Last Stop Boston

So here we are...Boston, MA, my last stop on the Backyardigans train.
It was a great weekend even though I had to say goodbye to some very special people. I started it off by meeting up with two of my best friends from college, Karla and Emily. We had some bfast and then just enjoyed all the Boston had to offer (they both live in or around Beantown)
We performed at the Colonial Theatre which was up there as one of the most beautiful theatres we'd been in.
AND get this. The marble table in the Ladies Lounge was the table that Rogers and Hammerstein worked on Oklahoma and did the rewrites. ALSO, Bob Fosse chipped a corner of the table after tap dancing on top of it during a meeting!
I'm pointing to the crack which you can't really see in the pic, but trust me, it's there. So this gorgeous table where Rogers and Hammerstein rewrote Oklahoma and Bob Fosse tap danced is the same table around which the cast of Backyardigans held their brush up music rehearsal.
So after our rehearsal we walked back to the hotel because the weather outside was perfect! On the way we passed this sign:
After a dramatic double take, I cracked up a took a pic specifically for the blog.
While in Boston we also had a casual going away dinner since I was leaving. Paul and I got all dolled up
and met Karla, Nicole, Steve, Sally, Tigger, Dog, Christie, Kimberly, Creighton, Laura and Shawn at my favorite restaurant in Boston, Fire and Ice for a great dinner. Unfortunately I couldn't partake in the delicious cocktails at Fire and Ice because I had partially lost my voice and had a CHORUS LINE CALL BACK Monday morning in NYC. Yes, that's right. When we got to Boston I got a call from Binder Casting to go to an invited call for the tour Monday afternoon. It went well and everyone please keep fingers crossed, tongues bitten and whatever else...
My last day of performances was a 3 show day and was bittersweet. Bitter to leave the wonderful people I met and sweet because I'm getting to do a Chorus Line this summer at Jenny Wiley with the original choreography.
Before the conclusion of the Backyardigans portion of the blog, there is one costume I never got to post a picture of and it's definitely one of my favorites...
The Boxes! I like to think that they are the piles of junk that Austin's mom told him to throw away and he never did. Kind of like my stuff in my parents' basement...love you mom and dad.

So...I'm not one for sappy goodbyes, but I need to take a moment to say goodbye to my bffl Paul Alan Flanagan. He was more to me than just a roommate, fellow footman, merchant, basketball hoop and flower. He was the head to my dragon and I don't know what I would have done without him.

Syracuse

Since we had that whole afternoon off in Buffalo, Christie and I had some serious catching up to do in terms of rehearsals. So instead of staying in Buffalo another night and traveling to Syracuse in the morning, we left the night before and rehearsed all day before the shows in Syracuse. Anyways, they put us up in an AWESOME hotel with beds like clouds and a bathroom with a doorless shower.
The theatre was GORGEOUS!
Upon getting ready for the evening's festivities (the show) Paul came into my dressing room with a BRILLIANCé KNOWLES idea:
Why didn't we think of this sooner???

After the shows we went toa nearby bar for a little wine and cheese before my last trip on the bus. I have to say I was pretty sad to say goodbye to my coffin-sized bunk. It was awfully cozy and I did have some wonderful nights of fitfully interrupted sleep there:
one last view of my bunk.

tear.

Buffalo + Niagara Falls

So, I guess I never really thought too much about Buffalo; where is was, what it had, why I needed to go there, but now I know. It is right near Niagara Falls, has great buffalo wings (duh, hence the name), and it's freakin' gorgeous!

After a great week off during which I got to see some friends, find out I had to move, packed up my apt, took some pilates sessions, got a haircut, etc we met the bus in times square to head up to Buffalo. Returning to tour marked my last week and the arrival of my replacement, Christie! She's great!
So we drove upstate and had the next day off before the evening show so Paul, Laura, Christie and I rented a car and drove up to Niagara Falls.
What a great way to spend a day off! It was pretty darn cold, but otherwise a beautiful day. Remember how disappointing Sioux Falls were because I was expecting something like Niagara? Well these falls did NOT disappoint!
Can you believe that rainbow? Unbelievable!
So you look at these and you think...these little teeny patches of white water turn into NIAGARA FALLS?!?!?!This is a little more like it, but still...you would think it may be a bit more violent up top...

Calm till the last second. That's how she rolls...

So we saw people in ponchos on these red staircases at the base of the falls and decided we needed to be doing what they were doing. Next thing you know we are wearing yellow ponchos, Niagara Falls sandals and carrying our belongings in plastic shopping bags.
Now, Laura and Christie and really giving you face and well...I'm giving you...fish face. Deal with it!
Paul is giving exactly what the camera needs. Look at those shades!
So we take an elevator ride down and then get a brief history of the "Cave of the Winds." Apparently you used to be able to walk through caves behind the falls, but because of the erosion from the water, the roof of the caves started collapsing so you can't do that anymore. Each spring they build a new staircase for you to walk up to the falls. They can't keep it over the winters because the ice in the water will break them anyway.
So we were literally on top of the water from the falls and we climbed further up and danced underneath the pelting water of Niagara falls. How cool is that? I screamed the WHOLE time. Laura just laughed at me. hahahah. It was exhilarating, but when we were done, I was spent.we all were.

from here it was time to head back for our evening show. The theatre was really pretty and apparently very historic. The main curtain weighs something like 4000lbs! Imagine opening that guy!Please take a moment and notice was is flashin on the marquis when I took this photo...clearly, it's fate.
After the show we obviously went for Buffalo Wings! But not just any wings...we went to the Anchor Bar where Buffalo Wings were invented. Apparently, the story is that a couple owned the bar and their sun was working behind the bar when some of his friends came in. he asked his mother if she would make his friends something to eat. She had a bunch of chicken wings prepared to make chicken stock and then decided that the wings were too perfect to be used to make soup, so she fried 'em up and served the first order of Buffalo wings! Or something like that. Regardless, they were delish and the bar serves McSorley's beer. I was a happy girl!

After we ate, Props Paul, who still had his rental car, invited Sally, Paul, Laura and I to go see the falls at night! Of course we said yes!
The lights that are projected on the falls change color every few minutes, here was my favorite picture from our night excursion (which was significantly colder than the daytime adventure)

And on that note we ended a FABULOUS day!