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!

Tour #1: SLO City

Yes, they call San Luis Obispo, CA SLO City. 

We weren't there long enough to learn if there was any truth to the acronym.  After the delays from Chicago (and Phoenix for half the company) we spent a total of 18 hours in SLO, including a show at CalPoly and a trip to IHOP.  Then it was back on the plane to Phoenix and Chicago. 

I'm sad we didn't get to see more of the city.  It looked pretty once the clouds cleared. 

 In the small window of time we had in Phoenix, I shopped the magazine store (someone called it that and made me laugh...Ross?...someone) and acquiesced to a copy of Bride Magazine.  Edgar seemed slightly more excited than I was to look at it. 

After about an hour and half delayed on the runway, we finally took off for Chicago and had a rather uneventful flight (except for Kyle and I inadvertantly making fun of a girl's thong).  It was ridiculously wonderful to be home.  And having seen California and Bride Magazine, I have honeymoon destinations to consider. 

AAaaaaaaaaaaaAAAaaaAAAAhhhhhhhhhh

I'm getting married!!!!!

This guy

gave me this ring.

He came to pick me up for dinner and instead of getting into his car like usual, I was caught at my door and offered a ring.  I said yes (spoiler?) and we had a great dinner.  While he proposed, a car alarm went off.  It was very appropriate.  One thing - we never got to giggle and scream about it...we had to be in front of people for a couple hours and then make phone calls.  We got a little giddy here and there.  But I have a lot left in me.  Good thing we have time.

We are very happy and really excited to share our wedding with as many people as we can reasonably afford. 

Christmas, New Year, New Blog

We did it, 2009!  Here were are.  Everything got real today.  But I'm ahead of myself.  Christmas was...

Mom, dad, Matt and me at the Stratosphere.

A Vegas staple: the Elvis stocking.

Pretty great.  We saw a few shows, lost some money, but gained pictures and presents.  I'm not mad that I get to go to Vegas to visit my parents.  Although it is mildly exhausting.  Don't people go "home" over the holidays and watch movies and do crossword puzzles? 

I wish I could say New Year's was as exciting. We rang it in in the van on the way back from my last show as an understudy for a while.  Happy New Year, seven friends I just did a show with!  Now go find your party!  My party was Cheers reruns on Matt's TV.  And I was very happy with that.

So, Natalie, what's with the new blog?  Well.  It's about to get interesting.  (Also I love puns.)  I need to have some subject matter upon which to focus this old thing, so I'm turning my attention to my impending touring.  Get ready to see some sweet pictures of hilarious bar names and all manner of theatre venue. 

Before I get bogged down in the mire of travel and work and whatnot, I do want to say how excited and grateful I am to have a job I love.  I would've never planned for this or imagined it before I got here, but I figured out what I wanted pretty quickly.  In January of 2004 I walked into Second City to audition for the Conservatory Program.  Today I walked in for my first Touring Company rehearsal.  The last six years have been, in all sincerity, awesome.