Tour #6: Albuquerque, NM

Our shuttle ride from the airport to the rental car is already so much fun!

My favorite part of the city.  Thanks for the safety tip, ABQ.

Our awesome theatre.  It had a ghost, whom we never saw.  But who needs ghosts, when your procenium looks like....

I'm exremely serious before the show.

After a great show (with Chad, our last minute sub MD who did an awesome job) we hit the streets of ABQ, which had surprisingly turned into what Dana accurately described as a "southwestern Jersey Shore."  We passed a lot of lines outside of douchey clubs and found a nice little divey beer bar with an awesome iPod lineup.  I left the cast to adjourn to my cushy room at the Hyatt and they hit up a couple more places, including a subpar strip joint.  I'm sad (?) I missed it. 

Kyle and I found a diner the next morning and although we waited waaaaay too long for our food, I was happy to get some real green chile on my huevos.  The flight back was threatening to be eventful, but ended up quiet and only 20 minutes late.  I had to get back to CSz as soon as possible for my 303 class's show.  They killed it!  I was a very proud teacher. 

Next stop: Nashville, TN

Tour #5: Notre Dame

We had two shows in the home of the Fighting Irish.  We were greeted on campus by a girl running in a sports bra and shorts in the 30 degree weather.  Nice work, ND. 

I am sad I didn't get a picture of Touchdown Jesus, but there were beautiful buildings on campus.

Like I said, we had two shows.  The 6pm show was lightly attended and a little quieter, but still good.  The 9pm show was pretty great and much louder.  Although there was one very drunk kid in the front row who slept through the first act and then threw up in the lobby.  Again, nice work, ND.

Between-show dinner.  We had TJ Shan-dogg with us on the road again.  It's been great to have him playing for us, but it's also been a rare treat to get to have our director on the road.  This way he can see how brilliant and hilarious we are instead of just reading it in show reports.  (Side note of snarkiness: please notice how Edgar looks in that black undershirt...then know that he lives on fast food and candy.  Life is not fair.)

This was my improv set night and we went with a quick run of swinging-door edited scenes.  It was pretty stupid and fun.  We tried to get out quickly, as we had a long-ish drive home and an early call the next morning to head off to Albuquerque.  Thanks, Notre Dame!

Valentine

Happy Valentine's Day!

This year is a little different for me, being engaged and all.  Alright, I've never had a Valentine's Day alone.  Before all you lady friends of mine start rolling your eyes and whipping Lindt Truffles at my face (mmm!), I assure you I've had my share of boy trouble.  Which is why it was ten times nicer to have stayed in this year, have dinner cooked by my delightful fiance and know that we will have 50 more of them (or maybe 75, it's the 21st century!). 

I'm well aware at this time of year and at this time in my life, as my friends and I hover around 30, that there are too many awesome women who don't have awesome V-Days.  Not to say everyone has to buy in to the hearts and flowers, but I know too many ladies who deserve perfect guys.  And those guys are taking their sweet-ass time.  Come on, dudes.  Man up. 

My friend and co-worker Sarah is one girl I know who deserves a good guy. 

Three years ago, she went on a few dates with a bit of lame-o.  Just in time for Valentine's Day he accidentally broke her glasses and decided to make up for it with this necklace.  Thanks?  Because Sarah is awesome and has a great sense of humor, she recognizes the bit-value in wearing this thing every year on Valentine's day until it can be replaced by a real token of a great guy's affections.  It serves as a heart-shaped, bedazzled Bat signal for a guy who will truly deserve Sarah's attention.  Did I mention she's awesome?  Guys, if you're lucky enough to find a girl as cool and fun as Sarah, please don't buy her a ridiculous necklace.  Start with flowers.  (Or in Sarah's case, a little dark chocolate and a night of dancing.)

Tour #4: Palos Hills, IL

This one was in our backyard.  A quick 45 minute trip to a suburb and back in time to see Matt play Improvised Star Trek at midnight. 

They gave us great snacks.

There's Kyle up there, shouting out orders, like he tends to do.  Dictator.

The best part of the night was that I became a real RedCo member.  Dana left these treats in my backpack in the dressing room.  Additionally, during the intro announcements being made by the theatre manager, Arch looked at me in the wings and said, "You've been here long enough."  He then tried to shove me onstage. Now, Arch is two of me.  Fighting him was hard, even though he was probably giving it half his strength.  He promised to get me once before he leaves us.  But he may end up with some scratches.

Tour #3: Purdue University

We didn't get to see a whole lot of Purdue.  It was in and out.  But this is what the trip looked like.  A whole lot of midwest, not unlike the trip to Iowa last week.

Although this week, we did get to take this guy with us.

TJ "Shandogg" Shanoff was our understudy musical director for a couple shows this weekend.  Bryan is in DC with Barack Stars and Julie is out of town, so our director got to join us.  Although every time he tried to give a note, I quickly reminded him, "Shut up, understudy."  This is how I got fired. 

All bits aside, we had a great show, great house and we played the most fun improvised musical I've ever been a part of.  It was based on a suggestion of an eye disorder, whose name I can barely pronounce, let alone recall.  So Edgar played Dana's blind son and Ross and I, being bespectacled, had a baby with perfect vision that was being coveted by Arch's FBI agent to fight the Russians.  As with most improv, you had to be there.  But it was a pretty incredible 25 minutes of musical make-em-ups. 

Thanks, Purdue!

Tour #2: Iowa City

This was the most exciting thing to see on the road to Iowa.  Lots of farms, lots of cows and then the World's Largest Truckstop.  Good thing the inside of the van was fun-filled.

And I also had work to do.

Dana and I enjoy being celebrities beneath our marquee.  The theatre was great and the audiences were awesome.  We had two really fun shows for the college kids and locals.  There was, for whatever reason, a dinosaur theme running through our sets.  At least for me personally. 

Julie Nichols, a former Johnny's Regret MD and general music extraordinaire, joined us for this trip.  No Bryan, we didn't forget you.  But it was fun to have an extra girl in our dressing room. 

I took advantage of our free day preshow on Saturday to visit the Newman Center on campus and attend the 4:30 vigil mass.  The priest was young, hip and funny, as college campus priests tend to be.  He told a great story about being young and proud and being humbled by taking a tumble down a hill while trying to impress a girl.  A homily on humility was a highly appropriate thing for me to hear in the midst of two nights of standing ovations.  We get to be rockstars on the road, but in the end, I have to know how fortunate and blessed I am to be doing any of this. 

And I sure am lucky to be doing it with these guys. 

I was quickly reminded about show disparity when we performed a homeshow for 8 people last night. Ok, not 8, but maybe 65, which in the Second City mainstage is like performing into a empty cave.  The audience was great and appreciative, and I think we did an admirable job.  But it sure is a change from the throngs of screaming college town kids.  But hey, I did get asked for my autograph last night for the second week in a row. 

Humility!

Egaged! Home!

Sunday night was our engagement party.  Thank you to everyone who came to celebrate with us!  We got a basically private party at a place near Matt's apartment called Red Brick.  If you live in Chicago, please support this place.  Good food, run by really nice people and an amish fireplace!  Don't let it go unnoticed. 

Some of my best lady friends made an appearance.  Meredith and Ali (and others) did some serious cheerleading fro me this weekend. More on that later.  Thanks, ladies!

Matt and Arnie's morning show.  One day it will become real. 

Thank you so much again to everyone who came.  We had a really great time and even though the wedding is about 15 months away, we can already be excited to have so many friends supporting us.  And ready to have a serious party.

Back to the cheerleading.  Ten of our friends came to see Matt's show at Stage Left on Friday night.  It was a great house and a great show and it was awesome to have everyone together at once.  It's not an easy feat.  They even surprised me with a champagne toast pre-show.  Yes, they have bottle service at the Blarney Stone.  Here's everyone onstage post-show doing the best Breakfast Club bit possible.  Well, at least Matt S. is all the way on the left.  Super Judd Nelson.

Monday.  Homeshow.  I blew it and took no pictures.  I was a little too preoccupied, I suppose.  But there will be more.  And I will not make the same mistake this weekend in Iowa City, which has gotten glowing reviews from all who have toured there before.  So I'm excited to see this mysterious and exotic Iowa City. 

For the record, the show was good.  I am so happy to be with RedCo and feel priveleged everytime I'm with them.  I'm sure that'll wear off.  BITS!