The end of a chapter

Okay so I have been keeping something under my hat now for a while. (Well on the blog at least) But I did not want to make an official announcement in print before I had all of my ducks in a row. Now that I have gotten word from the horse's mouth and broken the bad news, I can spill the beans (sometimes it is fun to see just how many cliches one can pack into a paragraph, especially at 1am!)

I accepted the afore mentioned Atlantic City extension of The Wedding Singer which will take me through the end of August. Even more exciting though is the fact that I have been officially asked to be in the orchestra for NETwork's tour of The Wizard of Oz. I will start rehearsals for The Wizard of Oz in the beginning of October and the tour will run through June of 2009. (Just in case you are curious the picture above was taken in Houston. So mark April 7-19 on your calendar if you have plans to be in Houston!)

What about my life here in Indiana you might ask? Well that is what I have been sensitive to in terms of announcing the above news here on my blog. After just a short time since joining The Wedding Singer, it was obvious to me that touring suits me. In fact I very much enjoy it. If you remember back in Saint Louis I had a moment when I was walking through the park by the art museum when I suddenly realized that I was happy. Well I am still happy. Is everything about touring ideal? No, but I can honestly say that I would rather not be doing anything else with my life right now that touring with a musical. I have rarely been so content.

So what about Amish Acres and the Woodwind and Brasswind? I broke the news to Jeremy at the Round Barn some time ago. I am still helping out with finding musicians since that was my racket for the last ten years. In some ways though it is gratifying that someone else can experience the headache that is contracting musicians to play at a theatre in the middle of Amish country in Indiana. I have no regrets in regards to my time at the Round Barn. As of the end of last year, I logged 50 productions and 10 seasons. It is an accomplishment that I am proud of, and if my schedule allows it in the future I would be happy to come back and play at the RBT. (Actually I am available for the first two weeks of Kiss Me Kate!?!?!)

Now on to the Woodwind and Brasswind. Again I have no regrets about the last seven years that I worked there. I started as a playtester for flutes and saxophones, and ended up selling high end double reeds and working as a repair technician. I gained many valuable skills working there and am grateful for the many opportunities that were given to me (the trips to Germany, Las Vegas, San Diego, etc.). Sadly I ended up having mixed feelings about returning to the Woodwind because of how a coworker treated me on my last day before I joined the tour. I honestly did not know how I was going to be able to just pick up the pieces and pretend like nothing ever happened after my time with The Wedding Singer ended. Now with the extension and The Wizard of Oz, the choice was much easier for me. As soon as I had an official e-mail about The Wizard of Oz, I called up Cindy at the Woodwind to let her know that I would not be returning after my gig leave was up. Today I drove up to the Woodwind to gather my personal items and say goodbye. I am happy to say that everyone was very nice and supportive. I tried my best to let everyone know that I have no hard feelings (except in one instance) and that I did not want to leave on bad terms. It seems like everyone was understanding and that there were no bad feelings about my departure.

I am now just trying to get my life organized, and waiting out the two week layoff from the tour. I foresee quite a few dinners and lunches with people to catch up. Plus there are about a million books that I have started and not finished. I actually have time to read. It staggers the mind!