Puppet Up Toronto Tour Diary – Day 8 – Matinee
Ah the life of a big time puppeteer on the road. Today I got to do what, I’m sure, you’re all imagining we do on our downtime…laundry. Yes, today was laundry day. The excitement never ends.
It continued my love affair with Canadian Money. It is funny to me that Canadian Money is so different from american money. Our money seems dull and boring while Canadian money reminds of money you’d see in a sci-fi film as currency from an alien world. “I’ll pay you 15 Klurbuts for that.” and then you hand over a few slips of plastic covered paper. When we’ve gone out to eat, I often feel bad leaving Canadian money just because I feel like it’s not really paying. Of course it is, but I get the feeling I’m dining and dashing and just leaving colored slips of paper behind.
Anyway, this morning I’m at the front desk with two golden coins asking for dollar coins because, obviously they are gold so they much be two dollar coins and the desk clerk is looking at me like I’m an idiot. Of course, the golden coins are dollar coins. Duh.
At any rate, laundry was done.
The cast has discovered Kinder Eggs. We don’t have them in the states, presumably because our kids are stupid and would try to eat the toys. We’ve been enjoying the eggs and the toys inside backstage.
Today was our final show before a day off and it was a Sunday matinee. The audience was fantastic and the suggestions were great. Patrick also mixed up the casting a bit so we were all thrown into scenes we aren’t normally in and I think that helped make for a great show.
Michael and I got to start the show with a scene about a colonoscopy. Can’t get much better than that. Some great scenes in today’s show and it was cool knowing there were some friends in the crowd too! Brian K. and Ceris, both huge muppet fans, were there and it was great talking to them after the show.
Alien Barbershop was an odd one. Just a completely different type of suggestion than we normally have. The suggestion was: Training Fleas. So my rhyme was:
Oh, training fleas,
Is a tough road to hoe.
If a dog comes by,
He’ll steal the show.
It got an okay laugh for such a corny old joke. Other fun bits today featured a fantastic date scene, an amazing audience participation bit and a great round of play and understudies.
After the show, I cleared out my stuff from our dressing room so I could do more laundry (huzzah) and because we wouldn’t have access to the backstage until Tuesday night before our next show.
After getting back to the hotel, Dan and I went to a all you can eat Indian food buffet. Yeah, I may have been bitten by that bug. Don’t mind so much. It’s good. Should have tried it sooner.
After that it was home to retire to bed early because tomorrow we’re off to Niagara Falls. Look for fun pictures from that.
For not I’ll leave you with this picture of the Walk symbol from the Canadian crossing lights. To me he just looks like a really happy guy who’s excited to be going wherever he’s off to.
Puppet Up Toronto Tour Diary – Day 7 – Two Shows In One
Those morning I was up late because, again, I couldn’t sleep. Just not really adjusting the time change. I rousted Brian at about noon and told him to meet me in the lobby to go to lunch at 1PM.
Today we had two shows, a 4PM matinee and an 8PM show which meant we had to be at the theatre by 3PM. Brian and I struck out at 1PM for a place called The Stockyards. It came up in a search for barbecue joints and was highly rated. We took a cab there because the place 3.5 Miles away (I know, I know I’m in Canada, I should figure out the kilometers). Not un walkable but in two hours….yeah, so cab it it was.
The place was really great although it’s not really a true barbecue joint. It’s more of a Southern American place and they have barbecue dishes. That being said, the food was fantastic and we knew we hit on someplace special because the place was packed full.
Puppet Up Toronto Tour Diary – Day 6 – Stuck In An Elevator
For me, one of the perils of being away from home and in a different time zone is that my sleep patterns get really messed up. Last night was probably the worst since being here in Toronto. I was up well past four. Just couldn’t shut off my brain and go to sleep. Of course 4AM here is only 1AM west coast and I’m usually up that late as it is. Still it’s rough to lie there, wide awake, hoping for sleep.
I did get up a little after noon, so I did sleep somewhat. I have come to accept the fact that I’ve come down with some sort of travel bug. Scratchy throat. Cough. Sniffly nose. My voice is a fe octaves lower than normal, but at least I still have it. I seem to hit low notes in the show’s songs much better now though. For the past few days I’ve been drinking tea like crazy and that will continue. Didn’t to much during the day other than hang out in the hotel room, write a little, listen to music and just relax.
About an hour before call I met Dan and Brian for another dining adventure. Last night it was pan fried dumplings (which I worked into last night’s show). Tonight we tried and indian restaurant right next door to the theatre. Having never had indian food before I have to say…I LOVED it. It was so good and I will, for sure, be going back before we leave.
Tonight’s show was a really great show and really defined the word improv. To get to the stage we’d been taking an elevator. Moments before showtime, a stagehand was coming down to pick us up and the elevator got stuck! There was to be no using it at all. Our options became, go through the audience or out the back alley of the building to the stage. Needless to say, there’s a lovely alley behind the building.
The crowd was fantastic tonight and there were some really great scenes. There was a Shakespearean scene that Michael, Peggy and Brian were in that just killed. It was one of those scenes where you’re watching going, “I want to be in this scene! It’s so good!” Just really fun.
The Alien Barbershop suggestion was Proctology. The rhyme I came up with was:
My doctor’s finger
Is inside me
But I don’t mind
He’s doing it for free
Got a good laugh from the crowd. During the puppet variety show, of which the barbershop is part, Colleen does these amazing intros and just when you think she’s lost her mind, she wraps it up beautifully and introduces the act. They are truly things of beauty.
Before the finale, there were some tech issues and Michael and I began imrovising as these two new giant Monk puppets that are part of the finale. It was something we did as a goof during rehearsal and suddenly we were doing it for a packed house. They were very generous with Theo and Lonius (the Monks) and their really bad jokes. Soon the tech gremlins were smashed and we were on our way with the finale.
Now, it’s off to bed! Two shows tomorrow! I can’t wait. I love doing this show and tomorrow I get to do it TWICE! Huzzah!
Puppet Up Toronto Tour Diary – Day 5 – TV!
Before I tell you the story of today, I have to tell you about my fellow improviser, Brian Clark. Brian is just a great guy who embodies fun wherever he goes. He’s a true friend and can always be counted on to come up with a crazy idea in an improv or in just normal, day to day, conversation.
Yesterday, Brian got it in his head that we should have a Puppet Up Pool Party at noon at the hotel’s indoor pool. He was very insistent that everyone attend, so last night I knew if I did one thing today it would be to be at that pool party.
I was up early at 7AM this morning because I had to meet in the lobby at 8AM to go do a quick television spot to promote the show. I met Julianna in the lobby and we were off. By 8:20AM I was in my mic and we were on the streets of Toronto to shoot this quick 90 second spot. I was extremely happy it was only 90 seconds as it was COLD and I couldn’t wear my heavy jacket because the sleeve wouldn’t fit into the puppet!
The piece went great. I’ll try and find a copy of it online. It was short and just basically got across the info of the show. The interviewer, Rosey Edeh, spent most of the time talking to the puppet which is, actually, the best compliment you can pay a puppeteer.
At about 8:45AM I was back in my room and I crawled back into bed to catch some sleep before the Pool Party.
I woke up and looked at the clock…12:45PM! Yikes! I was late! I donned my suit and dashed downstairs and, luckily, the ‘party’ was still in full swing. Spent about 230 minutes or so swimming, then a quick hop in the sauna.
Later that afternoon, I explored Toronto a bit. Had lunch, which included French Fries with Gravy and explored a bit more. Then back to the hotel to chill a bit. Around 4:30PM Brian, Dan RIng and I went and had some dinner right next to the theatre and it was showtime!
Another great show tonight. The theatre was packed with very few empty seats and the audience was fantastic. We actually got a standing ovation.
(Patrick & Greg)
(Julianna & Amanda our Puppet Wrangler)
Some great scenes tonight. A Manners Movie about the dangers of walking and texting, A Bedtime Story called: Shopping At Ikea a.k.a. The Diarrhea Monster (that’s what the audience wanted), the climactic scene from a play called The Menstruation Proclamation (again, the audience wanted it) and a fantastic date scene.
Alien Barbershop got a good laugh. The topic was Government Shutdown. My, wordy, rhyme was:
The Government’s Shutdown
The Senators aren’t working today,
But nothing’s really changed
They never work anyway.
Had another good run at Java as well. Still trying to nail down certain beats, but I’m getting better at it. I think doing Java may be my new favorite piece above Alien Barbershop. It’s just really an honor to be in that piece.
Lots of fun in the lobby after the show meeting the audience and posing for pictures with the puppets. After the show it was back to the hotel to write the words you’re now reading.
I’m truly lucky to get to do this and I’m thankful for every minute. I never want it to end. Now we head into our weekend shows including two shows on Saturday. I can’t wait!