It's A Fine Life....

Hi Folks....yes, I am terrible about keeping up with my blogs. However, I am a very tired workhouse beadle. It has really been a journey traveling with this tour, and performing. We have just recently celebrated our 25th show, in Owensboro, KY, a nice town near the Indiana / Kentucky borderline. That venue was very nice, and the audience and the theatre seemed very appreciative of our being there. In addition to playing there, we have practically travelled over 6 or 7 states, playing in various towns.

One of the most amazing towns that we have been in by far since my last blog was San Luis Obispo / Pismo Beach. Wow was this place gorgeous! I had never been to the Pacific Coast, or been in the Pacific Ocean, and Pismo Beach was a wonderful, beautiful beach town in California! My good friends Zac, Melissa, Ashley, my roomate Chris, and I decided to go to the beach, and I can say that I was not sorry for going there! I had a blast, and it was BEAUTIFUL day, and the scenery was fantastic.

All was paradise, until some "frisky" seagulls decided to attack our food, and our area, while we were basking in the sun and frolicking in the sea....it was like a scene out of Hitchcock's "The Birds". Melissa and I were in awe and helpless as these birds swooped down and starting tearing our food, and packages to shreds. It was pretty funny, yet horrifying at the same time. And they were undeterred in their mission to eat our food. It was so funny seeing how they gradually eased up and ate our food quickly! They had one look out bird that seemed to be innocently just hanging around...then with a single sqawk, they all came rushing down and attacking our food. After some shoo-ing away with my beach towel, they finally went away. We had been eating some fish and chips, and I just found it hysterical to see these birds in the aftermath with ketchup and tartar sauce on their beaks!

My other favorite town by far that we have played was Colorado Springs, Colorado. Wow, was this a beautiful town! It was so quaint, and peaceful, and the majestic and vast mountains in the distance was breath-taking. We had gone to "The Garden of the Gods" which is this fantastic National Park with beautiful mountains and rock formations, and I was very happy to be there. The venue in which we played was very nice as well, and I enjoyed most of our shows there!

Some other highlights include Bozeman, Montana, which was a great town, as well! When we arrived there it was kind of a shock to my system as it was very cold, actually, significantly colder than what we had been used to at that point....it was actually snowing there, and we were caught in one of their worst snowstorms of the season at the time. Apparantly, in Montana, it pretty much snows there all year, with the exception of the month of August. I was totally not expecting to be caught in a snow storm. Fortunately, my friends Rhiannon, Melissa, and I found this amazing thrift shop, in which, I was able to buy an awesome leather jacket for, get this, $28.00, and two nice sweaters for $17.00!!!! I couldn't believe it. I was just so blessed to be able to get a deal like that!



We had been to Alburqueque, New Mexico, which was another great town, and great for shopping, I might add....I went and splurged on a new Ipod Touch, which is something that I have wanted for a while....I was very happy. We actually were reviewed there as well, and I got a good mention for "admirably playing multiple parts" in this show, in addition to my primary principal role of Mr. Bumble. I am glad that someone noticed that, as we all work very hard, and it is difficult playing a bunch of roles, especially if you are a principal as well. But I find it to be very rewarding and fun to do, when I am not panting, and sweating to death, or suffering from schizophrenia in a corner somewhere inbetween scenes. After Alburquerque, we were in the mountains of Alto, New Mexico playing at a very interesting venue secluded in the mountains. It was very difficult for me to sing there, due to the altitude, but the audiences there were very appreciative, and enjoyed my performance as well, and that is all that I could ask for.

After that, we hit up the states of Montana, and Wyoming....which I previously mentioned, and then after that, we traveled to Casper Wyoming, which was the hometown of the ill-fated Matthew Sheppard, who was the young man who was lured from a bar in Laramie, Wyoming in the hopes of having an encounter with two gentlemen who he thought were gay, and ended being beat to death, and left for dead hung up on a fence "like a scarecrow" to die. All because he was homosexual. Ironically, the time were were performing in Casper was the anniversary of his death. Unfortunately we were not there long enough for us to see if there was anything going on in rememberance of his tragedy.

Besides that, we were also caught in the middle of another huge snow storm, and while most people in the cast went roller skating, at an 80's style themed cast outing, I decided to cool my heels and rest in my hotel room and rest my deteriorating body and voice! (but not to worry, after some rest, and a late night trip to Wal-Mart in the middle of a snowstorm at 1:00 am with Rhiannon, I felt right as rain the next day!) Yes, Rhiannon and I went to Wal-Mart in the middle of the night. Melissa was not feeling well, and we needed to get her some medicine and a thermometer, and I was not allowing one of my female friends to go out by herself in the middle of the night, so I went with her. I ended up getting some things I need, such as snow boots, and some other utilities. We ended up getting stranded in the snow, but fortunately got someone from the hotel to come and rescue us from Wal-Mart. Ha!

Speaking of being stranded in the snow.....the horror continues....on our trip from Casper, Wyoming to Great Falls, Montana, our bus broke down, in the snow, and we all had to be rescued by another bus to take us to our destination. We were all tired, cranky, and cold, but I thought I would never be so thankful to be on another bus. The bus and driver that came to get us was our savior! That trip was a loooong ride. 'Nuff said.

This past weekend, we were in Binghamton, New York, and it was great to be back in New York, although it was upstate and not in the city area. Those audiences were great, and I think our matinee show was the best. I had a good time there, and enjoyed the local bar there. I felt for the first time, that I had really bonded with some of my cast members for the first time, and it was a wonderful feeling. I hope I get an opportunity to do something like that again, when I feel rested, and not as tired and tense. I love my cast-members, its just that it is rough for me to stay focused, rested, and in good shape, if I hang out too much, due to my medical condition, and it is paramount that I get my rest. While I was there, I participated in a phone interview for a Columbia, South Carolina newspaper who wanted to talk to me about my participating in this national tour, which I found to be very exciting. The gentleman that I talked to was so nice, and apparantly did his homework on me, which included finding, and reading this blog! It was pretty funny! He was great, and I think we had a mutually good time talking on the phone. I can't wait to read the article!

Well, now I am currently in my home state of South Carolina, and I am absolutely thrilled to be here! We are in Colombia, South Carolina, and I am just so happy that my family might have the opportunity to see me perform here. My extended family have never seen me perform in a theatrical production, as I have primarily performed in Off-Off Broadway shows in New York City, and in Regional Theatres in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania...however, being that I will be in the South, they are excited to see me do what I do, and I am just curious to see what they think of it. It is my first night here, but I did go scope the town out with Rhiannon, but for an alterior motive....Rhiannon got engaged in Binghamton! (Congrats, girl!) So, we decided to throw her a party in celebration, and I had to distract her and get her away from the hotel. It was so funny! She thought that all of our close friends on tour were giving her the cold shoulder today besides me, and in fact, Zac, Melissa and Jen from our cast were decorating Zac's room, and planning and shopping for the impending party! It was so nice to see her so happy! I am really glad that she got to see how many people care about her, and wish her well!

Anyway, I must go to bed, as I am going to be on TV tomorrow morning promoting the show! I hope it goes well, and I will let you all know the details as soon as I can! Be well! And see all of you New York City folk in a week! In the words of Nancy: "Ta-Ta you lot!"

XOXOXO

Chaz