Kennedy Center Part 2: Amazing Support!

The last important thing I need to touch on before we move COMPLETELY into Wonka 2007 is the AMAZING support we all received from friends and family while we were at the Kennedy Center! My intention, you should all know, was to carry my camera with me whenever I visited someone after a show! Then we could get a picture and I could put you on the blog and the world would be peachy-keen. But a lot of times, I got sidetracked in seeing you all and just FORGOT to snap the picture.

In the end, as a cast, we were reminded how very, VERY blessed we are to have the friends and family and support that we do in the Washington DC area...and beyond! A HUGE thanks to those friends and family members who took the time over the holidays to travel to the DC area to see the show! As corny as it sounds, it's your support and love that makes it possible for US to do this on the road, week after week.

For myself, I wish I could list everyone that took time to come down and see the show. I would try, but I'm afraid I'd forget someone and end up offending someone. To my friends from my community theater life, my church life, my Kennedy Center Sales Services life, my Washington Speakers Bureau life (and anyone else not covered in the above) - THANK YOU for supporting Wonka! It was great to see - or to know that you were out there!

May your new year be blessed with the safety, happiness and love that our cast has been blessed with on the road throughout the run of Fall Wonka 2006!

G

A selection of the pictures I DID remember to take!

Here I am with my friend, Monica Abangan, from the Washington Speakers Bureau! Not ONLY did she come to the show, but she also brought me a bag of chocolates from Italy. THANKS, BELLA!

Here I am with my old friend, Suzanne Clegg - and her nieces and nephews! Suzanne and her husband, Cory, just had their first child, Max...and although Suzanne claims he's VERY advanced for 7 months old, she didn't feel he was advanced enough to sit through Wonka and really GET IT. Sure do love you guys, Suzanne!

LOOOOOOOOOOK EVERYONE! It's Roe and her father, Greg and her stepmom, Maureen! They made the drive from the greater Philly area to catch the show and have been HUGE supporters of Wonka the show and GoGloop the blog from the beginning! Great to see you, Greg and Maureen! Happy 2007!

Working at the Speakers Bureau was such a blessing in my life - both because I loved the work and I loved the people I worked with! Here I am with 2 of my WSB friends, Becky Shelton (middle) and Chris Male...along with Chris' daughter, Rachel. SO GREAT to se you ladies. Thanks for coming.

More fun with WSB folk! Here I am backstage after the show with my friend, Shanna and her fiancee, Collin! As always with Shanna and Collin, it was fun to see you guys and laugh with you a bit. Never a dull moment. And next time I'm around, we'll hit Old Glory again!

THEATER PALS! L-R: Brian Huseman, Mia DeMezza, ME, John Segota, Marc Willensky. (Mia and Marc are married - and the rest of us have all worked on shows together at one point or another. And I'm PRETTY sure Marc has been a patient audience member through countless numbers of those productions!) Great to see you, friends!

Some of my dearest friends came to the show right before we left the Kennedy Center! L-R: Chris O'Donnell, Anias Haas, ME, Lacey O'Donnell, Christy Banker! Chris and Lacey are the married couple not standing together in this picture...if you couldn't put the last names together. And Anias, Lacey, Christy and I all met at church over the past few years. Sure do love you guys. Thanks for Wonka - and the trip to Georgetown Cafe POST-Wonka!

Almost 2 years ago, I did a production of THE WHO'S Tommy with the Little Theatre of Alexandria. And Friday night, 2 days before we left the Center, a group of that cast came to see the show! Lori, Sarah, Rae, Renee, Nikki, ME, Janice and Mike are standing in the Hall of States! I appreciate you guys taking the time (AND MISSING YOUR REHEARSAL!!) to come check out the show. Break legs!!

I actually put BOTH of these pictures of Rachel, her sisters and her Mom because of how funny her niece, Sofia, was being this day. She would NOT look at me...and not even TALK to me for a large portion of their visit. The first one is so funny because they were all struggling to get Sofia to LOOK UP - and by the second one, they were basically over it....and just wanted to take a picture. Thanks for coming down from Philly, Brennan Ladies! It was great to see you all.

Even you, Sofia!

This last group shot was a fun group to have at our show! This is another friend from WSB, Darlene, and her husband, sister, nephew and some friends! Darlene has been a HUGE supporter of my pursuit of this professional theatre thing....and has become a dear friend of mine since starting at the Speakers Bureau. Thanks for coming to the show and bringing Brian, Sheryl, Dominic, Colin and Fran! See you again SOOOOOON!