City in Transition

Week 21: Dayton, OH

Dayton has seen some hard times. And the downtown area is another of those American urban centers that have become depressed due to the development of suburban areas that offer more of the conveniences that people want. Much of downtown Dayton has a sort of sad, worn out feeling. People work here, but there doesn't seem to be a life to this city. However, as I have mentioned before, one has to look for the beauty and for the fun. A short walk from my hotel down Fifth Street takes one to the Oregon Historic District. This is the "funky" part of town. Originally settled in the mid 19th century along the Miami River, this was Dayton's first affluent "suburb." And it still retains much of its charm, even having survived a flood in the early 20th century and the hard times Dayton saw in the 1960s. Flowering trees line the brick paved streets, and charming 19th century brick residences sport ornate porch railings and stained glass windows. The day I walked the streets of the Oregon (no one really knows why it was called that over a hundred and fifty years ago) the blossoms were blooming and the cardinals were chirping in the trees and the neighborhood gave me a real feeling of Americana. The Fifth Street strip is home to several restaurants offering diverse cuisine, and the funky shops and art galleries that bring the tattooed, the hip and the edgy of Dayton into the neighborhood. Again, it is a relief to find a bastion of "cool" in the heart of this rather lackluster downtown.





Bringing its own luster to Dayton is the Schuster Performing Arts Center, which is the home of "Spamalot" this week. This must be the newest venue I have performed in on the tour thus far. Only a few years old, this beautiful structure incorporates a 2300 seat theatre, a black box theatre space, a restaurant, and a six story glass enclosed atrium called the "Wintergarden" which has a palm tree grove in the middle of it and spiral staircases leading to the upper seating tiers. It reminds one of a modern and upscale cruise ship.
The theatre we are in gleams with light wood and warm colors and is topped by a deeply vaulted ceiling with a glittering fiber optic starscape meant to capture the sky as it might have appeared to the Wright Brothers the night of their famous first flight. Oh yes, did I mention that the Wright Brothers were the favorite sons of Dayton? Indeed they were. The Schuster Center is meant to revitalize the life of the downtown area of Dayton, and judging from our sold out houses this week, it may do just that. Operating in conjunction with the historic Victoria Theatre across the street, it is home to the Dayton Opera, the Philharmonic and the ballet. My only criticism of the venue is that the back stage area is so sprawling and confusing I literally got lost trying to get from the stage to my dressing room for my first costume change opening night! It is heartening that Dayton has these cultural institutions and a resident theatre company, The Human Race Theatre Company. Further proof that the arts create business and vitality in our cities. Support arts education in your schools! Let's ensure a future for music, dance and theatre in our communities. I would also urge the restaurant owners in the vicinity of the Schuster Center to alter their hours to cater to the workers and the patrons! On our first night a few of us went out around 7PM to grab a quick bite to eat before the show and the only food or drink options open were Subway and Uno Chicago Grill--and the latter was taking reservations! When a chain restaurant has a reservation list on performance nights it should be a clue that there is a need for dining options in the neighborhood. There were over two thousand people coming to the show and they were hard pressed to find a refreshment or a meal before the theatre in the area around the Schuster Center. Wake up folks! Participate in this beneficial new institution and the commerce it can bring--run an ad in the program and offer pre-theatre dinner specials!

Okay, I will get off my soapbox. Maybe. So here we are working at this lovely luxurious performing arts center while all around us is this strange crumbling city. And it is a freak show of humanity that wanders the streets of Dayton--toothless, chatty vagrants, aggressive panhandlers, every imaginable bizarre type. This is why the prevailing adjective used within the company to describe Dayton has been "ghetto." It is no wonder the well-heeled suburbanites who drive in for our performances make a mad dash to their cars after the show. Regardless, I have met some nice business owners here, some interesting and talented artists who are creating work, and have enjoyed some very good food at the diverse establishments in the Oregon District. This will seem like it comes out of left field, but speaking of food-- I am a vegetarian and, traveling from place to place, it can be a challenge to find satisfying and nutritious meal options. I manage just fine but I must get on the soap box one more time to just let restaurant owners know that when you offer a "veggie sandwich" or a "veggie pizza" or a "veggie omelette," you must put something more into it than peppers and onions!! Technically, yes, they are vegetables. However, I think a rule of thumb when putting together a "veggie" meal option should be to ask oneself--if I were to sit down to eat a portion of vegetables, would I eat a pile of onions and peppers?? Just remember, restaurateurs, that vegetarians eat lots of different vegetables for their nutrition and their flavor. So toss in some broccoli or spinach or something, okay?!


My dresser in Dayton this week is Sharleen (when she spelled it for me she blamed the oddness of the spelling on her mother). Sharleen has been working wardrobe for 43 years and is a seasoned pro. She told me her Dad was a stagehand and that her first steps as a child were taken across the lobby of a theatre. This lady has devoted her life to working back stage, as I have devoted mine to working on stage. I have great respect for her commitment and she has been a delight to work with.

We begin the Wisconsin leg of our journey next week in Milwaukee. By the way, my West Coast friends and family will be happy to know that we received word that the Las Vegas company of "Spamalot" will be closing in July. This means that the tour will be able to play cities in California, Nevada, and Arizona as early as summer '09. If I stay on for another year I may be doing the show in a theatre near you. I will keep you posted!

Old Friends and New

Week 20: Raleigh, NC

If the heart be right, it matters not which way the head lies.
--Sir Walter Raleigh


Raleigh is of course named for Walter Raleigh, and is also known as "The City of Oaks." There are some gorgeous neighborhoods with grand houses and magnificent grounds. The downtown area is a hodge podge of different things and doesn't really speak to me. I couldn't tell you really what the essence of Raleigh is, the way I could with Greenville. I did get to explore the area known as City Market, which is an old market area that now houses some nice restaurants and art galleries. And I had a splendid meal in a grand old nineteenth century house which is home to Second Empire, a fine and elegant restaurant. But my hotel is five miles out from the downtown area and most of my spare time has been spent shopping at the mall across the street! Gap has some very nice things this season...

I had a real surprise this week when I received roses back stage at the show along with a card from a woman who I had been at school with from kindergarten to high school and who I had done high school plays with etc. I was always very active in theatrical pursuits back then even though life for me in public school was not happy. I actually left high school two years early and entered an early entry college. Anyway, Meg was a childhood friend. And she lives here now and planned to see "Spamalot" only to discover that I was in the cast. She wrote that she was really proud of me and she included a photocopy of a note I wrote in her yearbook back in 1981 (now I am dating myself). This was what I wrote:


Meg,
I've been struggling through the Beverly school system with you since Mrs. Alexander's (kindergarten)! It's unfortunate that I won't be able to graduate with you and the rest of my friends. Thanks for the great times in the shows (including "Our Town"-BLECH!) and at lunch tables and in Keany's class! I'll never forget ya and I'll see you (hopefully!) at my BROADWAY debut!
Love Always,
Jamie Beaman

I can't say that I never forgot you, Meg. But I am so touched that you didn't forget me! And so glad you got to see the show.


My dresser this week is Anne. Anne is actually a talented costume designer who works with the ballet here. It turns out that she studied costume design under a teacher who worked with my Dad for many years during his tenure as associate professor in the theatre program at Boston University. Anne also grew up in a theatre family so we had some things in common.

One of my new friends in the show, Bree, a talented dancer, is a Raleigh native. We spent an enjoyable afternoon walking around and shopping. We posed for a picture at Marbles! which is a children's discovery type museum.




And this week, I have to say goodbye to my very first friend in the company, Jonathan Brody . During those early days around Christmas in D.C., Jonathan reached out to the 'newbie' and has always lent a sympathetic ear and been a really great person to hang around with. He is a talented actor in his own right, and in addition to being one of our ensemble "knights" he was a very able understudy for both Bedevere and Lancelot. I am really going to miss Jonathan.




So people continue to come and go and some appear magically out of the woodwork. It's a real journey, this touring thing.
More from Dayton next week.

Beauty is Truth

Week 19: Greenville, SC

Beauty is truth, truth beauty,--that is all
Ye know on earth and all ye need to know!
--John Keats

"Just living is not enough," said the butterfly, "you need freedom, sunshine, and a little flower."
--Hans Christian Andersen

You will have to forgive me for rhapsodizing some more about Greenville. Spring is here in all its glory, and the weather has been just spectacular. I have been taking my morning coffee down to Falls Park, and have sat in that lovely place absorbing the sounds of rushing water and birdsong, drinking in the lush greenery and colorful flower beds.
I watch the moms and kids at play, art students working seriously on drawings and pastels. Greenville is a cornucopia of great things to look at and to eat. I have designated the remainder of my visit here to a sort of spa vacation (broken up of course by several performances of the show). There are a few lovely spas in town as well as an alternative therapy center. So I will be indulging in some massage and some other therapies. All of us in the show give a great deal of ourselves as performers, and the touring life can be stressful on the body--moving from place to place, sleeping in strange beds, and of course not having access to the comforts of home. Sometimes I feel like I just have to give myself a little back for all that hard work. Greenville is the perfect place to do it. The place itself seems to inspire it. So much art and beauty, nature and good food and drink. Make a point of visiting this town if you can. If I were ever to retire from performing and seek a comfortable community in which to teach high school or college drama, this is the sort of town I would choose. I have to say, that this is my favorite stop on the tour thus far.


My Greenville dresser is Tisha. Tisha is a single mother of two, a four year old daughter and a two year old son. She commutes here to work on the show, and her mother and aunt both are on the crew as well. This is only Tisha's second time dressing and she is doing a terrific job. I admire her very much for raising two small kids on her own and doing what she can to support her family.

As you can imagine, playing this role is something of a dream come true. And with it has come opportunities to experience and do things that I have long wanted to do. One of these has always been to be able to buy original artwork from working artists. My father is a painter and a fine visual artist and I was brought up with an appreciation of art. It has always been a wish of mine to fill my home with pieces that came from the heart and hand of a talented artist and by purchasing such pieces, make an investment in that person's special gift.
Since Greenville is a place of many beauties, it is no accident that I found a wonderful piece here that I decided to take home with me. It is a beautiful blown glass bowl by a local artist named Robert Clair (his last name, in French, means 'bright or clear'--very apropos) and is a wonderful large organic shape bursting with ribbons of color: vivid oranges, pinks and warm yellows. I just had to have it. It felt so good to know that my purchase will not only be a great thing for the artist, but will be a beautiful piece of Greenville to keep with me always. It will be shipped home to New York next week. If you are interested in more of the artist's work you can contact Mary Praytor at the Mary Praytor Gallery: www.marypraytorgallery.com. I will truly be sorry to leave this lovely town but the road beckons. More from Raleigh, NC next week.

Nothing Could Be Fine-ah

Week 19: Greenville, SC

"Actors are the only honest hypocrites. Their life is a voluntary dream; and the height of their ambition is to be beside themselves."
--William Hazlitt (inscribed on a street tile in Greenville, SC)


The highlight of our bus ride from Birmingham to Greenville was a stop at our stage manager Jovon's favorite southern chain restaurant, a Georgia tradition called Varsity. Varsity is all red and white and has the feeling of a 50's diner. All it needs is car hops on roller skates. They specialize in greasy chili dogs and burgers, and things like the Frozen Orange (a sort of slushie that tastes like a Creamsicle) and fried pie. Yes, that's what I said--fried pie (and it's damn good, lord help me). If anyone had told me a year ago that I would be sitting in Norcross, Georgia eating fried pie wearing a silly paper hat I would have guffawed in their face. But when in Rome! It was a very silly and very fattening detour on our way to our next destination.




One of the great pleasures of this tour is that I get to discover places I never even thought about going to. My friend Tim from Montgomery, AL had told me that Greenville was the city that the rest of the south now held up as a model for what a southern city should be. It is easy to see why. Greenville is a clean, quaint and charming town with all the style and conveniences of the 21st century. The streets of downtown are so pristine one is reminded of a Disney Epcot exhibit--"Southern Town of Tomorrow," or something. Artsy without the grit, urban without the, well, grit. Where Birmingham was a creepy ghost town at night, Greenville is alive with activity and the main strip is lined with restaurants purveying every possible kind of cuisine, from sushi to Dutch (would you believe). We arrived here on a Monday night, and the bars and restaurants were packed with well heeled customers. If we have our first night free in any given place I try to go out for a nice meal. A group of us went to a place called Soby's, which serves modern reinterpretations of traditional southern dishes, and even has its own cookbook. The meal was terrific and the price a fraction of what it would have been at a comparable restaurant in New York. It is clear that the residents of Greenville are living the good life, and they even seem to have an air about them of pride and self satisfaction.

The main reason that downtown Greenville feels so new is that it is new! In the mid-1980's, the south end of Main Street in Greenville looked like many other downtowns across the country - empty store fronts, vacant lots, and a rapidly diminishing business community. The city of Greenville decided it was time to rejuvenate what had been the very heart of downtown, and in 1985, Mayor Bill Workman appointed a citizens' committee to investigate building a performing arts center. Three branches of Greenville's Peace family kicked off a capital fund drive by pledging $10 million in the memories of Roger C. Peace, B.H. Peace, Jr., and Frances Peace Graham - no strings attached.
Thus, the Peace Center was born, and we are performing there this week. If any one has any doubts about the value of the arts to the life and sustenance of a community they need to visit Greenville. Having a top-notch performance venue helps to encourage restaurants and music venues and creates a lively interest in the community for the arts. Greenville has several small theatre companies and numerous art galleries.

On a sparkling spring day I wandered into what is known here as the West End of town. I know I have said before on this blog that beauty is everywhere and we only have to look for it. In Greenville, you don't have to look far. So much thought and care has gone into making this place aesthetically pleasing and visitor-friendly.

Falls Park on the Reedy River is one of the most magnificent public parks I have ever visited. Wrapping around a beautiful series of small dams and waterfalls that used to power textile mills in the early days of Greenville, the park is beautifully landscaped, full of stepped gardens, shaded swings and pleasant walks, and across it stretches the beautiful Liberty suspension bridge. With the rushing waters, the lush greenery and floral plantings, it is an idyllic spot for a picnic. Beyond the park lies the West End area, which I was told by a shop owner has seen a renaissance in just the past three years. Here one can find antique stores, art galleries, a spa and a wellness center, and numerous fun shops and restaurants. If I were ever to leave the world of show business for a quieter existence, Greenville is just the sort of charming place I would enjoy settling into. It just makes you feel good. So as to keep this post from being too epic, I will sign off. More from Greenville later this week, including the now traditional introduction of my dresser and other stuff.

From Magic Kingdom to Magic City

Week 18: Birmingham, AL

This week, we are performing at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center in Birmingham, AL. I was in Montgomery, AL for five months last year acting at Alabama Shakespeare Festival, but never really got to come up and explore Birmingham. The downtown area where we are working and staying is typical of many American cities that fell victim to urban sprawl and the lure of Wal-Mart. Downtown Birmingham is essentially a place where people come to work. No one seems to live here, and most of the businesses and restaurants cater to the lunch crowds during the work week. At night the streets are virtually deserted. I am staying at the Hotel Redmont, a relic of the 1920's, still with many of its original period details. My room is spacious and very cozy, decorated with Southern style--chintz drapes, paintings of magnolia blossoms, traditional furniture. This is what I call an "eating out" week, as the hotel room has no kitchenette or even a fridge. So I have gotten to sample the local cuisine several times a day!

Birmingham is called "Magic City" because of the rapid increase in population during the early industrial boom here. Much of the official architecture and major buildings seem to be art deco in style, suggesting they were erected in the 20's and 30's. Birmingham also considers itself the cradle of the Civil Rights movement.
I had the pleasure of exploring the Birmingham Museum of Art, a fine and diverse collection in a very pleasant building. There are some lovely pieces of Italian Renaissance painting (my favorite), some wonderful Dutch masters, and pieces by luminaries like Monet, Sargent, and others. The museum has a lovely collection of decorative arts, including an extensive collection of Wedgwood and some priceless pieces of Meissen porcelain.
There is also a beautiful sculpture garden with pieces by Rodin as well as a wonderful voluptuous reclining woman by Botero, in his typical "plump" style. Near the museum, Linn Park, bordered by City Hall and other official buildings, is a charming place with a lovely fountain and some beautiful plants and trees, cherry blossoms and magnolias, and mockingbirds singing in the branches. Again, my friends, beauty is everywhere. We just have to look for it.

The other special characteristic of Birmingham I have noticed is the extraordinary friendliness of the people. I don't consider myself a typically reserved northeasterner, however, I have been completely disarmed by the free and friendly way I have been engaged by people here. From service workers to people on the street, I have struck up some sort of conversation with almost everyone I have encountered. While enjoying lunch in the museum cafe, a couple just leaned over and asked me where I was from and started recommending restaurants and places to see. The ladies who serve breakfast in my hotel are sassy and flirty and very funny. It is nice to get a sense of the character of a place and so far, Birmingham has been very pleasant indeed.



A few of you have asked about my shoulder injury and I am happy to say that it is steadily improving. I saw a doctor in Orlando who x-rayed it and told me it was a sprain. He injected it with cortisone, an unpleasant procedure, but it gave me a lot of relief. I have lightened up my gym workouts and in general it is feeling much better. I am fond of telling the younger performers in the show that I can do everything I have always done physically--it just hurts more now! Thanks to those of you who expressed concern about my injury.

On Thursday this week I went to the south side of town, known here as Five Points. It is what they refer to as the "bohemian" part of Birmingham, but to me it is the "cool" part of town. It's a fun area, with nice restaurants and music venues, a few funky shops, a health food store with vegetarian cafe. I bought myself a great straw fedora, "Rat Pack" style, in a very fun clothing store, and I love my new chapeau. It is very heartening to know there is a funky section in this rather odd, conservative town. Honestly, I have been enjoying my light schedule here in Birmingham, and the pleasure of being close to work and things to do that don't require carpooling, so I can explore on my own. This week I hosted 'shot night' and I made, appropriately, Alabama Slammers. Never had them before but they combine Southern Comfort, sloe gin, and Amaretto with orange juice. Sounds sweet, huh? Well they were a huge hit with the cast and crew! These drinks lead me to a funny story involving my dresser this week.


My dresser here is Sandy. Sandy is a truly remarkable person, superior dresser and an all around sweetheart. She is a breast cancer survivor who does volunteer work to raise breast cancer awareness. Additionally, she is working to create a local for this area with the wardrobe union, to improve opportunities and conditions for her fellow wardrobe workers. Sandy did me a personal favor this week, as there are no liquor stores in downtown Birmingham and I needed the ingredients for my shot night, by picking the booze up for me. Alabama has what they call 'ABC stores' (Alabama Beverage Commission) and the products sold are all regulated by the state. Turns out that one of the key ingredients for my shots, sloe gin, is no longer sold in ABC stores. Sandy sought out a privately owned liquor store that had two bottles left and grabbed one to complete my recipe. What amazes me is that Alabama liquor stores don't carry one of the essential ingredients for the most well known of Alabama drinks. Wha??!!

Casey Nicholaw, the original choreographer of "Spamalot," saw the show this weekend and gathered us together for his notes and insights. In general, he was very happy with our company. And he had nothing but great things to say about me and my performance. This is a big relief, because of course I want to please this original creator of the show! I feel very grateful and happy that I have his seal of approval. All in all this trip to Birmingham has been very satisfactory and I have enjoyed my time here. Next stop is Greenville, SC. Oh yes--and I made some changes and additions to my website so take a look! I added a biography page, and a photo of me as Sir Robin under the "Spamalot" menu option. Enjoy!