Maxine Von Cross Lutheran

Pigeon, MI
Hello Friends,

Guess who has been snowed in for three guys with internet access...



So I have wanted to do this for a few days and now I finally have a chance to introduce the newest member of the family (though we are adding a few new Loehrke Ladies in 2011 - got a couple of cousins get a'hitched!).

About a year or so ago my parents thought it would be a good idea to get a puppy. Being a family that loves dogs and detests cats they were delighted to find that some farmers had pure bred labs for sale. Eight pups in all awaited them. 2 male and 6 female. While the males had already been claimed (huntin' dogs are in high demand around here) my parents were delighted to get a girl as we have always had girl dogs for as long as I can remember. All eight pups came out to greet them and Maxi went straight to my Dad. As they say, the rest was history.



She will be two in April and if my parents hadn't spayed her and registered her, her name would have been Maxie Von Cross Lutheran but we just call her Maxi. I would have named her Butters for her butterscotch coloring right down to her tan nose. She is a great dog, well will be. She is still very much a puppy.

The best way to sum her up is that she has the compassion and loyalty of Doug the Dog from "Up" and the special needs strength and energy of Lenny from "Of Mice and Men".

Welcome to the family Maxi!

The Adventure Continues - ML

The Pigeon Blizzard

Pigeon, MI
Hello Friends!

Saturday night, the winds were calm, the night brisk, the streets were quite, the front of the house looked as such:



It was forecasted and didn't come as a surprise but it did start snowing round about midnight. When the sun rose a strong dusting covered the ground and while flakes continued to fall, the locals scoffed and talk again of how the weather man was wrong. In fact some say it even started to rain. Snow storm indeed.

Then around one o'clock the wind picked up from the north and visibility began to shrink dramatically by the hour. The snow began coming down, but not really down but sideways. Slowly mutterings changed from a wimpy front to that of how many inches to expect and the number grew faster then a rumor at a high school

48 hours and 2 blizzard warnings later the sun shone its head today. When all was said and done the norther thumb of Michigan received anywhere from 9-15 inches. Snow squalls around the area were said to reach over ten feet. As we ventured out to run errands I saw snow that reminded more of the Dakotas then being in the Mid-West.



Stay warm and safe!

The Adventure Continues - ML

Daring Dining ~ Main Street Cafe

Pigeon, MI
Hello Friends,

Not even my parents little village of Pigeon, MI is safe from the blog and today my father and I took in the local cuisine at Main Street Cafe and Bakery.

Located on, well Main Street, in the center of the bustling village of Pigeon this little Mom and Pop offer cheap and tasty food for the farmers and more of the county. The walls are lined with pictures of students from the graduating classes of the 50's and 60's and the tables welcome you with locally made paper place mats informing you of the local goings-ons (best of luck to you oh local community playhouse!). It is an establishment the exudes wholesomeness and for the noon lunching hour was quite busy.

Though it was lunch both Dad and I opted for breakfast - my most favorite meal of the day. Dad went with a traditional Farmer Omelet and I a Country Cousin Breakfast. Why it is called that is beyond me but color me impressed it was good! Dad's omelet was HUGE and filled with all sorts of veggies and meats. Mine came with three eggs (over medium thank you very much) hash browns, meat of my choice (sausage patties, they stack well on the toast), your choice of toast, juice AND coffee all for, $5.39!!!! I have eaten at A LOT of breakfast places and never have I gotten so much food that was so well prepared for such a price. It was a wonderful surprise.

I find myself in Pigeon about twice a year to visit family and while I look forward to time with family and to relax I now look forward to a great Cafe as well!

The Adventure Continues - ML

Fall Tour '10 by the Numbers

Pigeon, MI
Hello Friends!

Shawna and I are enjoying three and half weeks off for the holiday and I find myself in the northern thumb of Michigan as I once again enjoy some holiday time with my parents. We are currently bracing for 7-12 inches of snow (seems to be following me...) and I thought this would be as good as time as ever to post some numbers that wrap up the past four months of touring. A lot less miles driven then summer but still a lot of good work was done these past four months! Here we go!

3060 - Miles driven in Truck
510 - Cast Members
350 - Approximate Largest Audience
75 - Approximate Smallest Audience
36 - Workshops Conducted
21 - Performances of Beauty Lou and the Country Beast
18 - How old our show is (written in 1986!)
16 - Different beds/surfaces I slept on
10 - Residency Weeks
9 - Flights Taken
8 - Trips Over Mountain Passes with Snow
7 - Home stays
5 - Different types of Rum sampled in the Tropics
5 - Friday Performances
4 - States Driven Through
4 - Home stays with hot tubs
3 - Times we had to cut children at auditions
3 - Greyhound Bus Trips
3 - Times the Barn fell over (thankfully never during the show)
2 - Towns with No Cell Phone Service
1 - Site visit from MCT
1 - "Bathroom Accident" Onstage

Other Fun Facts!
Most traveled Interstate - I-90
Most received gift card - Starbucks (almost $100 worth!)
Most asked question from the children - "Are you guys married?"
Average age range for casts - K-6
Average stain on costumes - Roosters red cheeks on EVERYTHING
Costume that broke the most - Daughters Skirts (they step on them)
Most drank beverage - Black Coffee
Typical Travel Day Snack - Beef Jerky
All of our piano piano players and contacts were ladies

The Adventure Continues - ML

Trapped in Toppensih

Toppenish, WA
Hello Friends,

At a McDonalds tying this post, won't be able to update much this week as I am not sure how much longer I can stand french fry beeping and grease smells. Last week for fall tour and then 3 weeks back east for family fun. Must keep this short as I have a lot to do online so I leave you with this.

Three months ago I was here-


Now I am here-


California is looking real good right now.

The Adventure Continues - ML

The Lights of Lewiston

Missoula, MT
Hello Friends!

I am currently bracing for a blizzard in Missoula, MT as I am spending a relaxing week with my Missoula family. It's not often Montana locals take notice of winter weather however when a Blizzard notice is herald people around here start talking!

Saturday I wrapped my time in Lewiston, ID with a night of picture fun. On Saturday Lewiston (named after Lewis and Clark, hence the neighboring town named Clarkson, another fun fact of Lewiston, it was the first state capitol of Idaho and is Idaho's only seaport thanks to the Snake River) no where was I... oh yeah. So on Saturday Lewiston lit its downtown park for the holiday season. Being the last night of Pat and Matt 2010 we decide to hold a photo shoot. The theme was, well if you know Pat and I, the theme is really us just being us. Enjoy!










The Adventure Continues - ML

Picturesque Tekoa

Lewiston, ID
Hello Friends,

Things are going well in Idaho! We are on a week before break (always a good thing) and I am spending some time with long time friend and college room mate Pat Allen.


I have some pictures from Tekoa (Tea-ko) I wanted to share. Some towns have iconic architecture that defines them (Space Needle, Elfie Tower, Sydney Opera House) others natural landmarks (Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, or the Thumb of Michigan). Tekoa has this massive railroad bridge.

Tekoa (if I am correct) use to be the end of the line for a railroad from Seattle and this bridge is what it came across to stop in Tekoa. It is really an impressive sight to see as you have been driving through nothing but rolling hills of agriculture for 40 minutes then -BAM- huge man made steal bridge.

You have to drive under it to get to down town and I did giggle like a little lad every time we went under. Trains have long since using this bridge and the town is training to turn it into a pedestrian bridge for trail to go through the county. Sadly a lot of legal tape is in the way and that dream is still aways off.

Finally, here is a picture of a child's costume bag. Some teams hold bag decorating contests, we do not. However this is by far the most intricate costume bag I have seen in a long long time. Can you guess what barnyard critter she was playing?

The Adventure Continues - ML

*This is post number 50 on the blog!!!

Empire Theatre

Lewiston, ID
Hello Friends,

Last week we performed in a gem of an old theatre - The Empire Theatre in Tekoa. Built in the 40's as a movie house, this art deco inspired building has stood on the main street (actually Crosby Street) and seen the many changes of this small town come and go.

In it's heyday you could pay 25 cents for a double feature. While the Empire did close its doors for a good chunk of the 60's-80's, it has since been restored and maintained by the citizens of Tekoa and continues to provide a live arts experience once a month to the good citizens of Whitman County.

It is a gorgeous little theatre and one with undeniable charm and history. I love theatres like this and am glad to have not only tour this wonderful space but also say that I directed there as well.

The Adventure Continues - ML

Daring Dining! ~ Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner in Tekoa

Tekoa, WA
Hello Friends!

Are we in for a treat today! Tekoa has been a wonderful week and this small town boasts not one but THREE fantastic and varied culinary destinations. The Feeding Station,Cafe Artisan, and C&D's.

For breakfast we partook at the Ma and Pa diner of the Feeding Station. We almost didn't eat there, but the promise of fresh maple bars was too much for Shawna to pass up and I am always in the mood for breakfast. The regulars were still finishing up as we took in a late breakfast (10AM). The menu had nothing fancy and that was fine. Eggs, pancakes, and biscuits and gravy, no need to reinvent the wheel here and for good reason. I had the ham and cheese omelet, correction the 1/2 order omelet. A good thing too, it was huge. The omelet was fluffy and light and they did not skimp on the ham inside. The cheese part rested on the outside of the eggs with two delicious slices of american cheese staring at me the whole time. It tasted much like my Mom's eggs and I think that is why I loved them so much. It was paired with grilled seasoned potatoes and onions and made for a great meal. And Shawn'a Maple Bar didn't disappoint either!

Today for lunch our lovely home stay hosts and Empire Theatre Members Cheryl and Monty Morgan took us out for lunch at the Artisan Cafe. This establishment was clearly trying to claim the fine dining crowd of Tekoa as they offer a small (three items) menu per meal that changes weekly. We were offered the Shrimp Rice Bowl, Curry Vegetable Soup, and Spinach Salad. Surprisingly we all ordered something different and got to experience a bite of each. I opted for the salad and loved it! Lots of fresh baby spinach with kalamato olives, feta cheese and red onions with a light vinagrete dressing. The other dishes were nice as well but I liked mine best. I actually ordered dessert as well and enjoyed a nice creme breula(?) (I have been watching way too much Hell's Kitchen) and it, of course, was wonderful.



Our last stop on this tasty tour of Tekoa is C&D's Bar and Grill. Not going to lie, this place was our favorite. We went here twice mainly becuase it was the only place open late to get food in town and every time we went we felt like locals and enjoyed the staff. They offer great pub food and I greatly enjoyed my calzone, however they are known for Donavon's Big Daddy Burger. You have to click on the link to see what is all in it, I can tell you this, it is worthy of Man Vs. Food. We even meet and talked to Donavon for a bit (that's him in the burger picture). Neither Shawna nor I attempt the massive burger, however one was auctioned off tonight the at spaghetti fundraiser I went to tonight and it went for $65.

Though Tekoa is a tiny town, it is full of wonderful people and food and is well worth your time to jaunt off I90 and stop on down. Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner. Morning, Noon, or Night. You won't go hungry in Tekoa.

The Adventure Continues - ML

Much Ado about Auburn

Tekoa, WA
Hello Friends,

Two weeks ago we had our second stop in Western Washington in the southern Puget Sound town of Auburn, WA. We arrived in Auburn after a rainy drive over Snoqualmie pass that had some angry southern rain (like can't see when the wipers on full force rain) that required us to pull off at North Bend outlets for awhile. That was a little nuts even by Western Washington standards. The school we were at wasn't too far from Shawna's house so she opted to stay there that week. So after dropping her off, I headed out to my home stay through dreary weather and on familiar roads to where ever Nigel our the GPS would take me. I was feeling a little drained. I think it was the sudden onset of Western Washington Fall (grey and wet) and being back in a "home-ish" area that put me in a mild funk. Actually what I really think it was is something us TAD's call the Sunday Slump.

Sunday is our days of goodbyes and hellos. When Sunday rolls around we usually have just figured out the town and/or home we are in. We have just come off great shows and now it is time to start all over again. It can be taxing as you are always saying goodbye every seven days and there is sometimes a tiny part of you that wonders what it would be like if you just stayed. Of course that is never an option, and so on you go to the next destination. It's a blessing and a curse and we all understand that part of the job well before we sign on the dotted line.

Anyways, I was definitely in a Sunday Slump when I pulled up to my new home in Auburn. I was greeted by a gate when I arrived at my home stay. I was buzzed in. I pulled up to an amazing home. I was welcomed by a warm family. I was feed home made pot roast. My Sunday Slump quickly faded.

It's funny how our job works. It's cliche but true- we rely on the kindness of strangers. With in ten minutes I felt at home and welcome. My home stay family had an absouletly amazing home and I kick myself for not getting any pictures! If I ever find any online (they said there were some floating around) I will post them. There house was basically built for host events. It was huge and modern and I loved it.

That week we were at first time school and we had a cast of 30 that week (we have been having small casts lately...) We had three shows with them and it was a treat to bring MCT there for the first time. Shawna performed and her parents were able to attend. It's not often that family gets to see us perform, in fact it has only happened once for me, so it was great that we could make that happen. Shawna's parents also had me over for a nice home cooked meal of spaghetti which was wonderful - THANK YOU!

That weekend was Halloween and I decided to throw myself into the Emerald City of Seattle and spend an evening on the town with good friends. Since we didn't have a long drive Shawna and I decided to make another long weekend of it and would leave for Glenwood on Monday rather then Sunday. So on my off Sunday I made NEW friends as I hung out with my good friend Ryan and his wife Tina at their friends house in Tacoma. Justin and Katie (the new friends, that last sentence was a bit rough) were having a little NFL Halloween party and it was a blast! We watched the Seahawks get demolished and handed out candy. It was the best kind of good time, the unexpected type.

On Monday we bid farewell to Western Washington and those we hold dear. It was a good time and it was time to move on. And on we went to Glenwood.

The Adventure Continues - ML

Glancing back at Glenwood

Tekoa, WA
Hello Friends,

Last week I found myself in the shadow of Mt. Adams in the tiny town of Glenwood, WA. I was quite surprised how majestic Mt. Adams was. As a (some what) Washingtonian, I was surprsied I really hadn't even heard of Mt. Adams, yet it is just as tall as Rainer (Washington's iconic mountain) and just as stunning.

The town was and still is a timber town where loggers and forest service men and women call home. Boasting a population of around 600 people, Shawna and I were clearly the new folks in town all week and it didn't take long for people to guess that we were those "theatre" people. Thankfully that was a good thing since the town loves MCT.

We stayed at the Shade Tree Inn and were pleasantly surprised that for a ma and pa establishment it was well maintained and warm! The Inn also boasted the only restaurant in town and I enjoyed a few breakfasts there. The talk of the town was Elk season for it was starting on Friday and everyone was asking everyone were they were heading Friday night to be ready for first light Saturday.

Our residency was at the Glenwood School, a K-12 school with a student population of 70. We had a cast of 34 and though it was a smaller cast for us they still did a good job. Unfortuntly a nasty cold was running rampant through the school and our cast and our Beast had to drop at the last minute. So now Shawna can add another role to her resume.

The neat thing about this week is that before the only performance the school offers a feed of some sort. This years it was lasagna. I know it sounds all sappy, but I love it when our MCT performances are part of a larger community event. This is the sixth year Glenwood has had MCT and it was great to part of such a fun tradition.

The school bug was starting to take hold of me as we went into our performance and while my energy was there my voice was not and it definitely wasn't one of my stronger performances. Oh well, that's part of this job is performing through the good and bad, both physically and emotionally. I am happy to report after much bed rest this week I am almost over it.

Well off to do a show at the historic Empire Theatre! Thanks for coming back and reading, it is so nice to be able to post again!

The Adventure Continues - ML

Portland - Six Months Later

Tekoa, WA
Hello Friends,

Time to fill in the gaps of these almost three weeks of adventures. It has been quite a gap. So I am going to work my way back and start with my whirlwind trip back to my most recent "home", no other then that of Portland, OR.

Our week in Glenwood, WA last week culminated in one Friday evening performance. Shawna and I decided to make a long weekend out of it and decided she would take the truck east towards Spokane and I caught a ride with dear friend the lovely and very talented Meredith Ott back to Portland.

I must confess I was hesitant to go back to Portland. Not because I did not want to go, it was because I was afraid I would not want to leave. It has nothing to do with the tour, or MCT, or anything of that nature. It has to deal with dear friends and how much I miss them. And my fears were confirmed when I had a mini-breakdown after a wonderful brunch Sunday morning (it didn't help that my body was sleep deprived and working off WAY to many libations). I miss Portland. I miss the people. I miss NWCT. And yet, when I flew off to meet up Shawna and Fifi (our truck) I still knew I made the right decision to come back to the road and MCT.

It seems that many young professionals such as myself (though am I a young professional anymore?) are all in this boat that we wish someone would appear and just tell us what to do with our lives. We have so many opportunities and yet we feel that if we take one then a thousand doors of could of, would of, should of close tight behind us. I was one of those people... Who am I kidding, I still am! But I know had I not made a choice, made a change, I would still be wondering and waiting.

Do I still know the answer, the end point of this journey? No. And I don't think I ever will. I think you have to accept it and enjoy the journey as it goes along. Of course that is much easier said then done.

So where does this sudden very Pastor Tim-esc blog post come from? Well - from my recent visit to Portland. Every second was crammed with amazing times with friends ranging from co-workers and students to friends I would take a bullet for. My times made me realize that no amount of distance can ever sever those ties and while life and time keep plodding along at its inevitable rate some things never change and true friendships are one of those cosmic consistences that we will always have and will always take for granted.

Is Portland a destination or a stepping stone? Will I become a Missoulian? Or are east coast roots in my future? I don't know and that's OK. For now I enjoy my nomad life. My new friends every week and the pride every child takes when they bow at the end of their show. Right now that's what I want and that's what I am going to keep doing.

There will always be opportunities and I think I am going to start enjoying the ones I take instead of the ones that could have been.

Thanks for reading this out there post (I have been taking a lot of Nyquil this week) and I can not thank enough to all the people in Portland who made time in their schedule for me or cooked or let me sleep in there couch or or or. You are are wonderful and I can't wait for our paths to cross again. I am thinking May 2011...

The Adventure Continues - ML

Winter/Spring 2011 Schedule aka California Dreaming

Tokeo, WA
Hello Friends!

After a WAY too long internet black out am I happy to report I am alive and (almost) well (fighting off the tail end of a nasty cold). The past two weeks have been a blur of fun and friends and we will cover that soon. First though I am happy to announce where I am going to be this Winter/Spring with Shawna and Beauty Lou.

A- 1/3-8 HILMAR CA
B- 1/10-15 LA JOLLA CA
C- 1/17-22 DOS PALOS CA
D- 1/24-29 SHAFTER CA
E- 1/31-5 MARTINEZ CA
F- 2/7-12 GILROY CA
G- 2/14-19 ALTURAS CA

SPRING BREAK - WEEK OFF

H- 2/28-3/5 MODESTO CA
I- 3/7-12 NIPOMO CA
J- 3/14-19 LEGGETT CA
K- 3/21-26 CARMICHAEL CA
L- 3/28-4/2 EL DORADO HILLS CA
M- 4/4-9 SACRAMENTO CA
N- 4/11-16 NEWMAN CA
O- 4/18-23 WEST WENDOVER NV
P- 4/25-30 LAS VEGAS NV
Q- 5/2-7 HEMET CA
R- 5/9-14 SACRAMENTO CA

What follows is a map of all the locations where we will be, the letter lines up with the town location.


View Larger Map

Going to keep it short for now since this post is probably a strain on the blog. No worries, a lot of updates to come this and next week where internet abounds!

The Adventure Continues - ML

Ponies and Passes

East Wenatchee, WA
Hello Friends,

Finished up three great shows in Maple Valley, WA last week. It was definitely a race to the finish line as we had about six less hours to rehearse the show there being a 9:30AM show on Friday. Each show the kids performed got better and better and that's all we could ask for. Doing three shows as Buck was quite taxing and I am glad to be getting some vocal rest the next two weeks as Shawna steps in for her 1st foray as Buckroo Bonnie.

Right before one of our performances we did the dreaded all call bathroom break for the cast. I say dreaded as we try to stress it's only emergencies and the show is only an hour long and and and... However it always ends up chaos as every cast member rushes to the bathroom. As I stood in the hallway trying to bring some structure to the bathroom dash a tiny pony (a second grade critter in the show) stood befuddled before the restrooms. This conversation between the equine and I ensued.

Matt- Do you need to use the bathroom?
Pony- Yeah.
M- Well go ahead in the bathroom.
P- It's too crowded.
M- Then go to the one down the hall.
P- Wait, why are we here?
M- This is your last chance to use to the bathroom before the show.
P- Oh.
(The Pony starts to walk away)
M- Wait, don't you have to use the bathroom?
P- No.

I wish I made that up, but sadly I didn't.

With our last show on Saturday wrapping up at 3PM I spent some great time with old friends in Seattle. I saw an R rated movie and a play with adult actors swearing and killing each other on stage. From there we ended the evening back home with conversation and cocktails. It was nice to be an adult for a evening.

Shawna picked me up at two (she stayed with family) and we headed over the Snoqaulmie pass to East Wenatchee. It was a short drive and was absolutely gorgeous! The pass was sunny and watching the dramatic change from western to eastern Washington never gets old.

Had to cut kids yesterday at auditions. That's never fun. I swear I think I am the first taste of rejection children ever experience. But on a positive note two years a girl did not get a part and this year she landed the lead of Beauty Lou. The system works, though casting shows is not a fair system. Looks like the weather will continue to hold well this week and I look forward to a Bavarian trip to Leavenworth this Friday!

The Adventure Continues - ML

*My apologies for lack of pictures, we really haven't been taking any now that we are back in NW, I will try to remedy that.

Suddenly Fall

Maple Valley, WA
Hello Friends,

The bite of fall is in the air and leaves are a gorgeous hue of orange. It's strange to think that two weeks ago I was tropics getting a tan. Things are swell in Washington. It has been fun to be around the old neighborhoods and the northwest. The evergreen trees that open up to sprawling strip malls, the ma and pa teriyaki shops and coffee carts on every corner, and Mt. Rainier smiling on down. It's nice trip down memory lane.

Accidentally flooded a laundromat today. A washer wasn't spinning so I opened the door not realizing it was full of water still and when the door opened out came about two gallons of water. Good times. Needless to say that we will not be going back to that laundromat.

The kids are doing great considering that we are doing a Friday morning show instead of the usual Saturday afternoon show. This means we have dress rehearsal tomorrow and we haven't even run the full show yet! It will be interesting tomorrow!

So if you want to see the whole show of Beauty Lou and the Country Beast you can see it on YouTube. The prep school was able to post the entire show and you can view it here. It's about an hour long and you will see and hear a lot of me. You have been warned.

The Adventure Continues - ML

Homecoming

Maple Valley, WA
Hello Friends,

Suddenly I find myself back in the lands of my youth. Yes I am writting to you from South King County. For those of you not familiar with Loehrke family history, my family settled down in Kent, WA back in the early 90's. Once Dad left the Coast Guard we stayed in the Pacific Northwest and this young Buckeye became a Bigfoot. However after College and my Internship my folks moved back East and I haven't had any reason (other then weddings and good friends) to spend much time back here. Well that changes this week as we have a residency week in Maple Valley.

Coming back to the South Seattle area wasn't the only homecoming of the week. Yesterday we made a quick stop in Portland. It worked out that we could swing by there when we drove from Hermiston and I was able to take in Northwest Children's Theatre Season opener Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day. It was wonderful to see the theatre doing well and see so many happy faces. The show was great and I would be lying if I wasn't at all homesick when we left.

However all it took was great auditions today to remind me that I am doing great work and enjoy what I do. I am staying with a wonderful family, the father is an ELCA Pastor just like my Dad and I feel at home.

Hermiston ended well. We had two packed shows with almost 250 at each. Once the shows were done we were treated to a fantastic dinner at The Farmers Kitchen. The food was amazing. I would do a daring dining, but the evening is a little hazy as I was very tired from the shows and the wine was really really good. I had the shrimp campalini and Shawna enjoyed steak. It was very kind of the already very generous Desert Arts Council to treat us to such a wonderful meal.

We bid a sad farewell to our lovely home stay at the Turner's and hope they all enjoyed the dear that was to arrive from the most recent hunting outing.

The Adventure Continues - ML

Disconnected

Hermiston, OR
Hello Friends,

Well here we are finally starting fall tour. Of course we HAVE been on fall tour since Salmon, but really it feels like fall tour is starting now that we are back from St. Kitts. The travel has gone smooth and all of our bags arrived (it took awhile though, some had an unexpected layover in Denver). We now find ourselves in the high desert plains of the pacific northwest in Hermiston, OR.

We are staying at a nice guest house and we do not have internet access (at Starbucks now) so posts will be limited. The final St. Kitts debrief is on its way. Till then!

The Adventure Continues - ML

Back in the USA

Denver International Airport
Hello Friends,

Here we are waiting for our 8th and final flight over the past two weeks to go home to Missoula. The day started at 3:30AM in Miami and we are enduring a four hour layover in Denver. Getting through customs with all the bags went easy both in St. Kitts and Miami and now our fingers are crossed that everything arrives in Missoula when we do.

I still have one last great St. Kitts update to post with show day pictures and memories. However the past 48 and future 48 hours will be spent traveling. I never thought I would look forward to driving the old red truck again so much! Once we get settled in Hermiston, OR you bet I will close the book to one of the most amazing weeks of my life. Right now I think it is time for ice cream.

The Adventure Continues - ML

St. Kitts ~ History

St. Kitts
Hello Friends,

The show is done. The set is packed (thought not yet properly weighed). The crowd was amazed and the kids succeed beyond wildest expectations (of course was there ever any doubt).

Today was a day that I am not sure will ever happen again in my career as a Tour Actor Director. Today I made MCT history (with Shawna of course). From time to time you will perform in a town that is having an MCT week for the first time and thats rad. However it is very rare that you perform in a 1st time town in a foreign country. Also it is EXTREMELY rare that you perform for the first time for an entire region of the world. Such was the case today.

MCT has had performances in the Caribbean Sea back in the day when they did residencies on Cruise Ships but today was the first time MCT has had a residency week on a Caribbean Island Nation. It was humbling to be part of such an amazing experience.

There are lots of pictures and stories to share but I am dead on my fingers and a hair away from passing out. Just know that the show was attended total by almost 600 folks between the two shows, the response was amazing, the kids were phenomenal, and I will be close to tears for many reasons when we fly away tomorrow. Thankfully we have one last morning assembly with the kids tomorrow before we fly out to say goodbye and congratulate them. Yup I can already feel the weeping acomin'.

See you in Miami tomorrow night!

The Adventure Continues - ML

St. Kitts ~ Zip-line

St. Kitts
Hello Friends,

Today we had a real treat. Pretty much the only thing not on our inteneria this week was something Shawna discovered while researching fun things to do on the island and that was a zip-line tour of a tropical rain forest. We told our wonderful contact Jane we would like to experience this and she turned around and made it a treat for the entire 7-8th grade students (7 kids total).

We all left (kids, us, and some school chaperons - 13 total) left shortly after rehearsal today (which went great!) and drove the 10 minutes to get there. We signed our life away with many waivers, were weighed, and harnessed up. You wear a modified hand-gliding harness that connects to a trolley that supposedly can hold 6,000 lbs. After a short test line where we learned flying pose and braking pose (also called the birthing position to which our guides would remind us of this by yelling "Head down! Knees up!") we were off to start our tour!

There were four lines in all and it was INCREDIBLE! I felt very secure in the harness and the amazing thing was when you left the platform you felt only about 20 ft off the ground. Then you hit a clearing going 30 mph and suddenly you were 250 above a rain forest looking at the Caribbean Sea. It was breathtaking! Coming to a stop was surprisingly simple as you hit a long series of springs that deaden your speed really well. Thats a pciture of me coming to a stop on the line by the way.

The experience was truly unique and we did capture video of Shawna and I descending the Zip which I hope to share some day. Tonight we ate at a new restaurant in town called Sweet Cane (I think). Had delicious garlic shrimp and some island rum. Tomorrow is the big show and it sounds we may even have two sold out shows! It's going to be the great ending to an already amazing week!

The Adventure Continues - ML

St. Kitts ~ Exhaustion

St. Kitts
Hello Friends,

Another whirlwind of a day all in the good! Today was day three of rehearsals and as par for the course we had lite breakfast pastries, morning assembly, real breakfast, workshop, first rehearsal, lunch (gyros!), 2nd rehearsal, another workshop, I hit the gym on campus, and then dinner in down town Basseterre (Capital of the country) at Pride of India. I am not one for going out to find Indian food and it was delicious thanks in part to being there with lots of people who ordered many different things and we all shared. I look forward to my next visit and hope the curry doens't haunt around 3AM...

It is going great and I am thankfully for the nine hours of sleep every night because we are on the go from the first light on and the sweltering temperatures don not help the energy level. Again no pictures today but trust me there will be some great ones from ziplining through the tropics tomorrow.

Oh and I found out I will be performing for the diplomats and their families from Taiwan and Brazil to St. Kitts for our show on Thursday. I for one think that is pretty rad.

The Adventure Continues - ML

St. Kitts ~ Rehearsal

St. Kitts
Hello Friends,

Had a nice day of MCT work today. Started off with the morning assembly where all the students gather and start the day with announcements and birthday celebrations. From there we did something we normally never do on tour and that was work with pre-k students. Since they were the only age group not eligible to do any workshops or shows with us these week we still wanted them to feel included so Shawna and I created a modified workshop for the littles and had a good time with them.

From there it was two great rehearsals followed by dinner. Today was a day of eating though. Our wonderful contact Jane makes sure we do not go hungry on this island adventure. Pre-breakfast was almond puff pastry and coffee. Breakfast was a broiled cheese egg Mexican dish. Lunch a peanut tofu stir fry. Post rehearsal snack a slice of cheesecake. And Dinner a wonderful meal at Ciao one if not the only Italian restaurants on the island. I had the Gorgonzola gnocchi and am about to succumb to the food coma shortly.

No pictures today. It was all work work, but I think we will have some good ones soon from the tropical rainforest zipline tour on Wednesday!.

The Adventure Continues - ML

St. Kitts ~ Sights

St. Kitts
Hello Friends,


My shoulders are slightly seared and the day has come to a close. Today we saw many great sights all around the isalnd of St. Kitts. While yesterday was dedicated to the sister island of Nevis, today we stuck around the main one.

Our first order of business was snorkeling. We went back to the same beach where we had our first dinner with the fire man and joined some other folks from Ross U. We snorkeled about half a mile to a little cove and back. The whole trip took about an hour and a half and was incredible. First the sea was calm and the visibility was perfect. Second their was no one else out. And third, the wild life did not disappoint!

During our trek we saw not one but four sea turtles (though I have a suspicion one may have been a repeat) a ray, squids, a puffer fish, pipe fish, minnows (a whole school we swam through!) jellies, and lots of very colorful "pet store" fish one of our fellow swimmer commented! We do not have any pictures from underwater yet the gorgeous beach view is where we embarked from (Timothy Beach).

Breakfast was at a beach cafe right there on the shore and then a quick rinse and off for a car tour. We first stopped at a sight called "bottle tree" which is this wicked old tree with bottles tied to it. We did not stay too long as a local started heckling us pretty good. From there we went to one of the most famous spots on the island Brimstone Hill Fortress. The sights were AMAZING! You could see for miles and could easily understand why the British made such a grand fort on the hill. It was also void of fellow tourists so Shawna and I had the run of the place. It was really neat.

Next we stopped for an afternoon "beverage" at a plantation resort. Those are some nice NICE places. Finally we wrapped up the day with a light dinner with some teachers from the Prep School we are working with. Everyone has been so generous and wonderful!

Tomorrow we get to payback our wonderful hospitality by putting the show on its feet. This should be a fairly easy task as every cast member is thrilled to the gills for their performance. We have seen great sights and incredible things these past two days and I feel the best part of the trip is yet to come! Really looking forward to show day!

The Adventure Continues - ML

St. Kitts ~ Nevis

St. Kitts
Hello Friends,



Wow, what a wonderful day! Today our AMAZING tour guides Jane, Carol, Tammi, and Eddie took us to the neighboring island that makes up the second part of this nation, the Island Nevis (one last time, pornounced Knee-vis). It is much smaller both population and size and really has a feeling of its own.

We left teh University around 8AM and made it to the ferry at around 8:45. There is only one car ferry for the islands while there are about two passenger only ferrys. We where sure to arrie early as we wanted to catch the first ferry across. When you arrive at the "terminal" or "metal fence" you must park backwards so you can back on the ferry. I found this very interesting. The ferry was schedule to arrive from Nevis at nine. However Shawna and I got a lesson in "island time" and the ferry arrived at 9:45. We backed aboard and were off. During our twenty minute trek to Nevis we saw a nice huge sea turtle swim by. It was huge! It was really exciting!

After docking we drove about another twenty minutes to Hermitage for breakfast. Hermitage is the oldest wooden structures on the island, almost the entire Caribbean. It use to be a sugar plantation, but now it is a glorious B&B. Most of our party enjoyed the coconut crusted French toast and loved it (by the way, loved it is and understatement) I thoroughly enjoyed my eggs with black beans.

From there we continued our tour around the island and stopped off at a local pottery house, a hotel for drinks on Nevis Mountain, and even a short swim on of the beaches. the water is wonderful. around 80 degrees, comfortable and glorious. I can understand why people vacation here.

We had a nice ferry trip back and enjoyed a light meal at a beach bar not far from the ferry terminal on St. Kitts. The day was amazing and no amount of words can give it justice. I am getting lots of sun and am very glad that I can get a good nights rest before the new adventure that lies ahead. Tomorrow we spend the morning snorkeling and then an island tour of St. Kitts! Till then friends!

The Adventure Continues - ML

St. Kitts ~ Reclette

St. Kitts
Hello Friends,

My apologizes for the late post but we just returned from the most amazing dinner ever! First lets start at the top of the day.





Shawna and I arrived at the school at 7:30 and all of the students and teachers were thrilled we were there to start our residency week. After a small breakfast of homemade pecan rolls, eggs and toast, we held auditions for the 48 kids in our cast. They did a great job and considering it was their first experience with MCT it went really well. They were all thrilled with their parts and couldn't wait for rehearsal to begin. Lunch was a nice bowl of tortilla soup followed up by 15 minutes of sustained silent reading time and then first rehearsal. Afterward Shawna hit the beach walk and found amazing shells while I the campus gym. Yeah a campus... let me talk about that.

Se we are on campus at the Ross University of Veterinary Medicine. They have around 900 students who are getting their degrees in vet science and the prep school is for the children of staff, professors, even students of the university. Its a wonderful school with great staff and I am sure we will have more pictures from them soon.

So tonight we had the best piano player meeting ever! Usually with MCT you meet you piano player at auditions and then again on Wednesday for their first rehearsal. Briefly go over tempos and we are set. Not here in St. Kitts.

Our wonderful contact Jane had ourselves and the musicians (yes we have guitar players this week, another high light) and their significant others over for a very nice dinner part and then we went through all the music with bellies fully of AMAZING food, dessert and drink. It was much like a mini concert and it was a blast. But what made the food so good?

On our agendas we saw that we would be having "Raclette" for dinner. I nor Shawna knew what this was and no one would tell us. We could have looked it up but we didn't and were glad not to because the surprise was worth it.

OK follow me on this-

At the table (outside on a gorgeous covered patio overlooking the Caribbean see - the picture with the cruise ship is the view from our dining table) was a table with tons of finely cut veggies, cashews, oils, and a small skillet that you could cook about two eggs in near your plate (look at the pictures). By the way this is a Swedish dish. You put in a little oil then any and all fixings you wanted and then stirred it for about ten minutes. Then you put on thick slabs of a very aromatic cheese (I can't recall the name) and let it ooze over you fixings'. Then you add a little Grand Marnie and light if on fire. Then you pour the gooey content atop of rice, stir, and eat. I have never had anything like before and I hope to experience it again. Oh but dessert....

There were about four decedent options, but my choice was clear. An almond sponge caked with homemade rum sauce. Now I am not a sweet person at all but I could have eaten that till I died. As one person said before eating "This sauce is so good I have to ask for forgiveness before because eating it is a sin." It was amazing!!!

Tomorrow is breakfast on a plantation on the neighboring island of Nevis (pronounced Knee-vis) followed by a tour and possibly some snorkeling. Till then!

The Adventure Continues - ML

St. Kitts ~ Arrival

St. Kitts
Hello Friends,



Greetings from the 5th smallest country in the world. A land with no stop lights and lots of round abouts. A place where storms come and go as they please. Yes friends, I write to you from the wonderful island of ST. KITTS!

After two months of talking, it is finally here. We made our flight out of Miami with no problems (though going through the international TSA security line was a bit bedlam - I got full body scanned - NEAT!). Our flight to the island wasn't even a quarter full and Shawna and I got a whole row of seats to ourselves. The flight was quick and smooth and we arrived ahead of schedule. We made it through customs with no problems and since the school had sent our inventory in advance they were ready for us and we had no hassles at all getting our massive sets and stuff through. AND all of our luggage arrived!

The school is wonderful and as we unpacked our items the kids were thrilled to see us, can't wait for the auditions tomorrow. Our rooms are nice, they are like mini apartments and we have wireless!

We just returned from a fine meal at a beach bar named the Shiggidy Shack. I had garlic lemon shrimp and they were wonderful! The main event was the fire dancer who strut his stuff all around the establishment. It was quite a scene.

Our contacts at the school are wonderful and we can not wait to have more adventures with them! Check back daily as more will come!

The Adventure Continues - ML