Travel Woes

The life of a bunch of “stars” in the theater business isn’t all you read about in the papers. It’s not all glitter and high living like some of the tell-all magazines like to portray it.

I’m not one of the stars but Helen and I have the pleasure of traveling with a bunch of the best in show business, the cast of “Little House on the Prairie The Musical. As I write this before the crack of dawn before another long travel day, the only word that comes to mind is “arduous.”

The prize at the end for our granddaughter Taylor Bera, who has been a member of the cast since last August, is to be a “principal” in the show on a regular basis and that goal is just “Up Ahead” –if I might borrow a song title from the play itself.

When she next steps on the stage, she’ll be Carrie, the youngest Ingalls’ sister, on a daily basis.

That will be tonight in Raleigh, NC, at 8 p.m. but first, in true Ingalls family tradition, we have an adventure ahead of us today.

Yesterday, a normal travel day in the business for touring companies, started like others have since we hit the road in October last year. We loaded our bags on a bus to travel to the airport for a flight to our next city after two weeks in Florida, the last in Naples on the Gulf side of the state.

We were pumped because we actually were scheduled for a “direct flight” to Raleigh —no stops, no change of planes. We could sit down in relatively comfortable seats, each with its own TV, and enjoy the flight to North Carolina.

Of course, we did have to travel by bus from Naples, across Alligator Alley to Fort Lauderdale, but that didn’t bother us. Most slept or read. Some counted the number of alligators along the roadside—the highest count was 15. We arrived at the airport in plenty of time for a snack after going through check-in and security.

It was pretty close to heaven, but minutes later we thought we were in the other “H.” The word “cancelled” was posted next to our flight number on the board and our veteran manager, who handles all of the tour arrangements, was told the earliest the airline could get us on a flight was Wednesday. That, of course, was not acceptable to anyone, so he really worked his “A” off to make alternate arrangements. It was just good that his hair had already changed color (I can say that because mine changed a long time ago to silver) because yesterday was one that would have brought it on quickly.

So what did this mean for everyone? Well, rental vehicles for the production team members to drive 12 to 13 hours to Raleigh, so they could be there when the four semi-trailer trucks filled with scenery, props, costumes and other show gear arrived to be unloaded. The sound and light guys had to set up for tonight’s show starting at 6 a.m. this morning. The hair, makeup and wardrobe directors had to be there to make sure those were ready for a show too.

The orchestra regulars had to be there to begin rehearsals at 9 a.m. with the local additions to their group so we’d have music for tonight’s show (if the cast makes it). That group similarly piled into a quickly rented vehicle.

I don’t know how they decided who would be driving, but I know that I wouldn’t have wanted to be with them. I can’t imagine that they got much rest between shifts.

For the cast, some of the day was still left after we arrived after a hotel was found for us. Some took advantage of the unexpected overnighter to swim or whatever in the city on the Atlantic Ocean side of the state. We all got some sun or otherwise chilled out. We ate dinner at a seafood restaurant overlooking a bay with some very, very nice seaworthy private ships.

Oh well—we can’t dwell on it for too long---today is another day and Raleigh and Taylor’s big day is just over the horizon.

Our week in Naples was otherwise great for the most part. We enjoyed the sun ---only one day was raining and unfortunately that was the day the school kids had a scheduled half day so they could go to the beach. We saw “Alice in Wonderland” instead.

Little House had a great sunny day on Wednesday when we took part in a Habitat for Humanity build at a site in Collier County. We actually framed six walls and “raised” the walls before we left. Habitat is building single story duplex homes for 184 families at the site and we hope that our half of the duplex proves out to be the sturdiest.

We all affixed our signatures to a bunch of studs that will be used in construction, so we truly have a stake in the success of the project.

A couple of our former neighbors from Old Bridge, NJ, were able to jump off a cruise and be with us on our final full day in Naples. It was great seeing Barb and Art McCauley, who lived across the street from us when we moved to NJ from Illinois in the 70s. Of course, we recognized each other immediately because we all looked the same—we wish.

Pictures from our time in Naples can be found at: http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/creativeapps/slideShow/Main.jsp?token=964593004803%3A748852900

The sun is up and we’re heading for the airport shortly. Stayed tuned for the next installment—hope it has better news.

Not all Learning Comes from Books

The question last week for the kids on tour with Little House on the Prairie The Musical was how to make learning really, really fun. And, of course, where there’s a will, there’s a way! Not all learning comes from a book--borrowing a line from the play.

Last Friday, the cast and crew from Little House were invited to see the sights at Busch Gardens in Tampa, FL. The school kids got to learn an awful lot through an up close and personal tour “backstage” with the stars of that massive show—the animals from all of the world.

And, the rest of the kids in the play (the cast, crew and chaperones) got to tag along too.

I know that none of us every thought we’d be able to actually pet a porcupine or a baby kangaroo. They (we) learned that a mother kangaroo can have three babies at various stages of growth at one time—one already born and living outside the pouch, one born but still inside the pouch and a third still waiting to be born. At Busch, the baby kangaroos and their “cousins,” the wallabies, live in fabric pouches that simulate their mother’s womb.

The school kids got to meet up close the “actors” in some of the shows at Busch. In this case, it was the birds, dogs, snakes, bears and other animals who are the real stars and their trainers who put them through the paces.

Busch also afforded all of the “kids” a real chance to study, in real time, the forces that you can only read about in physics books--like what does it feel like when you’re dropped off a 200 foot cliff and freefall at a 90 degree angle to the bottom. You have four seconds to contemplate that question before the freefall force took over on the SheiKra ride and our car plummeted to earth before take us on a twisting trail to head toward another similar drop.

There’s just no way any fairly studious person can solve this physics question the first time. There were not many from Little House who was satisfied after one trip. Most of the cast proved that practice makes perfect and it took three, four or even five rehearsals to make sure they had the right answer.

This writer and his charge, granddaughter Taylor Bera, only got in two tries and if the bus wasn't waiting for us to go back to reality, we might still be there.

Tampa was a great change from the wintery climes of the north. It was in the 60s during the day and cooler 40s at night, but still a 30 degree improvement in any case. We’re looking forward to temps in the 70s next week further south in Naples.

The Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center (in the process of changing its name to the Straz Center for the Performing Arts) is a great complex. It has its own performing arts conservatory for students and five different theaters offering a wide variety of theatrical endeavors from opera to straight theater. For instance, the theater next to ours last night was host to the Miss Tampa contest.

Little House was in the Carol Morsani Hall, a 2,200 seat venue. The sound was great and there wasn’t a bad seat in the house. The crowds were very receptive to the show. Season subscribers make up 70% of the audience. Next season, they’ll be treated to shows like Billy Elliott when it starts its road tour.

While the kids have been in school, the grownups in the cast and crew and the kids’ chaperones have found plenty to do in the off hours.

Ybor City is listed as a historical city whose main trade at one time was making cigars. They still do that in many shops but there’s a lot going on there, Helen and I were able to partake of some of the food there plus look on as the city hosted its own version of the Amazing Race TV show---two-person teams in all sorts of costumes raced around the city solving riddles, finding landmarks, taking pictures then racing back to the finish line for a party that didn’t look like it would end any time shortly.

Ditto for the beer tasting charity event that ran for 6 hours or more. I couldn’t try that one because it was sold out with pre-subscriptions before it started. I did get to try some orange-colored local brew appropriately called Shock Top as we sat in a balcony hamburger restaurant overlooking the main drag in Ybor (pronounced “E-Bore.”) From high above it looked like everyone was having a great time. I wanted to go to the party across the street but found out it was a costumed affair for the owner’s daughter and Helen and I couldn’t match the dress of the “Alice in Wonderland and Red Queen” pair, who we saw enter earlier. Guess they were inspired by the movie that just opened.

We’re told that the area really goes wild on most holidays. Locals said St. Patrick’s Day will really be rocking. Others said Halloween is another big favorite along with any other holiday that gives them a good excuse for partying.

All in all it’s been a good week in Little House and Taylor continued to perform in the play at her usual high level. She even got to play the major role of “Carrie” so we were extra thrilled to be on hand. Her other grandfather and grandmother, Joe and Kate Bera, stopped by Tampa after returning from a cruise with two other aunts and an uncle. So they got to see her in the show too.

Taylor actually did the role 2 ½ times---jumping in after intermission for one show, which meant putting in contracts, having her hair put into pigtails, changing her mike and getting a whole new set of costumes. All in about 15 minutes. She loves it though--that’s what actors are expected to do!!

It was an extra special week for us too because the daughter of the best man at our wedding 48 years ago was able to bring two of her children to the show on Sunday when Taylor got to be Carrie. Debi Ferger Fiegle and two of her three children, Alyson and Jason, saw the show. Debi's father and mother, Bill and Janet Ferger, were our good friends in Dixon, Il. Debi lives in the Tampa area.

Pictures from our time in Tampa are at:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/creativeapps/slideShow/Main.jsp?token=616067573803%3A2118278018

Next stop is Naples.

Our Journey Across the Northern Border Ends

The Canadian adventures for the cast and crew of “Little House on the Prairie The Musical” have ended and everyone has packed up to head south for two weeks in Florida.

We all hope that the “weather gods” look down on us favorably. We haven’t seen anything approaching warm weather since the first of the year when we headed back out in 2010.

Arkansas was sub-zero during our week there and Omaha and Madison, WI, were snow-filled and cold. Toronto, which is on Lake Ontario, and has its lake effect breezes whipping through town, has been a little better but it's still “winter” here.

Don’t get me wrong, we’ve had a great time here, but, even five weeks in a really great city tend to wear on everyone.

Granddaughter Taylor Bera and her two classmates have been exposed to a number of educational opportunities that I wrote about in earlier blogs.

Last week was no exception.

On her day-off Monday, Taylor and I and four others drove to Niagara Falls about 90 miles away. We got a spectacular view of Niagara Falls. It’s not a big tourist hotspot in the winter because it’s really, really cold. Only one of the portals (viewing areas) under the falls was open because the others were frozen over.

Neither the Maid of the Mist boat ride or the Aero Car ride over the whirlpool was operating because of the frozen conditions, but we had a lot of fun anyway. We sure weren’t rushing along by the crowds that wife Helen and I experienced a few years ago during a better weather visit to the Falls.

We stopped 15 kms to the north (about 10 miles) at Niagara-on-the-Lake for lunch and found two great places if you have a chocolate urge. One had every kind of fudge imaginable including one made with Frozen Wine, The other place was appropriately called “The Chocolate Fix.” You probably can imagine our reaction when you walk into the store and there’s a huge display of “samples for tasting.” There’s no way you can resist trying almost all of them and buying your favorites.

No one kept track of how long we were in the store, but no one complained. We did get back to Toronto despite the heavy snow that was falling by late afternoon. There are some pictures of the “Fix” in my collection but I’m sure none of anyone’s purchases lasted long enough to be packed away for Florida.

Taylor also got an unexpected extra day off from school, so she and I packed up early in the day and headed off to Ontario Science Centre. We spent the whole day there and the local crew at the venue for our show, Canon Theater, was right when they said you can’t see it all in one day. We barely scratched the surface even though we were there for six hours. You see some of the sights in my photos except one exhibit, Body Worlds, didn’t permit photos and I couldn’t let the camera in my phone go wild.

Body Worlds is an an artistic and anatomic display of plastinated human specimens, including whole bodies as well as individual organs and transparent body slices.

Here are some pictures from our last week in Toronto:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/creativeapps/slideShow/Main.jsp?token=311775443803%3A1504465263

What did I learn from my time in Canada—some good and some bad:

1. I kinda like the coin system for dollars. They have $1 coins called “loonies” and $2 coins called “toonies.” You might retort that you won’t want to have a pocket full of coins, but you actually use them up rather end up with a pocket full of $1 bills. Check your own bankrolls. Besides, the coins last longer than paper.

2. I learned how to put vinegar on French fries rather than ketchup. All of the fast food places here have packets of vinegar readily available.

3. The best place for breakfast in downtown Toronto is about 5 foot wide and maybe 10 to 15 deep. They make the best Belgian Waffles you ever tasted. Of course, it’s takeout and sometimes there’s a line waiting to get in. Kinda like the deli on the Seinfeld TV show.

4. I overcame my problem with the north and south directions on the subway that loops the city and also found out another plus to the system. The city buses have terminals in each major stop along the line and you can ride them free without having to leave the subway. Unfortunately, I found out about this after Taylor and I were going to the Science Centre. We exited the subway station and couldn’t find a bus stop. I asked a passerby and he said we shouldn’t have left the subway. Rather than pay another two fares, I went back to toll booth and told the man on duty my plight. He waved us through without another fare. Can you imagine that happening in NYC---I don’t think so?

5. I hate to admit that it took me five weeks to actually understand curling. I thought it was just another version of shuffleboard or darts. I couldn’t understand why they didn’t try to hit the center area more often and get more points. I thought the center was worth more. Actually, the rings are only for reference and each rock closer to the center is worth one point. I also never realized that the rocks they throw weigh between 39 and 45 pounds each.

6. Body Worlds really gave you a close up view of a human body and every organ in a human body was sliced and diced to let you “look inside the human body.” I’m not so sure I feel more comfortable knowing what I look like inside. They are looking for donors to donate their body when the time comes, but I don’t think that’d be putting me on view. The bodies in our display were pretty athletic looking. I’d probably end up as transparent body slice (in plastic) that they’d pass around for you to look at and touch or one of my body organs would on display as an abnormal one. I have some of the donation cards if anyone is interested.

7. Taylor also learned something—her “dresser” Michele Munn taught her how to do needlepoint. Taylor liked Michele so much that she said it was too bad she wasn’t traveling with the show all the time.

8. I never really understood the Celsius temperature scale but it was really confusing to wake up most mornings and find out it was -4 C or lower. It’s a confusing conversion method and best done by a computer program or a cell phone program. A -4C temp converts to about 25 F. The folks on the local crew said the best method if the C temp is on the plus side is to double it and add 30. If on the minus side, you have to use a formula.

Well it was great being in Canada but we’re happy to be heading back to the U.S. We flew to New Jersey last night, and picked up Helen to head for a couple of weeks in the Florida sun. Little House plays next week in Tampa and the following week in Naples.