Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay

Week 77: San Francisco, CA

On our day off this week, my pal Lenny and I decided to take the ferry across the bay to Sausalito. This charming little community was at one time an artist's enclave, and still retains a sort of laid back vibe, although it is now a pretty exclusive and chi-chi area. The ferry ride was very pleasant and as we pulled away from the stunning San Francisco skyline, the temperature rose and the day gave way to bright sunshine and early summer weather the likes of which one does not get in San Francisco proper (there's always a nip in the air). Arriving in Sausalito, I was reminded of little seaside towns on the Mediterranean, like San Tropez or Nice. The marina is full of vessels of various kinds, and a community of some 400 houseboats, which lend a unique charm. The town rises up from the bay in tiers of Spanish style villas and modern condos nestled in lush tropical plantings. It's really beautiful. The main drag of Sausalito is fairly touristy, but there are some great art galleries and unique shops, as well as some really nice restaurants.
Lenny and I had lunch at Horizons, a restaurant perched right on the water, where we sat and enjoyed the view of San Francisco in the distance as we ate fresh oysters on the half shell and soaked up some sun. It really was the perfect day off--relaxed, genteel and completely satisfying. That night, a mixer was arranged with members of our company and the company of "Wicked," which is having a long and successful run here. We gathered at a wine bar and "talked shop" with these talented and friendly people, some of whom will be performing alongside us next week at our benefit for the organization REAF, the Richmond Ermet AIDS Foundation, which raises funds for AIDS organizations through events like ours. The remainder of my week has been spent working out, performing, and preparing my own number for the benefit.

Since it has been a fairly uneventful week, I can take this opportunity to answer a few questions sent to me by audience members. I love receiving your inquiries, so keep 'em coming!

Question for you. How do you fly back to NYC to audition when you are across the country performing? Can you assure your diehard blog fans you'll keep us informed on the life and times of James Beaman after Spamalot ends?

Well, thus far I have not been called upon to return to New York for auditions, but that may happen. In that case, we are permitted to request a personal day, and I would then fly, at my own expense, back to NYC and do the audition. The job would have to be a really great one for me to do that, however. I am actually hoping that there will be some auditions for me in Los Angeles while we are there, not only for film or TV--many Broadway projects hold LA auditions. I don't know what sort of blogging I will do post-"Spamalot," but I assure you my website will have updates and news on whatever life brings me next!

Rebecca asks:

Since you have spent so much time on the road, do you have any tips or recommendations for those of us who might be traveling around the U.S.?

Sure. The first thing I would say is, travel light. Don't load yourself down with extensive wardrobe choices and heavy full sized toiletries and bottles of perfume. In the first place, you won't wear all of that stuff. Pick the pieces that are staples for you, limit your wardrobe to a narrow color palette so you can easily mix and match pieces, and have one or two dressy items you can pull out as need be. Airlines charge exorbitant fees for checked luggage, particularly overweight luggage, and cramming tons of stuff in carryon and then trying to fit them in overhead bins just slows down the whole boarding process for everyone and gives you a heavy bag to carry that will end up being gate checked anyway. Keep things light.

Secondly, I would say, join every frequent flyer program and hotel rewards plan that there is. It's free, you earn points towards flights and hotel stays and can receive special benefits for being a member, like free internet access in hotels. My favorite chain hotels by far are the Marriott Residence Inns and the Candlewood Suites. I highly recommend both--you always know what you are going to get, and I have never been disappointed. Both hotel chains provide suites with full kitchens and nice amenities, and Candlewood offers guests free laundry, and a pantry for late night snacks.

Lastly, I would say, plan ahead and make a list of the sights and attractions you really, really want to see in each place you go and set aside time throughout your stay to do each thing. By planning ahead you can avoid a lot of running around that can exhaust you and ruin the enjoyment of your trip, whether it be business or pleasure. Remember to leave time to rest and relax and I would say always set aside one day just to wander--pick a neighborhood or an area and just stroll, discovering things along the way. Bring a camera and a journal and record your adventures.

And last, here is Ben's question:

How do you stay in shape while you are traveling so much? Do you and the other performers warm up before every show?

Staying in shape is a priority for me. I am a big fitness freak and have learned as I have been out here that, with discipline, a good fitness regimen can be maintained. I do a combination of weight training, power yoga and various forms of cardio. Here in San Francisco, I have a gym, and I joined a yoga studio where I go a couple times a week. In other cities, I have had to work out on my own, sometimes in hotel rooms, so I spent three months doing the P90X plan, which is a series of DVD workouts that can be done with minimal equipment, pretty much anywhere. As for warming up, each performer has their own routine. For some, the warmup can be extensive (Ben Davis, our Galahad, is an opera singer and his warmup can be in excess of an hour sometimes!), for others, it's a simple routine that just loosens up the muscles and gets the voice warm. I do a fairly simple warmup for the show because I work out every day and my body is usually fairly ready for the show. Also, once you get used to doing the same performance eight times a week, your body has learned to adapt to the demands of the show and the muscles are tuned to those demands. Warming up is essential, however, to avoid injury and to be at peak performance level.

So folks, more from San Francisco next week. I will fill you in on the "Spamalot"/"Wicked" benefit then. Meantime, enjoy summer, wherever you are!