Lake City FolliesEvidently there are Lake City readers of my blog. At the time I wrote my tweet yesterday I was really upset. This show is a very personal journey for me and it is sometimes hard to get to the level I need to reach. When there is attitude from the people I depend on to present the show, it is really tough. Before the show I apologized to the sound man for my out burst. I was informed by his friends that he is a very kind hearted man, I am sure that is true. He was very competent and the sound was great for the show. But he was way out of line and if he had a schedule problem or thought his time was being wasted he should have taken it up with the local promoter not me. I was there to do my job and I assumed he was there to do his. He questioned my professionalism and he was unapologetic. He certainly showed none of that kind heart to me. I have worked with hundreds of sound men, we usually get along great and some have become friends. But not one of them has ever displayed an attitude like that. I guess if you are the only game in town you think you can get by with it.
John Ivy pulled yet another rabbit out of the hat for this show. He lit the show and programed the cues on a lighting board he had never seen before. He even painted the riser to match the set. He worked from 8:00 am till we loaded out at 10 pm. He wrote the final cue only moments before they let the audience in. He is a genius and I am very lucky to have his level of artistry watching my back. The show looked beautiful and the audience was great. They went with me on the ride and we shared that journey. That is what we do it for. That is why we struggle under less than the best conditions so that the audience can enjoy it. They aren't supposed to know what we went through, and usually don't unless they read this blog.
I am going home for a week before going back on the road with the show in Vermont. I need the rest. I am road burned. There are things I do not want to remember about this leg, but it's not the audience at the Levy Performing Arts Center. They were great. Thank you Lake City.
As you were,
Jay
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Tweet
Wow. I'm at the venue and Yipes. It is the nightmare John and I had hoped to avoid. The redneck sound man told me that I was wasting his time. John was in lighting hell and we had not gotten to the sound cues yet. I lost it. It was the straw that broke my back. I said things I thought I would never hear myself say. I told him it was my show and the only time that was being wasted was mine. He said that he did sound all over and implied that I was not very professional. I said, I have a Tony award on my mantel and I would match my experience in theatre to his sound resumé anytime he was ready. I told him sound was very important to me and if he didn't want to run the show then we would get some one else. He told me good luck, there is nobody else in the whole town that can run sound. I turned to one of the students who make up our crew and said to one of the guys. "Are you good with computers?" He said he was average, and I said he already had enough skill to punch a button when John called a cue. The redneck suddenly changed his attitude from hostel to benign.
John stopped programming the show and we dealt with sound so the guy could go back and close the music store he owns in town.
I never thought I would play the Tony card to a redneck music store owner in backwater Florida. I am sure they will be telling tales of the Jerk from LA after I'm gone. I am sure I will be telling stories about them in much more dramatic detail thé minute I leave tonight. Both versions will be true.
Show Bizziness
As you were
Jay
www.monkeyjoke.com
John stopped programming the show and we dealt with sound so the guy could go back and close the music store he owns in town.
I never thought I would play the Tony card to a redneck music store owner in backwater Florida. I am sure they will be telling tales of the Jerk from LA after I'm gone. I am sure I will be telling stories about them in much more dramatic detail thé minute I leave tonight. Both versions will be true.
Show Bizziness
As you were
Jay
www.monkeyjoke.com
Lost in Travel
I wrote a long blog last night taking about our 7 hour drive to Lake City. I sent it off on the Holiday Inn WiFi network and it never showed up on line. I wonder where things like that go? Are they delivered to some unsuspecting person who wonders why a strange man is complaining to them by email? Or is it an alien civilization that is covertly intercepting errant Internet writings to create a profile of us earthlings? Or is it the Holiday Inn censors that don't allow anything negative to get out about Lake City. I have to admit that I am not sure who is coming to the show tonight. Other than gator wrestling or a mullet and tatoo contest, I don't know what would draw this community to a theatre.
On the drive we were assaulted by billboards that repeated almost every 20 miles. One was a young looking doctor who was advertising vasectomies at an affordable price. John and I nick named him the "cut rate doc." Placed in-between these billboards were two others that also repeated. One, a place called the "Risqué Cafe...we bare all" an interesting mix of naked women and steak sandwiches. The other billboards were religious ads quoting bible verse and dogma against abortion. There was one ad that actually had a reproduction of Michaelangelo's bearded God from the Cistine Chapel not pointing to Adam as it is in the Vatican, but pointing to the swollen stomach of a pregnant teenager.
We finally passed by the Risqué Cafe and it was after all the sexy billboards a converted Stuckeys from years ago. It still had the tall blue pitched roof. Instead of selling pecan logs they were now servicing other types of lumber.
Doctor Chop was still advertising as we exited the free way and as we got into the urban area of Lake City instead of religious billboards every hundred yards there were now churches. As we stopped at one of the traffic lights a car pulled up between our truck and a church. The drivers arm was half way out the window. Adorned with the ink of a fresh tattoo was the double lightening bolts of the German SS surrounded by the Nazi iron cross. The oxymoronic juxtaposition of this momentary image was worthy of art in a Fellini context.
John is redoing the show with lights that are as old as he is. He worked several nights ago on a new plot and emailed it to them. The thought was that they could hang all the lights so we could just focus and write cues today. They didn't and John starts from scratch again this morning.
I will comment on the show after it happens tonight and after I am on the plane headed home.
As you were,
Jay
I wrote a long blog last night taking about our 7 hour drive to Lake City. I sent it off on the Holiday Inn WiFi network and it never showed up on line. I wonder where things like that go? Are they delivered to some unsuspecting person who wonders why a strange man is complaining to them by email? Or is it an alien civilization that is covertly intercepting errant Internet writings to create a profile of us earthlings? Or is it the Holiday Inn censors that don't allow anything negative to get out about Lake City. I have to admit that I am not sure who is coming to the show tonight. Other than gator wrestling or a mullet and tatoo contest, I don't know what would draw this community to a theatre.
On the drive we were assaulted by billboards that repeated almost every 20 miles. One was a young looking doctor who was advertising vasectomies at an affordable price. John and I nick named him the "cut rate doc." Placed in-between these billboards were two others that also repeated. One, a place called the "Risqué Cafe...we bare all" an interesting mix of naked women and steak sandwiches. The other billboards were religious ads quoting bible verse and dogma against abortion. There was one ad that actually had a reproduction of Michaelangelo's bearded God from the Cistine Chapel not pointing to Adam as it is in the Vatican, but pointing to the swollen stomach of a pregnant teenager.
We finally passed by the Risqué Cafe and it was after all the sexy billboards a converted Stuckeys from years ago. It still had the tall blue pitched roof. Instead of selling pecan logs they were now servicing other types of lumber.
Doctor Chop was still advertising as we exited the free way and as we got into the urban area of Lake City instead of religious billboards every hundred yards there were now churches. As we stopped at one of the traffic lights a car pulled up between our truck and a church. The drivers arm was half way out the window. Adorned with the ink of a fresh tattoo was the double lightening bolts of the German SS surrounded by the Nazi iron cross. The oxymoronic juxtaposition of this momentary image was worthy of art in a Fellini context.
John is redoing the show with lights that are as old as he is. He worked several nights ago on a new plot and emailed it to them. The thought was that they could hang all the lights so we could just focus and write cues today. They didn't and John starts from scratch again this morning.
I will comment on the show after it happens tonight and after I am on the plane headed home.
As you were,
Jay
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Magic Time
We closed the Phil in Naples tonight. This tour is such a roller coaster ride. A venue we thought would be impossible turned out to be one of the best. The last audience was the most subdued of the run but all the others have been so much over the top with their reaction that normal became the exception. My sister in law was in attendance with three of her friends. Joyce is a therapist and specializes in multiple personality disorder, so I always enjoy her observations of the show. Joyce is a blessing to my family and it was such a great time to be with her in her state of Florida. Joyce said that I was "On" tonight, but what you don't realize, Joyce, My Doctor sizer is that I was on because you were in the audience.
Also in attendance was a man that was my Dad's roommate on a ship in the Korean war. He had pictures of my Dad that I had never seen before. It is surreal to meet people who knew your parents as people and not as relatives. He gave me a black and white snap shot of my Dad Lt. Noel Johnson on duty in the Gulf of Inchon, Korea. This gracious man was telling me stories about a guy, my father' who was younger than I am now. It was wonderful and chilling at the same time.
One other strange happening of note. At the end of my show I exit stage left in a black out with the lime green trunk illuminated. (If you don't understand then you haven't seen my show and there is no way to explain.) In this theatre there was a total black out and I was only able to see the white tape on the steps to actually get off stage. I was exiting blind. As I came off stage in the dark I bumped into a body, a person that immediately moved out of the way for me to exit. I said, "Exuse me Bruce." Bruce is the stage hand that was positioned stage left and was the one who tossed Spaulding this run. Bruce didn't answer back but there was no need, he kneww that I was coming off the stage blind. As the lights came up for the curtain call I became aware that there was no one stage left but me. Bruce was on stage right waiting for me to exit from my final bow.
There is no doubt in my mind that I ran into so someone or something. It was an odd feeling to find out that there was no human there. I believe it was OG the Opera Ghost. I wasn't looking for ghosts in a new theatre like the Phil, but there is no doubt in my mind that in te dark I bummped into something that felt like flesh and blood. I said something about the experience to Bruce the guy I thought I ran into and he said, "It must have been the theatre ghost that several people had bumped into in the past." Spooky... it kept me up for while and there are always extentions but my southern friends do not worry about such things.As you were,
Jay
We closed the Phil in Naples tonight. This tour is such a roller coaster ride. A venue we thought would be impossible turned out to be one of the best. The last audience was the most subdued of the run but all the others have been so much over the top with their reaction that normal became the exception. My sister in law was in attendance with three of her friends. Joyce is a therapist and specializes in multiple personality disorder, so I always enjoy her observations of the show. Joyce is a blessing to my family and it was such a great time to be with her in her state of Florida. Joyce said that I was "On" tonight, but what you don't realize, Joyce, My Doctor sizer is that I was on because you were in the audience.
Also in attendance was a man that was my Dad's roommate on a ship in the Korean war. He had pictures of my Dad that I had never seen before. It is surreal to meet people who knew your parents as people and not as relatives. He gave me a black and white snap shot of my Dad Lt. Noel Johnson on duty in the Gulf of Inchon, Korea. This gracious man was telling me stories about a guy, my father' who was younger than I am now. It was wonderful and chilling at the same time.
One other strange happening of note. At the end of my show I exit stage left in a black out with the lime green trunk illuminated. (If you don't understand then you haven't seen my show and there is no way to explain.) In this theatre there was a total black out and I was only able to see the white tape on the steps to actually get off stage. I was exiting blind. As I came off stage in the dark I bumped into a body, a person that immediately moved out of the way for me to exit. I said, "Exuse me Bruce." Bruce is the stage hand that was positioned stage left and was the one who tossed Spaulding this run. Bruce didn't answer back but there was no need, he kneww that I was coming off the stage blind. As the lights came up for the curtain call I became aware that there was no one stage left but me. Bruce was on stage right waiting for me to exit from my final bow.
There is no doubt in my mind that I ran into so someone or something. It was an odd feeling to find out that there was no human there. I believe it was OG the Opera Ghost. I wasn't looking for ghosts in a new theatre like the Phil, but there is no doubt in my mind that in te dark I bummped into something that felt like flesh and blood. I said something about the experience to Bruce the guy I thought I ran into and he said, "It must have been the theatre ghost that several people had bumped into in the past." Spooky... it kept me up for while and there are always extentions but my southern friends do not worry about such things.As you were,
Jay
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Magic Time
I had nightmares about tonight. Two performances back to back ( 5:00 and 7:30) in a place that wasn't ready for us and didn't seem to be the best venue for our show. I could not believe a 5:00 show would draw anybody that would relate. I was so concerned that the theater was expecting a Cabaret act that I lost all belief in the show that we have been doing for so long. Turned out that this space could be one of our best venues. I am ashamed that I did not have faith enough in the process to let it unfold.
The audience was intelligent, open hearted and ready for the ride. The intimacy of the theatre puts the audience right on stage with me. There were screams of laughter and gasps of emotion that took me by surprise. They were my audience and proved that fact with perfect reaction to ever nuance.
Jimmy Nelson and his wife Betty were at the second performance. What a surreal experience. I mention his name every night in the context of being one of my inspirations and his name is in the original script of my show.
I could not let the opportunity pass to make this event one to remember, so I stopped a standing ovation to introduce Jimmy in the audience. There are no words to express such feelings, but when I told the audience he was there and asked him to stand up and be recognized there was a bust recognition that can only be described as magical.
Such moments in a persons career happen only occasionally. This was one. I told the audience that some day I would write a show about my relationship to Jimmy Nelson, and I think I could.
Jimmy is the godfather of ventriloquism and has done more for the art than any one person I can think of. What a joy, what a blessing to have my friend Jimmy Nelson and his incredible wife Betty come to my show. If I can become just a portion of the man Jimmy Nelson is I will be satisfied.
Thank you Mr. Nelson for coming to my show. It was every bit the inspirational experience I dreamed it would be. To sincerely call you my friend gives me goose flesh.
As you were,
Jay
The audience was intelligent, open hearted and ready for the ride. The intimacy of the theatre puts the audience right on stage with me. There were screams of laughter and gasps of emotion that took me by surprise. They were my audience and proved that fact with perfect reaction to ever nuance.
Jimmy Nelson and his wife Betty were at the second performance. What a surreal experience. I mention his name every night in the context of being one of my inspirations and his name is in the original script of my show.
I could not let the opportunity pass to make this event one to remember, so I stopped a standing ovation to introduce Jimmy in the audience. There are no words to express such feelings, but when I told the audience he was there and asked him to stand up and be recognized there was a bust recognition that can only be described as magical.
Such moments in a persons career happen only occasionally. This was one. I told the audience that some day I would write a show about my relationship to Jimmy Nelson, and I think I could.
Jimmy is the godfather of ventriloquism and has done more for the art than any one person I can think of. What a joy, what a blessing to have my friend Jimmy Nelson and his incredible wife Betty come to my show. If I can become just a portion of the man Jimmy Nelson is I will be satisfied.
Thank you Mr. Nelson for coming to my show. It was every bit the inspirational experience I dreamed it would be. To sincerely call you my friend gives me goose flesh.
As you were,
Jay
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
The trip to Naples took us through the Everglades. There was the occasional road sign that said, "Panther Crossing" and I assume they did not mean the NFL team. The tech staff at the ORC said that we might see alligators, we thought they were trying to scare us into taking the toll road. Not true John and I lost count of the number of alligators we saw in the three hour drive. The first siting was so special had we not been driving the truck we would have turned around to gawk. After a while seeing gators became as common place as seeing BMW's in Beverly Hills. It was a beautiful day and I assume that the gators were out soaking up the local color. I wish I had my camera ready for the picture, but about 20 yards from a Panther crossing sign and several large alligators sunbathing was a sign that said, "Camp grounds". In a Gary Larson world it would have been the gators that put the sign there for an easy dinner.
We arrived at the hotel, or more like a motel that the theatre has provided. It is okay but certainly not the luxury that we were in last night.... but the good news is we can wear jeans with out worry.
We went by the theatre to get our bearings. This has the potential to be the most difficult place we have been so far. The show times are weird... 5:30 and 7:30? I will have to keep the first show to an hour and a half just to have a breather in-between. We thought they would have all the lights hung and gelled. The dimmer board is smaller than what we are used to and John will have to rewrite some cues to accommodate, that was to have taken place tonight. But no lights were hung and they said they were taking tonight to "build the stage....???" It is a black box theatre and they had not defined the stage with portable risers yet. So we are a day behind before we even start. And with a show time so early and so much work to do it will be a very long day tomorrow.
Mainly I just didn't get a good feeling from the theatre tech guy at the Phil, who shall remain nameless. There was no pretense that he was glad to have us opening tomorrow, or that it was anything but an inconvenience on him that we showed up. I know they don't hire these guys for there personality and I am not expecting Dale Carnagie (there is a dated reference). But hey... we are all here to do a job and compared to picking strawberries on our knees in a hot field at one hundredth the pay we should at least do it with a happy attitude.
I especially want this two day, four show run to go well because it is the venue that my hero and ventriloquist friend Jimmy Nelson is coming to. He of all people would know what it is like to be on the road at the mercy of weird facilities. Still you want the show for your idol to be as perfect as can be.
My sister in law is also coming to see the show here at the Phil. She was there for my opening on Broadway so she has seen the way it should be done, but she's bringing friends who have no concept of the show. More reason and more pressure on this run to be the best it can be.
So it could be that I have a wrong impression of the tech guy, and they may be able to focus lights in half the time it takes everyone else. By tomorrow night I may be saying that this is the best place we have ever done the show, but right now, that seems like an impossible dream.
Stay tuned for more details from this internet address.
As you were,
Jay
Monday, February 21, 2011
On to the Phil in Naples
The theatre is next to the private airport on the grounds of the Ocean Reef Club. We kept hearing the planes take off and land during rehearsal, but never heard a sound during the show. I would like to believe they said, "To show respect for Mr.Johnson, no planes will take off or land during tonight's performance," but I think the real reason is: anyone who wanted to arrive or leave during Presidents day had already done so by 8:00 in the evening.
It went well tonight but it was odd. Reactions were different than any other time we have performed this show. John remarked that I kept changing tactics to try and find their energy. I would get it for a while then it would change and I had to go a different direction. It made for an interesting show and they gave me a very gracious standing ovation at the end. I appreciated it because John and I worked very hard to pull it off.
I think this venue is used to mounting concert type performances, basic lighting and rock and roll sound. The lighting tech said they were stretching their comfort zone with this production. He enjoyed the opportunity to use his artistry. Others were not so willing to work harder for us than they had for Neil Sadaka two nights before. Once again John Ivy proved that he is the master of the theatre and was able to pull it all together, sometimes on the fly. He was able to spoon feed some of the techs and still have their respect and admiration afterwards.
Early in the show I realized that this was more like a corporate show audience than a theatre audience. Ocean Reef Club is a small exclusive community and everyone knows everyone else. It was basically a private show. Like a corporate audience they were not so much enjoying if for themselves, but always aware of how the people next to them were reacting. I do a lot of corporate entertaining and deal with that dynamic in my club act, but it was weird to do The To and Only for that type of crowd.
It was a success and everyone seemed to be happy and enjoy it. I am sure that this show was not what they expected and from my perspective it took them a while to "get with the program".
That is live theatre.... you never know. The reaction of an audience is so subjective and has everything to do with so many things out the performers control. I will never tire of trying to figure an audience out. It is never the same, always a challenge and a dance on a razor edge. I wonder sometimes if I am drawn to it for the joy or the sheer terror of the unpredictability.
Now it is on to Naples. My hero Jimmy Nelson is coming to see the show there. I really want it to be a good venue for him if no one else. We have a weird schedule of two shows an evening. We will barely finish one before we have to reset and do the next. Not like a matinee day, more like a comedy club evening. Again I wonder if they are expecting more of a concert than a "real" show. We will play the cards that are dealt and it will be yet another experience in the saga of the TAO Truck Tour.
As you were,
Jay
It went well tonight but it was odd. Reactions were different than any other time we have performed this show. John remarked that I kept changing tactics to try and find their energy. I would get it for a while then it would change and I had to go a different direction. It made for an interesting show and they gave me a very gracious standing ovation at the end. I appreciated it because John and I worked very hard to pull it off.
I think this venue is used to mounting concert type performances, basic lighting and rock and roll sound. The lighting tech said they were stretching their comfort zone with this production. He enjoyed the opportunity to use his artistry. Others were not so willing to work harder for us than they had for Neil Sadaka two nights before. Once again John Ivy proved that he is the master of the theatre and was able to pull it all together, sometimes on the fly. He was able to spoon feed some of the techs and still have their respect and admiration afterwards.
Early in the show I realized that this was more like a corporate show audience than a theatre audience. Ocean Reef Club is a small exclusive community and everyone knows everyone else. It was basically a private show. Like a corporate audience they were not so much enjoying if for themselves, but always aware of how the people next to them were reacting. I do a lot of corporate entertaining and deal with that dynamic in my club act, but it was weird to do The To and Only for that type of crowd.
It was a success and everyone seemed to be happy and enjoy it. I am sure that this show was not what they expected and from my perspective it took them a while to "get with the program".
That is live theatre.... you never know. The reaction of an audience is so subjective and has everything to do with so many things out the performers control. I will never tire of trying to figure an audience out. It is never the same, always a challenge and a dance on a razor edge. I wonder sometimes if I am drawn to it for the joy or the sheer terror of the unpredictability.
Now it is on to Naples. My hero Jimmy Nelson is coming to see the show there. I really want it to be a good venue for him if no one else. We have a weird schedule of two shows an evening. We will barely finish one before we have to reset and do the next. Not like a matinee day, more like a comedy club evening. Again I wonder if they are expecting more of a concert than a "real" show. We will play the cards that are dealt and it will be yet another experience in the saga of the TAO Truck Tour.
As you were,
Jay
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Second Round
I left Dallas and flew to Miami. John flew in from NYC and we met at the airport. The truck rental is five minutes from the Miami airport. We booked our ten footer to continue the journey.
It was an hour drive to Key Largo by way of the Garmin. Rarely did the mechanical voice nag us for going the wrong way even when we stopped for a quick bite to eat.
We arrived at the Ocean Reef Club in the rental truck which stuck out like a Mensa candidate at a Sarah Palin rally.
ORC is a private community/city of condos, apartments and high end shops surrounding a Yacht club and golf course. The mode of transportation is golf carts and electric GEM vehicles. Some of the carts are customized to look like everything from a Corvette to a Hummer. At one point I thought we could have been diving on a large scale version of Disneyland's Autopia ride. There was even a golf cart that is customized to look like a 50's hot rod complete with pin striping and decal flames on the side.
Rather than taking us to the hotel registration, the Garmin lead us to the Ocean Reef Cultural Center, the very place we will be performing tomorrow night. Being Sunday it was closed but John and I got out to look around. It is an institutional looking building containing a library, museum, dining room and performance space. We looked through a curtain drawn window and saw a basic banquet room with a lecture stage, no wings, no curtain and residential can type track lighting pointed to the stage. Our smiles turned to mush. We began to wonder how we would get the show mounted on what was basically a riser. Neither of us panicked but later admitted that we were only holding it together for the other persons sake.
We checked into the hotel which is several blocks away, by golf cart, dumped our stuff and found the producer on site had given us a golf cart to use during our stay. I was hoping for one that looked like a miniature BMW, but it is just a standard cart.
We jumped into the cart and began to explore. Now that we were not in a truck we could blend in with greater ease. It is a huge property that looks more like a community designed by a theme park artist than urban planner. They even have their own hospital, and private airport with some very large private planes on the tarmac. We found the only restaurant that has a relaxed dress code and allows jeans at their own private fishing village wharf. Everything seemed to be a dream except the performance space.
After finding all the other restaurants where residents were entering with coat and tie, we stumbled upon the Cultural Center again. This time we noticed a lady with a name tag walking around. We thought that she might be able to open the door to the banquet hall and let us see the space.
Like Alice following the white rabbit we tracked her from a far to a door that seemed to be open. It was, and the lights to the Vestibule were on. We continued down the rabbit hole and were suddenly in the banquet room. There was no mistake, it is a lecture stage like might be in a high school cafeteria. Another lady with a name tag was at the reception desk seating people for an evening meal. Our wardrobe caught her attention at once and she quickly cut us off. "May I help you?" .... read "May I help you find the exit quickly?" she said.
"Well, we just wanted to see the room because I am doing a show here tomorrow night,"
She immediately softened and lit up, "You are Jay Johnson..... Oh my god we are so excited to have you here... I am a huge SOAP fan and we are really looking to the show. How is Bob?
"I'll show you around the stage.." she said, and led us toward the back of the dinning room. I thought I detected a tear in John's eye as he looked toward the baron sterile riser. There was really nothing to see that we could not see from where we were.
We walked toward our fate but she suddenly took a left turn through a hallway filled with enlargements of playbills hung on the walls. I even recognized some of the faces on the covers. She opens a door and we are in a theatre. A raked audience with comfortable seats that could accommodate a crowd of 400. Real theatrical lights were hung, there was more wing space than the Eisemann. There were several dressing rooms. It was a real theatre. John lit up and said, "This will work." Again like Alice in Wonderland I suddenly felt ten feet tall.
Now there is a lot of work to do tomorrow and John will be kept on suicide watch for awhile. Our show is more complicated than the Neil Sadaka concert that was here two nights ago, but at least we have a space that can work. Both John and I come from poor theatre and we can turn a sows ear into at least a cotton purse. Now at least we have a chance to make it work.
I will rest much easier tonight and even feel good enough to write a blog. More Later.
As you were,
Jay
It was an hour drive to Key Largo by way of the Garmin. Rarely did the mechanical voice nag us for going the wrong way even when we stopped for a quick bite to eat.
We arrived at the Ocean Reef Club in the rental truck which stuck out like a Mensa candidate at a Sarah Palin rally.
ORC is a private community/city of condos, apartments and high end shops surrounding a Yacht club and golf course. The mode of transportation is golf carts and electric GEM vehicles. Some of the carts are customized to look like everything from a Corvette to a Hummer. At one point I thought we could have been diving on a large scale version of Disneyland's Autopia ride. There was even a golf cart that is customized to look like a 50's hot rod complete with pin striping and decal flames on the side.
Rather than taking us to the hotel registration, the Garmin lead us to the Ocean Reef Cultural Center, the very place we will be performing tomorrow night. Being Sunday it was closed but John and I got out to look around. It is an institutional looking building containing a library, museum, dining room and performance space. We looked through a curtain drawn window and saw a basic banquet room with a lecture stage, no wings, no curtain and residential can type track lighting pointed to the stage. Our smiles turned to mush. We began to wonder how we would get the show mounted on what was basically a riser. Neither of us panicked but later admitted that we were only holding it together for the other persons sake.
We checked into the hotel which is several blocks away, by golf cart, dumped our stuff and found the producer on site had given us a golf cart to use during our stay. I was hoping for one that looked like a miniature BMW, but it is just a standard cart.
We jumped into the cart and began to explore. Now that we were not in a truck we could blend in with greater ease. It is a huge property that looks more like a community designed by a theme park artist than urban planner. They even have their own hospital, and private airport with some very large private planes on the tarmac. We found the only restaurant that has a relaxed dress code and allows jeans at their own private fishing village wharf. Everything seemed to be a dream except the performance space.
After finding all the other restaurants where residents were entering with coat and tie, we stumbled upon the Cultural Center again. This time we noticed a lady with a name tag walking around. We thought that she might be able to open the door to the banquet hall and let us see the space.
Like Alice following the white rabbit we tracked her from a far to a door that seemed to be open. It was, and the lights to the Vestibule were on. We continued down the rabbit hole and were suddenly in the banquet room. There was no mistake, it is a lecture stage like might be in a high school cafeteria. Another lady with a name tag was at the reception desk seating people for an evening meal. Our wardrobe caught her attention at once and she quickly cut us off. "May I help you?" .... read "May I help you find the exit quickly?" she said.
"Well, we just wanted to see the room because I am doing a show here tomorrow night,"
She immediately softened and lit up, "You are Jay Johnson..... Oh my god we are so excited to have you here... I am a huge SOAP fan and we are really looking to the show. How is Bob?
"I'll show you around the stage.." she said, and led us toward the back of the dinning room. I thought I detected a tear in John's eye as he looked toward the baron sterile riser. There was really nothing to see that we could not see from where we were.
We walked toward our fate but she suddenly took a left turn through a hallway filled with enlargements of playbills hung on the walls. I even recognized some of the faces on the covers. She opens a door and we are in a theatre. A raked audience with comfortable seats that could accommodate a crowd of 400. Real theatrical lights were hung, there was more wing space than the Eisemann. There were several dressing rooms. It was a real theatre. John lit up and said, "This will work." Again like Alice in Wonderland I suddenly felt ten feet tall.
Now there is a lot of work to do tomorrow and John will be kept on suicide watch for awhile. Our show is more complicated than the Neil Sadaka concert that was here two nights ago, but at least we have a space that can work. Both John and I come from poor theatre and we can turn a sows ear into at least a cotton purse. Now at least we have a chance to make it work.
I will rest much easier tonight and even feel good enough to write a blog. More Later.
As you were,
Jay
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Round One
We closed at the Eisemann Center in Richardson tonight. I doubt that we will be able to beat this experience on the current "truck tour." What a great theatre and great people.
Spaulding decided to grab some attention while we were here. It was the Saturday matinee... after we had done the show a couple of times with no problems. However, when I gave the cue this time he did not roll on stage as he is supposed to. Knowing that he is a prima donna I have a stand in hiding behind the Big Jon trunk so I immediately grabbed Spaulding number 2 and prepared to do the routine. Just as I was getting set to start, Spaulding one rolled on stage. Not having the dexterity to do a double routine I tossed number two and continued with Spaulding one.
At the end of the routine the blocking of the play calls for me to toss him off stage right. Spaulding still did not want to participate in the usual blocking and bounced off a lighting stand and flew back on stage. I have heard of actor milking their part, but I did not think we had that problem in my show.
My blackberry decided to die this evening. I realize how much of my life is controlled by that little device. I didn't have any of the phone numbers I needed nor the information for sending my road trunk to our next destination. I used to remember phone numbers but now all I know is that my sister's phone number is "speed dial 4". The more we know only the things that we can look up, the more we are slave to this world of ones and zeros.
I have a week off to spend with my family here in Dallas. I am looking forward to it especially since the weather had become more accommodating. More later.
As you were,
Jay
We closed at the Eisemann Center in Richardson tonight. I doubt that we will be able to beat this experience on the current "truck tour." What a great theatre and great people.
Spaulding decided to grab some attention while we were here. It was the Saturday matinee... after we had done the show a couple of times with no problems. However, when I gave the cue this time he did not roll on stage as he is supposed to. Knowing that he is a prima donna I have a stand in hiding behind the Big Jon trunk so I immediately grabbed Spaulding number 2 and prepared to do the routine. Just as I was getting set to start, Spaulding one rolled on stage. Not having the dexterity to do a double routine I tossed number two and continued with Spaulding one.
At the end of the routine the blocking of the play calls for me to toss him off stage right. Spaulding still did not want to participate in the usual blocking and bounced off a lighting stand and flew back on stage. I have heard of actor milking their part, but I did not think we had that problem in my show.
My blackberry decided to die this evening. I realize how much of my life is controlled by that little device. I didn't have any of the phone numbers I needed nor the information for sending my road trunk to our next destination. I used to remember phone numbers but now all I know is that my sister's phone number is "speed dial 4". The more we know only the things that we can look up, the more we are slave to this world of ones and zeros.
I have a week off to spend with my family here in Dallas. I am looking forward to it especially since the weather had become more accommodating. More later.
As you were,
Jay
Friday, February 11, 2011
Friends
There was a green room full of people to see me after the show tonight. My cousin Geanie was there and a friend from the Horn days, Paul White, but I knew they were coming. I didn't know that Linda of the Desert Fiesta Texas Tech mafia would be there with her daughter and fiancé. Nor did I know that one of the McMaster boys from Abernathy would be there. His Dad used to cut my hair at the only Barber shop in Abernathy. A man named Grady introduced himself like I should know him and in an instant I realized it was the Picalo player from the "Campus Revue" show at Six Flags when I was in High school. It all came back to me. What a hoot.
This is like a time warp... so many people that I have known over the years.
The OG made itself known again tonight. I can't make it happen when I want it to happen but when I am thinking esoteric-spooky thoughts it will manifest. The house manager told me that several people had been startled by it over the last few weeks. His theory was that an errant RF radio frequency was responsible. That could be. It still seems to be more than just random. It happens when my thoughts are on the theatre and the great time I am having.
It is all going too fast as I knew it would. Four more shows and two more days. Why can't this run go on forever?
More friends tomorrow and the show is tighter than it has ever been. I seem to learn how to do it better each time I get to do it. What a blessing.
As you were,
Jay
There was a green room full of people to see me after the show tonight. My cousin Geanie was there and a friend from the Horn days, Paul White, but I knew they were coming. I didn't know that Linda of the Desert Fiesta Texas Tech mafia would be there with her daughter and fiancé. Nor did I know that one of the McMaster boys from Abernathy would be there. His Dad used to cut my hair at the only Barber shop in Abernathy. A man named Grady introduced himself like I should know him and in an instant I realized it was the Picalo player from the "Campus Revue" show at Six Flags when I was in High school. It all came back to me. What a hoot.
This is like a time warp... so many people that I have known over the years.
The OG made itself known again tonight. I can't make it happen when I want it to happen but when I am thinking esoteric-spooky thoughts it will manifest. The house manager told me that several people had been startled by it over the last few weeks. His theory was that an errant RF radio frequency was responsible. That could be. It still seems to be more than just random. It happens when my thoughts are on the theatre and the great time I am having.
It is all going too fast as I knew it would. Four more shows and two more days. Why can't this run go on forever?
More friends tomorrow and the show is tighter than it has ever been. I seem to learn how to do it better each time I get to do it. What a blessing.
As you were,
Jay
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Opening at the Eisemann
The Eisemann Center is really a wonderful complex. I am very proud of my old home town for building such a great space to perform in. It was a wonderful opening attended by Chuck Eisemann the patron namesake of the Theatre as well as my first manager, first puppet maker and first captive audience. The latter being my Dad my Mom and my Sister. What a thrill to be able to introduce them from the stage in my curtain speech. I love doing this show and with an audience that was into it and with me the entire way is a high that can not be described.
There was an incident. As most of you know I am a person who has a healthy respect for the paranormal and supernatural. I had some encounters with the ghosts of the Helen Hayes theatre, the Geva Theatre and the Cape Playhouse and am always on the look out for others. Usually a theatre that is as new as the Eisemann Center has yet to acquire ghosts so I was not really looking tonight. That is sometimes when you find them.
There is no one to verify my encounters since I was alone in the dressing rooms above the stage when it happened, but the hair on my arms stood straight up when it happened, a sure sign that I have had a visitation. Even thinking about it gives me the chills now.
To set the scene, I have chosen to occupy a single private dressing room that opens into a larger chours dressing room. It is cute and cozy and just right for me. On the wall of the chours dressing room, which is the back wall of my room, is an automatic paper towel dispenser. It is the new kind of "holder/dispenser" that advances a section of towel when you wave your hand near a sensor. I used it earlier in the day and found that unless you were almost touching the sensor it did not work. When it did work it made a distinctive "whirring" noise.
I am not sure the exact thought I was thinking at the time but as I was putting on my makeup in the ritual I have done so often before this show, I was contemplaing "theatre" in general. How great it is to perform in theatres and how great it is to be in my old home town performing. At just that moment, the dispenser on the wall behind me turned on. It startled me. No one was there, no one had walked by and there was no reason for the towel machine to go off. Particularly since I had a difficult time working it before. It startled me and an extrasensorly chill went up and down my body. I walked into the bigger room to see if there was some reason for it to activate. I walked by, waved my hands turned the light on and off and nothing caused it to activate. Something unseen by humans had gotten close enough to it to activate the device.
Of course I took it as a sign that the theatre itself was trying to welcome me home. It made me feel better and a smile came over my face. I kept thinking about it during the show and really felt a part of this space.
There were meet and greets after the show and I was delayed getting out of my costume and eventually found myself alone again in the dressing area. Although I wanted another confirmantion nothing out of the ordinary happened. I put my dressing table in order, shut the door to my small dressing area and turned out the lights to the bigger dressing room before locking up. As I do for every theatre I said good night to the presence of the theatre I am performing in and thanked it for letting me visit and perform. I usually refer to the theatre as OG... or Opera Ghost. Just before shuttiing the door I said, "Thanks and goodnight OG...."
The towel dispenser immediately activated with its "whirring" noise and spit forth a section of towel. Chills went up my spine again and there was no doubt in my mind that OG had answered back. It was the confirmation that I was hoping for. I guess good theatres get haunted quicker than I thought.
There may be plenty of ways to explain these two events, but the timing and the delivery of each was specific and for me greater than random chance. I am excited to go back tomorrow knowing that I am not alone up there. A haunted theatre in my old home town...how great is that.
As you were,
Jay
The Eisemann Center is really a wonderful complex. I am very proud of my old home town for building such a great space to perform in. It was a wonderful opening attended by Chuck Eisemann the patron namesake of the Theatre as well as my first manager, first puppet maker and first captive audience. The latter being my Dad my Mom and my Sister. What a thrill to be able to introduce them from the stage in my curtain speech. I love doing this show and with an audience that was into it and with me the entire way is a high that can not be described.
There was an incident. As most of you know I am a person who has a healthy respect for the paranormal and supernatural. I had some encounters with the ghosts of the Helen Hayes theatre, the Geva Theatre and the Cape Playhouse and am always on the look out for others. Usually a theatre that is as new as the Eisemann Center has yet to acquire ghosts so I was not really looking tonight. That is sometimes when you find them.
There is no one to verify my encounters since I was alone in the dressing rooms above the stage when it happened, but the hair on my arms stood straight up when it happened, a sure sign that I have had a visitation. Even thinking about it gives me the chills now.
To set the scene, I have chosen to occupy a single private dressing room that opens into a larger chours dressing room. It is cute and cozy and just right for me. On the wall of the chours dressing room, which is the back wall of my room, is an automatic paper towel dispenser. It is the new kind of "holder/dispenser" that advances a section of towel when you wave your hand near a sensor. I used it earlier in the day and found that unless you were almost touching the sensor it did not work. When it did work it made a distinctive "whirring" noise.
I am not sure the exact thought I was thinking at the time but as I was putting on my makeup in the ritual I have done so often before this show, I was contemplaing "theatre" in general. How great it is to perform in theatres and how great it is to be in my old home town performing. At just that moment, the dispenser on the wall behind me turned on. It startled me. No one was there, no one had walked by and there was no reason for the towel machine to go off. Particularly since I had a difficult time working it before. It startled me and an extrasensorly chill went up and down my body. I walked into the bigger room to see if there was some reason for it to activate. I walked by, waved my hands turned the light on and off and nothing caused it to activate. Something unseen by humans had gotten close enough to it to activate the device.
Of course I took it as a sign that the theatre itself was trying to welcome me home. It made me feel better and a smile came over my face. I kept thinking about it during the show and really felt a part of this space.
There were meet and greets after the show and I was delayed getting out of my costume and eventually found myself alone again in the dressing area. Although I wanted another confirmantion nothing out of the ordinary happened. I put my dressing table in order, shut the door to my small dressing area and turned out the lights to the bigger dressing room before locking up. As I do for every theatre I said good night to the presence of the theatre I am performing in and thanked it for letting me visit and perform. I usually refer to the theatre as OG... or Opera Ghost. Just before shuttiing the door I said, "Thanks and goodnight OG...."
The towel dispenser immediately activated with its "whirring" noise and spit forth a section of towel. Chills went up my spine again and there was no doubt in my mind that OG had answered back. It was the confirmation that I was hoping for. I guess good theatres get haunted quicker than I thought.
There may be plenty of ways to explain these two events, but the timing and the delivery of each was specific and for me greater than random chance. I am excited to go back tomorrow knowing that I am not alone up there. A haunted theatre in my old home town...how great is that.
As you were,
Jay
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
Tomorrow
I arrived in Richardson tonight with more stress than was necessary. Growing up in Texas they used to say if you don't like the weather wait for 24 hours and it will change. It seems that the cold weather and snow experienced recently in the Metroplex has proven this old yard to be false. I woke up with the sun shining in LA but my thoughts on the snow that was falling in Dallas. Immediately my flight from Burbank was delayed and the flight before mine to Dallas was cancelled. John Ivy's flight from New York was cancelled. Suddenly all plans were changed and the game plan became ad-lib. It was no longer a matter of just doing the show it was a matter of actually making it half way across the country in bad weather to do the show.
John Ivy has been with my show since the Atanlatic Theatre off Broadway. He is the one who has the sound cues, lighting plot and the stage set up. All I do is perform the show. For the entire flight to DFW I considered what kind of show it would be if John became stranded in New York. It would not be the show that I would want to perform as a home coming to my roots.
But when I landed I found out that John had grabbed another flight and beat me here by an hour. We connected at the airport and made our way to the hotel, which is 20 yards from the entrance to the Eisemann Center. All my anxt was defused and the stress of not being prepared to do a show was immediately replaced by the stress of actually doing the show.
Tomorrow will be a full day of settiing up, prepping and performing in a new space, followed by meet and greets with the sponsors and VIPs who will be at the first performance. At this point it seems impossible that it could happen in 24 hours. That is the magic and the illusion of the theatre and no one can really explain how it happens but it does. This living on the edge is the drug that keeps us all addicted.
All I know is, I am excited to be on the stage opening tomorrow. I love to do this show more than any other performance that I get to do. I know that it will go too fast and there won't be time to relish the details and savor the moment. I guess that is why we artists keep looking for more moments to relish. More Later.
As you were,
Jay
I arrived in Richardson tonight with more stress than was necessary. Growing up in Texas they used to say if you don't like the weather wait for 24 hours and it will change. It seems that the cold weather and snow experienced recently in the Metroplex has proven this old yard to be false. I woke up with the sun shining in LA but my thoughts on the snow that was falling in Dallas. Immediately my flight from Burbank was delayed and the flight before mine to Dallas was cancelled. John Ivy's flight from New York was cancelled. Suddenly all plans were changed and the game plan became ad-lib. It was no longer a matter of just doing the show it was a matter of actually making it half way across the country in bad weather to do the show.
John Ivy has been with my show since the Atanlatic Theatre off Broadway. He is the one who has the sound cues, lighting plot and the stage set up. All I do is perform the show. For the entire flight to DFW I considered what kind of show it would be if John became stranded in New York. It would not be the show that I would want to perform as a home coming to my roots.
But when I landed I found out that John had grabbed another flight and beat me here by an hour. We connected at the airport and made our way to the hotel, which is 20 yards from the entrance to the Eisemann Center. All my anxt was defused and the stress of not being prepared to do a show was immediately replaced by the stress of actually doing the show.
Tomorrow will be a full day of settiing up, prepping and performing in a new space, followed by meet and greets with the sponsors and VIPs who will be at the first performance. At this point it seems impossible that it could happen in 24 hours. That is the magic and the illusion of the theatre and no one can really explain how it happens but it does. This living on the edge is the drug that keeps us all addicted.
All I know is, I am excited to be on the stage opening tomorrow. I love to do this show more than any other performance that I get to do. I know that it will go too fast and there won't be time to relish the details and savor the moment. I guess that is why we artists keep looking for more moments to relish. More Later.
As you were,
Jay
Friday, February 04, 2011
COMMING SOON TO THIS BLOG
This will be the address for reading the daily struggles of the east coast tour of Jay Johnson: The Two and Only. There will be daily posts with one clarification; Depending on access to the Internet and temporary wifi connections encountered on the road, posts will be written daily but posted when possible. Although it will be written with new toys, the process will be more like my older blogs from Broadway and London. I hope the substance will at least equal those. I will write after each show and not dash off a thumb-typed status update.
I plan not to sugar coat the experience. Not that I think I sugar coated those older posts but the venues were definitely more exciting to write about. This is a bread and butter tour that is perhaps the polar opposite of a Broadway experience.
John and I will be traveling by truck doing basic one-nighter hi and runs after Richardson. It is not a bus and truck tour...it is just a truck tour. This will be Theatre in its most primitive and basic form, a kick back to the days of the traveling vaudeviille or medicine show.
Join me when we open in Richardson and close in Wisconson. Follow along as I discribe the world of a real theatre tour with all the warts and wrinkles showing.
First installment..... Feb.9th counting down the days until then
As you were,
Jay
This will be the address for reading the daily struggles of the east coast tour of Jay Johnson: The Two and Only. There will be daily posts with one clarification; Depending on access to the Internet and temporary wifi connections encountered on the road, posts will be written daily but posted when possible. Although it will be written with new toys, the process will be more like my older blogs from Broadway and London. I hope the substance will at least equal those. I will write after each show and not dash off a thumb-typed status update.
I plan not to sugar coat the experience. Not that I think I sugar coated those older posts but the venues were definitely more exciting to write about. This is a bread and butter tour that is perhaps the polar opposite of a Broadway experience.
John and I will be traveling by truck doing basic one-nighter hi and runs after Richardson. It is not a bus and truck tour...it is just a truck tour. This will be Theatre in its most primitive and basic form, a kick back to the days of the traveling vaudeviille or medicine show.
Join me when we open in Richardson and close in Wisconson. Follow along as I discribe the world of a real theatre tour with all the warts and wrinkles showing.
First installment..... Feb.9th counting down the days until then
As you were,
Jay
Thursday, February 03, 2011
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
Paying Respects
Thanks to Bryan Simon for snapping this photo in Hollywood last week. After dining at Musso and Franks and taking the mandatory tour of the Chinese Theatre, I paused with Jimmy Nelson at the star of Edgar Bergen. Mr. Bergen has a really good "Star" position on the Blvd. He is right in front of the Kodak Theatre. I would guess that the stars who show up for the Academy Awards this year will have to either walk on the star or right by it for this year's award ceremony. As it is for real estate it is for fame, Location, Location, Location.
Bryan and Marge gave me a disk full of pictures they had taken. It didn't dawn on me that all the ones that I took did not have me in the frame. Nice to be included in the wonderful company.
There is an artistic shot that Bryan took that is clearly my favorite. I will publish it soon when I have a chance to write about it.
What a great day with a really great man.
As you were,
Jay
Thanks to Bryan Simon for snapping this photo in Hollywood last week. After dining at Musso and Franks and taking the mandatory tour of the Chinese Theatre, I paused with Jimmy Nelson at the star of Edgar Bergen. Mr. Bergen has a really good "Star" position on the Blvd. He is right in front of the Kodak Theatre. I would guess that the stars who show up for the Academy Awards this year will have to either walk on the star or right by it for this year's award ceremony. As it is for real estate it is for fame, Location, Location, Location.
Bryan and Marge gave me a disk full of pictures they had taken. It didn't dawn on me that all the ones that I took did not have me in the frame. Nice to be included in the wonderful company.
There is an artistic shot that Bryan took that is clearly my favorite. I will publish it soon when I have a chance to write about it.
What a great day with a really great man.
As you were,
Jay