Friday was a great day! I awoke with my back already feeling better, but then went to physical therapy with Dawn and left with even more flexibility. The woman is something special! I then spent the afternoon packing and eventually rehearsing for the Cabaret. Michael Hamilton is playing for us and requested time to run through our pieces with him before tonight. We had twenty minutes scheduled for my song, but his playing is so amazing that we only needed ten! Then my wife and I hit the Central Market for some goodies, and went back to the apartment for another afternoon snooze. It would be a long night, so this nap really paid off later!

Friday night’s show would be our best to date! The cast was clicking on all cylinders, and the audience was the most responsive we’ve ever had. It was such an adrenaline rush to perform for a crowd that was literally on the edge of their seats. At the end of the fight, there was a huge applause, and even more so during the bows. I don’t know if the audience was full of repeat viewers or maybe excited first-timers, but they were a treat; and we thank you!

After the show, we all rushed to look our best and quickly made our way to the 4th floor Studio Theater for the Cabaret. This would be an unforgettable event for the cast, the generous patrons who attended and the Fulton Theatre itself. Once the sell-out crowd was in and seated our talented cast treated them to some wonderful singing of an eclectic mix of music. There were some musical theater standards as well as some more obscure selections, but we even threw in some Billy Joel, Queen and Journey! Yes, it was indeed interesting! We sang our heart (and some of our voices) out, and even sold most of our Pirate Colorings we had been working on backstage. The money raised is going to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids, and I’m proud to say that we raised over $2800!!! This is remarkable since some regional theaters will collect for several weeks and can’t bring in that much! I’m so proud of the cast, the theatre, and most importantly the generous supporters of the Fulton Opera House. Thank you so much for a very special night!

Saturday would be bitter sweet for me. I started by packing up all my belongings, which is always a sad task. Then I heard that Bill Hartery was not feeling well, and had pulled his back out. He spent time that morning with… who else, Dawn from Renew to try and get him feeling ok enough to do the show. She said he shouldn’t set foot on stage, but Bill, being the trooper he is, came in and gave a go at it. He felt like he could do all of his normal show except the fight. This is where I would have to get creative and think on my feet. We had a fight call scheduled for fifteen minutes, but I had to change a lot of the fight to take Bill out! No fear though. The cast stepped up and stayed focused, and we got through it all in about twenty minutes! I know I keep saying it, and I’ll say it again; I’m so incredibly proud of these guys. Erik Hogan in particular came to the rescue in a huge way, because most of the changes called on him to adjust his normal pattern. Which he did, and that allowed the rest of the fight to continue as always.

We then had two shows to close out this wonderful run, and both were a blast to perform! The matinee audience was definitely better, but I think that’s because we weren’t thinking about closing. We then had a “Cast Lunch”; where a few people brought the rest of whatever food they had and others made some delicious dishes! George Andrew Wolff for example made some yummy carrots, and Chris Dickerson bought a few pizzas! Now that we were well fed, we could close this show properly. The evening performance was good, but not as great as it could have been; and I wonder if that’s because we were all aware that it was the last time we would be doing the show. Trust me, I hope it’s not the last, but as an actor you can’t help but think of those things; and I believe we were all getting a little nostalgic.

Okay, time to Party! Marc and Curt opened their beautiful home up once again for the cast, crew and other Lancaster locals, and we had a wonderful time. Marc was still feeling a little under the weather, but as soon as my wife and I walked in he insisted on giving her the full tour! She was so impressed, and I was just so honored that Marc would take the time from his party to do that. We all partied the night away… well, the rest of the cast did at least. Unfortunately, my expecting wife needed to get to bed, so we stayed for a little while to mingle, then grabbed a ride back with Chuck Abbott and J.C. Kelly. It was a good thing we left when we did, because we had to be ready the next morning at 9am; and I heard of some people partying until almost 5am!! Not this old-timer!

So, in closing I’d like to tie up some loose ends, and finish off some cheesy analogies. Yes, our high-powered sports car has just pulled into the garage, and is cooling down from a successful three weeks around the track. We’re going to step out of the driver's seat, but hopefully we’ll all jump back in soon for another go around! Not-to-Mention, our huge, multi-layered cake has just served its last slice, and the crew now “strikes the set” (or better yet, “does the dishes”), and cleans up our mess! The past three weeks audiences indulged on our sweet treat, with many coming back for seconds and thirds. I’d even go so far as to say that Marc and Curt will be back in the kitchen before you know it to start mixing the recipe up again!

This has truly been a remarkable experience, and I’d like to thank Lancaster and all the supporters of the Fulton Opera House. I’d like to thank the Fulton for making me apart of this amazing journey, as well as asking me to participate with this Blog. I hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it! I’d also like to thank the wonderful and talented cast and crew that made these last six weeks so memorable, but “It seems wrong you giving me this without me giving you something in return!” And last but certainly not least, I’d like to thank Marc Robin and Curt Dale Clark for giving us all the opportunity to bring something so personal to life. You have written a heart-warming, and timeless tale of friendship, courage and adventure, and I look forward to someday telling my own children about the wonderful adventures you’ve allowed me to ‘Cast Off’ on!

Thank you all so very much. I’ll never forget this!

Joe Jackson

March 20th, 2008 - Coming into Port!
I want to start this entry by finishing up Monday night’s festivities. Two of the Fulton supporters, Phil and Steve, re-opened their beautiful home to the cast for a “Game Night”! There was a good turn out, and we had a ball spending time with each other. We played Scattergories and Taboo, and I schooled my wife in Battleship! She only sunk two of my ships by the time I destroyed all five of hers! We wanted to get in some Apples to Apples or maybe Running Charades, but we all ended up in the kitchen drinking and talking the night away. Thank you Phil and Steve for once again treating us to a wonderful evening, and I hope to party with you again in the future!

Photo by Nykol DeDrue.

Ok, Tuesday morning was not fun since we had an 8:55am fight call for a 10am matinee. We drug ourselves out of bed, and sleepishly got through it; but we were all happy that would be the last 10am show. Even though our under-caffeinated energy was low, the full house of school children acted as though they were at a Hannah Montana concert. They loved the show and their enthusiasm reminded me that even though it’s early for us, this was so important for many of them. This could have been their first time at the Fulton, or even seeing a live show; or maybe they’re huge fan of pirates. No matter the situation, they deserve the best show we have, and we should be honored to give it to them. I think this business can be so pampering at times and we forget how good we really have it. I mean, I get to sing and act, and dual to the death for a living! Besides, this job will be over soon, and we’ll all be longing for that next show.

Ok, I’m down off my soapbox. Since we had a long break between shows, my wife and I decided to do some shopping. We took the local bus out to the Tanger Outlets, and spent several hours walking around the stores. She got a new watch, and we both got some clothing, but we spent the most time in the Motherhood Maternity store. She was looking for some new ‘teacher clothes’ for school as well as some spring dresses, but we left pretty empty handed; my wallet was fine with that! We had a nice afternoon shopping, and grabbed some Starbucks for the bus ride back into town… yummy! That night we had a pretty good show, but nothing to write home about. You know, just another day at the office.

Wednesday would be a day none of us would forget! We started with a shaky matinee that was not one of our best performances by far. Things just seemed off, and we lost a lot of the energy and pacing we had in last week’s shows. Also, John Herrera started having some vocal issues the last few shows, and today’s matinee was a rough performance for him. As Long John Silver, he helps carry and drive the show, and all while singing his face off! It is a very vocally challenging role, which requires an actor with a huge range to pull it off. John has been doing a wonderful job, but unfortunately needed to adjust some things vocally to get through the show.

Photo by Christopher Dickerson.

After the show, everyone was on high alert, as it was determined that John’s understudy, Randall Frizado, would perform the evening show. So, we took a quick hour to get food, and then came back to rehearse for the changes we would have to implement that night. Since Randall would be playing Long John Silver, someone needed to play the character of Redruth. The understudy for that role is Adam Levinskas, and he was more than ready to go on, but then his character of Abraham Gray would have been cut followed by a domino effect for the rest of us. So, our fearless leader, Marc Robin, dusted off his acting chops and filled in beautifully as Redruth. This also allowed the rest of the cast to do their normal show, and Randall to focus on Long John. It was an exciting performance since the cast had to be on their toes, and be ready to assist Randall if he needed it. But everything went surprisingly smooth, and Randall was able to bring a different side of the character out that even the cast didn’t know was there. With both Marc and Randall stepping up, it truly was a memorable evening!

Photo by Nykol DeDrue.

Thursday was an easy day, filled with physical therapy, then a trip to the Park City Mall. Living in NYC you forget the amazing glory of the suburban mall. It had everything imaginable as my wife and I seemed to just wander aimlessly in and out of stores. It was indeed a good time, but alas we eventually had to leave and on the way home we treated ourselves to lunch at Senorita Burrita! Wow, the food was amazing, but the cats were a little freaky. It was then back to the homestead for a power-nap, before heading off for the show. Since my wife’s pregnant she’s always tired, so why not seize the opportunity for an afternoon siesta!

That night we had a good show, and we welcomed back John Herrera. He was still sick but was able to muscle through the show vocally. The only downside was the decision to cut the number “Joys of Cooking”. It is a challenge on the voice, and though the lyrics may not seem to further the plot directly, the interaction between Jim and Long John serves to set up their relationship. I don’t know what the ideal solution would be in this situation, but I hated seeing something cut from the show in this new and fragile state. Nonetheless, we still gave a great show, and the audience was extremely supportive throughout!

Two more days until we pull this ship back into harbor, and I feel like we just set sail!

March 17th, 2008 - Ahoy, Mateys!

Friday night’s show went well, and the audience was really into it! It was also one of our best fights to date; our Stage Manager, Nykol, even raved about it to us after the show. Most of us just went home and crashed since we had two performances to do on Saturday. Not to mention, my wife is coming into town, and I needed to clean and prepare for her arrival.

Saturday I went to the Central Market and got a salad from my favorite booth, “Lettuce Toss Salad”. They have a delicious raspberry vinaigrette and very fresh ingredients to build your own salad. I picked up the salad before the show, since the market closes at 2pm on Saturdays, and put it in the fridge at the theatre. We had an ok matinee, but you could just tell the cast was saving a little for the evening show. We were told a lot of important people were coming to the Saturday performance, so we wanted to give them the best we had. After the matinee, I sat in the green room and enjoyed my salad. I also tried to blog a little but I couldn’t focus. So, across the street I went to the Prince Street Café. It’s the local coffee shop with pretty good food; just don’t be in a rush, because they move at “Lancaster Speed”. This is not at all meant to be negative, but when you live in NYC and everything moves at the speed of light you get used to it. New Yorkers act like it’s life or death when there skim cappuccino or double soy latte takes longer than they think it should; so I apologize for my bias on this subject.

Well, giving myself hours of time to spare, I ordered my drink then sat on a comfy couch to continue with the blog. A little while later my “heaven in a cup” was delivered by the barista; I get the Cocoa Joe (half coffee, half hot chocolate), with a shot of either peppermint or coconut! Today it was coconut since I had a fresh box of Samoas Girl Scout Cookies, and I thought I’d O.D. on coconut and chocolate. I spent the next few hours dunking cookies, sipping the sweet goodness and doing a little bit of writing!

Then it was back to the theatre, and get ready for the big show! We had a wonderful performance with possibly our best crowd every! The theatre was filled with Lancaster Locals, Out-of-Town Theatrical Producers and Directors, and Tons of Marc and Curt Supporters. The energy coming from the audience was unbelievable! To go back to some old analogies: the cast clicked on all cylinders, and served up the most delicious slice of cake imaginable! It was indeed a wonderful show, and a great feeling to present some thing so new to a crowd that was awaiting it with such anticipation. After the show, my beautiful wife was waiting across the street at the Prince Street Café, so I raced over to greet her. It was then back to the apartment for some rest since my back was now even worse from the two shows.

OUCH!! I awoke Sunday in about the worst pain I’d ever felt! My back was seizing up, and I could barely move to get out of bed. I tried to stretch, but everything hurt; even breathing! I took some painkillers and they helped a bit, but made me drowsier than actually easing the pain. I was able to get through the show, but was very limited and really took it easy. I don’t know how I made it through the fight without totally wrenching my back, but I did. My in-laws were in town for the show, so we went out to dinner afterwards. We chose the Pressroom, and had a wonderful meal. The conversation was even better, as we discussed the show and being in Lancaster. They see a lot of theatre so I trust their opinion and insight, and they could only rave about how amazing the show was. They both agreed that with a few finishing touches it was more than ready for NY, and could be a marketing hit as well with the success of “Pirates of the Caribbean”. We talked about how it would fit right into the ‘Disney’ feel on Broadway now, and I couldn’t agree more.

Ok, Monday was a much-needed day off, and I spent two hours of it in re-hab! I was able to squeeze into “Renew”, it’s a physical therapy center and Dawn Cox worked her magic. She’s a recent transplant from NYC, so we had tons to talk about as she worked on my ailing back. She used to work on Broadway performers, so she knew exactly what to do for me. She gave me tons of stretches and exercises to ease my pain, and hopefully prevent this from happening again. So, thank you Dawn; You’re the Best!

With the rest of the day, my in-laws drove my wife and I to the outlets and Target for some shopping, and then eventually Chili’s for some yummy grub! It was wonderful to spend some quality time with them, since we don’t see then as much as we’d like. They live in Pittsburgh (Go Steelers!), so it’s a little bit of a drive for them. But we do see them a lot more than we see my family; which lives in Atlanta, and can’t seem to make the trip past the Mason-Dixon Line!

In closing, I’m very excited about the possibilities for this show. I think Marc and Curt are very happy to have this “first-life”, but you can just sense that they aren’t stopping here. I’m hope this show has many more lives, and I hope a can be there to help breathe life into them.

Only one week left!
Oh, and come to the Cabaret on Friday Night!!

March 13th, 2008 - Mid-Voyage!
Here we are - second week of shows! Tuesday we had only one show, but unfortunately it was a 10am matinee. On Tuesday mornings the theatre does performances for local school children, and boy was it an interesting show. The sound coming from the audience was amazing as we stood backstage before the curtain rose. The kids had such a sense of excitement that permeated the cast throughout the show. They loved all the silly jokes in the script, and really came to life during the fight. I wish I could have been in the lobby as they filed out during intermission. I could picture them emulating us sword fighting all the way home after school!

After the matinee we had a pretty quick and painless Photo Call. Normally these are times of loathing and boredom, as the cast stands around for hours while someone snaps away. But they had already taken a lot of photos during our run, so we were done in less than two hours; Thank You Nykol and Tom!! There are apparently some wonderful shots of the show, and I can’t wait to see them. Well, we had a lunch break, and then it was back for understudy rehearsal. This too went surprisingly fast since our Assistant Musical Director, Michael Hamilton, just went through music with us. There were some highlights, as George Andrew Wolff filled in ‘riffingly’ well for Abraham Gray, and this pale white boy sang Job Anderson as a Jamaican Rockstar! We had several hours scheduled, but finished way ahead of time; I think we’re in good shape for our staging rehearsal on Thursday. The rest of the night was very boring as I just sat and watched some TV while playing my ukulele.

Wednesday was another two-show day, so we all geared up for it. Unfortunately, my lower back was in a lot of pain, so I squeezed in a massage at 9am. Yeah, I would much rather be feeling 100% and at the gym, but I don’t mind relaxing with a good massage either. I was able to schedule an appointment with Steve from the Lancaster School of Massage, and boy was it just what the doctor ordered! The fighting, jumping, torqueing, and hanging upside down that I do in the show have wrecked my back, so I really needed some assistance. I left feeling relaxed and rejuvenated, but unfortunately the show is so intense for me that I felt even worse after the matinee. I’ve found a way to get through the show though. I’m wearing one of those eight-hour heat packs that I found at the local Rite-Aid. Hopefully this will just be for a few shows, and I can finish the run healthy!

Well, our matinee was about as smooth as Bill Hartery’s face. Please note the sarcasm, since Bill has a full beard. It was a weird show in a lot of ways. Nothing overtly bad happened, but the show was riddled with little timing mishaps. All aspects of the show had something ‘funky’ occur, and we were glad to move on to the evening performance. Every now and then something like that happens, and you just shake it off and keep trucking! So we did, and that night’s show was much better. It’s been a treat to watch our two Jim Hawkins (Dan Scott and Rick Desloge) bring their own flavor to the show. The theatre has done a good job of scheduling both actors evenly, and I think the cast has done well to adjust slightly to each of their styles. Just as two painters see the same sky differently, these two actors have created their individual artwork for the show, and Marc has done a great job of letting them have freedom to do so. This is obviously within the directorial boundaries Marc has set, since the cast wouldn’t be able to change drastically every show for that particular Jim. This is especially important for John Herrera (Long John Silver) since he spends most of the show with one of these two actors.

I myself am a little jealous of Dan and Rick as they get to spend scenes with Dale Benson and Chuck Abbott! These two actors are true gems, and a credit to their profession. Every performer should sit and take note at the comic timing and unselfish stage presence that these two thespians give forth. Rehearsals were like attending a master class, and I feel like I should be paying just to watch some of the scenes from the wings! Also, these two gentlemen have a great past, as they use to be in school together years ago, but then lost contact for decades. They just reconnected for this production, and it’s as if they never left each other’s side! It’s wonderful to sit and talk with either about their career, and I hope to get the opportunity to work with both again many times!

Thursday typically follows Wednesday, and I was lucky enough to have understudy staging in the afternoon. The understudies met back in the clubhouse at noon, and we were scheduled to go to three. But our faithful Stage Manager, Nykol, and the few of us were so on our game that we got through the majority of it in two hours! We were released early, and I think we would all be fine if, God forbid, any of us had to go on. The only downside to the rehearsal was the news that Marc Robin would be late due to an accident. He was driving his mother and sister-in-law to the airport when a semi sideswiped him taking off his right mirror. They were all fine, but he had to then chase the truck for ten miles before it would stop! He seemed in good spirits when he got to rehearsals, and gave us a wonderful rendition of his mother screaming at him as the truck was trying to climb into his backseat. We’re all just thankful everyone is ok.

That night we had yet another show, and it’s fun to see the cast starting to settle into their performances. We only have another week, so there should be no danger of the show becoming “stale”. This happens when a production runs for a long time, and it takes a really talented cast to keep it “fresh”. Every audience is seeing it for the first time, so we should act as if it’s our first time performing it. This is a great moment to mention some fun backstage stuff; first, the “Family Guy” dressing room! Rob Rokicki, Randall Frizado, Bill Hartery and I are in dressing room #3, and we spend most of our time quoting “Family Guy”! We all have favorite episodes, characters and quotes, and I’d love to share them with you but there are too many to list here; not to mention most of them are not appropriate to blog about. Another fun backstage tid-bit is what happens to the lady’s restroom when it’s an all male cast. The outcome is “Lancaster’s First Progressive Bathroom” - at least that’s what the sign says! There is also a flippable sign that says “Male In” on one side and “Female In” on the other. The few ladies on the crew and in the orchestra just flip it when they go in and out, and it seems to be working pretty well. It was quite funny to all of us in tech, but now it’s just another day at the office!

After Thursday night’s show a bunch of the cast went to “The Pressroom”. It’s a local restaurant and bar that has a great atmosphere for socializing, and they were overly accommodating. We pushed together some tables and enjoyed the evening! I’ll be feeling the enjoyment tomorrow!!

March 9th, 2008 - Set Sail!
Ok, we have officially opened and what a wonderful feeling! We all had an amazing time at the Belvedere Inn, and our Director of Marketing, Tom Kirkpatrick, took some great shots; so I recommend checking those out on the previous blog. Well, Friday was a blessing, because we had the whole afternoon OFF!! That’s right, no rehearsals, no tech, no problem! We all spent the day in different states of relaxation. Most of us slept in, but then some went to the market, some stayed home, and this little piggy went to the gym. Others filled their day with shopping at the outlets and a movie, but most importantly, we all got away from the theatre. Please don’t take that the wrong way, but when you spend almost every waking hour in a place, sometimes you need a break! I’m the kind of actor that likes to be the first one there and the last one to leave. I Love my job, and I Love Theatre; but after tech, we all need some space.

So, we came back for our second show, and I think it went just as well as our opening. We had a great fight with no bloody noses and no broken swords; who could ask for anything more! Backstage we are definitely having fun as well. The over-sized coloring book that I got for the Green Room has gotten a lot of use. Everyone has picked up a crayon or color-pencil and started making some fun artwork. We’re going to sell some of them next week at our Cabaret, which we are having to benefit the Fulton and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids. So, make sure you come and support both organizations and listen to us sing some of our favorites!

Saturday we had two shows, and it was no easy task. We started with a fight call that would be our only one for the day, and then went into the first performance. It was a performance for the hearing impaired, so we had two signers down stage right. One of the Fulton’s Board Members, Tara Potterveld, organized the afternoon for a group of deaf children and their parents. The kids came dressed as pirates, and after the show we got to meet them and take some photos.

Both shows seemed to fly by Saturday, and a few of the cast and I had lunch at Senorita Burrita after the matinee. It was yummy, and I know my wife will love it when she visits next week. As far as the show goes, I’m starting to settle into my fight captain duties. Besides running fight call, I’m also maintaining the swords and daggers that we use in the show. They need to be wiped down at the end of everyday, which I’ve been doing during the second act. I’m not on stage much after intermission, so it’s a perfect time for me to do some remedial work. I also have to sand down the swords for burrs and rust once a week, so I did that during the second act of both Saturday shows. It’s a little extra work, but it keeps the weapons looking great for the run. Oh, I also got a video of Friday night’s fight from Tom Kirkpatrick for me to take notes on, and it was eye-opening! Since I’m in most of the fight, I haven’t had the chance to see what it looks like, and this was my first peek. The first time watching it was breathtaking! To experience it with lights and sound the way the audience does was truly a treat, and exceeded my own idea of it’s magnitude. After viewing it a few more times, I was able to finally look at it with a critical eye. I could see some minor timing issues, and a few places I could clean up, but overall it looked really good! I’m so proud of these guys for stepping up and grabbing something so foreign to most of them, and making it look so natural.

Sunday afternoon we had our last show of the week, and boy were we ready to finish it! We all were looking forward to a day off, and I was rushing back to NYC to see my wife. The wonderful John-Charles Kelly (the ship’s Captain!) was heading back to the city as well, and offered to drive; yeah me!! It saved me some money, got me home faster, and gave me someone to talk to! We had a great conversation while listening to the cast recordings of “Spring Awakening” and “Jersey Boys”; both shows I’ve yet to see (I know, bad me!). We made it to NY safe and in great time, and I got to spend some much needed time with my wife. The next morning it was off to the doctors for an anatomy screening, which happens around twenty weeks! This is where they take ultra-sound photos of the baby to check for problems, and everything turned out great! The nurse printed out a few for us to take home, and my favorite one is of the baby’s left foot. It looks like a tiny footprint left on the beach after the surf has gone out. This should hopefully be a common sight since we vacation once at year at the Outer Banks of North Carolina; and I can’t wait to actually see the first footprint! Little Baby Jackson’s due on July 26th, so I don’t think it’ll see the beach until next summer. We also have decided to wait to find out the sex, so that’ll be more surprises for us later!

My wife had to head back to school to teach and tutor in the afternoon, and I spent the rest of my “day off” doing her laundry and grocery shopping. I did have time to squeeze in a quick haircut, and chat with my buddy David Vaughn. He had some wonderful news for me: he just got Shrek The Musical that’s coming to Broadway! I’m so incredibly happy for him, and I hope the show is a huge success. Well, then Amy and I had a quick dinner and it was back to Lancaster. Unfortunately, Amtrak was having some delays, so I didn’t get in until 1am. It was quickly off to bed since we had a 10am show Tuesday morning! YUCK!!

March 6th, 2008 - Opening!

Blog Disclaimer:
Dear Reader,
First and foremost, thank you for taking the time to read these entries, and I truly appreciate the responses thus far. I believe we have a wonderfully entertaining show, and I hope I have brought some humor and insight to this process. With that said, I must comment on some recent things that have come to my attention. I have heard through the theatrical grapevine that some people took my postings as cynical and bias with a slightly humorous flair. I take great offense to this, and feel that I have been at least moderately humorous!

Seriously though, please know that I am having an amazing experience, and would never mean to write anything to offend any of the cast or creative team. I would suggest you read these as if you’re watching an episode of “Family Ties” and Michael J. Fox is giving his narration. Or even an episode of “Saved By The Bell” and Zach is talking directly to the camera. You know, very dry with the perfect amount of wit, and always with a big grin!

Yes Marc, you’re still my favorite director!

Ok, with that said, I’ll move into this entry. With tech and rehearsals I’ve fallen extremely behind on the blog. I started out of the gate strong, with some fun material, but in the past week I’ve really been slacking. I do apologize, and I’ll try to catch back up with this entry; unfortunately, I’m dropping the daily count! It was slowing me down, and made me feel as if I needed to fill each day with tons of info. I’ll still give you a daily recall, but not as extensive. Hopefully, this will allow me to get to the fun “backstage” happenings.

John Herrera. Photo by Christopher Dickerson.

It was an exhilarating feeling to finally have an audience. So many of our questions were answered by their overwhelming feedback throughout the show, and their standing ovation made us all feel validated as performers. It must have been especially delightful for Marc and Curt to have such a response from the first audience; and I’m sure this won’t be the last!

Curt Dale Clark. Photo by Christopher Dickerson.

Wednesday is the day after Tuesday, and we again had rehearsal before the show that night. This was our last time to work with John Bellomo on the fights, so I wanted to maximize our time. Even though the fight is only seven minutes of the show, it’s definitely the most dangerous; and we had a lot of cleaning to do. By the end of that rehearsal, I felt very good about where we were, and I was ready to take the reigns. It was now my responsibility to keep the fight clean and the actors safe!

After another quick dinner, it was back for our second preview. Well, this group had a big party in the lobby before the show, and apparently they’re notorious for being… a little quiet. Well, we definitely noticed a difference in the first act, but they seemed to come to life after intermission. Again, we offered a tiny morsel of our sweet, heart-felt cake, and again it was gobbled up, leaving them wanting more!

Thursday was OPENING NIGHT!! But first,… rehearsal! Yep, Marc wanted us to do a quick “speed-through” of the show; which turned out to be helpful. It was a chance for the actors to finalize their lines, and for the crew to work on some of their problem spots.

Rick Desloge and Dwelvan David. Photo by Christopher Dickerson.

After the day’s rehearsal, most of the cast rushed to prepare for opening! Some brought individual presents for each cast member, others brought something for all to enjoy, and I of course brought myself; isn’t that enough! No, I got a little something for Marc and Curt, and I also got a big “Pirates of the Caribbean” Coloring Book for the Green Room. I thought it was a cool idea, since I previously blogged about the orchestra “coloring” in the music of the show; but no one has made that very witty connection!

Charles Abbott and John-Charles Kelly with Fulton Board President Harvey Owen. Photo by Thomas Kirkpatrick.

John Herrera and Dan Scott. Photo by Thomas Kirkpatrick.

Marc Robin. Photo by Thomas Kirkpatrick.

Click to view more Opening Night Photos

Our Fight Choreographer, John Bellomo, was in attendance and said he saw the whole thing. He said it could have been a number of things to cause the break, but hopefully it won’t happen again. I think Chris Dickerson just likes to see me freak out! We all had a good laugh about it afterwards at the opening night party, which was lavishly thrown for us by the Belvedere Inn. They transformed their beautiful restaurant into a pirate-themed adventure filled with skeletons and island decorations, and food fit for a Caribbean King! We all partied the night away, and what a release it was for the whole cast to finally exhale!

I think we have a really good show, and I now only wish the run was longer than the next two weeks!

March 3rd, 2008 - Sunday, Bloody Sunday!
DAY EIGHTEEN: Saturday is here, and it’s day three of Tech! We started with the fight at 10am, and boy did it go smooth. The crew stayed until 2am last night and set most of the lighting and sound cues, so they were really ready for us. This helped so much, and we were able to get through the fight much sooner than anticipated.

Lighting Designer Paul Black builds the many light cues with Master Electrician Nathan Gray. Photo by Christopher Dickerson.

Then, we started teching the second act which takes place entirely on the island, and the set for this is simple; yet complicated. The design for the island includes three tree units that rotate to make different looks on stage. This is simple since it’s just three pieces, but complicated because there is a crewmember inside each tree pushing it into position. This was a slow process and will require a lot of time and patience before it’s perfected. The song “Wonders of the World” for instance is staged with Jim and Ben Gunn running around and through the trees, and could be a recipe for disaster! So, for everyone’s safety, they took as much time as needed to get it right.

Our Pew/Ben Gunn, Charles Abbott. Photo by Christopher Dickerson.

We then took lunch, and returned to continue into the Stockade; which is still on the island but differentiated by adding a huge ten-foot wall and door unit. This all went pretty well, and the rest of the evening was spent working through Act II. We didn’t get to finish the show before 10pm, but we’ll get to it tomorrow! For me it’s off to bed, because I’m exhausted!!

DAY NINETEEN: Sunday morning and we started at 11am; yeah, an extra hour of sleep! Today we finished teching Act II, and again it was only possible because of the amazing work the crew put in last night. Some were at the theatre until 2 am again, and it helped speed everything up once the cast was added this morning.

Robert Rokicki, Randall Frizado, George Andrew Wolff, Zak Risinger, and Matthew Kernisky hang out in the house during tech. Photo by Christopher Dickerson.

When we finished teching the show, we started back at the top for a run through before dinner; but first we needed to do a quick fight call. Well, during it Zak Risinger (playing Mr. O’Brien, and the cast favorite Slyker) got hit in the nose and left the stage dripping blood. He was fighting with Chris Dickerson (our skull-crushing Tom Morgan), and since I’m running around fighting off Rob, I was unable to see what exactly happened. We stopped, got Zak cleaned up, and finished the fight. Though I hate that Zak was injured, I’m almost relieved it happened. It was a great eye-opener for the cast to keep focused and safe, and not let adrenaline take over. Hopefully this will be the only instance for the remainder of the run.

Erik Hogan is a little ray of sunshine during tech... Photo by Christopher Dickerson.

Ok, we had a good run-through before dinner, and an even better run after dinner. Our Fight Choreographer, John Bellomo made it to the theatre during the first run, and got to see the fight. Then he stayed for the evening run, and said the fight looked much better! He heard about the bloody nose, and realized everyone was being a little tentative during the afternoon show. But clearly we shook it all off, since he said he was very happy with the second show. I too felt the fight in the evening show was better. Everyone seemed very focused and ready to take it up a notch. Now all we need is an audience!!

After rehearsal, John was heading back to Philly and was gracious enough to give me a ride to the Philadelphia Greyhound station. I needed to get back to my pregnant wife, and with John’s help I was able to make a 2am bus that got me into NYC at 4:30am. I slept a few hours, then got up and ran errands all day. I needed to get my phone replaced (which I did), I needed to drop off more headshot/resumes to my agent (which I did), and I even had lunch with my good friend David Vaughn! Then, I met my wife at her school, and we went out for a relaxing dinner. It was wonderful to be home, and feel my baby KICK!!!

Feb. 29th, 2008 - Tech is FUN!
DAY FIFTEEN: Ok, it’s day one of tech, and we started with a quick walk-through of the stage and backstage areas. The moment I walked into the house and saw the set my heart literally skipped a beat! Robert Klingelhoefer’s scenic design is truly amazing, and the ship unit is like our huge jungle gym. That was the first sight for the cast as we eagerly took the stage, and I immediately wanted to climb and swing around like a monkey; patience Joe, patience! The plan was to spend two and a half hours spacing the fight before lunch, and boy did we use every second of that.

John Bellomo worked with the precision of a surgeon as he adjusted the fights onto this mammoth ship, and yet worked with a comic flare that kept everyone’s spirits high!

These two and a half hours were filled with a lot of hard work. Each cast member stepped up and gave their full ability and attention as John worked his magic. I gained a few bruises and scrapes, but nothing major. I’m very lucky that Marc and John have entrusted me with some really cool moments which are also very dangerous; so we worked those until I felt safe. I think everyone was excited to finally get on stage, and this was a wonderful time for us to further bond! We supported each other as people worked their individual fights, and then we ran it a few times for continuity. I can’t tell you how amazing the fight will be! I think it’s the perfect way to end the act and have the audience hungry for Act II.

After the fight staging, we had a long dinner, and then it was back for a sitzprobe. This is when the orchestra plays through the show as we sit on stage and sing. From the stage we could see Marc sitting up in the balcony, and as the overture started we could see him begin to fill with excitement. What a feeling it must be to put your heart fully into something and then finally see it come full circle. I must now mention Ron Barnett who is also doing double duty on the show, as our Music Director and the score’s Orchestrator. He and Marc have worked together to fill out the music, and since we’ve only heard it with piano, this was a treat to the ears! Hearing the orchestra was like picking up a box of Crayolas and masterfully coloring a picture in a coloring book.

Each musical number being a new page in the book, distinctively different from the next with it’s own tone and style. The woodwinds filling in the soft cool blues and greens, the brass filling out the crisp reds and yellows, and the percussion rhythmically keeping everyone in between the lines. By the time we finished singing through the show, it was as if we had a beautifully bound book full of vibrant art that jumped off the pages!

Tonight the orchestra helped us add another layer of our cake, and I know that as we left the theatre our own appetites began hungering for a slice; but it’s not ready yet. We may have a few layers built, but we are by no means finished. Soon we’ll add a layer of lights, and then sound, not to mention costumes. Then Marc will lovingly add the final layer of frosting (I’m pulling for chocolate!), and it’ll be ready for your consumption. I hope you’re still saving room for dessert!

Randall Frizado. Photo by Christopher Dickerson. Click the image to enlarge.

We took a quick lunch, and then it was back to hit the ground running. We started with a photo call to get some pics out to the local papers and other media outlets. This was really fun because it was the first glimpse at the world we were about to live in for the next month. I was only needed in a photo of “Mutiny”, the number about… Mutiny! Well, I still had my “handle-bars” (please see ‘I Like Soup’ photo), I darkened it in a little and made a pretty scary pirate.

Pictured from left: Me, William Hartery, Christopher Dickerson, Hal Yudof, and Randall Frizado. Photo by Blaine T. Shahan / Lancaster Newspapers. Click the image to read the article.

After photo call, we were given a half hour to get ready for the top of the show. We were to be in costume, hair and make-up so all the designers can see how the finished product will look. Sadly, I had to shave off my crazy stache, (which my wife hated!), and then get into my first costume, a little make-up, and a huge white wig. Before we started, Marc gathered the entire cast in the green room, and gave his “Tech is Fun” speech. He does this for every show he directs, and it’s basically his way of asking for our hard-work, focus and most of all patience. Most actors consider tech to be HELL, and he wanted us to remember that we’re doing what we love; so lets make it… FUN!!

Then periodically throughout the day he would scream out, “Tech is…”, and we would scream back, “FUN!!” This is a great way to keep spirits high, and his actors focused.

William Hartery. Photo by Christopher Dickerson. Click the image to enlarge.

We then began at the top of the show, and worked until 10pm with a quick dinner break for some nourishment. We got to the building of the ship, but then we lost the wind in our sails. This sequence is extremely difficult for everyone involved. The cast is rolling on huge set pieces in the dark, as the actor playing Jim is in a spot and climbing around the pieces. Meanwhile, the crew is working their tales off trying to strike the previous scene, and then preset for the next scene. With so much going on in so little light, we all have to be choreographed to know exactly who moves when and where. This silent and blind dance has to be timed perfectly, and worked over and over to ensure everyone is safe and the set is properly on stage.

I left tonight with the knowledge that yes, tech may be fun, but it’s still exhausting!

DAY SEVENTEEN: Ok, today we were scheduled from 10am to 8pm, with a two hour lunch break, and we spent the entire time on Act I. We got the ship move figured out, and then took time to light all the different moments throughout each scene. This is a slow process since our brilliant lighting designer, Paul Black, is using a lot of intelligent lighting for solos. It requires the actor to hit their “mark”, and the light to be brought up at the right time. So of course this takes practice and time, but I think the end product will be spectacular. Obviously I can’t tell what the whole picture looks like when I’m on stage, but the lighting for the scenes I’m not in are unbelievable.

Marc has said he wanted a sort-of Tim Burton feel for the show, and the lights will play a big part of that. Some scenes are very dark and ominous, which helps to set the tone and bring the audience into the action of the story. Other scenes are bright and majestic, and help to convey the excitement Jim Hawkins is feeling.

This is also a great time to mention Beth Dunkelberger’s costumes. She is a one-woman clothing machine! She designed the whole show, and built most of it. Beth built some amazing clothing that is unfortunately only seen on stage for about thirty seconds (and in dim light), but she still gave them the same detail and time she did the rest of the costumes. I’m very lucky because my three costumes are excellent, and very comfortable! I’m a “Gentleman” at the top of the show, and even though I’m only on stage for a second, Beth has made me this beautiful Colonial suit. Then I’m Mr. Joyce for the majority of the show, and I look like I stepped out of an old romance novel!

Our hair and make-up designer Anthony Lascoskie Jr. has given me a red wig with a braided pony-tail, and I gotta say it’s all really growing on me! My third costume is for the pirate “Victor Wolff”; don’t blink or you’ll miss me. I’m only this character during the song “Mutiny”, but again Beth has given me a fun costume so the audience won’t think I’m still Mr. Joyce. All of our designers are amazing, and are truly bringing Broadway quality here to Lancaster. Now the cast needs to really rise to the challenge so the rest of the show doesn’t upstage us!

Feb. 27th, 2008 - Beard Today, Gone Tomorrow!
DAY THIRTEEN: Ok, today was a test of will and patience for me! It’s Monday, so we all have a day off; Thank Heavens! It started off great with a good workout at the YWCA, then two loads of laundry, and followed by a quick trip to the grocery store. Then it was all-downhill from there. I got an email from our Stage Manager Nykol asking me for the Fight Sequence.

Photo by Chris Dickerson.

While I was working on the fight sequence for Nykol I received a phone call about plans for the evening.

Marc with Stage Manager Nykol. Photo by Chris Dickerson.

So, I finished the sequence and emailed it to Nykol, and then quickly made dinner (Salmon, Asparagus and Potatoes; Yum!!). I then left to meet the others, and called my wife on the way. Well, when I hung up I noticed the screen on my one-year-old Verizon Chocolate Phone was acting strange. So I turned it off and back on… but it never came back on. It just went to a blank white screen, and no buttons worked. I had to take the battery out to turn it off. This was extremely frustrating, because my cell phone is my lifeline back to NY and my pregnant wife. I hoped that by keeping it off for a while might help, and I decided to just go and enjoy the movie.

Here’s where my night got worse! We decided to see “Vantage Point”; a movie that I actually wanting to see because the cast and trailer looked intriguing. I won’t bore you with details, but just know that it was perhaps the worst movie I’ve ever seen! When I go to see theatre or film, I truly want to enjoy it, and I’m usually the only one to like a bad show. So, that being said, I wouldn’t recommend it! Yes, there I was sitting through a terrible movie, and then I started thinking about my broken phone! How quickly could this day end!

After the movie, I went home and was on the phone with Verizon for half an hour, before realizing my options were limited. I would have to go to a Verizon store to see if they could either fix it or at least retrieve my contacts, and if not, then I needed a new phone! I’d love to go get an iPhone, but with our new addition coming soon, my wife would kill me! So, tomorrow I’ll have a better idea of what to do. For now, it’s off to bed and hopefully sleep away my frustrations!

DAY FOURTEEN: Dale Benson to the rescue! I awoke today with anticipation to resolve my cell phone dilemma, but I couldn’t do that until after rehearsal. So, I again hit the gym in the morning then went to rehearse. When I got to the clubhouse I told some of the cast about my phone trauma and the wonderful Dale Benson sprang to my aide. He offered to drive me to the Verizon store after rehearsal, and then others asked to join us for a Wal-Mart trip.

George Andrew Wolff with Hal Yudof in the background. Photo by Chris Dickerson.

Ok, today went pretty fast as we started with notes, and then did scene-work with Marc until lunch.

Marc and Chris Dickerson. Photo by Chris Dickerson.

Since Marc and Curt want the best possible product they are adjusting dialogue and lyrics as needed. That means the cast has to adjust the lines in their heads to fit; not to mention, there are some “wordy” songs in the show. It’s clear Marc likes a good patter-song!

Mutiny! Photo by Chris Dickerson.

After rehearsal, Dale drove me to the Verizon store, and Erik and Rob to Wal-Mart. The two of them had much better luck than I. The Verizon tech guy said my phone had a software problem, and that my contacts were lost. Then, the customer service woman said the cheapest phone I could buy that wouldn’t extend my contract was almost $200. Well, clearly I said, “Thank You!”, and walked out. I tried not to think about it while Erik, Rob and I treated Dale to dinner at Chili’s, but of course it was constantly on my mind. A good night’s rest would hopefully calm my mind and ease my worries.

Photos by Rob Rokicki

Nighty, Night!

Feb. 23rd, 2008 - Keep On Truckin’
DAY ELEVEN: Breathe in the good and exhale out the bad! Y