Our Maestro is taking a three month leave. We will welcome a new keyboard player and a new drummer. Our Prop Master is also taking a leave and will be temporarily replaced. Everybody is also gearing up for the beginning of our long stretch of one week engagements. (Monday was my last real day off for roughly the next six months.)

Fran hosted shot night just before she got out of town.

We began rehearsing Jen Rias (who will take over for the charming Amy Karlein) in Boston. Jen is super-friendly and very quick study - both good qualities in a replacement. Amy will, of course, be missed - but Jen seems like a good fit for the Spamily.

When I wasn't rehearsing, I was hanging out with S.O'C. Let's face it, Shannon is rad. I've loved having a friend in town. We've been hanging out in her apartment, sharing meals and playing a bit of guitar hero (at which I am truly dreadful, but improving, and she is a pro). I enjoy her a lot. Sheila Marie and Andy joined us the first weekend in Boston for more hanging out with Shannon.

I made a quick trip home to NYC on the middle day off. (It now appears it will be my last glimpse of home for the foreseeable future.) Sheila Marie had Monday off, so we were able to hang out all day. After taking care of a few things on the "honey-do" list, I relished the opportunity to cook in my own kitchen.

I did do a bit of sight-seeing upon my return to Boston. I took the T over to Cambridge and wandered around Harvard. It's amazing to think that by the time MSU was founded, they had been handing out degrees at Harvard for more than two hundred years. (Not only is Harvard the oldest University in the US, it is also the oldest corporation.) The Harvard campus is exactly how I imagined the prototypical Northeastern College Campus to be: lots of small buildings grouped around a common yard with a church (sporting the traditional New England soaring spire) near the center. It struck me as funny how much Cambridge was like every other college town, though: ridiculous parking regulations, a student ghetto of barely maintained rental properties and an Urban Outfitters.

The Johnston Gate entrance to Harvard Yard

The statue of John Harvard. Tourists rub his foot for good luck - rumor has it that Harvard Undergrads pee on that same foot at night.

Last weekend, Sheila and Andy returned to Boston with Erin and David. We spent the whole weekend hanging out together. We all enjoyed the hearty delights of Jacob Wirth's German food (some of the best potato pancakes I've ever had) and burgers at 21st Amendment (David's favorite place in Boston - across from the Statehouse), but the highlight of their visit was the meal Shannon prepared for all of us. Between the matinee and evening show on Saturday, we kicked the party off with a whole raft of appetizers. They all digested and played guitar hero while I did a second show. After the evening show, we had a late dinner of roast beef, corn on the cob and goat cheese potato au gratin. Homemade meals are so rare on the road, but this one was extra special.

Shannon, Erin, Sheila Marie and David on the steps of the Massachusetts State House

Erin relaxes on the couch with a cider (naturally)

A toast to the hostess

David and Andy take an after dinner nap

While the show left town Sunday night, I hung around Boston for an extra day. Shannon and I declared Monday: "Shannon and Jovon's Historical Adventure Day." We met up for a late breakfast and hit the Freedom Trail. We began with a tour of the Massachusetts State House and hoofed it all the way out to Charlestown and the Bunker Hill Monument seeing all sorts of colonial heritage along the way. We detoured to the Boston Holocaust Memorial which was a lovely tribute to all those who were murdered in the Nazi death camps. On our way home, we wandered the Little Italy of the North End and had a great dinner and pastries.

"The Redcoats are approaching!" JV & Paul Revere in front of Old North Church

Shannon at the Shipyard

S.O'C and JV in the North End

Bright and early Tuesday morning, I hopped the Acela train bound for Providence and load-in at the Providence PAC. I was glad to have Boston as the last stop before the five months of "one weekers" - a place close enough that I could get home to NYC and where my wife and friends could come for a visit as well as a place where I had such a close friend to hang out with.

JV



P.S. - I have finally joined the digital age. One my way home from visiting Cambridge, I stopped off in Beacon Hill and bought a digital camera. Since then, I've been taking lots more photos. Of course, many are here but I've also created a snapfish album of my visit to Boston.