The First of Many

In late June of 2011, my exhausted cellphone rang on the black patterned comforter of my bed.  My two roommates, newly returned from the West Coast, were gathered in the stuffy, corner bedroom, telling me stories of tattoos gotten, foods tasted, and adventures had.

"(212)!" - Pearls (Rebecca).
"Broadway's calling," - Travis.
"Shut up," - Me.

A few minutes later, we were all jumping and screaming and crying and laughing because, in fact, Broadway had (sort of) called.  I'd booked the 1st National Tour of Broadway's "THE ADDAMS FAMILY."

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Since that delicious moment (props to Travis and his ESP), I've had numerous costume fittings, a dozen phone calls from friends who read Playbill.com, hundreds of Facebook posts, and a whole lot of celebratory Nutella desserts with my mother.  We've had a month of rehearsal in New York City, and the tour has finally reached its first destination: New Orleans, Louisiana.  Home of gumbo, jazz, Bourbon Street, and if I'm really, really lucky - Alcide from True Blood.

This blog is the result of parental urging and a desire to avoid repeatedly telling the same stories to every friend I have.  There will be late-night posts about technological failures.  There will be guarded complaints about hotel service and unabashed gushing about oysters and beignets.  There may even be a word or two about the joys of packing two suitcases for AN ENTIRE YEAR ON THE ROAD.  I can't promise it will be the least bit entertaining, but at least I can promise that there will be a bean-filled hamster guiding us through the tale.

(Gil, newly arrived in NOLA)

Tech rehearsal beckons from the far side of a grocery run and a trip to Cafe du Monde tomorrow morning, so I'll leave you with this:  

"Be open to experience and welcome in the new,

Reach deep in your surprise bag, there might be a gift for you!"

Oh, yes.  Someone I understudy speaks in poems.  Thank god it isn't iambic pentameter.