Groundhog Day

Week 9: Providence, RI

Pencils come from Pennsylvania
Vests from Vest Virginia
Tents from Tentassee
They know mink where they grow mink in Wyomink
A camp chair in New Hampchair - That's for me
Minnows come from Minnowsota
Coats come from Dakota But why
should you be blue?
For you - you come from Rhode Island
little ol' Rhode Island
And little ol' Rhode Island is famous for you

--Irving Berlin

Remember that Bill Murray movie where he kept reliving the same day over and over again? Well I am starting to discover that that is exactly what doing a tour is like. You travel to a New City, come into a new theatre with a new local crew, and perform for all new huge crowds of people. But the experience on stage just keeps repeating itself, over and over again. The overture starts the same way, I sit on my little platform waiting for my entrance through the tower window. The Finland number bursts into colorful life and here we are in Spam-a-land where it is all "Spamalot" all the time. It is a wild sensation and I have only done 49 performances! As I watch Jeff Dumas and Michael Siberry wrap up their time on the road, with complete grace, I realize they have each done almost 800 performances of their roles. They launched this highly successful venture, this touring production, and did well by it in key roles for a long time on the road! My hat is off to them and I only hope that I can make the most of my year as they have made the most of their time with the show.


We opened to a packed house at the Providence Center for the Performing Arts. This is another of those 1920's movie palaces from the Golden Age of Hollywood's silent era. Originally the Loews State Theatre, and a vaudeville theatre as well as picture palace. If the opulence of the Boston Opera House might remind one of Versailles, this theatre in Providence is like a wild Cecil B. DeMille Arabian night kind of place. I decided earlier today during sound check that it might be best described as "Byzantine Rococco." Huge medallions cover the ceiling, glowing with gold leaf, and the backgrounds are deep red and blue. And the proscenium arch still has the original opera curtain, deep burgundy velvet with gold braid. I told you, I am a sucker for this stuff.

Farewell to Boston

Week 9: Boston

Pack up the luggage, la la la
Unpack the luggage, la la la
Pack up the luggage, la la la
Heigh ho, the Glamorous Life...
--Stephen Sondheim


My last weekend in Boston was marred somewhat by my getting the flu and being quite, quite ill. So much so that I had to miss a matinee performance. This was a blow to me because in 20 years as an actor I had not missed a single performance. So it hurt to have to sit out a show. However, I was so sick that it was impossible for me to do my work. I am still feeling pretty cruddy, but pushed through to do my last performances. This weekend, my best friend Mickey came up from New York to see the show and spend my day off with me here in Boston. We have been friends for 25 years and met at Boston University. So we are enjoying a little nostalgic visit together here. This photo is from lunch with my two Mickeys--my favorite people on earth--my best friend and my Mom.




Next stop is Providence, Rhode Island. It will be a busy week as we will be in rehearsals to incorporate some new and temporary replacement actors into the show. Michael Siberry, our King Arthur, and Jeff Dumas, our Patsy, after two years in the tour are leaving. Chris Gurr, who plays Bedevere, will be taking over the role of King Arthur until Gary Beach takes it on in Miami. Wally Dunn, the Bedevere from the Vegas company, will join us to cover the role while Chris is King. Brad Bradley will be joining us from the Broadway company to take over the role of Patsy. We have a new showgirl going in to the show in Providence as well. I was also excited to hear that Joan Marcus, the company photographer, will be coming to Providence to take some shots of the new principals, including me! So before too long I will be able to post some official shots of me as Robin. I will have a few friends coming to see the show as well as my agent, Jim Flynn.

Here is a photo of my Boston dresser, Bev, who was just great. I told her she was my good luck charm, being named as she is after my hometown of Beverly. The local crew here in Boston were all quite exceptional, as was our talented orchestra. The hard work of the many people behind the scenes cannot be underestimated. These folks work hard. We closed Sunday night and by Monday morning "Spamalot" was a memory and the Opera House marquee was already advertising "My Fair Lady." The touring business gives new meaning to the phrase, "here today, gone tomorrow."

More to come from Providence, my friends. Time to pack up the luggage, la la la... I am bringing with me a new hot plate, a crock pot and a set of camping utensils so I can turn my hotel rooms into kitchens. I am determined to be a frugal and successful touring guy. We'll see how it all works out! But of course, it wouldn't be Providence without at least one nice Italian dinner out! Ciao!

Was Thomas Wolfe Right?

Week 8: Boston, MA

"You can't go home again."
--Thomas Wolfe

Inevitably, I had to take a walk down Memory Lane while in Boston. I spent a good chunk of my life in this city and I needed to see how it had changed. I was amazed by the development in the Washington Street area of the South End where I lived 15 years ago. It was sort of a forgotten area, near the City Hospital, not yet affected by the development that was going on in the Tremont Street area and closer to Back Bay. The South End was a trendy and expensive neighborhood back then, but now the gentrification has simply transformed the area. And what's more--the building I lived in was gone! And of course, there it was: the quintessential symbol of commercialization, the 21st century's "golden arches": Starbucks. The only constant is change. This picture is of Lawrence Street, one of those lovely old narrow South End streets lined with townhouses. I lived here right after college, thanks to the generosity of two friends who owned one of these townhouses.




Back Bay is still it's dear old self. With the exception of some new businesses and additions to Newbury Street and environs, it is still the genteel, swanky neighborhood it always was. And one of my favorite swanky spots is Louis Boston. A very high end fashion boutique with a restaurant and salon, it also has the finest lines of menswear anywhere in Boston. To me, this store is Bostonian chic at it's best. Clean, classic, with a European edge. Love this store. When I was in acting school at Boston University, I would go into this place just to drool over the fine suits, cashmere sweaters and luscious leathers. Things I couldn't possibly afford but which were just such a pleasure to admire. Louis still maintains that standard and I enjoyed drooling again during my visit here. Still can't afford it! Walking around Boston, I was reminded of just what a nice city it is, with its own particular charm and feel.

Because we are in Boston for two weeks, we have a few days off here, and this week I spent mine up in Beverly, on the North Shore, with my Mom. I grew up in this small coastal town, which is technically on Cape Ann, along with better known towns like Salem (think witches) and Gloucester (think fish sticks). I took the train up and my Mom met me at the depot and shuttled me off to the even smaller town of Essex, where we had lunch at Woodman's.

Woodman's is one of those quintessentially Yankee spots, the original clam shack, and it was always a summer destination when we were kids. On a balmy summer evening, we would drive over to Essex to sit on picnic tables and feast on fried seafood and boiled lobster.
Of course, when I was a kid, this was a cheap place to eat for the whole family--now a lobster roll costs $17.95. Have we really polluted the ocean and over-fished these waters such that seafood has to come at such a premium? Very sad. To me, to be on the Massachusetts or Maine coast and pay these prices for seafood would be like being in Ireland and paying $20 for a plate of boiled potatoes. Ah well. At least Woodman's itself is still the same. It was started in 1916 by "Chubby" and Bessie Woodman, who ran a roadside stand and were known for their homemade chips (french fries). An historic experiment with shucked clams, batter and a deep fryer yielded the first fried clams in America. In fact, Woodman started a sensation, and even taught his techniques to Howard Johnson, whose namesake restaurants to this day offer a clam roll on the menu. I had a steaming bowl of chowder (I have a prejudice about chowder and refuse to eat it anywhere outside of New England) and we shared clam cakes as I looked at the folks around me, old Yankees who look like the harsh winters and salt breezes have faded and weathered them like the sides of the clapboard houses along the coast.



We drove further up to Newburyport, one of my favorite towns in this part of the world, a picturesque place of brick houses that still retains the charm of its early 18th and 19th century life.
Mom and I strolled around the chilly streets clutching hot cups of Starbucks coffee (yes, it is indeed everywhere) and poking in the stores and galleries. At the Churchill Gallery, we saw magnificent oils by talented New England painters and I fantasized about one day being able to collect fine art by living artists. One artist, C.C. Barton, has done a series of etchings accompanied by original poetry called "The Sketchbook Series" and one of her poems jumped out at me and really spoke to me in light of this grand adventure I am on with the tour:

It was the road itself
that made me walk it.

A cut of smooth earth,
a corridor ~ opening
to the tall green rhythm of trees.

Walking into the alchemy
of the hot morning sun
and the cold crisp air,
I round the bend and disappear

into the very breath of God.
-- C.C. Barton


All journeys are inner as well as outer. And I believe that the more we move through different surroundings and discover differing places and people, the deeper access we have to our inner landscape. Travel and time are great teachers. Being back in the places of my childhood with the perspective of time and experience has given me a new appreciation for the area that I so desperately wanted to get out of as a teenager. And of course, there is nothing like spending time with my Mom, who is my very best friend and a fine artist herself. We can talk about anything, and the times when we can share a meal or sit around in our pajamas listening to music, or drive around taking in the scenery and sharing memories--these are precious times which of course I will miss very much over the upcoming months when I am traveling around the country and in Canada.




So was Thomas Wolfe right? Is it impossible to go back home? I guess the answer for me right now is that it isn't possible to go BACK, period. Our memories, imperfect as they may be, shaped by time and distance, and perhaps brightened by nostalgia or darkened by blame, are ours to keep. The places themselves do change and if we are lucky some of them stay somewhat the same, weathered perhaps by time--but then age is inevitable and we can forgive that, can't we? But where does "home" really reside? Certainly for me, my Mom will always represent home and I will always feel that sense of homecoming whenever we are reunited. I feel a certain pride in having grown up in this area of the world which is steeped in history and colored by the seasons and the sea. I feel myself a proud New Yorker, having elbowed my way around that city of all cities for 15 years. But where is "home?" My Mom said something to me after my opening night here in Boston that to me may be an answer. We were discussing my trepidation about roaming through unfamiliar places with this collection of strangers I have been thrown in with on this tour. And she took her index finger and pointed to my heart, looked at me and said, "Home is here." If we can all find that home within us, I think we could prove Thomas Wolfe wrong after all.

If you are lucky enough to be able to do so, give your Mom a call today.

Feat of Clay

Week 8: Boston, MA

Okay, so how, you may ask, do I feel about Clay Aiken playing the role of Sir Robin on Broadway? First, let me say that there is a definite buzz about it around the theatre here for sure, and mixed reports of all kinds coming in from the Broadway company. But the major report is that Clay's fans are flooding the Shubert theatre and tearing the house down with enthusiasm for what Clay is doing. He got a standing ovation after the "Jew Song" Friday night on the scale of a rock concert. Now, is this appropriate for this funny comedy piece? One might better ask, what isn't appropriate at "Spamalot?!" It's a good time show. It's also a profit making business. If Clay brings a whole new audience to the show who may never have seen live theatre or Broadway, then I say fantastic.

One might be inclined to grumble that a performer like Clay, with little or no acting experience, can just step right into a leading role on Broadway while others struggle and work for years to achieve that kind of break. But Clay is an accomplished young man. He was a special education teacher before "American Idol," he beat out thousands of people to get into that competition, and with the support of the American public, finished second and emerged with his first single at #1 on the Billboard charts. He has sold 6 million albums and has established a foundation for special needs kids. While it surely has not been lost on the producers of our show that Clay will be good for business during the slow months of this, the third year of the Broadway run, I also know the creative team are people with integrity and very high standards. I am sure that Clay had a very strenuous rehearsal process and that every aspect of his performance was worked on and guided by expert hands. Reading the interviews with Clay, and hearing about his aching muscles and exhaustion, all I could think was, brother, I feel you!! And of course, add to the pressure on Aiken that there are plenty of people out there who want to see a success like he is fall on his face in the "legit" world--next to creating superstars, there is nothing Americans love more than seeing them fall.

The only thing I am perhaps jealous of is that Clay got wonderful photos of himself in Sir Robin gear by Joan Marcus. I'd love to have a few official images of me in the show. Am I concerned that now Sir Robin will be a "celebrity only" part on Broadway? Well, I have no doubt that there will be other big names coming through the show in various roles as the run continues. But these roles are not easy to cast and require real acting chops, dialect skills, etc. I think the creative team knows this and there will still be opportunities for fine actors to play these parts in all the "Spamalot" companies. I am very grateful to be doing the tour and tickled that I am playing the same role simultaneously with Clay Aiken. I wish him much luck! He is about to experience what an eight show week feels like, and I am sure, will come to appreciate and respect the hard work that this truly is.

Here in Boston, our audiences have been been great and I have gotten to see and hear from many relatives, friends and colleagues who have shown up to surprise me back stage or have dropped me an email or sent a note or flowers. Thank you all for your support! My dressing room is a riot of colorful blooms--so much so that our stage manager walked by the other day and said, "When is the body being laid out?" I feel a sense of full circle being back here that is very gratifying. If you keep your dream alive, see it, believe it, and persist, it can take you exactly where you want to go. For me, it has been a long road since drama school here in Boston oh-so-many years ago. So to return here in this great show and in a great part--yeah it feels pretty terrific. That said, I am ready for a day off!

Home Court Advantage

Week 7: Boston, MA

While our official press opening is tonight, last night was our first performance at the Opera House here in Boston, and for me, the real opening, since my Mom and sister and nephew, along with some old friends, were out front cheering me on. Here in a picture taken at the stage door after the performance, are me with (from left to right): my nephew DJ, sister Clea, and my Mom, Mickey. It felt so good and so comforting to have my family see me in this show. For me, their opinion means the most and to have them share in the pleasure I have in being a part of this hit show makes all of it more meaningful and worthwhile. I was very bummed out that I missed catching the cane in my big number, "You Won't Succeed on Broadway." At the penultimate moment of the song, my lead minstrel, played by Christopher Sutton, tosses me a cane in a perfectly timed sequence that, in my 33 performances thus far, has gone without a hitch--except for three times, including tonight. Damn! While everyone says they didn't notice the fumble, for me, the crazy perfectionist, it marred an otherwise fine performance which was entirely for my loved ones. Sigh. That's live theatre.

If you have never been to the Boston Opera House, it is difficult to describe the magnificence of this sumptuous and wonderfully ornate theatre. It was built in 1928 but the decor is very much a mixture of art nouveau and baroque, rich gold leaf and putti, and wonderful ceiling murals of nymphs and goddesses. Back in 1991, when the theatre was run down, it was further damaged by a flood and a concerted effort by the mayor and the city of Boston, and a multi-million dollar restoration brought the theatre back to its former glory. Standing on the stage during our sound check yesterday and looking out on this opulent house was breathtaking. For someone like me, completely in love with all things theatre, it is an honor to be able to command a stage like this.




I feel enormously blessed to have my tour begin as it did--with my first performances in Washington, D.C., a place that holds fond memories for me of great achievements earning my graduate degree in acting, and now that I have my sea legs in the role, to have my first official press opening here in Boston, my hometown, with my loved ones looking on. I am truly living a dream. I plan to visit some of my old haunts, my old South End neighborhood, and some of the great cultural institutions of Boston, such as the Museum of Fine Arts, while I am here. I am also going up next week to my hometown of Beverly for a nice visit with my Mom and a much anticipated, if chilly, stroll on the beach. More from here soon, friends.

The Prodigal Son

Week 7: Boston, MA

"Tomorrow night I appear for the first time before a Boston audience:
4000 critics." --Mark Twain

As the bus pulled into Boston, and I saw the B.U. campus on my right, the Prudential building to my left, and the ubiquitous Citgo sign flashing over Kenmore Square, I had only one thought... HOME. I have not lived in Boston since 1993, but having grown up on the coast north of Boston, received my early acting training here, started a long term relationship, and begun my professional career here, Boston feels like home to me. In a very different way than New York feels like home. New York is the gritty, intense center of my adult life, while Boston is the city of my youth. I am very happy to be here, and excited to open at the Opera House for an audience that will include my nearest and dearest.

While I was in DC, I did a series of interviews for Boston area papers and some of them have appeared in print. The Boston Globe did a very nice piece on me and it can be viewed online:

http://tinyurl.com/264k3w

Before we left Schenectady, I went back to Earthly Delights to exchange hugs with the proprietors, Lori and Jen, and grab some healthy snacks for the road trip. I promised I would include the web address for their myspace page so here it is:

http://tinyurl.com/2ejkln

Thanks, Earthly Delights, for your warm welcome and delicious eats!

But back to Boston. When I awoke today, Boston was a winter wonderland. A Nor'easter swept over the city, blanketing the streets with snow and sugar coating the trees. Of course, as always happens in Boston when there is a significant snowfall, everyone gets a day off! Schools close, businesses shut their doors. When I was a kid, these snow days were prayed for and eagerly anticipated. We would half dress for school, sitting by the radio with cups of hot cocoa listening to the list of school cancellations and sending up fervent prayers that they would mention ours! And on snow days, we would bundle up in our snow suits and go tobogganing down the big hills at Lynch Park (our local public park and beach in Beverly, MA where I grew up). Well, today being what is termed a "Golden Day" for the company (a day off on which there is no travel), I felt like a kid again as I ventured out into the slush and snow to take photos on Boston Common and the Public Gardens. As you can see from my shots, the place was a fairyland. And there were kids pulling sleds, families walking dogs, and nuts like me trudging into snowdrifts to get that perfect shot. Boston is a beautiful city, full of old world charm, and today it was a picture postcard.



I ventured beyond the Common to Deluca's Market on Beacon Hill, one of those nice old neighborhood markets, and as I stepped inside, coated in snow, I said "How ya doin?" to the young man at the counter, and in typical smartass Bostonian fashion, he replied, "I'm wahm and dry." I said, "It's beautiful out there!" To which he responded, "Yah. For a snowman." I love the salty sarcasm of the people of this city. Not to mention the accent, which is 'wicked ahsome' and always makes me chuckle. I picked up groceries to fill my hotel mini-fridge. I am determined to learn to stretch my expense allowance as far as it will go, so I am experimenting with just what kind of meals one can make in a hotel room with a tiny fridge, a microwave, and no plates or utensils. I was a bit greedy at Deluca's salad bar, sticking plastic forks and knives and napkins into my shopping bags with abandon. I felt a bit smugly satisfied with myself as I trudged back to the hotel with my grocery bags, determined to become a savvy touring actor. Of course I felt odd walking through the gleaming lobby of the luxurious Hyatt with bags of food, but the luxurious Hyatt is, like many fine hotels of its ilk, a luxurious ripoff when it comes to food and room service. A pot of coffee brought to your suite costs $8.00 and a simple breakfast of eggs and toast $17.00! Come on now. I lived as a struggling artist for too many years to fritter my money away that way. So with the exception of the occasional meal out (for seafood and chowdah--wicked ahsome!), I will see how I do roughing it in my hotel room.

Our company managers did arrange a free membership for us all at the luxe Sports Club LA at the Ritz Carlton up the street so this afternoon I will enjoy a swanky workout, and then catch a movie this evening before turning in early and resting up for our opening tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes...

Hard Working Folks

Week 6: Schenectady, NY

Our performances thus far in Schenectady at beautiful Proctor's Theatre have been received with wild enthusiasm by our audiences here. You can feel the energy from the crowds, who are so pumped up for our show and clearly just love what we're doing. Feeling that energy helps when the bones ache and the voice feels hoarse and one wonders why one chose this crazy profession! I continue to get generous emails from audience members who feel inspired to take a few moments to tell me how much they enjoy what I am doing. This means so much to me.

One of the things that has struck me during this week in Schenectady is the powerful economic impact a show like ours has on a small community like this. The crowds that come in to see our performances also patronize the local restaurants and shops and I have seen the workers at some of these small Mom and Pop cafes and bars run off their feet with the extra workload. But they are so grateful to have us here, and many of the local businesses have offered the company and crew special discounts. My favorite local spot is Earthly Delights, an oasis of health food and vegetarian cooking, run by upbeat and friendly people. I have been in there for dinner every night, tasting the fresh homemade sandwiches and hot entrees. I respect people who create their own businesses and sustain them with integrity and a sense of community. Schenectady, like many American towns, relied on a particular industry to sustain itself--in this case General Electric. But when the company sent many of the jobs to plants in the south, the town fell on some hard times. The small businesses that remain take faith and hard work to keep going. I admire and applaud the friendly and hard working people I have met here.

A Schnectady Snapshot:

This town seems to have a penchant for street music. I have mentioned already the "Mambo Italiano" blasting from speakers outside the Villa Italia bakery. The charming little creperie, Chez Daisie, with it's yellow stucco walls and $1.00 cups of coffee, has French accordion music wafting out on Jay Street from little speakers. And the other night, when I was enjoying vegetarian lasagna at Earthly Delights, suddenly bagpipes were being played outside in the street. Apparently, this is a common thing that the Irish gift shop next door does---and sure enough, there was a portly gentleman in kilt and everything, standing on the street playing "The Rising of the Moon" on his bagpipes for a shivering audience of six.




Add another photo to my growing gallery of local dressers. This is me and Carol, my lovely dresser here in Schenectady, who has been doing a great job. I thought I was thrown into the show with very little preparation--these folks are handed a book of flip cards detailing all our changes and costume pieces, are talked through it all quickly, and then go right to work at our first performance without even seeing or knowing the show. Must be very nerve wracking! But they do their work with a smile. I feel fortunate that I had the three weeks of performances in DC to get used to all my changes and I can help Carol learn how to dress Actor #5. Did I mention before that each role has a number? Yes, each and every 'track' (another way of saying 'part') has a number and our costume pieces, microphones, etc all correspond to our particular number. Sir Robin is #5, and I am fond of saying that I am "a classic--like Chanel."

Tonight our local sponsor, Key Bank, is throwing private parties to which we principal actors have been invited. Tomorrow we close on a matinee, wipe off the greasepaint, and hop a bus for Boston. I am excited to return to the city where I began my education in theatre and started my professional career. I will also get to see friends and family and do my opening night performance at the Boston Opera House for my Mom, who is, as you can imagine, beside herself with excitement. So more to come from Beantown!

Oh, Schenectady!

Week 6: Schenectady, NY

Our Schenectady
What a warm and friendly place it is to be
Nestled among plains and hills
With a beautiful river that always gives us thrills
And stores and shops with all that one might need or wish to see
And legends and tales and lots of history
Oh Schenectady
Our Schenectady
Let us now plan and help to make it grow


If we will all do our best
Then others can do the rest
For places to study and learn in


Places to work and earn in
Places to live in happiness 

--"Our Schenectady" Official Song

A pleasant bus ride brought us here to Schenectady last night and this morning I went roaming. The main downtown streets of the city have that small town feel that reminds me of 1950's movies like "Peyton Place" or "Imitation of Life." There are also echoes of the Depression era here, old hand painted deco signs and boarded up buildings. My stroll took me into the Stockade, which is the historic district and the first such designated district in New York state. It was a fenced in Dutch settlement in the 17th century that suffered a fire and massacre and was rebuilt in the 18th century. Today this residential area is full of charming homes, mostly 19th and early 20th century houses with the occasional 18th century building sandwiched in between. Lots of Dutch names like Van Dyck.




I visited the lobby of Proctor's Theatre, where we will play to sold out crowds this week. Proctor's was built in the late 20's as a vaudeville house and early silent movie palace. It was also the site of one of the first demonstrations of live television. Schenectady is where Thomas Edison founded General Electric so early technology was available here first. Proctor's today is a thriving cultural institution and was recently expanded to include a larger stage and wings and an extensive lobby. I met the organizers of tonight's opening night party, two charming ladies who are so excited we are here ("Spamalot" is THE event at the moment) and showed me the reception area which they are decorating with suits of armor and cardboard castles. Adorable. They directed me to Villa Italia, just around the corner, a fabulous Italian bakery that will be catering tonight's party. Speakers outside the bakery were blasting Connie Francis singing Italian songs. This is a large Italian community apparently, and I wandered into the "Little Italy" district of town--"little" is right, it is one block long! But I now know where to go for fresh baked Italian bread and homemade Pasta Fagioli.

After the cosmopolitan atmosphere of DC, it is rather sweet to be in this small northern city where our show is not just one of many cultural attractions--it is the big event of the week, and I am looking forward to what I am sure will be a warm and excited audience reception. The bus ride here was really the first time I have stopped in over a month to just sit and rest, without obsessing about the show, my performance, tour life or managing money and expenses. I began reading "Eat Pray Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert--a wonderful book about a woman who restarts her life after a divorce and learns how to love and appreciate herself and find her spiritual center. I wept three times before page 35, this book touched me so much. Highly recommended. One of the actors in the show is a SAG Award voter and has DVD of all the nominated films, so he lent me "Atonement" which I watched on my laptop on the bus. Wept through that too!! It is a true masterpiece in my opinion, reminiscent of the films of David Lean and Merchant Ivory. Wonderful direction, a great screenplay by Christopher Hampton, and restrained and sensitive performances by James McAvoy and Keira Knightley. It was an emotional day, I guess, but such a welcome release after the tensions of the past few weeks. Life is all about change, but some changes are more dramatic than others, and sometimes we have to catch up emotionally. A couple shots from the bus ride: our Peter Pan bus was called "The Little Fairy," which is funny to me for obvious reasons... a shot of Darryl, one of our ensemble men with his dog Akita... and one of Jen, one of our beautiful showgirls, with her baby, Bella.







More from Schenectady later this week. It is a bright and unseasonably warm January day out there so I am going to get out in it again!

Parting Shots

Week 5: Washington, D.C.

The Broadway company of "Spamalot" started a tradition known as "Shot Night." Every Saturday night someone in the company hosts a gathering in his or her dressing room and treats the cast and crew to a shot. Being the newbie in the cast, and this being the end of the first week of the new year, I thought it appropriate that I take this week's Shot Night. I served B-52s, and with the help of my dresser, Lynn, poured 57 of these complicated layered shots! For those who don't know, B-52's are equal parts Kahlua, Bailey's, and Grand Marnier. Each of the liquors is poured over the back of a spoon so that they separate and create neat stripey layers. After the performance, I put on some tunes (the B-52's of course!) and we had a nice festive moment together. In the group photo here, we have (from left to right): Jeff, our 'Patsy'; Erik, ensemble; Nigel, swing; Tony, sound guy; Michael, 'King Arthur'; Francesca, stage management; Graham, dance captain; and Jonathan, ensemble.



I feel very much a part of the group now, falling into the traditions and ways of the tour and getting to know my fellow workers. Today is our last day in Washington, and my 23rd and 24th performances in the show. Amazing how fast it goes! I feel very lucky that I had a nice month long sit down here to get comfortable in my role. It's been great. The DC audiences have been terrific and there is nothing quite like the high of our curtain call and the encore of "Bright Side" in front of a packed and enthusiastic crowd. I don't think I will ever get jaded about it. It is just such fun. One of the oddest things about working here has been having that great connection with the audience, then emerging from the stage door after the show and mingling with the crowd as we all make our way to the Metro to go home. I have stood on the platform or even on the train, feet away from people holding "Spamalot" playbills, discussing the show, my performance, and even reading my bio out of the program, but not one person has recognized me from the show! It's a very strange feeling. They loved Sir Robin, but once I have left the glow of the spotlight and shed my tabard, chainmail and wig, I am just Jamie again and no one recognizes me!

Well, tomorrow morning we bus to Schenectady. Thanks Washington, for a great holiday season! The new year will bring many adventures and many changes in the touring company of "Spamalot." By March, we will have a new King Arthur--the wonderful Gary Beach, who you may know from his amazing performance as Roger DeBris in "The Producers" or as Albin in the recent Broadway revival of "La Cage Aux Folles"--and a new Patsy--Brad Bradley, who is joining us from the Broadway company at the end of this month. Michael Siberry and Jeff Dumas have been in the tour since the beginning and are incredible performers. It'll be sad to see them go, but that is the way things go in a long running show--people come and go. Thank goodness, or I wouldn't be here! So long for now, folks. More to come from snowy Schenectady...

The Flip Side

Week 5: Washington, D.C.



2008 got off to a rollicking start at the "Spamalot" New Year's Eve party. This company knows how to have a good time, folks! The cast, crew and management all put on the dog and gathered for a festive evening of drinks, jokes and the Electric Slide. After the intense uphill climb of learning the show and trying to get comfortable in my performance, the release of just enjoying the company of smart and talented people was so welcome. Really made me feel that I am now one of the team. I walked around topping off champagne glasses and at one point taught the younger members of the cast how to do The Hustle (I was after all the hustle champ of my temple youth group!). You can see from the photo how very GORGEOUS the women in this company are. The three beauties around me are, from left to right, Tera-Lee Pollin, our lovely Assistant Dance Captain and swing, Lyn Philistine, our Lady of the Lake understudy, and Esther Stilwell, the Lady herself. Being flanked by leggy brunettes, I must tell you I felt very Billy Flynn taking that picture!

The first day of the New Year was quiet for me, a day of rest. I have been organizing things in preparation for our travel day next Monday to Schenectady. This will be my first bus trip with the company and I am looking forward to it. So today I puttered. I have been delighted to receive lovely notes from people who have come to see the show here in D.C. and would love to share an excerpt from a lovely lady named Nancy McCarthy, who took the time to write me what she termed "an honest-to-goodness fan letter:"

The last time I wrote a fan letter was in 1974 (assumably before your birth, when I was a tyke myself) to Carol Burnett. She actually wrote me back. It set me on my own acting path. You are my second fan letter, as your energy and sparkle on stage at last night's performance solidified the continuation of my quest to remain on stage. In the midst of tremendously talented performers, you shown the brightest for me, because if I can sit in the second to last row of National and tell the color of your eyes, it's because they are open, responsive and full of joy. That sets you on a singularly high level, and I hope somewhere in your mind and life you keep that nugget of knowledge harbored safely to return to it in rougher moments. You have joie de vivre and have picked the right avenue, I believe, not only for your own rewards but for those of us whom you'll never meet but whom you've touched.


You can't imagine what an honor it is to receive a letter like this, unless it has happened to you. Nancy is pursuing acting in addition to her work as a journalist, while she and her husband help their son, who has a rare blood type and a form of autism, to go through his medical treatments. To know that my performance brightened their lives means the world to me. I was watching a great documentary on Jerry Herman and his shows on PBS, and George Hearn was talking about the theatre and what it can do, the bridges between people that it can create, and he said: "The theatre gets IN--to your heart." What more does one need when embarking on a new year and an exciting personal and professional adventure, than to know what you do makes a difference?