Bring on the Allies to hear the news...

Welcome back loyal readers. I've gotten a lot of flak for not updating this blog in a while. It is sometimes difficult to get online for a decent amount of time. I will zoom through this entry as there are many cities to recap. Please excuse any grammatical errors due to hastiness.

When last we left our hero...

Opening night in Columbia, South Carolina went extremely well. There were a number of technical glitches that were worked out and the audiences went through the roof. Unfortunately, the backstage screwiness was part of a trend of lack of leadership. Upon arriving in Sarasota, our next stop, the technical director, Larry, was let go. The assistant TD, Pizzi, was promoted and a new girl, Kate, was brought in to be the flyman. As Larry was my roommate, I am now sharing with Bevan, 2nd audio. It's been a fantastic deal however since the crew leaves every city the night before to load into the next theatre. Therefore, I have the hotel room to myself on the last night at no extra charge. It's the little things...

Sarasota went very well. I got to see some familiar faces from the production of "Putting It Together" I did recently at the Players Theatre. My steadfast roommate, Colin B., also got to see the show twice, once from the pit. Ask him what that's like. I actually stayed in my apartment in Orlando and commuted to Sarasota the whole weekend which was lovely. I had alot of errands to run and loose ends to tie up as I had not been in town since last May. The highlight truly had to be a trip to the Hamptons (IHOP) with Matt S., Colin B., Kevin K. and "cabaret host extraordinaire" Luerne.

I've had my car so far on the tour and was planning to drop it off in Orlando and then travel with the company. The Monday following the Sarasota weekend was a travel day to North Charleston, our next city. I decided to stay in Orlando to finish up some more errands and then rent a car back to South Carolina to join the company. The rental car situation was a mess to say the least. So I said F*** it and kept my car. We would be crossing Pennsylvania in a few weeks and I could drop it off at my parents house. More on that later...

Charleston was fine. More great audiences. Our hotel wasn't very close to alot of things to do, but it had a lounge. Which brings me to the newest feature on this blog:

BAR WATCH
North Charleston, South Carolina
Ramada Inn Lounge

Next on to Greensboro, North Carolina. Again, not in the heart of the entertainment district by any means, but more great houses and great performances. Eat your heart out PBS. One of the most exciting things that happened here would be Jason A., our violinist, falling in the pit and spraining his ankle. He was taken to the hospital, missing the matinee, and returned with crutches and a knee the size of a coconut. But he was back pizzicato-ing full force for the evening show. Because of the lack of comfort on our bus, he also started riding with me in the car between cities.

BAR WATCH
Greensboro, North Carolina
Strip Club: Chester's (that's right)
Gay Bar: Warehouse 301

The next stop was in Zanesville, OH, but only for a stopover. No show.

On to Fort Wayne, IN. Staying in a beautiful Hilton Hotel that is connected to the theatre, a beautiful old vaudeville house. Found out here that my roommate, Bevan, is leaving as well, but not for a little while. I am the curs-ed one. (That's two syllables: curs-ed)
We wouldn't have thought it possible, but the audiences here are outrageous, getting every little fast-paced joke.

BAR WATCH
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Gay Bar: After Dark (in honor of National Coming Out Day) not as sketchy as the name implies.

Next stop South Bend, Indiana. Home of the Fighting Irish, the College Football Hall of Fame and the South Bend Chocolate Company's Chocolate Cafe. Luerne, where are you?!! The homemade hot chocolate with homemade whipped cream....where was I?
So where do you go out when you're in the home of the Fighting Irish?...

BAR WATCH
South Bend, Indiana
Fiddler's Hearth: A fantastic, traditional Irish pub with great drafts, and an absolutely amazing Irish band.

We then head to Lima, OH. That's Lie-ma, not Lee-ma. Lee-ma is in Peru. Lima was our first one-nighter. We load in, we show, we load-out. Ugh. But it went well and yet again the audience is on their feet. I did not spend the night in Lima, but drove to Indianapolis to visit with close friend from my Hoosier days, Eric S. We spent some quality time in Indy and it's always great to see him. If you're reading, love ya. If you're not reading, then screw you.

Indy was conveniently on the way to Evansville, IN, home of the Aztar Casino. **Danger Will Robinson**. Fun, but not fun. There is something truly unholy about gambling, smoking, and drinking inside a beautifully lit riverboat.

BAR WATCH
Evansville, IN
Gay Bar: Someplace Else (pretty hopping for a weeknight, but some karaoke as unholy as the casino)

Whew! Hopefully that will appease your appetites for a bit. Only two more cities to catch up on but I will return with those shortly!