Hello From NY (Dec.12)

okay, okay...

i guess people still want me to blog...so here i am...my first full day in NYC...and i'm blogging. a big thank you to Taylor Sternberg who came up with the new blog name (though Ron Melrose suggested "New Man in Town" and i liked that too). make sure you check out his new tour blog, Tour THAT, for all the goings on of the Sherry cast.

let's catch you up on the last 24 or so hours.

Sunday night i finished my final show (show #390) on the road with the first National Tour. i miss my friends on the road tremendously. i have been thinking of them nonstop today. i wish they could all be having this experience with me and i can't thank them enough for their texts throughout the day just saying hello (Bates, the text you sent me was awesome). my final performance was a good one; good audience and everyone just enjoying each other on stage as we all knew it was the last time i was going to be up there with them. because i know there are creative staff reading this, i will tell you that there were absolutely no hi-jinks going on onstage during the show...but for any of you who know me and have worked with me in past shows, you know that's a load of bullshit. the highlight of the night for me was getting to play the guitar solo in the band playoff at the end of the show and seeing the entire case in the wings cheering me on.

we'll leave it at that.

but thank you once again to the Sherry company for making this last year on the road one of the most memorable of my life. thank you for opening your hearts to Sarah and i and for being an amazing family. i will never lose touch with any of you and wherever i may end up down the road or you may end up down the road, you will always have a friend in me.

as soon as the show was over, we got into the car, headed home to load the suitcases into the back and got to the Seattle airport about 75 minutes before the flight.

5 hours later, i landed safely at JFK.

the rest is kind of a blur. i only got about 2 or so hours of sleep on the plane and by the time i got to my sublet in Washington Heights and got in the shower, it was already about 2pm. after a very quick few hours in the city to see my buddy Val, i headed back up the The Heights to grab a few groceries, eat some wonderfully mediocre Chinese food and was dead asleep by about 10pm.

had to get some good sleep as today was a big day.

day started with me filling out an application on some long-term housing. the apartment is a cute little 550 square foot studio located at 57th and 10th (amazing location and so close to the theatre) that we found through a friend of a friend. we should know by the weekend if we are approved. that will be a load off. it's kind of hard getting into the mindset that i will possibly be living in such a small place with Sarah and Toby when i have a 3 bedroom house back home in Michigan, but i guess i just need to remember the city that i am now living in and what a steal we are going to get a studio in Hell's Kitchen for (just a phrase they call that area Bubi Goldie...it's actually safe and very cute).

then i was off to rehearsal...

i had about 4 hours of rehearsal today. the first 1 1/2 hours was to check spacing and staging with my new production stage manager, Michelle. it's amazing to see the little differences in the Broadway company versus the road company. then about an hour with my new music director; let me just say this: only three songs are the same as i have sung on the road - all the rest are different harmonies and it turns out i double Frankie for a few songs...what???

the last hour or so was with Peter Gregus, the show's dance captain who also plays Bob Crewe. he was fantastic and super nice and very helpful with all the questions i had. turns out that on the road we actually dance a lot more than they do on Broadway so he had to pull me back quite a bit. but i am hopefully going to have another hour with him before Saturday because i need to get some things better in my head and body before i get on stage...

...speaking of which:

i went to the August Wilson Theatre today. and i just kept catching myself giggling like an idiot. going through the stage door: giggling. seeing my dressing room: giggling. walking the stage and seeing the empty house before the show: giggling and overwhelmed.

i will say this about the house: it's so small! i mean, i guess playing in these huge houses the past year has really made me realize just how intimate the theatre is. i can't wait to get up there with an audience.

i met most of the cast, band and stagehands tonight too. everyone was very inviting and welcoming. it was great to see my old friend Daniel Reichard again (he and i did Forbidden Broadway together 100 years ago) and Bobby Spencer was super nice. hell, everyone took the time to shake my hand and make sure i am getting along okay in NYC...and i really appreciated that...because God knows i am going to be a mess on Saturday.

tonight i was also able to sit in the house and watch the show. it's SOOOO surreal watching the show when all i have in my head are the performances i have grown to know and love on the road. it will definitely take some getting used to with the wonderful characters this cast has developed but i welcome it. i also have to say, pacing wise, i was exhausted. the Broadway show probably cuts 7 minutes off their show compared to ours and in theatre terms - that is HUGE! so buckle me in kids, because it's going to be quite a ride for awhile.

but all in all, there is a reason this cast (along with the book and lyrics, of course) lifted the show to win the Tony for Best Musical and i am beyond words and beyond honored to have been offered this opportunity.

so what's next this week...?

Wednesday - trail Colin backstage tomorrow matinee to start learning the track and the differences from what i am used to. the whole cast is also going to some dinner party thing after the matinee and i have been invited to go along, so that will be a nice bonding experience. Wednesday night i think i have a free ticket to see Little Mermaid so i think i am going to take advantage of that.

Thursday - rehearsal with Michelle and then a full run of the show with the other understudies to get me prepped for Friday's put in rehearsal with the whole cast. will either track Colin or watch the show again.

Friday - put in rehearsal.

Saturday matinee - the big debut!!!!

and that should keep you all up to date! i can pretty much guarantee i will have no time to blog again before my debut on Saturday, so everyone just send good thoughts my way this week into Saturday. i promise to blog sometime on Sunday to share the experience with you.

i want to close just by saying thank you to everyone who has emailed or commented from my last blog. the response was overwhelming and i can't tell you how much it meant to me that so many of you contacted me just to congratulate me. i guess i never quite realize how far this blog extends until i start getting emails from people across the Country and it meant a lot to know people are still reading my posts and are enjoying them.

until the next blog...on Broadway...

wow, i don't think i'll ever tire of that.