Tag: puppet
Puppet Up Toronto Tour Diary – Day 3 – Opening Night
Yesterday I promised pictures of the lobby and here they are below! As you can see it really seems like the Puppets have taken over! Just the way we like it.
Today was the day of out big premiere. Very exciting. I did wake up with a bit of a scratchy throat so I went to get some tea. Seemed to do the trick. While sitting in my room I heard the sound of a voice talking through a megaphone or some other sort of amplification. I looked outside and right off my balcony, a street naming was taking place. No matter what else happens on the rest of this trip I can always say I was there when Macy DuBois Lane was named.
I spent the time before out 2PM call watching the apple keynote. Some good stuff there but it was all quickly forgotten when it was time to head to the theatre and get to work.
Today was a very tech heavy day. I’d love to say that it all went off without a hitch but our show does have some tech elements that really need to be tweaked. I will say our crew is the best and they take care of every detail. Between tour manager Juliana and production manager Greg, any issue gets squashed. They rock.
Our call was early because there were still some pieces we wanted to finesse and get nailed down even more securely than yesterday. We ran the set pieces and nailed down cues and crosses, tightening things for our opening night.
After a short dinner break it was back to the theatre to get into our ‘show blacks’ for curtain. The show was really great. The crowd had some great suggestions and I believe we paid them off pretty well.
I’m always in awe of my fellow puppeteers. Colleen is just an incredible improviser and it’s always fun to be in a scene with her. Ted is also brilliant and I always look forward to being in a scene with him. Our ‘spot’ scene about two airline pilots was a ton of fun. Michael Oosterom hit the second act opener ‘usher’ bit out of the park. His first time doing it and he rocked it. Same with Peggy who, did a great job with I’ve Grown Accustomed To Your Face. Especially considering the riser she was standing on was placed too far from the rail and she basically did the whole thing on her tiptoes in her giant boots. And Brian Clark is just crazy fun to be on stage with. His entrance as ‘Flamey’ a little ball of fire, in the Puppet Variety Show was hilarious. Totally ‘Hesnon.’
I had a so-so show. Felt a little flat in some of the improvs and Java, while going very well, had a small slip in it that will be corrected tomorrow, for sure.
I got to do the rhyme for the Alien Barbershop tonight and, while I think the joke was a little too predictable, it got a pretty good reaction. The suggestion was: Circumcision.
Now just hold still
And get a firm grip
Because if you don’t
I’ll take more than the tip.
Eh, so-so.
The finale will also need some tweaking on my end as well, to nail down the proper beats. I think, speaking solely for myself, things have been so technical leading up to tonight the ‘fun’ and ‘play’ of doing the show has sort of slipped to the back burner. Now that the tech stuff is nailed down, it’s time to really have fun.
Excited for tomorrow’s show. Excited I get to do this 13 more times. Grateful for every single second.
Ready for tomorrow.
S&US Tour Diary – April 16, 2013 – Ocala, FL
After yesterday’s adventures, the cast and crew seemed ready to refocus and kick a little butt in our show tonight. I woke up after some much needed sleep and then got in touch with Brian Clark, Sean and Tyler and we walked over to a Cracker Barrel that was near the hotel. Cracker Barrel is always an experience.
After a decent breakfast we all returned to the hotel as it was time to pack up our belongings and get headed to the venue. There were several reasons for heading over early. First, is that since Brian was rotating into the show, we wanted to do a little brush up rehearsals. Not that Brian needs it at all, it’s just that there are some technical things that needed to be worked out with Brian now here. Secondly, the show tonight was on the Central Florida College Campus at Ocala and part of the deal was us doing a puppetry improv workshop for any interested students.
The workshop was fun. There were only a few students and they were eager to learn. People love getting the chance to play with puppets and when they are Jim Henson Company puppets, they are super excited. The students worked hard and did a great job. I also feel it was a good experience for me to just go back to the basics when it comes to improv. It’s a good refresher course.
After the workshop we had to return Brian’s rental car which became an adventure in itself. The workshop ended at 4PM and we had rehearsal at 4:30PM. About that time I realized I’d left a show shirt in the closet of the hotel. Then Peggy needed half and half for her coffee. So Brian and I headed out to do all these things AND fill the rental car’s gas tank. We only got two of those things done before we had to turn around and come back for rehearsal.
Rehearsal was fraught with audio issues so we didn’t get nearly the number of things in that we wanted to rehearse. It was then time for dinner and Brian and I headed out again to get the rental car returned. We drove to the sprawling Ocala airport. I say sprawling because the Ocala airport is just one building. One building and a control tower. One building, a control tower and several guys who look to be about 60 or 70 standing around out front with their arms folded. An international airport it is not.
We got the car returned and met our ride back to the venue and it was dinner time. We were running way late but fortunately/unfortunately more audio snafus delayed curtain by several minutes and gave us more time to get ready and set for the show.
The show was great. One of the smaller venues we’ve played on this tour and the crowd was light, especially compared to places like Milwaukee or even Hamilton, but the crowd was great. They loved the show and had great suggestion. The litmus test was the very first scene, New Choice, that Peggy and I did together. Patrick asked the crowd for an activity that the two of us would be doing together and the suggestion was showering.
I immediately thought, “Two people showering together. Hippies trying to conserve water.” So at lights up this is how the scene went…
ME: You know Sharon, showering together is such a great way to conserve water.
PEGGY: You are so right…dad.
HUGE laugh from the audience. We were being wrong and they loved it. Something we were worried about as it seemed the audience was skewing a little older. But again, they were loving it.
So many funny scenes, adding Brian to the mix stirs everything up. He brings a completely unpredictable energy to the show. The Hot Dog scene about a bank robbery was great fun our Noir Scene was wacky. I’ve Grown Accustomed To Your Face went even better, excited to give it a go again tomorrow.
Alien Barbershop was fun. In fact, the whole Puppet Talent Show was fun. The first suggestion was Baton Twirling and Flatulence which became the act Toots & Twirls! Then Peggy and Sean did a great scene as two competing Wilford Brimley impersonators and then the ALien Barbershop suggestions were reproduction and sex. Here’s the rhyme…
I love reproduction and sex.
I think they’re really hot.
The only thing I hate,
Is sleeping in the wet spot.
Yeah, way over the top but the audience loved it.
After the show we welcomed the arrival of our big Sleeper tour bus. A real ‘rock n roll’ style bus with bunks and everything. We had one of these last time we were in Florida and, while most of the cast hated it, I actually liked it. It seemed that this crew that’s currently on the road really embraced it.
It’s a brand new bus and had us riding in style for the three and a half hour trip down to Fort Prince. We made our, now traditional, stop at Wal-Mart to stock the fridge on the bus and then hit the road. The cast and crew stayed in the lounge for an hour or so and laughed and chatted, then one by one people returned to their bunks and the vibe mellowed out. I slipped off to my bunk with about 30 mins left in the ride and enjoyed be rocked in my tiny little bunk by the open road.
I really love being on tour. I love seeing new places, meeting new people and making folks laugh. The ‘End of Tour Blues’ are setting in hard. Only two shows left. I wish it was twenty. Luckily I have the upcoming week in Austin with Leslie Carrara in May. That takes the sting out of things a bit.
S&US Tour Diary – April 15, 2013 – One of the best days ever.
We were up early on Tax day because it was a travel day to Florida. I was doubly excited because there had been rumblings that we may have the opportunity to visit Walt Disney World. It was confirmed late yesterday that we would, in fact, be doing just that. So Monday became Travel/Walt Disney World Day! I was beyond excited.
The flight to Orlando from O’Hare was great. Sat next to an great girl from Winnipeg, Canada on the flight, who works for the Winnipeg Jets Hockey Team. We had a great time chatting about hockey, puppetry, Canada, travel and life in general. It made the two hour trip fly by. No pun intended. Well, maybe a little.
Upon landing in Orlando we made our way to Walt Disney World and met at Epcot and thanks to the very gracious connections of Tyler Bunch we all got complimentary Park Hopper tickets. It was about 3PM. We began in Epcot and went on Spaceship Earth, Test Track and Mission Space. Then we broke for lunch at The Land in Epcot.
Then Sean Johnson, Dan Ring and I went over to Magic Kingdom. We rode Haunted Mansion and then went to my favorite, The Country Bear Jamboree. Right in front of the Jamboree were several characters including Big Al, who I’ve never seen in person. I was, because I’m insane, wearing my vintage Big Al shirt, so I went up to get a picture with him. I then wound up being dragged by Big Al into a big dance circle. There is video. When I get to regular internet, I may upload it.
After my dance debut, we watched Country Bears. I am not a fan of the edits. They seem disjointed and Dan, who’d never seen it, commented that it just felt like a bunch of random songs. I AM grateful they didn’t take it out.
I will make this one gripe, across from the Country Bear Jamboree is a merchandise kiosk called Big Al’s, named after Big Al from the Country Bear Jamboree. In that merchandise kiosk there is not one, not one, piece of Country Bear Merchandise. Not one. Yeah.
Anyway, we then went on Little Mermaid and ended at the Carousel of Progress. We then had to head back to Epcot to meet up with the rest of the group. We did and in another stroke of fun luck, Brian Clark had a rental car so Sean Johnson and I stayed with Brian for two more hours at Magic Kingdom while everyone else went on to Ocala, Florida.
We headed back over to Magic Kingdom and we did that park. This week was just a perfect time to be at the parks. There were no lines. In the two hours left in the day, Brian and Sean and I did Space Mountain, Mickey’s Philharmagic, Big Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, Peter Pan and then, with five minutes left during park operating hours, we ran across and went on Space Mountain one more time.
Then, as we were walking towards Main Street, the lights on Main Street went out and the Main Street Electrical Parade was just beginning. After the parade we had a great meal on Main Street and then headed off to Ocala.
Today was just a great day. Just a fantastic day. Just a great case of perfect timing and it made this amazing tour the best tour ever. Much thanks to Tyler Bunch for his contacts, Greg Bellon, our production manager and Brian Clark for making this day possible.
An unexpected trip to Disney World in the middle of a fantastic tour.
This day will be in the top 10 of my best days ever.
Almost perfect.
S&US Tour Diary – April 12, 2013 – Snowy, Snowy, Wausau, WI
Snow.
Actual snow falling from the sky. That’s the sight that greeted me when I opened up the blackout curtains. I know snow is that big of a deal to most but to a California Boy who mostly stayed in the parts of California that don’t snow, it’s a sight.
I worked out in my hotel room and then, because of the aforementioned snow, I went and ran on the treadmill. I then met p with Dan to walk over to the mall to get a bit of that Subway I had scene the night before. Dan and I had a decent lunch in the Mall Food Court and then struck out into downtown Wausau.
The downtown square area is actually really nice and when you can take it in without running to the next building because you’re freezing you ass off, it’s fun to look around.
I went with Dan to get some coffee and then he went to shave. I walked out looking for some place to get a banana or two for later. I caught this great view of The Grand Theater where we were playing from the opposite side of the town square.
I walked a few more blocks to the Downtown Grocers and picked up a couple bananas. Then, in a brilliant move to undo all the good I’d done by exercising, eating good and walking for a bit, I had a small cup of Fat Elvis ice cream from a little sweet shop next door to the grocery place. Fat Elvis is vanilla ice cream with bananas, peanut butter and chocolate. It was decent stuff. Not sure if eating it while walking back to the hotel in the cold and snow was smart, my hands seemed frozen by the end.
I retired to my room for a few hours before the show where I worked on yesterday’s blog post and gathered my things for when it was time to go to the theatre.
Theatre going time arrived and once we, as a cast, walked to the theatre, I headed out with Peggy and Sean to take some puppet photos in front of the theater. Always a fun time coming up with creative ways to try to help promote the show via social media. SOmeone has to do it and it might as well be us.
Tech rehearsal went of after and went well, except we had a problem with the tech for the ‘Usher Brothers’ bit that opens act two, so that bit had to be scrapped for the night.
Dinner was great, all vegetarian fare. A change from most venues. Stuffed Peppers, steamed carrots, potatoes, it was awesome. The Apple and blueberry pies for dessert were amazing too. Almost made you too full to perform, but perform we did.
Nice big crowd in Wausau, WI. They were pumped and rearing to go. Special shout out to the folks who drove in from Minnesota for the show! Wow! They were Cinematic Titanic fans as well. Very cool to meet them.
I felt my improv was a little off last night, but there were some fun structures where I thought I did okay. The ‘New Choice’ scene with Allan about Curling was fun. I pulled all the curling facts from Jonathan Coulton’s song I could remember. Did a ‘Date Scene’ with Peggy that was decent. And, of course, Alien Barbershop was fun. The suggestion was Chewing Gum.
When chewing gum,
Don’t swallow it.
Or else you will,
See it when you…go to the bathroom.
At the end of the show we got another standing ovation, third in a row, very nice. Then Tyler, Sean and I went to a bar called Malarky’s Pub where two audience members had offered to buy us drinks. I’m, of course, a real cheap date, so my waters with ice didn’t set them back much at all.
Stayed at the bar talking to Sean a bit and then we headed back to the hotel. Had to get to sleep early because there was an early, 7:45AM, bus pick up call to drive on to Milwaukee.