Farewell Staten Island...Hello Connecticut!

Eric and Jill were SO fed up with Staten Island they packed their bags and were ready to start WALKING towards Connecticut...and we could just pick them up along the way. Yeah - it was THAT frustrating. Luckily we talked them out of it.

OK - so we're back to normal internet service...and it's good to not be on that Island down South of Manhattan. And don't read this thinking I just didn't like the hotel and no wireless. I have beefs with the previously-mentioned hotel stuff...but with a lot more, as well. I mean, the city-area was trashy, the venue was like 300 miles from the hotel, and the venue was a TRASH HEAP with a crazy, CRAZY lady running the place. (This is the same lady who requested shows with INTERMISSIONS! For an hour long show.) And example of this crazy woman? Well, about 20 minutes before our show this woman asked Elisa if she could bring a group of children who were homeless and 'stricken with AIDS' backstage to get pictures with the actors. Well, TECHNICALLY, if they haven't cleared that sort of thing through the Kennedy Center, we shouldn't do them. But beyond that, it's pretty close to curtain and people are in the middle of getting ready and we don't have a lot of time at that point to do a meet-and-greet. So Elisa said she would see what she could do - but that we had other things going on and we probably couldn't do it - and the woman turned on her, basically saying, "I hope you're happy with yourself, having to tell HOMELESS CHILDREN that the actors don't want to meet them.' Um...ok...whatever. But as we were all on stage, right after we got our 'PLACES' call, just seconds before the curtain goes up, we look over, and THERE is Crazy Venue Lady with some of the homeless, stricken kids...hoping to get A BACKSTAGE TOUR! AS THE SHOW IS STARTING! I mean - what is up with that!? So thanks to our Wardrobe Godess, EMILY, she got them back out of the backstage area and on with the show. Needless to say, Elisa is going to have some stories to share with the Kennedy Center from this place!

So this was on our dressing room door. Classy, right? Let's see - Nutcracker? 2 months ago? Nice. Unless they really thought there were Candy Canes and Mother Ginger Children in the chocolate factory.

So I don't quite get it...but there were these CREEPY bears sitting EVERYWHERE backstage. Weird.

And the outside of the theater.

OK - so these pictures are WAY dark. This theater was a HUGE, cavernous MESS. The big light thing was cool, but overall, it just old and creaky and NOT well kept. . And as you can tell from the second picture, there were seats pretty much up to the clouds. Wild.

But it is done! We are gone! Saturday after our shows, we packed up and headed north to Storrs, CT. The big draw in Storrs is that it is the home of the University of Connecticut. GO HUSKIES! We stayed at a nice hotel on the University Campus...the Nathan Hale Inn...and they DID have wireless. And even though the wireless signal kept dropping - it was better than dial up in Staten Island. As I sat there thinking that, I decided that THAT would be our mantra for the rest of the tour: Atleast it's not Staten Island.
Our shows in Storrs were fine - they were in a HUGE venue and the stage was REALLY wide. I think most of the times, the stages we perform on are anywhere from 32 feet to 40 feet across.
I think this stage, at it's widest point, was like 75 feet across! Seriously! And at one point, Jackie and I were rolling off on our Oompas, and took the WRONG exit (the one with the REALLY wide spanse), and so the lights came up on the next scene, and we were both STILL rolling off. Just rolling and smiling and waving as Wonka and the other kids continued the show...thinking, "FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING THAT IS GOOD AND GREEN WILL THIS STAGE NEVER END!?" But it ended, and we went on with the show.
The best part about Storrs? The catering in the green room! Sandwiches, macaroni salad, lasagna, sausages, cookies, drinks....AMAZING. It was a real great treat before and after our shows. And the rest of the day, everyone just did their own chilling thing. I, of course, caught up on the Olympic actions from throughout the day. I think I'm might be hoarse today from me screaming, 'CURL! CUUUUUUURRRRRRL!' so much at the US Men's Team. But we made the medal rounds...so it was well worth it.

Today - PRESIDENT'S DAY - was a travel and chill day. We made the hour drive to New Haven, and since we got here early, we couldn't check into the hotel yet, so we went downtown to eat. Jill, Chris and I ended up going to a place downtown called Playwrights Tavern - a nice little Irish pub-type place. Food was fine...and on the dessert menu, there was an Irish Mist Cheesecake. DELICIOUS SOUNDING, right? So I order it...and my review and photos are below. This one you won't want to miss.

So, HANDS DOWN, this was the WORST cheesecake I have EVER eaten. It got a 1...a ONE...on the MASE. And THAT is only because they were SHIFTY enough to make the presentation so good that it made me WANT to eat it. IT. WAS. TERRIBLE. It was a strange consistency. Once in my mouth, it tasted like PLASTIC. It also tasted like it had a weird coagulated layer from being left out all week. And no amount of berry or chocolate sauce or caramel or powdered sugar or anything could cover the fact that this cheesecake was OFFICIALLY the worst cheesecake I have eaten on this tour. QUITE POSSIBLY the worst piece of cheescake EVER known to man.

We are staying at the Fairfield Inn by MARRIOTT (unlike the random Fairfield Inn in Fairfield), and we have GOOD wireless, VERY comfortable beds, and a view of some body of water. Plus we are right next to a huge Ikea - where some of us went for dinner. 15 meatball dinner for $4.99? YES PLEASE! The rest of the night was Olympics and just straight trippin'...or chillin'. A BIG congrats goes out to Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto, American Ice Dancers, who won a SILVER MEDAL in Turino today. The first US medal in Ice Dancing in 30 years. 30 YEARS! Not only did they win tonight, but they are one of the only final teams that didn't FALL last night! VERY entertaining...and said. I hope everyone is well.

CONGRATS!

A delightful collection of Sunday Night's spills for you all.

AND FINALLY, AN OLYMPIC CASE OF THE UNFORTUNATES:

OK. This is a French pair of ice dancers. SOMEONE approved these costumes. And this hair for her. I doubt anyone actually APPROVED that face of his...but he pulled it. I mean, nothing about any of it makes me feel good. Infact, I feel like I need a shower or a nap or something after seeing this. The only GOLD this duo is going to get is my Case Of The Unfortunates Gold.

Anyway - we have 3 days off here, and everyone is doing their own thing. We'll see what adventures I can dig up here in New Haven! And just so you schedule a reading tomorrow, please note that our very own JACKIE LAMPTEY will be Guest-Blogging tomorrow night for us. Good times are promised.
Off to bed in a very comfortable bed...and I'm waking up WHENEVER I WANT!
Gnite.
Gussy