Hello blog followers out there - Lil G here - 1st off, so sorry we haven’t posted in a bit but fear not - we are back !!! So get your comfy pants on, pick up your favorite blog glass, and get ready - cause I’m about to fill you up with a little - Blogtail !!!
So, obviously, you have now realized that I am a little delirious - well it is all thanks to our CRAZY day with the tour bus that needed a little TLC from our amazing driver - Dan the Man ! (but we will get to that a little later) - this might be a little long - but we need to catch up - so here we go !
PREVIOUSLY ON THE ANNE FRANK TOUR … (yes, that was a LOST reference there)
We met with a survivor named Eva at the beautiful, and very orange Bartlesville Community Center in Bartlesville, OK. The next day we ventured out to the bathroom & kitchen appliance capital of the world - thats right - KOHLER, WI. Kohler as in Kohler sinks, bathtubs, faucets, etc. When we arrived at the hotel we walked into our huge hotel rooms fully equipped with Kohler everything, and balconies, and showers with 5 SHOWER HEADS ! That’s right - 5 - not 1, 2, or even 3 - 5 - as the cast and I can tell you - you’ve never felt more clean or relaxed than when you shower with a plethora of little refreshing waterfalls wiping away all of life’s troubles. There was also a beautiful lake, and walking path, and small shopping plaza that provided this spa like atmosphere. On to the show - we walked into the gym / dressing room at the Kohler School (remember that name? yep) - where we all had some cafeteria dinner & shot some hoops on the basketball court. We performed in the Kohler Memorial Theatre (a different Kohler this time …… o wait, just kidding, nope the very same!). It was a fantastic show (as usual) - always powerful, honest, & fresh - the audience loved it! Rick Rose’s sister (who loved the show!) was in the audience & then we met one of the Kohler’s in the lobby and took a quick picture. Then off to the outdoor hot tub, with a fireplace next to it, to relax before bed - I know its a REAL tough life - but we’ll do it ! =)
HALLOWEEN - we woke to see that a small village of Kohler Spiders had gotten onto our bus and spun spider webs all over the place (or maybe it was Tricia - who knows?) - it was a GREAT way to start the festivities for the travel day to Lexington, KY. When we arrived at night in our hotel - we didn’t waste much time until we headed out to show off our costumes and show Lexington how to party like they were a zombie from 1899!!! *** we all missed fellow cast mate Julie / SCARGOT cause she went home to VA to be with family until we were to meet her in Charlottesville the next day !
WELCOME HOME - The Doubletree was our home away from home in Charlottesville, VA where we had a few days off to go around and do things like visit Monticello (home of Thomas Jefferson - 21 rooms, 3 floors, huge garden, lots of artifacts & history - absolutely breathtaking view of land surrounding the house), go bowling, get some excellent Thai food, walk the mall outside our venue (The Paramount), and live in the 24 hour hot tub and pool in the hotel ! (Incase you didn’t know this about the cast & crew of ANNE FRANK - we LOOOOOVE hot tubs. Christmas is coming up (I play a Jewish kid, but I know when Christmas is!) and if you are looking for a gift idea for us - we would all love our own hot tubs. Just saying ! ) ——— So the show =) The Paramount is a GORGEOUS theater ! You walk in to this golden space, and it is HUGE ! Beautiful paintings covering both sides of the house (to resemble what is what like before closing the space it and being redone). We had a full house (both for the morning show for kids and for the public one at night), and the energy was bubbling that night for the show. A couple days off, a wonderful dinner provided by the theater, and a little-less-than respectful student crowd, will make you appreciate what you really have to share with people. Some of us had some friends and family in the audience (Julie had the center section with just her family alone), but there was one person we all knew - RICK ROSE came to see our show - Surprise!!! Luckily, he liked the show - so there were no replacements to join the tour after that show. He told us that we still had a wonderful show, and everyone brought so much to the performance, and he really loved it ! —- Thats just how this tour rolls - everyone is always giving 110 %, spreading positive vibes every day, and STILL getting along !!! BEST CAST EVER !!! =) (love you too crew)
Ok enough with the LOVE FEST, cause we are off to Hazard, KY!
1st off - we heard from last years tour “Of Mice & Men” members - that they had their bus break down near Hazard (punny, I know) - well Low & Behold - our BUS decided to do the same. Enter the one and only Dan the Man (soon to have a Tan - when we hit Florida) - he hops off the bus, mustache ready, to attack this obstacle with all the might he could muster up - and in 45 minutes, he steps back on and slyly says “Go Back to Sleep, we’re getting back on the road.” - like nothing had happened ! We cannot thank him enough for all of his AWESOMENESS !!! =)
HAZARD, KY …. um ……WHERE ? - The Forum (the performance venue) is located off a street, where in one direction you see a Hardee’s, & in the other …… nothing. So, where these people came from to see our show - not a clue! But they were there, and they were brought to a deafening silence at the end of our public show - it always feels good to hear that silence and know those minds & hearts are with us, and that they are appreciating & reflecting on the journey we just took together.
ANNE FRANK-FORT, KY - We had quite an adventure in Frankfort, KY - begin with Julie’s 24h birthday (yes she plays 16, acts 26, and looks …… beautiful, but it was the big 2 - 4) - so time for dinner & …… fruit punch & checkers. NO WAY - we danced the night away, and played darts & pool, and lived life! Some of us in Frankfort also checked out the Buffalo Trace Distillery (a KY based bourbon that tasted O SO GOOD), shopped for new suits at the local ma & pa suit shop, listened to members of the Kentucky Folk Club in the coffee shop, and enjoyed the town in our own way. The last night (after two 55 min. versions of the show were performed for students in the morning) almost the entire cast went to see a band called HOLY GHOST TENT REVIVAL - if you ever can see this band perform - DO IT !!! An amazing group, who play it all, and throw their all into their sets! We had a blast !!! OUR SHOW - was much different than we were used to. We had to do a 1/2 hour blocking rehearsal at THE GRAND (which is an old movie theater, converted into a theater space - one of the smaller venues we have played on this tour) so that we could adjust to having NO platforms, or raked stage for our performances. Which means we needed to adjust levels (so the audience could see us), and change the direction of some entrances and exits (because it was a smaller space). Being the professionals we are, we assessed the situation, and with the help of our wonderful stage manager CHRIS DUNLOP, we worked through every obstacle until we were all comfortable. *** I would also like to shout out to the crew for working VERY HARD tying to fit as much as they could, and loading our set into the venue from the street through tiny little doorways - You guys are INCREDIBLE !!! - Also, my friend was in the audience watching our re-blocking and she said it was really cool sit back and see everyone work together quickly & efficiently, to work out any problems - and after the show - she said you would have never known there were set pieces missing. AWESOME !
SOMERSET, KY - Quick in and out ! Huge venue called the Center for Rural Development - back to our ENTIRE SET !!! (which we were all excited about - to the point where I, during mic check, went up and told my bedroom platform - that I missed it - I believe it replied …… softly ……. by whispering in my ear ……………… Nothing - cause its a platform and can’t talk! Lets not be crazy here! =) It was a great show - again FRESH, great energy, and emotional & powerful ! Received a standing ovation from a very appreciative audience. —- Oh and some people went back to their hot tubs that were in their rooms - yes, you read that correctly - they had them in the middle of their rooms. For those of us who didn’t have them - again - a great gift idea for the stocking ! (if you need a list of people who didn’t receive their own hot tub - I can get that to you) =)
As my eye lids become heavy I leave you with this last little gem of a story that happened today ….
STICK YOUR THUMB OUT, THIS BUS NEEDS A LIFT ! - We had a travel day today - from Somerset, KY to Montgomery, AL —- I woke to Mr Gannon McHale saying “Mr Pragel (that being my name) - how about we go south today, does that sound good?” - and it did - however Gannon & I (and the rest) did not know that our bus was not ready yet. It still needed a little nap, and maybe a workout, and a protein shake first. So we were dropped off in Nashville, TN at Gate River Mall or River Gate Mall (a mall) and shopped til we dropped- LITERALLY ! Some went off to see movies, some saw friends that popped in to greet us, but all of us ……. LOST OUR MINDS sometime today! But thats the best thing about this group of wonderful people - we didn’t arrive to the hotel until like 1030 at night - and NOT ONCE did someone complain to where it put someone in a bad mood, or was cranky to where it wasn’t funny - everyone had a smile on, was laughing at the crazy events that happened - and took it all in stride.
Thats a cast you WANT to tour with !!! I Love these people ! - and on that note
…… good evening …….. and …….good luck ! =)
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