Backyardigans Wrap Up :)

Hello to all my lovely friends ... I don't even know if I still have readers but as long as I still have pictures / stories I'll keep writing!

While on tour I took a lot of pictures backstage / in our downtime. Some candids some not, some people are going to kill me after I put these up. But I've found some really good ones! I hope you enjoy:)

To start out, we go about 10 months back when we were all babies in the Backyardigans land learning the show for the 1st time.

We found all these hats in the lost & found... this was our first Kodak moment:) Awwww aint that just so ga darn sweet ... moving on!

When we first got to a new venue we would do sound check... during each sound check we did a little multitasking, we'd check lights:

The bubble machine:

Sound check was Christie and I's least part of the day... it was a lot of waiting around for us! I think this picture kind of sums it up...

Once everyone's individual mikes were good we'd sing a song from the the show to make sure everything was good and we could hear on stage... kind of important! After that we would check the flying rig... When ever I played Pablo this was my least favorite part!

It was just up and down - up and down! Wedgie with a bigger wedgie op and then some more wedgie to go! ... it was aether that or fall in front of thousands of 5 year olds, scaring them for life... I choos the first! Oh by the way that's what we wore under our costumes. We called it our skins... yes it's a teenage girls leatard... with some breast support. Haha

While flight check was happening we'd go back stage and start getting ready... This meant different things for different people... some of it involved makeup:

Some people loaded on the makeup, others, like myself just did the bare minerals ... some mascara and blush, that's it! I was too busy! Just didn't have time! We did a warm up everyday witch was riveting!

Shawn is one of those people that could streatch all day long and still have to do it again before he went to bed... not because he's unflexible just because he liked it I guess...

Hahaha that one is my favorite! Sorry Shawn I couldn't resist! He was always stretching in whatever space he could find! If he wasn't stretching he was meditating...

... When you're around the same people for 9 months sometimes Meditation is a must have!

Once we were dressed and ready we'd wait for all the screaming children to sit down and then we'd start the show. While we were working our #*^'s off Jarvis would:

He wouldn't sleep all the time... well ...

The first act lasted about 40 mins and then we had a 20 minute intermission. Now 20 mins is kind of a long time when you think about it...

Most of the time Pandemonium would take over! I take no responsibilities for my actions!

Once the show's over we would hop back onto the bus and go to the next venue or back to the hotel. The bus was like our home! Our coffin beds were our only sanctuary from everyone... That sound so bad... no we had some really good times I can't count the amount of dance parties we've had in the front lounge!

That front Lounge was the definition of multifaceted! We did everything in it...

(sorry girls! I love you!)

All in all, I'm going to miss you bus! It was fun while it lasted!

After our last show I took a couple shots on my way out of the theater...

It was kind of crazy to know that after 9 solids months... I wouldn't be doing this show anymore.

Oh I almost forgot! guess what time it is?

Fun Facts!!!

* We've traveled approximately 28,774 miles...
So that means we've spent (this is very rough) about $300,000 on gas!
* We've had 52 two show days, 42 three show days...
So that means that we've had136 catered meals,
AKA millions and millions of pounds of macaroni!
* I can't remember the final count but I think we've done 271 shows.
AKA I've gotten in that damn dragon 265 times!
(I did Pablo 4 times and I missed 2 show's)
*We've stayed in 26 Holiday Inns, 15 Hiltons
and 1 Golf and country club resort!

Things that I will miss...

* A solid paycheck!!!!
*The people!
*Getting on stage everyday!

Things that I will not miss:

Yeah we look all nice, happy, cuddly in that pic...
I dreaded every moment in it!
I can't tell you how happy I was to see this...

Thank you everyone for making those last 9 months so much fun! I will never forget the adventures we've been on and the "Pandamoniousness" of it all:) I hope that you are blessed with an exuberantly fruitful career!

5-6-7-8 Curtain Go!!!

I love you all! My next adventure is NYC ... so stay tuned!

Never Blend In

Ok so I'm sorry that I've been MIA don't worry I haven't forgotten about all of you I still have a lot of Backyardigans rap up to do! and I'm going to try my best to keep this up while I'm here in the city... the hard part is time...

But a quick little catch up for you. When I got back to the city I was greeted with Bed Bugs, No Internet, Jury Duty and when I was walking through time square I got Pick Pocketed! Yep some little bitch stole my wallet, I'll explain in more detail later! But anyways... My intentions of this blog are not to tell you about my woe's! They are to tell you about an amazing Movie:

It's about the first openly gay, elected politician in California. The movie is incredible, Harvey Milk's legacy is incredible, I strongly strongly strongly encourage going to see this movie! It's so relevant to what's going on in today's fight for Gay Marriage. The only difference is that in 1978 it was called Proposition 6 which if passed would have banned all gay people and their supporters from their homes and their jobs, because they were considered sex offenders, and a threat to society!

For my friends and family at home I know that the movie is playing at the Alderwood Mall If you want more information on the movie go to www.milkthemovie.com and if you want more information on Harvey Milk, Wikipedia has some amazing stuff on his life!

The revolution is here, what part are you going to play?

Random Adventures...

We were in my fathers place of birth... El Paso Texas we had a day off, no internet, and nothing to do ... After some amazingly cheep breakfast at a Mexican Diner, some Dance Captain paper work and Rachael Ray, Christie and I were getting really restless! On the city sheet it said that there was a Starbucks .3 miles away. We were like yeah! let's go! We could always use an afternoon pick me up! So we asked the front desk to point us in the right durection and they were like:

Front desk person - "Hahaha! you want to walk to were? that's really far away!"

Us - "Well it says on the city sheet... I'm sure Nelly is right!"

Front desk person - "Well I guess you could walk it if you really wanted to... go to messa and take a Left...

Us - "Then we'll see it?"

Front desk person - "No... it's a ways!"

We disided to do it anyways! So off we went ... we took a left on Messa went to the block that it said on the city sheet... no starbucks ... they were right. We thought well do we go back to the hotel and watch some spanish soap opera? Or should we get our excersize for the day and go on an edventure? We chose the adventure :)

With a fix of the wardrobe we were off. We walked and walked and walked and let me tell you we were seeing no mermaid! We asked a guy on the street if he knew were the Starbucks was... he said "Ummm... yeah it's about 10 - 15 blocks up..." and by up he really ment it... 10 - 15 blocks up hill!!!! Having gone too far to turn around and by this time we've worked up an appatite! So it was crusial that we get there!

By the time we go to the top of the hill we were famished ... I mean we are in the desert without anywater, dehydration was starting to set in this was seriouse! We were grabbing on to everything that could hold out weight!

I mean we both had those big bags to cary ... This was life or death! I look behind us...

Yeah so the street ends when you get to El Paso st. ...witch is the one that we turned left on ... so far right! This is what was in front of us...

Yeah nothing right! While I was taking these pics, Christie went down!

I look back and she's out for the count the walk had really gotten too her! I slapped her across the face a couple of times and gave her to most inspirational pep talk ... I mean it was really good... I couldn't think of a metaphor. Anyways, we stumble to the end of the hill and we we see it! It was magical I have never been so elated to see the white and green circle in my life!

We ran!!! You know like when a hours sees it's stable it just starts galloping, you may not have gotten it to go more than a sluggish trot, but as soon as you round that corner the stupid thing takes off! Well that was us ... a sudden burst of energy came over us! it was amazing!

We ran inside! ordered our favorites and enjoyed the amazingness of Starbucks:

Yeah you can call me a heffer if you want! I earned it! Practically walked back to New York... We were so satisfied and so sad when it was gone!

It wouldn't be right if something didn't go wrong... when we got up to leave, Christie thru away our garbage... well here, I'll show you this pic let know if you notice anything:

The garbage cover was not on the can... lol but she still with confidence dropped everything in it... she wasn't the frist to do it too! The worker that lifts that is going to not like the way her day is going... but it was just what we needed for our hike back! You know having walked around the town for so long, we got a good feel of it...

Once we finally got home we were pooped so we took a nap! hahaha I have to say it's not that cute! Very very very run down! What was it like when you were born dad ... do you remeber? ;)


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Hey I forgot I took these... I woke up really early on the bus! So I took these pics from the front lounge:)

Notice there's only one car in all those pics! ... Welcome to Texas!

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So that night we had our end of tour party. We wanted to do it when everyone was available and Wednesday was the only time. So Michele organized everything at the Hotel bar... we got free hors d'oeurves and 2 drinks for free, and they had a special on some very sensible Margareta's:) Mom you would have loved it!

It was so random in the dumps of the downtown area ... we had this amazing hotel! The bar was georges!

It had a Tiffanie's dome!! Yes from Tiffanie's like "Breakfast at!" here is it:

Just stunning! It's just so out of place it makes me think that El Paso used to be a booming matropilis! But anyway the party! The food was meteroker at best... but the companie was great! And because it was our last time to really do it up with everyone we got dressed! You know it's a party when the red pants come out!!!

Or... the green mullet:) It was really fun we ate, drank, sociazed and then twards the end of the night we did what every sivilezed adult does... smash a pinyata!

Yep ... we broke Dora! ... some people think that she's the reason for our show closing... I think it's the economy ... but anyway it was kind of nice to get out some pent up aggression:) hahaha I was a great closing night party!

Hey love you all! Talk to you later:)