Tag: puppet up
Puppet Up Toronto Tour Diary – Day 10 – Off
Whenever I’m on one of these Puppet Up Tours I am always eternally grateful. I understand there are a ton of people who’d love to be able to do this job and I’m extremely thankful that I get to do it. As such, I do my best to keep a positive outlook on the show and the travel aspect of bringing this show on the road. I look at things like bus rides with half blind drivers and 4 hour bus trips that turn into 7 hour bus trips as adventures. Look, I could be stuck in an office somewhere instead of stepping onto a stage with a puppet on my hand. So, I very rarely complain. I try not to complain at all, again, because I know I’m lucky to be here.
This trip has been great in that after the first day flight, there hasn’t been any travel. It’s been city living. Sure the wifi in the hotel and the wifi at the theatre are spotty, but I’m not here to surf the web. I’m here to do the best puppet improv I can. That’s my job. No complaining.
And this isn’t a complaint. I will simply say that housekeeping here at the hotel, love to do their job. Either that or they get paid by the number of rooms they clean a day because the Housekeeping staff here will not let any Do Not Disturb sign hinder them from doing their job. In fact, if that sign is up, they will call the room just to make absolutely sure you really, really mean ‘Do Not Disturb.’ That is dedication. Again, not complaining. It’s all an adventure.
Speaking of a having a job to do, today was the return to shows! Patrick is a great director and great at changing up who is in what improv and even the improv structures to keep things fresh. He sent out an email earlier in the day listing a few of the changes coming this week and it’s going to make for some really fun shows.
Tonight show was a decent show. The audience had a great time and in the lobby after, they were really complimentary. I will say it wasn’t my best show on this tour. Just off a little. Maybe sleeping in too long today put me in a low key mood. I’m not sure. I started off pretty good with a New Choice scene with Colleen that really did well, but after that I just sort of felt out of it.
For alien barbershop I just could not think of a rhyme. I was trying and trying but I couldn’t think of anything. I finally settled on something and the MOMENT I began singing I came up with another rhyme that would have been better, but by then it was far too late. Anyway, the topic was ‘Setting Things on Fire.’ My rhyme:
I set thing on fire.
I create my own hell.
The flames are so pretty.
(then here I had my alien sniff a little bit.)
What is that smell?
The joke being something was on fire. Ugh. I don’t know, it was poor. The whole rest of the show I just seemed off. Gotta get my head in the game tomorrow, for sure!
After the show, Dan and I went out to the Chinese Dumpling place next door. I ordered Pineapple Chicken and was just not thrilled with it. Ate there twice and officially ruling out a return trip.
That was the adventure of today. Looking forward to tomorrow and to stepping up my improv/puppetry game. And, as always, more than grateful that I get to do this.
Puppet Up Toronto Tour Diary – Day 9 – A Trip To Tacky Town
Today started early with me and Brian heading over to pick up a rental car. We had a quick breakfast at this place near where the Avis was and I got my ‘Canadian Bacon.’ Well, on the menu it was called Peameal Bacon. I had never even heard of it and when I asked about it the waitress said, “Are you from the States?” Uh, yeah. Anyway it was great and I had a pancake with maple syrup as well to complete my Canadian Breakfast checklist.
After breakfast we picked up our rental car and went back to pick up the rest of the gang who were planning to join us. Patrick, Peggy and Colleen hopped in and we were off to Niagara Falls. I drove, because I love driving. Brian had rented us a Ford Flex and I have to say I loved it. It was a really super up model but was really comfortable and hi tech and was fun to drive.
The drive out was short and soon we could see the rushing waters of Niagara Falls. We parked, on the Canadian Side and walked over to the falls. I had seen it from the American side before and I have to say, it’s a lot more impressive on the Canadian Side. We walked along the falls for a bit and then walked back. We had talked about going over to the US side but some dummy, me, had forgotten his passport. So, no go there. I did film a few fun Uncle Interloper vines and Touts. The Tout go featured right away, which was kinda cool. After browsing the gift shop and buy a magnet for my dad and a pencil for a special someone, we were back in the car to explore more.
And then we discovered Clifton Hill. If you’re unfamiliar with Clifton Hill, it is the ‘street of fun by the falls.’ I was instantly, madly in love with the place. To me it was all the best things about America here in Canada! Just every cheesy tourist attraction you could think of. A Ripleys, a shooting gallery, a Ferris wheel, the Crimnals Hall of Fame, an upside down house, the crystal caverns, an indoor water park and a haunted walk through that promised ‘fill your pants fun!’ How could you go wrong?! Well, no one wanted to eat there so we drove down the road a bit to find a place to eat. A brewery type place. Had a salad and rested for a bit and then we decided to head back to Clifton Hill or ‘Tacky Town’ as it was being called.
Brian and I tried out the shooting gallery. The Crystal Caverns attraction had a great animatronic vulture out front that I could have watched forever and there were a ton of great attractions. I really wanted to go into the Criminal Hall of Fame, but no one wanted to wait for me to do so. I also tried to get everyone to take an ‘old timey’ picture but there was a lack of interest. Anyway, it was a ton of fun and I will be back.
We then drove back to Toronto. Great discussions on the way back always fun to learn more about my fellow performers.
Once back in Toronto, it was another round of laundry, this time the show blacks were watched. A really fun day and I will always remember my first trip to Tacky Town.
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.
