First stop was Shubert Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut (with a one-night stop in Syracuse along the way). I don't know if it's possible to exaggerate the magnificence of this particular venue or how excited we all were to be performing there. But it was INCREDIBLE! Built in 1914, it has 1600 ruby-coloured seats, golden nostalgic design and a rich Broadway history... which OUR cast of Godspell is now blissfully a part of :-)
We opened the show, and ultimately our tour, at the Shubert on Friday October 25th. It's safe to say 'we brought it', because they loved us as much as we loved them! We had new friends/fans waiting for us at our stage door for pictures, autographs or just to tell us to our faces how much we made them laugh, cry and love.
Our experience at the Shubert was THE perfect way to kick off this tour and after our four shows were done (two nights, two matinees), it was hard to say goodbye. After all, they even hosted our opening night party rife with hot eats, drinks on the house, and lots and lots and LOTS of dancing. But... we did leave our mark, as indicated by the signatures we scrawled on an inside wall* as the 1st EVER National Tour of this Stephen Schwartz musical. Thanks New Haven!!!
We got on our tour bus that Sunday and headed for our next venue: Fredericton Playhouse in New Brunswick, but with another one-night stop in Portsmouth to ease the stress of an uber-long drive. Oh, someone remind me to say more about the tour bus and border crossings in next week's post. Fun times. (Was that sarcasm or do we really love it? You'll have to wait and see!)
The Fredericton Playhouse has 763 seats and has a very intimate set up. I felt like we could reach out and touch the audience at any time (and if you've seen Godspell, you know that we DO). I, personally, love the feeling of being physically close to the people I'm performing for. They can hear us breathe, see our sweat and our tears. They have the opportunity to be a part of our world in a way that's not as accessible in larger venues. But let's be honest... I love it all and I would perform just about anywhere.
Anyways, we had one of our best ever shows on our second night in Fredericton. The chemistry and connection between us just seemed especially 'right' and it shone through. Meh... Perhaps one or two cast mates may have seen it differently, but 'alas for you', I'm the one who volunteered to write the weekly blog ;-).
Right after that show, we had THE best Hallowe'en party in our hotel's party room. The cast, band and crew came together in the form of a grease monkey, a couple kitty cats, a hamburgler, a lumberjack, a girly boy (nothing wrong with that), a botox junkie and more. Definitely more. (You really, really need to meet these people).
As I write this, we have one more night here in Fredericton than we're off to St. John's! At some point, we're heading back into the U.S.... I can't remember where and I'd check for you, but my room service has just arrived (See ma? I told you this was a real job!).
More updates next week!
~ Lisa Michelle
Twitter: #GodspellNationalTour
Love it...keep posts a coming.
ReplyDeleteLisa, thanks for journaling a piece of this adventure! I live in Connecticut, and was overjoyed when I saw Godspell was coming .. I didn't care who was doing it, it was GODSPELL! I grew up listening to the music (I was born in '73, so my parents were into it) .. my aunt actually acted in a production somewhere along the way.
ReplyDeleteI saw a run in CT with my mother in the '90s .. we were so impressed how the show had been modernized (the Internet was new, and the show Survivor was also new, both played a part in the storytelling) yet the music was still the same. My mom passed away in 2008, so when I saw a small production last year, I sobbed through the first two songs, and about every other song, unprepared for the wave of emotions since the show and its music runs so deep for me.
Now you might begin to understand my excitement when I saw it was coming to the Shubert. I was at Friday's performance with my BFF and had a perma-grin on the whole time (ok, so there may have been some wine with dinner that night) .. rather than crying this time over my mom and her lost memories, I celebrated her love of music and the arts, and felt her joy course through me. It was a FANTASTIC production. The energy of the entire cast radiated out to the audience.
Saturday morning, I woke up and ordered tickets to Sunday's matinee! I could not get enough. I brought my husband to the Sunday matinee - it was truly amazing. I had a personal epiphany during "All Good Gifts", but that is a story for another day.
Since then, I have been listening to the (motion picture) soundtrack nonstop. My 3-year old daughter is very into the music that we listen to, and for some reason her favorite song is "By My Side"! She calls it "the sad girl song" .. She keeps asking to listen to the Sad Girl Song ... I thought you would like to hear that!
We do not go to church on a regular basis (although we are trying to figure out how to develop her religious education) .. and this song is one that resonates with her. She asks why the girl is sad, and I say "because she loves Jesus and does not want him to go" ... and more. Next time you sing that song, think about a 3-year old little girl and how powerful the message can be :)
I still haven't had enough .. I am driving an hour north on this coming Thursday to see the show one more time in Springfield, MA. As far as I can tell, it's the last stop on the tour within driving distance. I am glad to bring another friend who has never seen the show.
This time *I* will be one of the fans at the stage door, asking for a pic with the cast. The show is making its mark on me, at this stage in my life, and it matters. Long Live God(spell)!
Have fun -- I follow a few of you on Instagram and Twitter, and I rejoice in seeing the joy and excitement you all have for this experience!