I haven't posted a blog in a while, mainly because I've been battling various viruses and diseases, and it's sometimes hard to load the blogging page, but now -- I've got it loaded, and I'm back!
You may have heard on some other blog that our tour is closing early. We've been adrift with rumors about the future of the tour, post-China, and we finally had a company meeting and were informed that Broadway Asia has no bookings for us after Macau in late August, and we will be sent home on that date. So sad for us! Only a few cast members welcomed this unfortunate news. While it is possible that the tour will be re-booked this fall, I think we all expect the worst: the show is closing for good. It's terrible because it really is a good show with such a strong cast, not only onstage but off, and we all get along quite well! Things had been going so smoothly, and we actually had some expectations for an extension, and now this.
Please excuse my lack of wit and banter in this blog. It's not because I'm sad about the tour ending (although I am, I've had time to get used to the idea), but because I'm sick -- again! I had the coughing disease for two weeks, and couldn't figure out why I wasn't getting better, and then it turned into a full-blown cold about two days ago! I've still been able to perform, but my voice is doing funny things. I'm just glad this isn't an opera, and I keep reminding myself that it's much easier to sing Louisa von Trapp with a cold, than to sing any operatic role! Thank heavens for that.
Everyone is frantically trying to make plans for their future after the tour. Most of us have apartments in New York that we sublet until November, so we can't move back in September when we return to the USA. I'm probably going to end up subletting a friend's apartment until I can move back into my own place, although my subletter also might move out early, with no guarantees.
On a show-oriented note, we spent a wonderful week in Shenzhen, really getting accustomed to using the subways (NYC could learn something from China there), enjoying the various shopping and food areas in that city, especially Amigos mexican restaurant! I went there three or four times in the course of our stay in Shenzhen, and it was delicious every time. The backstage area of the theatre was so nice, we could go an hour early (if we were already around there from dinner) and just hang out. I can't say the same for our backstage here in Guangzhou!
The hotel here is quite nice, a non-chain Chinese hotel as far as I can tell. The rooms are VERY small for two people plus luggage, but otherwise it's all nice. I haven't been down to breakfast even once, thanks to this cold virus that makes me want to sleep in every day. The theatre is just on the next block, so we don't have to deal with bus calls in this town - very simple!
The theatre is sort of a colosseum, in my mind. The house (audience) is absolutely enormous, and I don't think we could ever hope to sell out. It seats five or six thousand, I'm told, and is in the formation of a half-circle. The stage and backstage area, however, is tiny! We've actually had to remove parts of our set in order to fit. We have no von Trapp house staircase, no mountain to climb, no Abbey outside, no altar for the wedding scene .... it's really the lack of staircases that changes things, including our impressive exit up the mountain at the end of the show. But these changes add excitement to the show, every time something is slightly different for us! If I weren't performing with this annoying cold, I think it would be even more fun to try to do the show this way. Of course I feel bad that the audience isn't getting the full experience, mountain and all, but nobody can help that. At last we have eight performances here!
I haven't really gotten to see much of Guangzhou, partly because of my all-encompassing illness, and partly because it is EXTREMELY, unbelievably hot here. We walk home from the theatre at 11 pm and it's still roasting hot, just a warm, dead heat that sits in the air. Quite unpleasant! I really wish we could experience this tour in cold weather, the way it was in the beginning of Chengdu last March.
Next stop is Fuzhou, after our two performances on Thursday, then ten performances in Macau, and then back to the USA for us!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment