From September 2008 I will be touring America with a theatre production of "The Gruffalo". The tour will take me all over America. This is my random mutterings on it all
History is a fickle thing. Sometimes down to the winning side it records the words, places, times of those who seem most significant, who are at the rudder of the world as it turns. So in years to come history will record that President (hopefully) Barack Obama returned to Des Moines, Iowa on the Friday before an historic election victory to deliver a key note speech on the very spot where he won hist first caucus on the road to the White House. Similarly it will record how he drew a record crows weeks earlier under the St Louis arch. What history will fail to record is that on both occasions Alan Park (aka Gruffalo) was either in town, or on his way, and that he missed history by a matter of hours and by now is getting a bit pissed at missing history.
As we strolled through Des Moines' east village this evening the signs of Obama were still present, a projected advert from a truck touring the town, and best of all the CNN election bus
So I missed history (again), but I'll live and were it not for this job I would be nowhere near this place right now. Maybe me and Barack can share a beer another time. Back tracking a tad, day 31 brought a killer 3 shows in the space of 3 and half hours. I had no sooner unGruffalo'd that I was stepping back into the sweaty jump suit to do it all again. Luckily Alex kept us all amused by raiding the theatre's wig (they had only 1).
All in a days work, but it did mean the rest of the day was seen from my hotel bed as I struggled to summon enough energy even to drink (I know!)
As you know today brought us into Des Moines 4 hours after history had left town. A day off tomorrow to see the land that gave us Bill Bryson and some famous statue of a woman clutching her breasts- neat!
Till then a pic from backstage in Red Wing.
Alan State lines crossed 1 (19 Total) Time Zones crossed 0 (2 Total) Oil Changes 0 (1 Total)
Our long circle around the US came full circle today as we pulled into Red Wing, Minnesota, A few miles from where we set out a month to go. "Ah" I hear you exhale, "then your tour is done Alan, well done, good job. Those efficient tour booker's have brought you right back to where it all began so you can conveniently drop the van and the set off and come home."
Sorry, no. Still a month to go (although we're all rather happy about that) and the small matter of Kansas, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, New York and New Hampshire to go.
Anywho, yesterday brought some more jollies as we performed in the morning and partied in the afternoon. Well, I watched a Newcastle game alone in a bar, Alex and Anna went round a lake and Karina bought tat, so lots of individual partying... yeah.
My walk into town from the sports bar took me along some real American streets, with big wooden houses, basketball nets in the yard and lots and lots of leaves to kick!
Dinner involved a restaurant that claimed to be Mongolian. We couldn't see much authentic Mongolian cooking on offer but having never been to Mongolia, who are we to argue. It did involve putting a lot of meat, veg, noodles and sauce in a bowl, passing it to a man who put it on something hot and then gave it back. We did this several times and were jolly full by the end. Well done those Mongolians (although my Mongolian was called Chad and from Iowa).
Today we took a little jaunt up the US-63 to Red Wing, Minnesota. Home of Red Wing shoes (apparently they don't make you fly, lesson learned) The town is nice enough and our hotel is next to something called the Bierstubewhich I plan to investigate thoroughly later.
Right now Obama's infamous half hour ad is airing on most channels. Its quite an audacious feat but if it gets him through the door at the white house then its worth it. Just watching it now, as I write this, I am filled with a sense of urgency and this guy NEEDS to be elected next week. Quite simply it will make a difference, and the world will be a better place. We can but wait
I shall leave you with another common sense sign from those adorable yanks. This one only just beat the sign on the back of a lorry that said "DO NOT FOLLOW ME INTO WORK SITE". I plan to wear a similar sign tomorrow stating "DO NOT FOLLOW ME ON STAGE" can't be too careful.
Hope everyone is well
Alan State lines crossed 1 (18 Total) Time Zones crossed 0 (2 Total) Oil Changes 0 (1 Total)
It had to happen eventually. It happens in all relationships, you spend time together, you care for each other and then something tears you apart, pulls you, wrenches you away and you know you'll probably never see each other again. And so it was this morning as we said goodbye to Madison, Wisconsin. Land of amazing food, nice people and English tea. Our last 2 shows in Madison were packed full of the usual screaming 4-12 year olds. The theatre in Madison is a union house and so everything has to be done uber inefficiently with a break every 2 minutes and more health and safety regs than you can throw a spanner at. These regs even involved the appearance of something awul happening to the Gruffalo costume!
No Gruffalos were harmed during the taking of this photo.
With the shows over we paid one last visit to the amazing Nepalese restaurant that we'd grown to love and then as the snow started to fall we drove away from the place we loved, to one that we know is distinctly ordinary... Iowa. But Madison had one last surprise for us, as we drove out of the downtown area the Sat Nav suddenly recalculated and took us in a new direction, one we had not been before. As we drove down this new road, unsure of why we were headed this way it became clear. I counted 59 Obama banners on that road and 1 McCain. With its last breath Madison catapulted Obama to a surely insurmountable lead in my count, and then waved us on our way.
But nature was not finished with us yet, as our spirits fell and we trundled to our new destination, we crossed the state line and as if by magic the sun broke through the chilly winter evening and created the most spectacular sunset. It made us all reach for our cameras (then I remembered I was driving) and for a brief few seconds Iowa looked lovely.
The tour continues apace tomorrow with 2 shows and an afternoon to take in Newcastle vs West Brom. Then its Minnesota and some cold cold weather. 8 Days to 0 folks and if Madison is giving us any clues then they could be some monumental days. Alan State lines crossed 1 (17 Total) Time Zones crossed 0 (2 Total) Oil Changes 0 (1 Total)
Where to begin with Madison, Wisconsin. Certainly the nicest place we've been to so far its small but not too small, filled with coffee shops,bookstores, bars, culture, history, passion and everything else that just makes this place great. As we drove down Washington Av from our hotel we were met by the imposing sight of the state capitol, the only building of its like outside of Washington. Inside curved corridors snake round the central forum and delicate mosaics proclaiming Government, Justice, Legislation, and Liberty stare down at you from the dome above. But Madison is made of more than just its central State Capitol. Its a place where all our welcome, cafes serve tea, restaurants embrace vegetarian food, people don't stare when you walk, in fact, everyone walks, even the Zombies as we found out on Saturday...
The place is the jewel in America's crown. Its welcoming, local beer is stunning and as you may notice from the stats update below they are Obama crazy (I counted 19 in 2 days to McCain's 0). People here are incredibly politically motivated, they care about there country and want a say in its future, the mix of the university students and Madison's significant political history seeps into the culture, making it an energetic bubble of a place where something is always happening. Its the kind of place you'd be happy for your kids to grow up in, the kind of place you can have the quiet life but still get access to all the things about the city that you love. We've eaten the best food here, we've drank the best drink here, and the audience's are lovely. In case I'm not being clear- Madison rocks!
And one signature in the guest book of the theatre says it all about the kind of people who love Madison...
We leave tomorrow and will be very sad to do so, but Madison has energised us for the rest of the tour, full of good food and nice experiences we should make it through Iowa and Kansas still smiling (just!)
Off to get some more yummy food now
Alan
State lines crossed 0 (16 Total) Time Zones crossed 0 (2 Total) Oil Changes 0 (1 Total)
Another early start as what promised to be a long day kicked in. Just the small matter of 2 shows and a 290 mile drive to contend with before we could sleep again. The theatre in Ames was huge, over 2000 seats. With 2 shows we were all very excited, surely if they had booked 2 shows they must have thousands coming to see us, surely there would be no point playing 2 shows in this place to an audience that could fit into one...
Ah yes, I forgot that this is theatre, where lateral thinking is a commodity in short supply and true to form we played to audiences of 750 and 300 over 2 shows when they would have comfortably fitted into the one show. In fact had there been 1 show then the 290 mile drive awaiting us would have been a breeze, a doddle. Alas no, fighting fatigue and weather we battled toward Wisconsin (the Badger state!), consoled only by my rather large bag of cheetos that have left me stained with guilt
The show is starting to feel the strain of the tour now and as always its the props that are first to go. As integral as the fans are to Snake scene it seems that they could not last the pace and after looking, without success, in every State we've been in for replacements the original fans finally succumbed in what can only be described as an unrelenting fit of rage from Alex.
They actually just fell apart but we prefer our version.
The shows were fun however and with the gap in between I amused myself in my dressing room with my costume and camera.
A day off now in Madison and then a couple of days in the same venue where we yet again share a venue with the US tour of Avenue Q, which is always nice.
Alan
State lines crossed 1 (16 Total) Time Zones crossed 0 (2 Total) Oil Changes 0 (1 Total)
Back on the road and that road today led to Iowa, and my what an interesting place Iowa is- why there's fields, and fields and well more fields. Still we got to cross the Mississippi (again). In fact, so taken are we with the old stream that we went over it 3 times today in search for something we could call lunch.
Our hotel is following tradition in being a stone's throw from an interstate, but is very nice and the mexican round the corner was great. Although when we asked for water we were met with a blank stare, we followed up our request using every known word for water/ wader (US Accent needed for that one)/ aqua/ H2O??? Eventually Karina resorted to a mime of water from a fawcettand our server laughed before promptly saying "no".
That's that for today- a short one I know but a 7am get in does encourage an early night, especially when followed by a 300 mile drive- joy.
Alan
State lines crossed 1 (15 Total) Time Zones crossed 0 (2 Total) Oil Changes 0 (1 Total)
So much happening so little time to write anything about it. Day 22 involved the shlop over the river from Missouri to Illinois and then North to Naperville. One of the problems I have encountered since being in American is that as well as there being a time difference, we are also caught between movie release date patterns. Now, once over here for a few weeks this is fine as you just see the movies when they come out but on arriving I discovered that certain films I had been meaning to see in the UK had been released here months ago and so were no longer showing at the cinema- disaster. So you can imagine my joy at driving into Naperville to discover a small independent cinema showing "Tropic Thunder" one of said movies. Not only that but more joy followed when I discovered admission was $3 and popcorn 75c and you could get free refills (that'll make the touring allowance go further). So I got to see the movie and Anna got to sleep through it and all is well with the world again.
Day 23 brought another great day, with 2 early shows we were done by 1pm and being only an hour from Chicago and never having been before only a certified idiot would have passed up the opportunity to see the windy city. Chicago is amazing! The city thrives with energy, from towering sky scrapers to industrial architecture and rattling subway trains I loved the short time we had here.
We shopped (I suddenly realised a dire shortage of winter wear), and strolled along the bay, through down town, along the pier and eventually to the top of one of the tallest buildings in America. On the advice of others we avoided the tallest in America (The Sears Tower) and headed for one that comes very close. The John Hancock Centre across town beats the Sears Tower hands down for one simple reason. To get to the top you can either- A: Pay $15 to go to the 94th floor observation deck or B: Go free to the 96th Floor bar. I'll give you a second to work out what we did.
The place was stunning, the view was sensational. Chicago rocks! Not content with our afternoons activities we hot footed to the famous "Billy Goat Tavern", a burger joint made famous by a John Belushi Saturday Night Live sketch.
Again this place was great, dinner came in at $5 as we watched the World Series and enjoyed the burgers. All in all Chicago seems like an amazing place, we got to spend a matter of hours here but are desperate to return for more (and we have to as Anna accidentally put $10 on a subway card!)
Over 3 weeks in now then, the weather is turning, the show is still running and we spend most of the next 2 weeks doing circles in Kansas and Iowa.
Thanks
Alan
State lines crossed 1 (14 Total) Time Zones crossed 0 (2 Total) Oil Changes 0 (1 Total)
Day 21- last 2 shows in St Louis and an afternoon to catch what we haven't already caught. In the absence of anything to say that would be interesting about the shows I have interspersed today with some photos from them.
For me the afternoon was about one thing and one thing only. With the show down at 1.30 I had half an hour to pack up the set, get driven to an Irish bar and take in the Newcastle vs Man City game. "Why?" I hear you cry, "Alan, you're thousands of miles away, take this opportunity to ease the pain, to spend some time away from Newcastle United and all the pain and suffering it obviously causes you!" No folks, I had to see it, once I knew it was on then that was it, my affliction set in and I had to go. However, it wasn't as easy as that, having located 2 bars showing the match I faced a choice. Both at opposite ends of town, I would need dropped off and then have to make my own way back. Not a problem I thought, Anna and the gang duly obliged before heading off somewhere unimportant and I strolled into the bar ready for some misery. I looked up at the many screens displaying a multitude of sports- American Football, Baseball, Basketball, Ice Hockey... but no Newcastle united. Unperturbed I headed to the bar and asked where the match was being shown, a blank expression stared back "You mean Soccer?" Oh dear, dread filled my heart, It was already midway through the first half, the other bar was a good 40 minutes away, surely this place must be showing it, the website had said they were... "Sorry. We don't get that channel anymore" the owner confirmed.
Its a good job there were no small children around me for the 10 minute walk to the Metro station, or sat next to me on the half hour Metro ride into town. So, with 15 minutes of the match to go I strolled into pub number 2 to be met by my lovely Newcastle players, beamed onto a huge screen. It was only 15 minutes but it was worth it, oh how I've missed them. I don't think they've missed me quite as much as they were winning until I strolled in and then duly conceded an equaliser.
The rest of the day was good for my Obama bumper sticker/ paraphernalia count as we drove down a street with 6 signs outside houses- Go Barack!
Tomorrow we head North to chilly Naperville, just outside Chicago. Saturday brings Newcastle United vs Sunderland- 6.45am kick off here, wonder if I'll find anywhere showing it
Alan
State lines crossed 0 (13 Total) Time Zones crossed 0 (2 Total) Oil Changes 0 (1 Total)
Some more shows, and a bloody brilliant museum were the events of Day 19 and 20 (I might have to stop numbering the days as getting hard to keep track of)
With the luxury of just one show a day we were able to have a lie in, rock up, work for 50 minutes, sign some stuff then get back to the real business of sight seeing. We had been told in no uncertain terms that the place to go was the City Museum and we were not disappointing. The place should be renamed- Museum of Fun. A 4 storey Manhattan loft style building has been transformed into a maze of an adventure playground for adults and kids alike. Slides emerge from dragon's mouths, airplanes teeter from the top of the building, waterfalls crash around you as you crawl up, down, over all of this stuff just exploring. There was no map, no explanation, one second you are sliding down a 3 storey slide the next you are in an exhibit to old Broadway posters. Chaos
On from there to the hotel and the rather dodgy red bird cafe over the road. Open from 6am- 1.30am this place is a massive sports bar with pool tables galore, a duke box with all the songs in the world on it, and some rather questionable darts (plastic tips, plastic boards that score for you and you don't have to finish on a double- and they let these people vote!) But with an admission price of $5 and then $3.25 for a pitcher all night we were right at home until the early hours.
As for Day 20, another show, a nice trip to the mall where I eventually gave into a haircut from an American hairdresser. You could have a Lionel Blair cut, Like mine!
Its not that bad really. Then dinner in the Cheesecake Factory which we chose for the simple reason that there was stuff on the menu other than steak!
A nice couple of days, tomorrow brings 2 shows a get out and then a mad dash across town to catch the Newcastle vs Man City match. Oh and in case you were wondering what the show looks like
All good Alan
State lines crossed 0 (13 Total) Time Zones crossed 0 (2 Total) Oil Changes 0 (1 Total)
16 Days to Election (Sorry this has moved a bit but now right)
A day off and then a 3 show day. The tour bookergiveth and the tour bookertaketh away. Still the day off was an opportunity to cram some site seeing in, St Louis Zoo and the Gateway Arch beckoned. The Zoo was, well a zoo, with children attempting to feed Giraffe's things they shouldn't and all the other things you expect from a zoo.
The St. Louis Gateway Arch was conceived as part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. It was constructed in the 1960s and is very cool. For those of you up to date with Barack Obama's movements, yes he is speaking under the Arch on Saturday and no I can't go, I have to be a Gruffalo!
Its a long way to the top and you go through airport style security to get up there. People are transported in groups of 5 in small pod like cable carts that travel vertically up the inside before reaching the viewing gallery.
And then the view
So all in all a lovely day. Then we were back to the daily grind and three shows. The final show was followed by a rather bizarre signing where we all had to sit behind tables and sign people's programmes. It was all very odd, but people seem to be enjoying the show.
After the evening show we were treated to more crazy American pricing as we went for an Italian. I was about to order a 12" pizza for $9 when I was informed that I could get a 16" pizza along with 2 34oz mugs of beer (that's over 2 pints a glass) for $11.50!! How could I refuse? Yes there is a half eaten pizza in our room, and yes the beer was a struggle, but it was too good a deal to turn down.
Today I will be at the theatre again, rather than under the Gateway Arch listening to a man who in a matter of days could be the most powerful man in the world, elect. No I will be being a Gruffalo- swell!
Alan
State lines crossed 0 (13 Total) Time Zones crossed 0 (2 Total) Oil Changes 0 (1 Total)
19 Days to Election
Bumper sticker/ Yard sign/ Anything else advertising a candidate count: Obama 19 McCain 23 (I refuse to include "Nobama" stickers which are just stupid
Still in St. Louis and not much to report. A few days here has hammered home how bloody big the USA is. In London or any other place in the UK for that matter you can get pretty much anywhere by public transport, not so in the US of A. Whilst in a major city, public transport is still not great as Americans seem intent on driving everywhere. The whole American attitude to the car is bizarre, they drive everywhere. When we decide to go to a local restaurant and ask how far it is the response is always "a few minutes", when we mention we're walking the look is one of complete horror. I mean do they not know that Anna and me don't want to drive everywhere, that I quite like getting drunk without the need to drive afterward. As for the looks we get when walking, they might as well call the police now as everyone stares in complete disbelief.
As you can probably gather, our first long stay in a location has led to some gripes emerging from myself. Air conditioning is another. I will never let another American tell me how flippin cold Britain is when the majority over here seem hell bent of freezing their asses of indoors. Every theatre, bar, restaurant is sub zero. None of the windows open in places so its either all a/c or no ventilation whatsoever. Alex ventured that this is a follow on from America's obsession with keeping themselves locked away from the outside world in safety and he's right. Unfortunately the consequences for us is that we're layering up, we where shorts and T-shirts outside then bundle up for going in anywhere.
Ok so gripes over with. All else is well, a day off tomorrow so more St Louis exploring to be done (including the Budweiser brewery with FREE SAMPLES!!) The show is going well, however, St Louis audiences' seem intent on clapping (out of time might I add) through every song and they like the bit where they have to shout... a lot! So much so that I stood on stage not doing anything today until they all shut up.
I've just realised that last bit became gripey... apologies.
That's that I think, its the last presidential debate tonight so unless Barack accidentally yells "I plan to make William Ayers Vice President" then all should be well.
I leave you with this nice photo from our hotel. Sweet no?
Alan
State lines crossed 0 (13 Total) Time Zones crossed 0 (2 Total) Oil Changes 1 (1 Total)
Hot on the heels of Day 13 came 14 and the trip North to St. Louis. Compared to other drives this was a doddle, a mere 314 miles, a leisurely 5 hours to do it in, what could possible go wrong you ask?
Now there are few excuses for speeding. A woman in labour, a burning building, an artistic emergency? Alas state trooper John Qubils was not familiar with the latter and as I drove down I-55 in Arkansas he decided to have a word with me. Now I would like to point out to family, employers and friends who read this that the above is a warning. It is not a ticket, I did not get fined, but warned in a stern way that, despite the get in time being 3pm and us running ever so slightly late, this was not cause for speeding. It is safe to say I was bricking myself, the man had a big hat and one of those accents you know suits the words "Bend over!". But all was well and despite Karina's best efforts to get a photo of the incident we drove (legally) on our way.
Shortly after Anna took over the driving and I took solace in a big coke (which might I add was the same price as a small coke, but the medium was more expensive! And they let these people vote!!)
Anywho (notice deviation from the word "So") we're here safely, there's a dodgy bar over the road from the hotel and all is well. The venue seems nice, St. Louis is a hop skip and a bus ride away for fun trips to see the Mississippi, so I'll leave it at that
Your very legal and humble driver
Alan
State lines crossed 2 (13 Total) Time Zones crossed 0 (2 Total)
GRACELAND and MEMPHIS! Where to begin. Whilst Karina was wetting herself with excitement I was rather apathetic to setting foot on the King's hallowed turf. After all, did Elvis sport a perm in the 70s and entertain thousands with mercurial football talent before returning to the club he loved 20 years later to create a team dubbed "the entertainers" based on their outlandish style of attacking football that nearly changed the way football was approached forever. In case there is any doubt in your mind, no. So for me there is only one King (though he is currently in exile from his kingdom, but rumours of his return are rife I hear). But I digress, safe to say I was non plussed. However, with my first timid steps into Elvis' pad I was stunned by my reaction.
The place is amazing, steeped in rock and roll history and is somewhere where you genuinely believe you are stepping in the footsteps of God's. Yes there's the jump suits, the cars, the planes, but for me it was the personal story, the story of a guy whose career went up then down and back up higher than ever before with the 68 comeback special. His house is a testament to his personality, its unique, there is no other place like it in the world. I was moved by seeing the personal touches, the jungle room, the hundreds of award winning records, and the piano he played on the morning of his death, with friends around him.
I am not a huge Elvis fan, I own a greatest hits record and that's it, but you can't not visit Graceland and come away with anything but a humble respect for an amazing superstar that changed music and the world. He died in his prime and is a loss to the world. To quote his epitaph "He was a precious gift from God"
The day did not end there however as we hot footed it to more musical hallowed turf and Beale St, Memphis. This place is the birth place of Blues, the street is littered with bar after bar of soulful music, we stayed to the early hours listening to bands- some great (The Soul Hole) some not (BB Kings Club). The latter should be thoroughly ashamed of itself for charging $9 a drink and showcasing a band that was more interested in jacking off to its own music than forming any sort of connection with the audience. Bah!
The night was ended with a smooth taxi ride home, whose driver couldn't have been more of a Memphis' legend as he regaled us with tales of Elvis, the Blues and played some Gladys Knight to take us home
Day 13- a good day
The night was ended with a smooth taxi ride home, whose driver couldn't have been more of a Memphis' legend as he regaled us with tales of Elvis, the Blues and played some Galdys Knight to take us home
Day 13- a good day Alan
State lines crossed 1 (11 Total) Time Zones crossed 0 (2 Total)
Another van trip day as we left the loveliness of Orange for Memphis and Sunday's trip to Graceland. So snacked to the max the trip was relatively uneventful, apart from some lovely scenery and me eating too many Cheetos.
We crossed 2 state borders, but were distinctly unimpressed by the size and design of the welcome signs, especially after Texas.
We're 2 weeks in now and already we've started to adapt to our surroundings. We refer to "Gas" not petrol, use the "sidewalk" and more worryingly, I have started to like Baseball!! Its the world series at the moment and I watched a 5 hour game on TV in a bar last night and loved it. The bad thing about baseball is that nobody knows when it will end, a game can be anything from 2- whatever hours. As you can imagine Anna loves it. Anyway I'm rooting for the Tampa Bay Rays as they seem to be the underdogs.
Gotta go now as Graceland calls. Check back for the Elvis report later.
You're Always On My Mind
Alan
State lines crossed 2 (10 Total) Time Zones crossed 0 (2 Total)
Its official. The Lutcher Theater, Orange, is the nicest place I have ever performed. Battered by hurricane's but determined to carry on regardless, our 2 shows here were by far the most enjoyable so far. The schools in Orange only went back a few days ago and yet still over 1000 children managed to turn up for our shows and seemed to have a thoroughly enjoyable time at that. But the shows are only a fraction of why this place is amazing. Afterward we were treated to a "Pot Luck" dinner that was quite stunning. We met lovely people, ate great food (although the American definition of vegitarian is still puzzling Alex and Karina "You can have bacon yes?")
I even met a fella who had family back in Newcastle. He seemed very amused that me and him are the only 2 folks in Orange that know what a Geordie is- a blindly optimistic football fan that wears far too little in winter!
So shows over and an afternoon to kill we made for one place - The Mall. With the hole count in my T-Shirts ever increasing I took advantage of some rather silly Abercrombie and Fitch pricing to replenish stock, now I just need to build up the courage to throw out the U2 T-Shirt. Just as we thought Orange couldn't get nicer we were acosted in the car park by a Mother who had seen the show and then proceeded to force her rather bemused looking child to have his photo taken with us, we obliged and all seemed happy.
So my over use of the word so in this blog continues (any suggestions for other words welcome) and now with the sun setting we're off to local restaurant "Spanky's" for some steak, Texan style. Tomorrow brings the drive to Memphis in preparation for our rearranged day off on Sunday and the mother of all outings... folks, we're going to Graceland.
Its Now or Never
Alan
State lines crossed 4 (8 Total) Time Zones crossed 1 (2 Total)
A short hop and a skip across Texas has brought us to Orange, or rather a shadow of the place that used to be Orange. Hurricane Ike has taken its toll here, if not physically then emotionally. Streets are deserted, families live in hotels and shops are boarded up.
The signs of Ike crept up on us as we began to pass torn down restaurant signs and debris by the side of the road. As we entered Orange the town looked normal enough, but streets contained no cars, shops were closed and boarded. The theatre itself is lovely, with a great crew and a lot of seats! As we pulled up we were met by "the volunteers". A band of around a dozen OAPs who come and help at get ins and get outs. They were all dressed in there best lifting gloves and scruffs and I think they were slightly disappointed we didn't have more set for them to help with.
As we passed through town this evening we saw a high school football game kicking off with a large crowd beginning to gather. We can only hope for the same turn out. We ate in a great old Texan bar which was packed and one customer made a point of coming over, welcoming us to Texas and saying how pleased he was we were here and that the place needed something to smile about.
So life seems to be continuing in some form or other and tomorrow we'll attempt to play our part and do what we can. The staff at the theatre have promised us a "pot luck" dinner where they each bring some food in for us, the whole place has a real sense of a community coming together. You can't begin to imagine what they've been through.
Its a shame we're seeing Orange in this light as on another day, at another time this would be a lovely town to spend some time. As it is we've been advised to take our planned day off on Saturday elsewhere.
More to come tomorrow hopefully
Alan
State lines crossed 4 (8 Total) Time Zones crossed 1 (2 Total)
Today did not start well. 3 shows, up at 6am to do a get in with crew who at best could be described as incompetent. Then to perform a show before having a chance to focus lights, check sound. We all braced ourselves for the worst. However, today was a lesson in how quickly things can change. Having part sorted the technical glitches (like teaching the crew how their equipment worked) the second show was surprisingly fun. The audience were great, and suddenly we sensed hope where for the last 24 hours there had been little.
Following that our visiting tour booker's took us for an amazing lunch (Mexican obviously) in a restaurant that had the largest painting of a woman's face I have ever seen. Believe me, I got some strange looks taking this photo.
Then it was the site seeing thing as we went to The Alamo, walked the river and basically enjoyed the loveliness that is San Antonio. Another show, some more food, and a beer and suddenly the day is over and we're all very content and ready for the off tomorrow. The only downside was my so called joke present from Alex and Karina...
Note to self, stop talking about the election.
So tomorrow brings Orange, Texas, a town still recovering from Hurricane Ike
As always I'll attempt to write about it at some point
Cheers
Alan
State lines crossed 4 (8 Total) Time Zones crossed 1 (2 Total)
28 Days to Election
Bumper sticker/ Yard sign/ Anything else advertising a candidate count: Obama 6 (A T-shirt too!!) McCain 8 (Having to include my bloody badge in this)
More interesting times across the pond as we had 2 shows in our biggest theatre yet in Fayetteville, Arkansas. An interesting if odd town which contains no major chains in the town centre but was very small for such a large theatre. Audience's were fair and the show is starting to get going. Its difficult with the on/ off nature of the shows as we have a day travelling then a show then more travelling so momentum is lacking, but we felt more at home here. One thing I noticed whilst killing time between shows is how immediate everything has to be over here. I went into a shop to browse, spend some time but was met immediately with a smiling sales assistant asking me what I was after. When I said "nothing" I was given a look of confusion mixed with suspicion and her eyes proceeded to follow me around the store until I gave up and left, unsatisfied at my inability to exercise my browsing right. The other thing is Americans don't seem to read. Every service station we have called at so far has not stocked so much as 1 magazine. Not even porn! Now I know I am expecting too much to see a copy of "The Mag" over here but surely some Americans must read magazines?
No sooner did we feel at home then we were off and making the most unrealistic and difficult journey of the trip so far. We had one day (today) to get 609 miles, on a route that took us via Dallas and Austin, Texas. Two huge cities packed with traffic that meant our journey was close to 11 hours. Tomorrow brings 3 shows, with a 7:30 get in. On top of that our hotel is bloody awful, and in keeping with all the hotels so far, is nestled between 2 motorways with only a Pizza Hut and McDonald's to choose from for food. So fair to say we're all a bit low and bit tired and malnourished. The light at the end of the tunnel is that we know the journey's get easier from now on in, we can only hope for some more interesting hotel locations. It seems the tour bookers think we like to spend our spare time watching cars on motorways- which can be fun but not all the time.
Ok enough moaning. Today had plenty of highs, we crossed the state border into Texas. A State that does not announce itself with its name but just one big Star.
And the limitation of the van's stereo to plug into iPods meant that for the first time in a long time I had to compile a mix CD. It was done quickly and on the move but served its purpose in that Karina wrote down 2 band names to research further.
Okay then, time for bed. There was another presidential debate tonight, and whilst the 11 hour trip meant we missed it the general reaction seems to be pro Obama (yeah!) Now if he can only stop hanging around with those terrorists
Good night/ Morning all
Alan
State lines crossed 4 (8 Total) Time Zones crossed 1 (2 Total)
29 Days to Election
Bumper sticker/ Yard sign/ Anything else advertising a candidate count: Obama 5 McCain 7 (Including a T-Shirt!!)
We celebrated a week in the U.S by smashing the 2000 mile mark and traveling through 3 States in one day. From the flat plains of Kansas, to the tree laden hills of Arkansas, via Oklahoma, by the time this trip was over the only pre-requisite for somewhere to eat was a bar!! As with all long journeys sustenance was required en route but we all felt Anna's meal resembled something we'd associate more with after eating than before. You be the judge
So a day of travel to get us to the Sleep Inn, Fayetteville ready for tomorrow's shows, and a quite spectacular one at that. With the landscape of Kansas offering nothing easy on the eye it was the road kill that captivated us as we observed Skunk, Racoon, Wild Turkey and most popular Armadillo.
In any long travel day you need light entertainment and ours came at the Oklahoma state border. We were hoping for song, dance, the works. What we got was a very big sign!
What we've started to notice more and more on these trips is how it is increasingly impossible to break from the pack in America. In the UK we can buy a book that tells us about individual pubs, restaurants, cafes off the Motorways and they are relatively easy to find. In America, these places just don't exist. If you travel on the interstate you can expect a diet of Wendy's, Denny's, McDonald's, Arbys and so on. Nothing is individual, nothing is unique, every junction is marked with a see of neon as the same hotels and restaurants. It's a sad state of affairs and one we should only hope does not set the path that the UK will follow.
As for the election, its getting nasty. Palin is openly accusing Obama of associating with domestic terrorists, a tactic set out to distract and again panic scared voters into ticking (or punching a hole for those reading in Florida) for McCain. Its a disgrace, the campaign will soon no longer become about the issues and instead be each side responding to the latest personal attack. Obama's camp have already begun responding through TV ads and you can see the campaign descending into personal attacks and not dealing with the issues American's are concerned about. What Americans want to know is how the candidate's are going to fix things. It now seems widely accepted that Bush is the worst president of all time (something we have all known for a while) and that the place needs fixing. On Friday I watched David Letterman and have never seen a TV host (on a light entertainment show at that) speak so frankly and passionately about the need for change, and help to repair a failing nation (by the way he too is an Obama man)
Anyway, a 7am get in calls so best go. Just time for one more picture which is for Toby (he knows why)
State lines crossed 2 (6 Total) Time Zones crossed 1 (2 Total)
30 Days to Election
Bumper sticker count: Obama 3 McCain 5
Election moment of the day came mid way through Oklahoma when Alex picked up a red pen in a garage that said McCain, he then put it down and went for the blue pen... it said Vote Republican. Only one party in the middle states!
