It's a Small World

Week 18: Orlando, FL

Give me your tired, your poor, your sunburned, your fannypacked, your overstimulated, your cranky and your maxxed out! For this is Walt Disney World. Now, lest you think that this will be some cynical, overly analytic response to the happiest place on earth, let me set your mind at ease. This was my very first trip to Disney World and I must say I had a very nice day. It was interesting to wander through three of the parks as a lone adult and observe the whole operation and the diverse stream of humanity passing through it. And let's face it--Disney represents everything we idealize in a capitalist culture. The parks are a living, breathing love letter to consumerism. Elaborate lengths have been gone to to create a beautiful, lush and animated backdrop against which to buy concessions and souvenirs. Product placements are everywhere you look. There is no question that these parks are works of art, but they are works of art that promote themselves constantly. It's all quite brilliant, actually.


One of our performers has a father who works for Disney, and we were very generously given park hopper passes for today. So a group of us met up at Epcot, grabbed our tickets and went our separate ways into the 28,000 acres that is the Walt Disney World Resorts. I grabbed the monorail and went immediately to The Magic Kingdom, to just see the original things that were what I dreamed about when I was a kid (and the park was brand new).
Cinderella's Castle is truly spectacular, and is just as magical as one would want it to be. I went on a few rides, pretty silly actually, especially the Haunted Mansion. But honestly, being at Disney World during peak season is an exercise in patience. Every ride, every register, every concession stand, has a line to stand in. Some of these lines have a wait as long as 80 minutes. Having tried a few of the rides, which were mainly animatronic dioramas, I decided not to spend a lot of time going on rides, because the standing in line was just a bummer and it was a beautiful day. I hate roller coasters so I was not going on any of the crazy rides anyway.




I went over to Disney Hollywood Studios park and I found it really charming. It is a very nostalgic valentine to the golden age of Hollywood and the little backlot style streets are all art deco and neon signs. I ate lunch at the Brown Derby, which, at least in terms of decor, was a very accurate recreation of the old 1930s restaurant. The attention to detail was just lovely. I have to say I think one of the most impressive things about Disney World is that it is a triumph of set design and set decoration. Craftsmen, painters, designers, fabricators, have all put incredible talent and ingenuity into these structures and displays, erecting miniature towns from Italy or Germany, or recreating the streets of New York.
It's breathtaking the amount of work that has gone into this creative effort. In fact, I think my favorite part of Disney was the World Showcase at Epcot. It is a stunning walk through a series of countries, each given its own small territory or little village.
The architecture and landscaping for each country is authentic and the workers at the stores and restaurants are all natives of that particular country. And it's just one beautiful set after another. My friend Jonathan met me in Morocco, where we had dinner at the Restaurant Marrakesh. Delicious Moroccan food, and a belly dancer to boot!

After dinner we went out to the edge of the water and leaned over a wall to watch "Illuminations," the light and fireworks show that ends the day at Epcot. This was a really beautiful display, incorporating torches, bonfires, fireworks, laser lights, and an enormous fiber optic globe. It was gorgeous. Disney is definitely a fantasy place that has been artfully manufactured, expertly orchestrated and flawlessly executed. The place attracts visitors from all walks of life, from all over the world. Some of the magic truly has to be seen through the eyes of a child. For some of us, we can see the "man behind the curtain," as it were. But even then the place is endlessly fascinating. I am very glad I had the opportunity to go.
And watching the weary red faced parents carting their sleepy, chocolatey-faced kids back to their cars, I thought, wow, those kids are so lucky to have parents like that, who would give them such a good time. And I am so lucky not to be those parents! I was tired just from walking around by myself all day, never mind pushing a stroller or chasing toddlers. Speaking of kiddies, so, my little niece Keira: I looked all over and I could not get photos taken with all the princesses as you wished. However, I did stand in line for a half an hour to get this one picture with the big man Mickey the Mouse himself. I hope that puts a smile on your face! Off to Birmingham, Alabama tomorrow, so more from there later this week.

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah!

Week 17: Orlando, FL

On the bus ride from Clearwater, we watched the video of "Enchanted," a really charming film from Disney which depicts animated characters finding themselves in the real world of New York City. Just as the story was reaching it's happy ending, I looked out the window and we were driving through the mouse-eared gates of Downtown Disney. Talk about life imitating art! Some of the company are spending the week at a hotel right in the Disney resort area but I opted to take the hotel option closer to work and downtown Orlando. I love a theme park but don't want to live in one for a week. Next Monday is a "golden day" off for the actors and many of us will be spending the day at Disneyworld. I am really looking forward to that. I was obsessed with Disney animated films as a kid and have never been to either of the Disney parks. So I am going to enjoy rediscovering my inner child! A Disney post will be forthcoming next week.

The actual city of Orlando is quite pretty and is built around a series of lakes, many bordered by beautiful public parks. The feeling of the city is similar to that of Jacksonville and other Florida cities--it feels clean, new, and gleams with reflective glass and modern buildings. Of course, being home to many fantasy resorts and vacation parks it is not surprising that the city itself should be attractive and visitor-friendly.
We are performing this week at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Center. The theatre was built around the original Orlando Municipal Auditorium from 1926 and went through several renovations throughout the 1970s and 1990s. It is named after a former Orlando mayor and seats over 2500. And this week we are completely sold out, which will mean large and energetic crowds for all our performances. A great feeling.

There is a nice sense of calm here in Orlando, which I find very welcome. My hotel is comfortable and clean and the weather this week is sunny, cool and breezy. I injured my shoulder in the gym a few weeks ago and am seeing a specialist this week to make sure there is no serious damage. Those of you who know the show know that it is very physical and fast paced, so any injury, however minor, needs to be attended to so as not to impede my ability to perform my eight shows a week. I plan to spend the week resting and enjoying some low key activities. Next Monday I will have my Disney adventure, and even though there are so many things to see in the various theme parks, I think one day of exploring will be enough for me.

This week I did a promotional event with two of the other performers, Brad Bradley and Brian O'Brien (yep that's their real names). We did a little question and answer session with some fans of the show at a Barnes & Noble here in Orlando. These sorts of things are always fun to do and it is a pleasure meeting people who genuinely love what we are doing. Here are a picture of me and Brad in the limo on the way to the event (very fancy) and signing autographs after the talkback.






My dresser this week is Jan. Jan was once an actress as well as a stage manager and is the proud mother of a very talented and beautiful grown up daughter. She is also very courageously and successfully battling MS and I admire that. She is doing a great job, too. That's it for week 17, folks. Look for a Disney adventure post next week.

Another Day at the Office

Week 16: Clearwater, FL

Sometimes even something as fun and creative as a theatrical production can be just a job. This is not a negative, it's just a fact. Anyone doing a job they enjoy has these times--sometimes it is just your routine. This can be magnified in the kind of job I do because you literally are repeating the same task over and over again. Performing a show is an exercise in repetition, and it is of course the responsibility of the performer to imbue each performance with a sense of spontaneity and freshness. After all, for the audience it is, in general, a first time experience. This is all part of our job and we apply our craft to keep the work alive and fresh. This week, I have been feeling a comfortable sense of routine about the show, and that's okay. Almost every performance there is something unexpected or funny that happens on stage or off and it keeps things fun. There are moments where the audience is especially "with" us and gives us so much laughter and support. Our opening night audience here in Clearwater was that--it brings the whole experience to another level and it becomes a real dialogue between the show and the audience. And let me say this--the audiences here in Clearwater have been some of the best we have ever had!

We are at Ruth Eckerd Hall, which is an award winning, very successful 2100 seat venue established in the early 1980's. The Hall is named for the philanthropist wife of a drug store magnate who was a big supporter of the arts in the Tampa Bay area. The auditorium is laid out "continental style" which means that there are no aisle divisions sectioning off the amphitheater style seating area--there are continuous rows of seats which means that the audience is more intimately arranged. A lot of us feel that this accounts for a more unified and enthusiastic response from the audience. Acoustically Ruth Eckerd Hall is very good as well, and many very famous musicians and performers have graced the stage there.
I was delighted to have some aunts and uncles attend the opening here, and they joined me for the reception afterward. From left to right, back row: Don, Aunt Diana, me; front row: Uncle Larry and Aunt Nancy. It's great to share what I a doing with my family, especially since I see these folks so rarely.

We were supposed to be visited by Casey Nicholaw this week but he took sick and was unable to come down to Clearwater. His visit will be rescheduled. I look forward to working with one of the original creators of the show. So this week truly is another day at the office, eight shows a week.
This week my dresser is Ann. Ann is Scottish and has a wonderful accent. She told me she was a professional figure skater for over 20 years, touring all over the world performing at major stadiums. When I asked her how she got into doing wardrobe work, she related a story. She was skating in London and came off from one of her programs to change costume. She had managed to get the zipper of her costume partially down but needed her dresser to help her out the rest of the way. When she reached the dresser, she said,"Well, you are halfway out of it, you can do the rest yourself." Ann was so taken aback by this attitude that she swore that if she was ever in that position working with performers backstage, she would never treat someone that way. And so here she is a dresser herself and may I say, she is a thorough PRO. Ann is on point with every aspect of her job and is always precise, businesslike and very pleasant to work with. She is a gem! And by the way, the rude dresser in her story got fired for her behavior!

Our drummer, Lee, is leaving the tour and has been with the it since the very beginning, in the rehearsal room! To see him off we went to an Irish pub called--wait for it!--O'BOOBIGANS. I am not kidding. It is meant to be a sort of Irish Hooters. The cast of "Spamalot" took the place over and we had a great time hoisting a few beers and eating plenty of greasy bar food. The place had only recently opened, so they were thrilled to have our party. The waitresses did wear rather short shorts (emerald green of course) but no one seemed to mind. The place was, after all, called O'BOOBIGANS. And by the way, throughout that night's performance, the most favorite secret ad lib was, yes, you guessed it--O'BOOBIGANS. Just makes me giggle.

More to come from the land of Mickey and Minnie next week.

100

Week 15: West Palm Beach, FL

Moons and junes and ferris wheels
The dizzy dancing way you feel
As evry fairy tale comes real
Ive looked at love that way

--Joni Mitchell, "Both Sides Now"




This weekend I gave my 100th performance as Sir Robin. I find it bewildering that I have already played eleven cities. I think this is a good time to just express gratitude for my present life! Not to get all "Oprah" on you, but this opportunity has completely changed my life. And it is the result of twenty years of persistent, consistent work in the business. My website will have a bunch more material about my work to date, but believe me when I say it has been a wild ride and I have worked very hard to have this breakthrough in my career. And what a breakthrough! A plum role in a enormously successful, Tony winning production, touring all of North America and performing alongside one of my show biz idols. This is my first Broadway show (technically it's only "Broadway" if it's in New York, but nonetheless), my first tour, and the landscape of my life inwardly and outwardly is constantly changing. I am very grateful to God, the Universe, whatever magic brings to life the things we dream of; my family, especially my Mom--Happy Birthday!, and my dear dear best friend Mickey Abbate. I hope you have a friend as good as he is in your life. And most of all, thank you to the entire touring company of "Spamalot." From the reassuring hand on a shoulder, the flashlight instinctively held out to light your way, from the in-jokes and weirdo rituals, to the high of those performances when you really felt you all "nailed it." Thanks for taking me in as one of the "spamily."
That reads like an acceptance speech! Maybe it is one in a way...

West Palm Beach has turned out to be a relaxed and pleasant place and we have had a great reception from the audiences here. I just have to voice one note of disappointment. You who have followed my blog know that I try to accentuate the positive and see the good as much as I can. But I have to point out a pet peeve of mine. Audience members should not leave the theatre during the curtain call, period. The curtain call is part of the show (and in our show it includes a wonderful encore sing-along of "Bright Side" with confetti canons going off at the end--why would you wanna miss that!?) and to walk out while we are out there receiving your appreciation is like departing a restaurant without leaving a tip. In addition to that, WE CAN SEE YOU. We can see masses of people making for the exit while we are sharing what should be the crowning moment of the evening with the audience and that doesn't feel good--it also takes away from the experience of other audience members. Please, when you go to the theatre, stay for the curtain call. Yes, you may have to file out with everyone else after the show and yes, you may have to get your car from the garage, but are you really saving any time by leaving three minutes early? This is my opinion and my opinion only and doesn't represent the production. I just had to say it!

Our resident party planner, the vivacious Piper Arpan, threw a Sunday brunch at her digs across the street from the theatre. She completely outdid herself cooking three kinds of quiche, Nutella stuffed french toast, roast potatoes, three kinds of sausage, virgin bloody marys, juice, coffee...!! It was a feast, all eaten al fresco near a lovely reflecting pool. That's Jonathan vogueing for the camera.

My dresser of the week was another Lisa. This one usually works as an electrician, doing lighting work in the theatre, but they needed hands in wardrobe so she took on the job of dressing her first principal actor--me! She is a lovely, calm lady and very sweetly presented me with a nice card and a margarita glass full of chocolate easter eggs as a parting gift. See what I mean? There is goodness all around, we just have to notice it and share it with others. More from Clearwater to come. This week Casey Nicholaw, one of the original creators of the show and its choreographer, will be seeing the show and doing a work session with us. Mr. Nicholaw is an enormously talented director and choreographer who was also the creator of "The Drowsy Chaperone." I am so excited to have the opportunity to work with him and gain invaluable insight into performing the show from "the horse's mouth" so to speak.

Miami Vice and West Palm Calm

Week 15: West Palm Beach, FL

Thank goodness we left Miami. I'd be flat broke if we'd stayed another week. That is the drawback of living for a week in a resort town while working--you start to think you are on vacation! And you spend accordingly. South Beach is all about excess--spending money, wearing over the top designer fashions, impossible physiques pumped beyond belief, drinking and partying until the early morning hours night after night.
I have a couple of lovely friends here in the area--my beautiful friend Jelena is from Croatia; she and I worked together in the cosmetics industry in New York (when I am not acting I sometimes work as a makeup artist for a high end line). She moved here to be with her boyfriend, Michael, who is Peruvian and Chinese and also beautiful--he works as a model and in the mortgage business. The two of them showed me some of South Beach nightlife by walking me past the velvet ropes into a couple of the hottest clubs. Hot is right. The suffocating heat, the crush of bodies jostling one in every direction, the deafening music, and worst of all, the cigarette smoke (how do people manage to hang out in these smoky places?)--I lasted ten minutes in each club. This sort of thing is not fun for me. If I were 20 and on spring break and sowing my oat-- maybe. But I had a thought as I was being buffeted around one of these smoke holes: I am officially middle aged. My days of clubbing are over. And there was a rather desperate and dark energy about these places and the young crowds thrill seeking in them. It seemed telling to me that the predominant fashion motif--emblazoned on shirts, jeans pockets and on bedazzled ball caps--was a skull. A death's head. Something not quite right about that.

However, I did manage to have some good times in Miami. We had our big two year anniversary party the other night at the Raleigh Hotel--a very posh place with a wonderful outdoor area they call "the oasis." It is the epitome of Miami chic. We all got dressed up for the occasion and enjoyed an evening of passion fruit martinis and balmy ocean breezes. I have added some very nice pieces to my wardrobe here and my wallet is feeling it! I also decided not to leave Miami without a tattoo, since some of the best tattoo artists in the world spend the winter in South Beach. Where it is and what it's of I think I will keep to myself. Important thing is, it doesn't show in my Sir Robin costumes!
Speaking of costumes, here is a picture of me with Lisa, my Miami dresser. As I mentioned before, Lisa is a genuine fan who has seen "Spamalot" twice. Her daughter has seen it three times and her father has seen it four times. It was fun to work with someone who is crazy about the show.

We are now in West Palm Beach, which feels like a very clean, affluent suburban place. It was established in the late 1890s by a Standard Oil magnate as a place to live for the servants who worked at the beach resort he established on the neighboring island of Palm Beach, and has expanded over the decades into the community it is today.

We are playing the Kravis Center, a relatively new facility, finished in the early 90's and named for Raymond Kravis, a prominent geologist from Tulsa, Oklahoma, who spent every winter here for 35 years with his wife, Bessie. Friends and colleagues contributed over $7,000,000 to the building effort in order to have the center named for Mr. Kravis, who was a beloved philanthropist. Aside from the show, I plan to use this week to rest and get back on my gym schedule and diet regimen after the excesses of South Beach. More from sunny Florida to come. Keep your questions and comments coming. I will have some great new updates to my website coming up, and plan to add some new features to my blog, including profiles of some of the people I am working with in the show, so you can get to know some of these talented folks.

Miami Beach and Mr. Beach

Week 14: Miami, FL

There are very few stars in the theatre today. We have plenty of movie and television stars, but very few stars who have dedicated themselves to theatre and have become powerful and memorable forces on Broadway. We have Nathan Lane, Patti LuPone, Audra MacDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and a small handful of others. Among these luminaries, Gary Beach is one of the brightest and most masterful stars we have in theatre. I have been a fan of his for many years, and have often referred to his career as one that I would wish my own to resemble. He is a brilliant comic, a great character actor, and a marvelous singer with a truly beautiful voice. His comic sensibility, timing and imagination are right up there with greats like the late Zero Mostel and other great character actors. He has worked with some of the biggest names in the business, including Mary Martin and Carol Channing, starred in the recent revivals of "La Cage Aux Folles" and "Les Miserables," played the candelabra Lumiere in "Beauty and the Beast", and won a Tony Award for his incredible performance as the flamboyant director Roger DeBris in the extraordinary hit "The Producers."
Those of you who have never seen his work can experience that great performance in the film version of "The Producers" musical now on video. And on top of his masterful acting and his wonderful career, the man himself is generous, kind, warm and supportive of everyone he works with. Gary opened this week in Miami as King Arthur to great acclaim. We took our company bow that opening night, with me holding his right hand and I was completely overwhelmed with the realization that I am working with one of my idols. I just took a bow with Gary Beach! Unreal. Such an emotional moment. This tour just keeps getting better.


After much scrambling, I found a condo in South Beach for our week here in Miami and am sharing with one of my castmates. Miami Beach is everything I expected it to be, oozing style and tackiness all at the same time. Against a backdrop of palm trees and fabulous Art Deco buildings that all look like they have been carved out of blocks of Neapolitan ice cream, college kids on spring break, muscle gods and sleek tanned beauties strut their stuff past the sidewalk cafes to a never ending soundtrack of salsa music. The amount of physical beauty displaying itself on all sides is overwhelming and not a little intimidating. The beach is wonderful (and right outside our door!) and the trendy shops, chic restaurants and hip clubs make for a heady atmosphere. It is hard to remind myself that I am here for work! This is also the first stop on our tour where I have ventured out to find housing on my own. It is a little nerve wracking to pay in advance for a space one has never seen and make do with the oddities that come along with it. Our little building is centrally located right on Ocean Drive, and is primarily occupied by college kids on spring break. Which means NOISE. And while the place is nice enough it shows the wear and tear of many a spring break party. Nevertheless, I can't complain. It is so empowering to create an experience beyond just doing the show and returning to a hotel room. I plan to make the most of the rest of this week in South Beach, soaking up the whole experience.



We are performing at the Arscht Center, formerly known as the Carnival Center, in downtown Miami. This beautiful massive architectural marvel was completed just a year or two ago and is state of the art. Plagued by financial problems the project was completed through the generosity of Adrienne Arscht, who put up over $30,000,000 to save this Miami institution.
The theatre we are in is enormous--the stage was made to accommodate huge opera sets and there is room on that stage for three of our sets! The hall gleams with contemporary sleekness and has that "new car" smell. It's quite an impressive place to play. My dresser, Lisa, is a big "Spamalot" fan, as is her whole family. She has seen the show twice and has the cast recording on her ipod! So needless to say she is enthusiastic about working with me and is doing a great job!

This weekend we have a party to celebrate the two year anniversary of the "Spamalot" tour. It promises to be a swanky affair and there is much about our successful show to celebrate. This week marks three months of performances for me in the show and I feel very happy and proud to be a part of this talented company and hit production. More from Miami to come, and if not, I will write you from West Palm Beach next week.