On The Road Again

So we are off and running again...and this time we find ourselves in the DEEP South! Our travel week was not NEARLY as bad as the trip home from Seattle...and I think in part because we all were excited to be heading to WARMER temperatures. We did spend 4 days on the road - hitting such hot-spots as Harrisonburg, VA and Gadsden, AL...before our brief FIRST stop in Lafayette, LA!

Once we had a day of rest in Lafayette (I think to PREPARE for the Texas that lie ahead), we were off and running to the Lone Star State! Our first stop in Texas was right across the Texas/Louisiana border in a little town called Orange. Now what Orange lacks in population they MORE than made up for in hospitality and charm! On Friday we had 2 school shows in Orange - and the audiences were fun and very appreciative. But the REAL magic of Orange happened after the final curtain fell.

At the theater in Orange there is a HUGE volunteer staff that runs the school programs - and I'm going to say that the YOUNGEST volunteer couple was upwards of 65-68 years old. The YOUNGEST! And after our shows ended, they had prepared the most AMAZING potluck lunch for our cast...and we got a chance to eat some phenomenal home cooking and sit down and talk to them for a good hour after the show! We met some of the NICEST folks we've met along the road. They were talkative and charming and funny and so welcoming. And considering this is a town that Hurricane Rita did it's best to level (the eye of Rita came right across Orange), they were some of the most positive people around! I know I speak for the entire cast when I say that NO ONE wanted to leave Orange that day! I even went as far as approaching one of the tables and saying that I was planning on staying and needed a place to stay. Would you believe every couple at the table raised their hands and said I was welcome. And one lady laughed and said, "I guess it just depends on what you want to eat everyday. We all have our specialties." That, folks, is my definition of HEAVEN!

As soon as Orange was in the books, we were OFF to Galveston, TX...right on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. Galveston LOOKS like it's probably a fun town in the spring and summer - but in the dead of winter....or "winter", it's plain desolate. We did have 2 great shows...and the audiences were very appreciative of us coming to Galveston to perform. The weather in Galveston was warm (70's) - but the entire time we were there, there was this strange mist/fog/haze that hung around. It made our entire quick trip to Galveston seem very SURREAL. (So did the fact that we saw a guy run a stop light and miss going in to the ocean by mere inches...hitting the ONLY pole within 100 yards in either direction. Story is that he was a doctor who fell asleep on his way home. That mist did crazy things to people...) I was lucky enough to have an old boss of mine, Joy Nagel, who hired me at the Speakers Bureau come down to see the show in Galveston. Joy still works for WSB but now lives in Houston. So she and her sister and her niece came down to the show and we grabbed a bite to eat afterwards. It was great to see Joy and to be able to catch up with her! Joy has always been such a HUGE supporter of me and my desire to pursue this career...and it was great to have her see my in action. She's doing well and very happy in Houston!

Galveston ended and we were back in the van - and back up to Louisiana for a quick 2nd stop in Lafayette. And this time, we're performing. That's right folks....through the genius of our schedule, we are back performing in a place we had a day off in last week. So we wrap up here tomorrow, and then head BACK into texas for 3 more weeks! And we're hitting most of the hot-spots in Texas: Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, College Station and Texarkana! Can I get a big YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHAW! for that? Thanks.

Everyone is finding their groove...and we're all adjusting well. We've had a wacky first week...which can only translate to tell us that the next 4 1/2 months are going to be JUST as wacky, if not more!

We'll talk to you soon....from the streets of HOUSTON!

Later, pardner!

G

OK FOLKS! HOTEL BOOKER FOLKS! Who had the bright idea to put the black girl in room 227 the first night on tour? Fess up!

This is Felicia and I celebrating room 227! Doesn't she look a LOT like Yzma, Ertha Kitt's character in the awesome Disney animated film, The Emperor's New Groove? Well, she does. Trust me.

This is Felicia trying to recreate a Hampton Inn ad we saw in the elevator in our hotel. It had this woman jumping up and down on the bed. These were the best shots we got. All I'm saying is...WHERE did Felicia's arms go in #4?

On our drive to Lafayette, we stopped in Hattiesburg, MS for lunch...and ended up at McAllister's Deli. It came HIGHLY recommended by my dear friend, Allison Block in DC. It was everything she said, and MORE! Steve even enjoyed a sandwich called 'The Big Nasty' - I mean...how can you go wrong with that!? And Jonny shows off his delicious dessert selection!

A real live CHAIN GANG on our way out of Lafayette. Luckily I got my camera out in time to snap this VERY mediocre shot.

This sign was on the bathroom door at a gas station we stopped at somewhere in Louisiana. It delighted us all.

And then......TEXAS.

This was at Sonic in Orange, TX. I don't know why I took it - except it was funny how everyone leaned over to order into the speaker.

Here is the spread of the pot luck in Orange. LOOK how happy everyone is! I'm just going to say 2 words to sum it all up: DEVILED EGGS! YES PLEASE!

During the clean up, everyone stopped for a quick picture.

This lady was my favorite. And she made a delicious white bean and ham soup...mmmmmmm..... When I asked her if I could get a picture with her, she hugged right up on me and said, 'This is just how we do it here in Texas!' She was a TRIP!

Here are a few of us out front of the venue in Orange...EXCEPT...the venue is to our right and not in the picture. Good planning, Matt.

Felicia stikes a pose in Orange...with the US and Texas flags flying in the background. Work it, girl.

OK. This picture is NOT going to convey what I want you to see. See that pole or rod going STRAIGHT UP? Can you people even process how TALL IT IS? It's sitting out in the middle of NOWHERE in Texas...and it just goes up and up and up forever! I couldn't stop staring at it as we drove South to Galveston. I mean...it's SO TALL! But i don't know if the picture shows JUST how tall it truly is. So trust me - it's tall.

Here is the beginning of the hazy/misty/foggy weirdness that engulfed the Galveston area. That is one of our show trucks ahead of us. This picture was at like 3pm in the afternoon. Strange.

Here is a tour first: CAR FERRY! That's right. We had to take a car ferry across to Galveston Island. Evidently the bridge was washed out by Rita in the area - so the ferry is the only way across if you're coming from the North. It was a most excellent adventure...and pretty amazing how much WEIGHT the ferry carries across. On the right, I caught Katie in the truck on the ferry as we were pulling out from the shore.

Here are some of us enjoying the view off the front of the Ferry.

L: The sun on the water...through the misty stuff. R: Rachel working it on her catwalk on board the ferry.

Felicia took sometime to call family and friends to report on the car ferry experience.

And the seagulls led the way.

The entire cast and crew of Wonka 2007! A pretty excellent picture, I think.

A couple of shots of the beautiful interior of the Galveston Opera House where we performed. It was a great space for the show.

Here I am with Jill, Joy and Joy's niece, Ella! It was SO great to see you guys! Thanks , again, for coming down!

Joy and I say a quick good-bye in front of the Opera House.

I love this picture. CLASSIC Roe. And Jonny just continues to be cool through it all.

On the ferry ride BACK, Jeffrey decided to feed the birds...they all started swarming and then Jeffrey got in trouble, over the ENTIRE loudspeaker system for feeding the birds from the upper-deck. It was pretty hysterical. And a bit scary, too. Those birds were SERIOUS about getting the potato chips.

Remnants of the aftermath of the hurricanes that have swept through this portion of the country.

This is just a really cool Elementary School sign in rural Texas somewhere. Pretty creative, right?