Hello, all! I am SO sorry it has taken me a while to post an entry. I've had a few moments to myself, but they've mostly been spent getting settled in my temporary digs, reviewing music and choreography, catching up on laundry, grocery shopping, and an occasional outing with my show gang (a necessity when most of the days are spent with the nose at the grindstone). The above photo finds me in front of my home until early May – The Knickerbocker on the Lake. In the photo, my apartment is concealed behind the upper right corner of my hat.
Today was particularly glorious in the ways of winter. It really isn't too cold... upper 20s to mid 30s. But last night, a rain froze just before the snow arrived, so the snow stuck to all the trees, and this morning they were cloaked in white, down to the tiniest twig. Wow! Here's a view of the park across the street from the Knickerbocker. Lake Michigan is in the background. And then there's one of the lions that flanks the entrance to the hotel. I think I'll name him Nick. (Get it? Nick at the Knick!)
I haven't thought to take too many photos in rehearsals, but you can catch a glimpse of our cast in an interview
here. And you can see our show's title tune in progress
here. You might notice that I space out a couple places. Hey, I'm working on it! The footage was taken by local actor and personality
John McGivern who, among many other irons in the fire, contributes a video blog to local theatre website (and playbill-type company)
Footlights. John, a great guy and an amazing proponent of Milwaukee and the arts, also owns some of the lodgings the Rep is renting for us at the Knickerbocker, including my place.
Today on the day off, the Rep organized a trip to outlying shopping areas for those of us without cars. Our host, Marilyn, shuttled us to Target and Trader Joe's. Oh, how I love TJ's! I think my visit must have provided a bump in their market shares, but it feels good to have a well-stocked fridge full of healthy-ish goodies.
After rehearsal yesterday, some of the gang grabbed a bite and returned to the Rep to catch a performance of
The Seafarer, a drunken tale centered around a poker game. The performances were just amazing... a real testament of the talent here in Milwaukee. And I was inspired to capture them in my weekly sketch for my
Squigs Knows His Lines page. Here it is:
MILWAUKEE TIP #1:
In my regular (or semi-regular) posts here, I'll offer suggestions for places to visit in Cream City... to grab a bite, to have an adventure, to put the feet up or whatever. While not heeding a particular order of significance, I'll start with the
Comet Cafe on Farwell. Everything I've had there so far has been delightful... the baked mac & cheese, the hummus and olive plate, some carefully selected microbrews. It's an old-school smoky dive that has received a facelift (ditching the "smoky" and adding healthier alternatives to their comfortable diner fare). This evening I was on the edge of my seat as we watched Olympic curling.
And across the street is a little hole-in-the-wall called Flipville Records where you must squeeze through cramped aisles to find vinyl of yesteryear and tchotchkes of yore (lunchboxes, action figures, Matchbox cars, etc.). It's a bit of a time machine on Milwaukee's east side.
Well, I've got to go practice my
Route 66 moves so I don't look stupider in rehearsal tomorrow. Take care, all! Peace and love.
