march was a big travel whirlwind
i'm really grateful for all the work, friends, and distractions.
i started by doing a broadway review at the grand opera house in macon, GA.
totally random, i know.
it was basically a bunch a big broadway folks who did a show of all the most popular bway songs....
doesn't it look glam!
the red carpet cracked me up.
houdini performed here and i saw 3 of his trap doors.
this is robi. he once played my son in bye bye birdie so it felt pretty nasty to dance up on him in lingerie in "too darn hot."
this business is so weird.
my dressing roomates, ann and karen. we had a blast together.
i always love meeting blog friends. you're a doll, ellie! thanks for meeting me at the stage door with some much needed DC!
so sometimes you have to go to after parties and schmooze the donors of theatres. they're usually pretty fun... this party had a lot of frisky husbands who loved taking pix and while posing with you AND their wives, they'd wrap their slimy fingers around my rib cage and give my side-boob a nice touch.... ugh. the rest of the people were lovely and this group of people i worked with were SO fun.
opening costumes.
we had the day off so i forced everyone to hit the peach orchards. best cobbler and peach ice cream i've ever had.
love the porch sitting in the south.
these are middle-aged people line dancing in front of 3 people sitting on pink bales of hay.
bizarre on another level and so charming at the same time.
tractor pull.
we're a jolly bunch of idiots.
this is a hot pink hot dog. and it was delish.
we made friends with the locals. they gave some nice refills.
performance night 2. this was our "nine" costume...
the whole "too darn hot" group.
on night 2, Ann was super sick so i had to learn her solo about 15 min before the show...
that easy-breezy solo was "defying gravity" and i'm sure MOST girls know that tune, but i only know the audition cuts...cause i don't listen to musicals..... sooooooo..... i learned it. quickly.
then it went like this:
me: sing Mama Mia.
(walk offstage)
me: immediately walk onstage and sing "defying gravity" with fear in my eyes and A standing in the wing (and on stage) doing hand gestures for the lyrics.
(run off stage)
throw a polka dot dress over the backless mini dress i was wearing
(immediately RUN onstage)
adlib: "hey! did you miss me? like my new costume? it's called a quick change!"
me: sing the beginning of "you can't stop the beat."
it was a real moment.
i'm such an idiot.
then i flew back to nyc the next am JUST in time to shower and head over to la's CINDERELLA opening night on broadway!
audra and i love our lala.
fun to see my pals, Jeremy and Ashley (you may have seen jer on smash this season. what a star!)
with our cinderella star.
cindy had a real fancy wedding cake.
sequins are a great idea until you're stuck to the star and it takes an equity stage manager 5 min to un-hook you. guess we just never want to be apart.
so halfway thru the post-show ball, i received an itinerary to fly to utah (THE NEXT AM) to record a project i'll tell you about later....
so i raced home, transferred luggage, slept a bit, grabbed stella and zoomed to the airport.
and the second i hit home, i popped into the studio to record. no rest for the weary.
thankfully, i was able to spend some QT with my best copycat, evie g,
wear a completely inappropriate outfit to dad's cancer hospital (i wasn't thinking!!!),
then pop back into the studio where they filmed me! i felt like mariah carey. an awkward mariah carey.
mom and i had a GREAT deer valley ski day. what a hottie!
my best girl, ABK, had some pretty cool experiences in the T
and i got to hit my favorite UT barre class and have mom's homemade almond milk, granola and berries.
i finally saw my brother-in-law, bruggy, slay it in his baseball game
and eat delish fried chicken that he friiiied up for me.
mom did a full beauty day day for me... a cut, color, shellac manicure, and made some delish crio.
i'm the luckiest girl to have such a talented ma who is also so giving.
we had the bachelor party (which i already told you about)
with the most amazing treats from the biegler gals.
i shot another secret project and we didn't like doing it on set so i made them shoot it at my parents house.
and i made my family assist me.
they saved the day.
how awesome are sussy and mom.
just pregnant and fabulous.
mom and i shooting a fun cooking segment
my handsome crew enjoying some crio and homemade bread.
these guys are rad and i had a total blast.
i really loved working on this.
more QT with my spirit animal
who clearly should have been my daughter. look at her love for DC.
then i popped back to nyc and went straight to serendipity with la and audra.
best way to re-enter the city.
i was able to celebrate my dear lisa's new job
and go out on the town with LP.... this is not me attempting glamour. i'm just trying to avoid serious cabbie stench by sticking my head out the window like a poodle.
i had some lovely meditation time doing arial yoga.
and am happy to be back on my regular acupuncture schedule.
i happily spent st. patty's day with worthie and mike in jerz and loved her shamrock shakes.
then tax time with stella...
and more snow...
and unemployment nonsense...
then dinner at the spotted pig with sussy and LP.
stellie has needed more snuggles lately (which i certainly don't mind...)
and i've needed a few kisses
so we hopped to houston where i saw this disturbing personalized gift,
and sat next to a 400 lb man who did an ADORABLE cat on a piano virtual puzzle.
it was the strangest thing i've ever seen.
ever.
i died laughing.
i served spaghetti at a cub scout banquet (that was a first!),
and reunited with one of my jersey boys (brad) who is playing "frankie" on tour 2.
my hair turned into a rudi huxtable-style cosby mess.
texas humidity is no joke.
i ate loads of good food with aunt angel and DD
cruised around houston with mala (give a holla!)
and wished i could spend more time and calories at tiny boxwood's.
i learned about "truck nutz"
(wow)
ate me some good ice cream,
and loved hanging at the hextell house.
stella frolicked with the water dog puppy
and i practiced my wife skills on a lemon bundt cake.
then DD and i headed to dallas...
and hit buc eeees which is my new fav gas station.
naturally, the beaver go fresh....
we stayed at a totally sexy hotel (look at that iconic dallas view!)
and got me a DC at the 7-11 headquarters!
i fell in love with torchy's tacos
and dd and i discovered the GREATEST chocolate shop,
dude, sweet chocolate!
(all dark chocolate all the time AND generous samples!)
stella ran with the herd.
and dallas charmed me real good. reeeeal good.
DD and i hit the town and loved
sissy's southern kitchen (although their fried chicken is no match for
ad hoc's). i always have a ball with DD. we both love a good adventure.
we considered changing our ticket because we loved it so much, but we had to return to the big city
and back to the cold and grind... woof.
then we enjoyed easter in new jersey!
6 flights
5 states
and too many good friends to count.
thank you, march for keeping me up when i was feeling down.