Let's Make This Snappy

It is 10:30pm on Tuesday evening, and I'm on my couch watching Conan and wishing I was already asleep, but of course, I did promise to keep up with this blog this time, so here we go!

Yesterday was the travel day I've been dreading ever since I started touring. Nothing, just nothing was going our way. I finally headed to bed about 4am with Father of the Bride Part II in the background. I laid down just as it was starting, and it was a daunting thought that by the end of the movie, I would need to be at the airport! After about an hour of sleep, I woke up, showered, grabbed my bags, and headed outside to catch a cab. You know what I found out there? SNOW. WTF New York. Ugh, I'm so over it.

The airport was packed, which was super annoying see how it was 6:15am. Where are these people going? By the hoards of ski bags that were blocking everyone's way to the ticket counter, it appeared to be a very big ski weekend. In any case, after finally checking my bags and getting through security, I hopped on my plane that was scheduled to leave right on time.

I settled into my super squished in window seat on our packed plane, and the pilot said it would just be a quick 10-15 min while they de-iced the plane. Great. Well, flash forward to a quick 1.5 hours later, and we are still. at. the. gate. Miserable. But, finally, we took off and arrived uneventfully in Chicago.

I ran to my connecting gate to watch my plane pull away. Awesome. Thankfully, I had thought this might happen, so I had booked another seat on a later flight while we were lining up to get off the first plane. Just for fun, I walked over to the flight between the one I missed and the one I was booked on, only to be told there were 88 people ahead of me. Apparently, most people would like to travel to Minneapolis in a gigantic blizzard.

No matter, there was a Chili's right in the terminal, and you know I love my chain restaurants, so I had some lunch and spent some quality time with my brand new amazing Kindle.

Finally, it was time to board my second flight, which also, was leaving right on time. After a quick de-icing. SERIOUSLY??? A "quick" 2 hours later, we were a full plane of hot, miserable, overly-tired passengers (or at least I was. Also the baby in the back row of the plane). About this time, I started receiving emails and phone calls from 4 other company members who had all been stranded in Chicago upon their arrivals as well.

What happened next? Did we arrive in Minneapolis? Am I still stranded in Chicago? Stay tuned!

Stage Manager Update

My stage manager has now landed in Minneapolis, shockingly, right on time. I mean on time for her flight we had to rebook last night when Expedia switched her itinerary from New York > Milwaukee > Minneapolis to Milwaukee > Minneapolis > next day > New York > Milwaukee. I mean, seriously, how did that happen? It took three of us almost an hour and a half of being on the phone with various entities involved in this flight booking to correct that situation.

I love being back on the road!!

On the other hand, here on Crescent Street - complete chaos!!

I promise it's all CLEAN laundry. Note: how yellow does my room look here? Insanity.

I'm currently remedying this situation with the help of my friends Pandora and Merlot. Thanks good buddies. My flight is at 7am tomorrow. Wish me luck that I don't miss my 4 alarms + car pickup at 5:30. Whew. It's going to be a long night.

Konnichiwa Tokyo

Hey Blog Fans - anyone? anyone? Doubtful, since it's been, oh, I don't know, a YEAR since I updated this blog. No matter, I'm back and ready to blog my latest adventure which has me and a traveling company of 54 headed to Tokyo next Sunday. Then, once we arrive, or company will take on a Japanese children's chorus of 42, making this almost 100 person company about 4 times larger than any company I've ever managed before. Rock on! Thankfully, I have my trusty ACM Katie to make sure I don't screw up too much.

My quick 2011 recap has Rock of Ages closing on January 9th. Rest assured rock fans, it will reopen at the Helen Hayes in March, but Tracy and I are both off to new company management adventures. She has moved over to the very fancy, very Broadway company of the Addams Family, and I am heading to the Ordway Theatre in St. Paul tomorrow morning where my gigantic company of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat will be starting rehearsal on Tuesday.

Oh, if we can all get through this mess...

thanks weather.com for the image - and the logistical nightmare

Um, yes, that bright purple spot on the map is directly where nine of my company members are headed at various times over the next 24 hours. Including me, with all their contracts and passports. So, say a travel prayer for all of us. It looks like it could get a little messy. Also is making packing a nightmare. Thanks nature.

In any case, our advance choreographer is already gearing up for the first children's rehearsal tomorrow, and my stage manager, is at least at the start of her trip. She's been delayed for about 2 hours, and I'm just praying that's as bad as it gets. 

So, stay tuned, where I promise, at least for the next 3 weeks to stay current with my blog, including many pictures of how I will be the tallest person in Tokyo.

Lady Antebellum

Lady Antebellum debuted their new video for "American Honey" on Oprah.com this morning. I ADORE this song, and this video makes me want to hop on the next plane out of NYC bound for the sunny South. Which, of course, is the point of the video. Well played Lady Antebellum.

Anyway, check it out and let me know your thoughts.

Lady Antebellum - "American Honey"

Wordless Wednesday

My favorite picture of my grandparents Mary and Dick Evans. So classy.

Joyeuse saint Valentin (un peu en retard)

Ok, I know it's a little past Valentine's Day, but I just simply cannot resist. Please enjoy this video of the adorable Capucine. My favorite French girl in the world. Note the eyes around :14.

My Valentine from Capucha on Vimeo.

Capucine's Valentine has blond hair, is cute and has a nice name. They met in a train in the courtyard. But some girls attack him just because they want to kiss him. Whatever. Happy Valentine's Day! :)

I have a soft spot in my heart for France and Valentine's Day, as it was on that day 10 years ago that I arrived first at Charles de Gaulle Airport, then at the Gare de Dijon for my 6 month long French adventure. I really need to dig up some of those photos and scan them in. I can't believe it's been that long!!

Grace has Bob's dead wife's heart!

That's right folks, two days in a row. It's a miracle! Anyway, I'm lounging around enjoying this beautiful President's Day morning. I have to go into the theatre tonight, but having two days in a row off when you work in theatre seems like an eternity!! I've been doing the theatrical schedule for so long now, that I really don't mind having just one day off. Though, I must admit that now that there are two of us CMs, the fact that we can switch off so we each get a weekend day AND Wednesdays off, I feel like I'm living the company manager glamour life.

Anyway, this morning found me enjoying the last of my almond coffee (thanks Mom!) and watching the end of Cheaper by the Dozen. A movie, that without fail, I cry at the end of every. single. time. I mean, come on! Steve Martin - a family favorite. And Bonnie Hunt. I fully believe that if you turned any woman in my family into a movie star, that movie star would be Bonnie Hunt. I've never seen a movie of hers that I didn't enjoy. Ok, maybe Jumanji. But seriously, love. her. Anyway, that reminded me of one of those wonderful days off that I happened upon her talk show. She had some random dr. life your best life guy on, but before she introduced him, she shared this story:

I'll give you a moment to compose yourself! Is that not the GREATEST story ever? I wanted to call Bonnie Hunt and tell her that I literally could not stop myself from crying OR from wanting to be her best friend. After my dad passed away (also suddenly. also from a heart attack.) Mom, Em, and I watched Return to Me approximately 30,000 times. It's such a sweet movie, with the funny Chicago/Midwest/Irish humor that helped us get through the difficult times. We loved the quote that she mentioned in the video "It's the character that's the strongest that God gives the most challenges to. Now you can take that as a compliment." Genius. We watched it again this Christmas with Nick's family, post-second robbery. And almost 10 years later, it STILL helps cheer us up!

Anyway, just felt like I should share that with the masses. I have found myself telling people similar stories about a greater power pulling the strings of my life, especially around that time. Sometimes, it's just a good reminder.