timba...who?

so yeah, i love chicago.  reminds me of a real city.  a city that doesn't get swept up in the whole east coast/west coast drama.  but instead lies in the heart of the midwest.  and is awesome.

yes, it's 5am, but i had to post this now.  today was wow.  sun, jan 24.  two ridiculously entertaining games - neither of which i could fully enjoy, since i had two shows.  but my phone got one hell of a workout, that's for sure.  as is my liver, as i continue to drink a bottle of three-buck chuck from the trader joe's on ontario and wabash.

as for today, here's where the drama lies.  sam's contract explicitly states that he should only conduct 7 shows a week.  the other is meant for him to take notes, to check the sound mix in the house, etc. - for him to make sure the show is flowing smoothly.  to check things he can't while trying to conduct a 14-piece orchestra.  (the only problem is...i really don't have the time.)  sorry, the show has gotten to me.  i have a line for everything...and others have duly noted that.  so, moving on.  the only problem is - my sub.  no names will be mentioned, but suffice it to say that my sub showed up at our 5-hour orchestra rehearsal on tuesday with no tape recorder.  real classy.  after a handful of, uh, interesting meetings with said sub, sam and i were honestly having a hard time not letting him go.  so i was supposed to conduct on saturday afternoon.  but that was mercifully pushed back to tonight (sun night).

back at the apollo, the other 10 pieces of the orchestra lived upstairs on the third floor, since the apollo had no pit.  i haven't conducted since the apollo, simply because it's been difficult to find a sub in a city where we tour for only one week.  we're here in chicago for two, and my sub tonight has subbed for other shows that have come through, including the color purple.  so it was my first dreamgirls conducting experience from a pit.  the band here in chicago is not only musically good but also quite personable.  they were super supportive of me, and i had a blast conducting them...and seeing the complete show from the front for the first time in months.  in fact, since tech at the apollo in late october.  the show is magnificent, and if you're in a future city on our tour, you had better come see it.  speaking of which, we have received word that we will be extended past the schedule on the website (www.dreamgirlsonstage.com).  after kansas city, we'll be in dc for two weeks (likely at the warner theatre) and also in san francisco for five weeks...with a possible sixth week as an extension.  we also learned about a two-week layoff before tokyo in may.  turns out the company is sending the 5 super-huge LED panels from costa mesa, ca to tokyo via barge.  so that'll sure take a while.  so we'll get two weeks off - right around mother's day.  yes mom, i'll be home...or i'll fly you to wherever i am.  rumors are already flying about spending our layoff in the midpoint between cali and japan.  yep, hawaii.  i've only been once (to the big island to study volcanoes in the process of getting my bachelor's in earth and planetary sciences at harvard).  and boy, would i love to go again - to both the big island and all of the others.  wow, where was i?

let's jump ahead to tonight.  one of the ensemble members in the cast, douglas, knows one of the backstage workers at the house of blues here in chicago.  well, he got an invite to get VIP access (plus two) to a timbaland concert tonight.  and i was one of the plus two.  after waiting in the front lobby for quite some time...doug, kim and i finally got shuffled around to the back to get the necessary credentials and then upstairs via the crew elevator to absolute bedlam.  indeed, timbaland himself had just gone on, and the scene was one of absolute bedlam.  the sheer number of songs that he has worked on in some capacity is mind-blowing.  from "go 'head, child" of justin timberlake fame to fat rabbit.  some of chicago's finest ladies and one of the hottest bands i've heard live ever equals a night i won't forget for quite some time.  hopefully ever.

i'm so glad we're in chicago for two weeks.  and i'm super excited that tomorrow (monday) is our first true off day since xmas eve (which doesn't really count, since most of us were traveling anyway).  we do 8 shows a week from tues-sun, but monday is always our travel day to the next city.  thankfully, we're here for two weeks, so we've got all of monday off.  and according to equity/union rules, we can't rehearse the day after a day off.  so i have no responsibilities until half-hour at 7pm on tues.  and we've already started thinking about all the off mondays we've got in LA.  we're there for 6 weeks.  one monday will definitely be spent in each of the following: palm springs, grand canyon, vegas, tijuana.  and by definitely, i mean hopefully.  damn, i wish i were drunker than i am right now.  no alarm for me in the morning, that's for sure...