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.
3 comments:
Mr. Beaman,
My 16 year old daughter, my 13 year old son and I saw your performance this evening at PPAC. There is a whole new generation coming into Monty Python and this was a great way to make it more than an old movie to them...you were brilliant this evening. You all did a fabulous job.
I'm constantly amazed and facinated by your craft. As such, I've provided my kids an appreciation for live performances that my parents gave to me. Good luck on the road and nice work!
Art Bassett
North Smithfield, RI
Caught your performance last night at the PPAC....you were great! My husband and I were in NYC when the original cast was there, and for some crazy reason, passed on it! I was so disappointed that we did that and didn't get the chance to see David Hyde Pierce, but now I am okay with it, because I fail to see how he could have performed the role of Sir Robin any better!
I just saw the show last sunday
night, the last show you that was in PPAC. I wanted to say you and the cast did a great job, and if I have a chance to see spamalot again I would not think twice about coming to you see perform, and the cast. Good luck in the future with the show.
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