One-weeker #8 (of 22): Ruth Eckerd Hall - Clearwater, Florida.
Ruth Eckerd Hall is a weird theatre. The building was designed in a "Frank Lloyd Wright style" - the Guggenheim style, not the Falling Waters style - making it sort of odd-looking (in my estimation). The auditorium is also odd: like the Civic Center in Des Moines, Ruth Eckerd Hall looks like an indoor amphitheatre. There is no balcony and its 2,180 seats are arranged in the continental style (with no aisles). The result is an ocean of teal green seats arrayed before the stage. It does seem, though, that this arrangement results in a better audience reaction: both in Des Moines and in Clearwater, the audience reaction was enormous.
The exterior of Ruth Eckerd Hall
View from the back of the house
We welcomed another new cast member in Clearwater - Bree Branker will replace the retiring Julie Barnes. In addition, we welcomed our new drummer: Paul Hannah took the sticks from Lee Appleman. This period of intense personnel change will continue for a while; the next week without a new person scheduled to rehearse is in Appleton, WI - the second week in MAY. Of course, new people mean rehearsal, but I was lucky enough to draw rehearsal duty on only one afternoon!
Monday and Tuesday were, per usual, taken up with load-in and opening night. Our traditional load-in lunch was a welcome distraction, though. Team Spamamanagement all eats together during the lunch break on Tuesday. This week, we retired to Ken's hotel for lunch: the Safety Harbor Resort and Spa. As Spring Break-y as other parts of Florida are at this time of year, Safety Harbor was not. It's a cute little town on Tampa Bay. The Resort sits on the site of four natural springs that were once reported to have healing powers. The springs were "discovered" by Hernando de Soto and named "Espiritu Santo Springs" in 1539 (of course the native Indians had been around the springs for centuries). Since then, the springs have been capped and bottled and the lure of Aveda products is as strong as that of the healing waters. We enjoyed a tour of the place and a nice alfresco meal with Ken's boyfriend Geoff.
Geoff, Ken, Karl and Francesca enjoy their after-lunch ice cream
Ken points out that Tampa is just across the bay!
Wednesday I resumed my Spring Training Tour with a trip to St. Petersburg. Progress Energy Park is home to Al Lang Field and the Tampa Bay Rays (nei D-Rays and Devil Rays). Fun-fact: the Rays are the only team to train in their home town. Scott, Cuz, Vera, Roy, Angela and I all made the short trip to see the Rays take on the Phillies. Al Lang Field has hosted spring training baseball since the Philadelphia Nationals took the field in 1916. 2008 marks the last year for this venerable park, the Rays plan to knock down the current field and replace it with a new home for the perpetually cellar-dwelling team (the Rays have finished in last place in the AL East in all but one season of their existence). The place was full of both Rays and Phillies (who train in Clearwater) fans making for a fun afternoon. The Rays were 3-1 winners in a game where the wind kept pop-ups interesting, but kept everything inside the park.
Progress Energy Park with Tampa Bay in the distance
Wednesday night was Spamily poker night. The game was a big one this week with a dozen of us gathered around tables in a hotel room (sitting on chairs, end tables and the bed!). Bless Graham for continually organizing these games - we've been talking about a regular game nearly as long as I've been on the tour, and Graham's making it happen. The games also continue to get more fun. Everyone's a good sport and the competive spirit seems to be at about the right level for a friendly game. Though I finished just out of the money in our little tournament, I did draw an amazing hand:
Thursday was originally scheduled to have a full company rehearsal. Spamalot's choreographer, Casey Nicholaw was meant to come see us in Clearwater and brush-up the show and our host of new performers, but a spring-time cold kept him in New York and freed me up to see another spring training game! Thursday I drove a few miles north to see the Toronto Blue Jays in their spring training facility, Knology Park, play host to the twenty-six time world champion New York Yankees. Knology park is a great little ballpark (when the Jays and their Florida league team are out of town, the Dunedin High School team plays at the park). Of course, the Yankee fans and the Jays fans don't share a lot of lost love and the crowd was about evenly split (the Yanks train across the bridge in Tampa). Only about half of the boys in pinstripes made the trip, meaning I didn't get to see Posada, Jeter or A-Rod, but I did get to imitate Godzilla crushing Tokyo and see Damon make an amazing throw in from left. Joba Chamberlin threw a ten pitch, three strike out inning late, but the story of the game was really Ian Kennedy's awesome starting pitching. The Yanks beat-up on the Blue Birds 7-2. (The much hated Vernon Wells didn't play the field, but took one at bat; which was just the opportunity I needed to remind him that, in the words of Mike Gugliotti: "Vernon, you SUCK!!!")
Knology Park - Spring Training Home of the Toronto Blue Jays
Thursday night the company threw a farewell party for Lee Appleman. Lee has been the Spamalot Tour drummer since the days of the rehearsal studio. He's been an integral part of the Spamily since long before I joined this traveling circus. Even though most of us rarely see Lee (the vageries of backstage layouts and the nature of musicians being in a pit) his energy is keenly felt each and every show. The party was held at a bar cleverly named "O'Boobigan's". It can best be described as and Irish bar and a Hooters mashed up. The waitresses wore tight tank tops and short shorts while they poured Guinness and whiskey. In the days leading up to the party, all one had to do was say the word "O'Boobigan's" to get the company laughing (the word may have even made it into the show on Thursday night...) and the party itself lived up to the hype. We toasted Lee (with Irish Car Bombs, of course) and many people had their picture taken with Crawdaddy (the crazy keyboard player who also played the show in Fort Myers). We also cleaned out the bar's stock of t-shirts...
Vera models the O'Boobigan's tank top
On Friday, I could no longer avoid rehearsal. I took the opportunity to, finally, finish up my West Palm blog and to share a meal with the Wardrobe crew. They were all in for an afternoon work call and fitting session, so our dinner breaks aligned. On the way to our load-in lunch on Tuesday, I noticed a barbecue joint tucked back on one of the side streets in Safety Harbor. Brady's Backyard BBQ is obviously a labor of love. The staff is all family members of the owners and the restaurant came from friends urging the owners to take their backyard barbecues pro. All the meat comes from the smoker and all the seating is at picnic tables. Of course, I enjoyed it. I ordered a half-slab of meaty baby back ribs along with some corn pudding and greens - delicious. Oh yeah, the company was pretty nice too. Team wardrobe had me laughing and smiling throughout the meal.
Friday night I sat outside the Candlewood with a bunch of the crew boys and drank a few beers while they grilled (I couldn't face anymore ribs) and I waited for my laundry to cycle through the washing machines. Hooray, for the free laundry at the Candlewood hotels. It's no small amenity when you're traveling all the time to be able to wash your clothes at midnight.
The rest of the weekend flew by (as it so often does) and now I find myself in the shadow of the Mouse in Orlando awaiting the arrival of my wife!
The customary album of photos can be found here with a special album of O'Boobigan's photos here.
JV
1 comment:
You- "Vernon, you SUCK!!!"
Me- "And you seemed like such a nice boy."
Good times, good times....
Paddy-Mom
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