Show #5: International Falls, MN

Backus Auditorium
January 30, 2006
Piano du jour: a mildly out of tune 7’ Steinway

It was a very foggy morning, and we were concerned about driving. But by the time we left, the sun came out briefly and burned it off. Much of our drive today was along the beautiful Rainy River, which forms this part of the border between the US and Canada.

Jody behind the wheel of our poor, dirty van

Some in our troupe have dubbed this venue a gymnatorium. It’s a 1,000-seat auditorium (art deco/WPA style), while the stage doubles as a full basketball court – complete with hoops and score board. But black curtains were hung to enclose the stage area, so you’d have no way of knowing the stage’s other athletic life.

...or is it an audinasium?

We got word from the producers that the show is running too long, so sadly we’ve had to cut the Patty Lupone section of the show: Stacey’s stirring “Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina” and Jody’s emotional “Meadowlark,” which is my all-time favorite song to play. We’re all sad to see them both go.

Patty made a new friend tonight. Five-year-old Hunter came to the show with his grandmother. He loves to sing (“I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” is his favorite), and he wants to learn to play the piano. Go, Hunter!

Patty and Hunter

Word for the day: bivouac: temporary encampment, usually for the night

Miles traveled: 125
Hotel: Days Inn

Show #4: Roseau, MN

Roseau Community School Auditorium
January 29, 2006
Piano du jour: out of tune upright

The day got off to a promising start when the continental breakfast offered at our hotel included, of all things, lefse! However, the thrill was short-lived. It was twice as thick as it should have been, and really tasted nothing like lefse. Nothing at all like the Lohman’s make. Sigh… Meanwhile, however, Patrick was having better luck with the make-your-own waffles. He discovered a can of non-stick spray – WAFFLE OFF – with real “Bakery Aroma”!

Yummy!

Our unseasonably warm weather ended today. Back came colder temperatures and snow. Driving in this weather created a fascinating Roman chariot-esque effect on the truck’s lug nuts.

Wild, huh?

The 500-seat auditorium we performed in was oh-so-purple. Our dressing room was the elementary music room.

Michelle and Patty doing their makeup seated at their elementary school desks

Piano woes
Each venue is responsible to provide a freshly tuned grand piano. But they didn’t get it tuned. So my choices were a horribly out of tune 5’ Steinway or a somewhat out of tune upright. So I went for the lesser of two evils.

Mic woes
Despite Josh’s heroic efforts during our sound check, Michelle’s body mic wouldn’t work. So she had to do the entire show holding a handheld mic.

It had continued to snow during the show, and since we weren’t traveling with an ice scraper, we had to get creative. Our hotel key cards worked so well!

Scraping

Word for the day: chilblain: an inflammatory swelling caused by exposure to cold

Miles traveled: 175
Hotel: AmericInn

Show #3: Detroit Lakes, MN

Historic Holmes Theatre
Saturday, January 28, 2006
Piano du jour: 5’ Yamaha – the action was very stiff… oh, my forearms ached after the show!

After an adventurous 40-minute hike with Susan through knee-deep snow, we all checked out of the hotel and made a quick Target run before heading out on the road.

JenDeen modeling her new Target purchases

It was an easy drive today – only 40 miles. I drove again today and, whew…completed the job without getting us lost (thanks to my expert navigator, Jody). Today’s venue – the 800-seat Historic Holmes Theatre – is by far our favorite so far.

Our name on the marquee!

They provided a crackerjack crew, and for the first time we had actual dressing rooms! If only the venues were all as good as this. It’s a beautifully renovated old school auditorium. It and the adjacent gymnasium were the only parts of the building to survive a huge fire several years ago. What remained of the building sat vacant until a major renovation, including the addition of a huge new fitness center, was completed a few years ago.

Stacey grew up not far from Detroit Lakes in Moorhead, and she had about 40 members of her family and friends in the audience tonight. I also went to college there at what was then called Moorhead State University. During my senior year in 1983, I played Captain Hook in Peter Pan. We just figured out that Stacey’s brother and sister were in the show with me! Oh, what a small world. I met her brother after the show tonight. Apparently, he was afraid of me during Peter Pan. Of me? Oh, come on. Really? I think that I shall choose to think that he was afraid of Captain Hook, not the lovable actor underneath that huge curly black wig.

Word for the day: obiter dictum: an incidental remark

Miles traveled: 50
Hotel: Best Western

Show #2: Fergus Falls, MN

Fergus Falls Middle School Auditorium
Friday, January 27, 2006
Piano du jour: another 7’ Baldwin – even better than yesterday’s

Beautiful weather today – up in the 40’s! Is this really January in Minnesota? It is my intention to get out and walk as often as I can. Susan joined me for my inaugural walk this morning before we all headed out on the road. The snow-covered farm fields that we’re driving through are starkly beautiful. The highlight of the drive was the oh-so-tempting sign offering the best in Elk Urine.

Mmm…

I drove for the first time today, and I guess that my first time behind the wheel of our van didn’t go so well… I got us briefly lost twice!

Patrick, Susan, Stacey and Michelle on our way to an early dinner before the show

The Legendary Band setting up: JenDeen, Patrick and Travis

Our venue this evening was a beautiful 1,300-seat auditorium at the Fergus Falls Middle School. The dressing room situation was a bit better than yesterday – this time we were in scene shop. Each venue is responsible to provide us with four stage hands. Yesterday they only had two, and today, two of the four were middle school students. But one of them – Cody – was great! He worked harder than some of the adults, and even ran one of the spot lights. Bravo, Cody!

Michelle & Susan at sound check

Miles traveled: 100
Hotel: Comfort Inn

Show #1: Brainerd,MN

Tornstrom Auditorium
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Piano du jour: 7’ Baldwin – beautiful touch and tone

Here we are at Day One of our tour! Six weeks, thirteen states, over 7,500 miles, and thirty-three shows.

At 9:30 this morning, we gathered at the home of our director and producer, Perrin Post. We are traveling in a 15-passenger van and a truck. The set, props, costumes, sound equipment, musical instruments and our luggage travel in the truck. (We’re not traveling with a keyboard, so I am at the mercy of every venue. I’ll be keeping you posted on what I get to play.) There are eleven of us in our little company – five in the cast (Jody Briskey, Michelle Carter, Stacey Lindell, Patty Nieman and Susan Yeager), four in the band (JenDeen Forberg, Patrick Harrison, Travis Schilling and myself), a stage manager (Tim Wilkins) and a sound man (Josh Bjorkman).

This is shaping up to be our typical day: Once we have driven to our new town, we check into our hotel. Tim and Josh arrive at the venue mid-afternoon to load in the set and sound equipment. The cast and band then arrive at 5:00. We in the band set up our instruments, music stands and lights, while the women in the cast start hair and makeup, figure out where their costume changes need to be preset, and get their wireless mics on. Sound check is at 5:30. Once that is completed, we are free to warm up onstage until the house opens at 7:00. Curtain for most of our shows is at 7:30.

In Brainerd, we performed in the 900-seat auditorium of the former middle school. The building is now used for school administration. The renovated auditorium was beautiful, but there were no dressing rooms, so we tried to make do in the boys’ and girls’ locker rooms. Judging from the appearance and smell, they hadn’t been used in decades. Ah, ‘tis a glamorous life!

If you want to know where we are from day to day, you can check out our itinerary at http://www.buffalogalproductions.com/.

Miles traveled: 135
Hotel: Ramada Inn

BROADWAY'S LEGENDARY LADIES

A tribute to Broadway's Grand Dames:

Angela Lansbury, Ethel Merman, Mary Martin, Barbara Cook, Elaine Stritch, Carol Channing, Barbra Streisand, Julie Andrews, Liza Minnelli, Chita Rivera, Patty LuPone, Bernadette Peters, Audra McDonald & Heather Headley

Broadway's Legendary Ladies

Welcome! We're in the thick of rehearsals, and about to embark upon our thirteen-state concert tour. We'll be appearing in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Wyoming and South Dakota. I'm David Lohman, the music director, arranger and pianist for BLL, and I'll be posting when I can, regaling you with tales of our travels.