Portland, OR

Just finished a stint in Portland, Oregon, a long week still ahead of us after 3 shows here. Two shows tomorrow in Seattle, then another matinee on Sunday before Christmas hits. Portland is an awesome city, a whole bunch of things to do here, not to mention getting my computer fixed at an Apple store. The theater here is quite fantastic, and it looks even better when our two evening shows were filled up to capacity. The cast is starting to feel the toll of the road, up at 5 or 6 in the morning the past few days and driving to the new city to perform that night. The road has it's ups and downs like most things in life. The group is still tight nit though, in it for the long haul. It's off to Seattle tomorrow. Hoping for no rain.....perhaps wishful thinking :-)

Kennewick and Bellingham

After a 12 hour bus ride across the border, we arrived in Spokane for the night and boy we needed it. I personally slept about 7 of those 12 hours, so the trip could have been worse :-) The next day, we drove to Kennewick and opened to 1500 people at another ice arena, the Toyota Center. A couple of famous hockey players have played there, so I was excited. The show was well-received, and most of the cast was finally able to get back on their cell phones and communicate with the world again. The next day, another 8 hour drive across the state to Bellingham, where last night we played in a vintage-style opera house. The audience was great and really responded to Corey, who has raised his game with every show. On a fun note, right outside the back of the theater, there was a mural on the brick wall of an adjacent building of Da Vinci's Last Supper. If you haven't seen the show yet, you'll understand how apropos that was when you do! The apostles, of course, took a picture in front of it.

Calgary, 2nd Day Update

I'll tell you what, there was some kind of crowd tonight for our last Canadian show until Toronto. The lights went to half and the audience was already cheering, and their energy never stopped. Ted delivered tonight on an unprecedented level, a Gethsemane that sounded like it was 1975. Next up, a 10 hour bus ride across the border....well, it can't all be glitz and glamour.

Calgary, AB

So, thank you to Alberta for being awesome for selling out the majority of our shows. Our first show in Calgary last night was great. The theater here is an exact replica of the one in Edmonton down to the last fire exit, and I have to say that being backstage was a little creepy. A very powerful sense of deja vu existed for all of us. We've got 2 shows today, one at 3pm and one at 7:30pm. Everyone's healthy and happy, and the hotel is beautiful. I have to say that Canada doesn't have much love for Macintosh. There isn't one Apple store outside of Ontario. What's up with that!!! Oh, and I'm down with Moxie's Steak House. Couple of fans spotted us at the resturaunt after the show last night and bought us a bottle of wine! First moment of rock-stardom for us tour-goers I'd say.

Red Deer, AB last night

Red Deer was last night. A one stop show. The venue was a hockey arena, my first experience with performing a show in such a venue. The arena is usually used for WHL games (Western Hockey League), for those of you Americans who know not of such things. The sound was pretty solid for an arena, and being a former hockey player myself, the place had a comforting feel to it. Denny's was also a place visited yesterday....I have to say it is sub-par compared to IHOP. That's just me, talk amongst yourselves.....but I digress. We're in Calgary now, home of the Flames, and have a show tonight and our first matinee tomorrow, three shows in total for the week in this city. Then onto the US!!!

Opening Night!

Last night was opening night....2,500 people, sold out. The show was fantastic and intense as always. The crowd seemed to approve of what we did, giving a standing O from the moment the ensemble walked on stage for bows. Tonight, our 2nd of two shows in Edmonton, is also sold out. We have a Walmart run today for odds and ends, so maybe I'll go purchase a firearm...or a pillow, whatever moves me at the time. We head out to Red Deer tomorrow for one show and then to Calgary for a 3-show stint, including our first matinee/double-show day of the tour. We return to the states after that.
On a seperate note, Van Halen played 2 nights ago in Edmonton as we rolled into town. David Lee Roth is staying at the same hotel we're staying at, which, as a major Halen fan, I must say is quite awesome. Wonder if Ted is friendly with the guys from Halen? I best go ask him such a question!

Preview Night!!!

Last night the show opened in preview form to a packed house in Banff. The reception by the crowd was phenomenal. Ted was outstanding and had moments where he sounded 20 years younger. It was thoroughly impressive. The show has really come together and the intensity has shot through the roof.
The cast has become extremely close already. There is truly no one person who isn't positive or simply cool. After the performance last night, we had an after party and it was pretty wild. Drinking occurred late into the night, and even at 3 in the morning coming back from the pub, Ted was spotted in the lobby talking to people about the show. We have the day off today (Saturday) and then roll out to Edmonton for the official opening night on Monday evening. It should be fun to hit the road finally, after all the time we've spent in the mountains. We've got Edmonton, Calgary, and Red Deer in Alberta before we head into Washington and back to the states. Time to get comfy on the bus!