In The Beginning Was Eau Claire

Well, our first official day of shows came and went here in Eau Claire...and it was a day that has GOT to be reported on. We made it through both shows...but there was just something about them that didn't quite click right. The audiences were those audiences that were very excited about the show, but you could tell that their teachers probably gave them the 'make a noise and you'll be in big trouble' speech...because they were quiet little tykes. Our first show, after we worked out the initial kinks in everything, and we all adjusted to the new space, was great - and it went by pretty fast. A few little things here and there...but nothing major.

Pre-show...our tech staff is working hard to ensure a smooth sail. Mike, our sound guru, was working so hard that I couldn't snap a photo of him. Jodi, Craig and Katie all got caught working it out. (Check out Rachel and Steve working it out behind Craig....HAHAHA!)

The cast running through things before we started.

And seriously...what blog entry is complete without a selection from the Matt Anderson B&W Collection? None, I say.

The second show...we were not so lucky. And go ahead and leave it to ME to be a major factor in screwing things up. Well, not actually screwing them up...but having a couple of things go wrong that set everyone off for a good portion of the 2nd half of the show. Luckily, it's a good story to share...so it all ends up being well worth it in the end.
It all started when, as the kids, we all go into Wonka's factory the first time. The way things normally work out, we all get into this little clump - which includes me squatting and Roe jumping on my back. Before she jumps up on me, I normally have a little bit of time to adjust my high-waisted pants so I can squat a bit and everything works out. Well, for whatever reason, I got there late and Roe jumped before I could adjust....SOOOOOOOOO...as I squatted to catch her, I pretty much split the ENTIRE seat of my pants out. Gone. And for those of you who have seen the show, you know the best part of THAT is that 1) I have a couple of scenes where I wag my butt to the audience after that; and 2) there is so much going on that there is NO TIME to switch pants. Magical, right?

The split.

(If I'm not uncomfortable posting this on the blog...as odd as it is....please don't be uncomfortable looking at it.)

Oh - but it gets better...because not ONLY did I split my pants, but...BUT...there is a little costume-related-SURPRISE under the split. Because when they were costuming the show, they decided to get Augustus a shirt that is a little too short - for comedic effect - but I found that when I was lifting my arms, the shirt was riding up. NOT good, right? SO - our costumers decided to put a crotch-strip on the shirt - sewn on the back of the shirt, pulled through the legs and fastened to the front of the shirt. Very handy....I guess. And when they rigged the shirts up like this, they did it with a material that is basically cloth diaper material. That's right - split my pants AND looked like I had on a cloth diaper.
And then the real magic hit - because the minute I felt it split, I started to laugh - because in only MOMENTS, I was going to have to fall IN to the chocolate vat - with the butt of my pants COMPELTELY up for everyone on stage to see. And as I pictured it all happening, I started to laugh more. And then the fall into the chocolate vat came and everyone saw what I was laughing about...and then everyone else started laughing...and it was all down hill after that. Not completely down the hill....because we all made it through the show and on with our day. (We did have a couple of other situations....like Roe getting a pretty bad bruise as she fell into the nut bin....but we'll show that after the bruise is fully formed and ready to be shown to the world.)

Here I am....proudly showing off 'the split'. This day was a HOT mess.....

Here is Roe...POST-stage accident...but PRE-serious-bruise-coloring.

Tonight, we all loaded into the van and headed down the road to Bowl Winkles....the local bowling alley that was having their weekly Tuesday night QUARTER MANIA special. A quarter per game, a quarter for shoes, and beers and sodas for a quarter. Who WOULDN'T want it? It was a fun night full of a lot of zany antics from everyone in the cast. And the PERFECT way to wrap up our stop in Eau Claire.

Pretty self-explanatory.

Tomorrow, we load up and are on our way to Ames, IA! 2 shows down...a LOT more to go!
Ciao!
G



A celebration of everyone's individual bowling styles.


Jodi waits patiently for her ball to return so she can continue her reign of Lane 1.



Everyone has something to celebrate tonight. Mike celebrates the 'Specialty Ball' he found - courtesy of WWF. While Roe celebrates beer for a quarter.

Katie and Yoyo get caught discussing strategy...trying to beat the bowling expertise of Hoops.

Rachel, Craig, Jodi and Mike show us their excitement with the company bowling outting.

Roe shows her muscles that helped her rise to the top of the scores on Lane 2.

Mike had double-duty tonight. Bowling AND winning an extremely crazy number of stuffed animals from the bowling alley's claw machine. And HERE is what the machine looked like when he was done.

Here's all I'm going to say. Notice Roe, 10 feet down the lane, lying on the ground. Enough said.

So....this is from the menu at the bowling alley. And it made me uncomfortable.

Eric talks to Jen Morris...Wonka Tour 1...from the bowling alley, while Jen is at her apartment in NYC. It was well past midnight in NYC. Some would call this drunk-dialing. You be the judge.


Tara made a couple of friends at the bowling alley.

The big winner of the night was the ONE person who didn't go bowling with us. Elisa is the recipient of Mike's hard work.

The fun at the end of the night in Eau Claire!