All Checked In

Missoula, MT
Hello Friends!

I am on vacation! I should have posted that sooner since there has been about a week gap here of posts, however it has been a very busy week indeed!

We left Sacramento right after our second show and beat out a Spring Winter storm that would have required us to chain up to go over the Sierra Nevada's had we waited to leave in the morning. We drove as far as Winnemuca, NV and crashed. We arrived late Sunday night in Missoula and hit the ground running on Monday to begin our check in at MCT.

Check in is a crazy yet very organized process that we TAD's and the company experience every May. One show has a set, lighting equipment, a truck, costumes for 60 cast members, props, and some shows even speakers and sound equipment. Multiply that by 35 teams who have to have all their equipment in working condition and then all stored properly before they receive the almighty bonus check and you got a lot of work to accomplish in 48 hours. Not to mention a great end of the year party full of talent shows and karaoke!

The home staff is great and they have a very stream-lined process to get so much work done in such a short time. Check in goes by very quick and there doesn't seem to be ever be a spare moment in the day as it is filled with meetings of every sort and reconnecting with tour actors, some you haven't seen for almost a year.

I am happy to report that our check in went very smoothly and Shawna is all set for her European adventures this summer as Calida and I gear up for Secret Garden. I have been spending a lot of time with the new script and score and I love it! A big change from Beauty Lou and a great challenge I am looking forward to!

The past few days have been spent relaxing and enjoying the sights (and food!) that Missoula has to offer. The time will go by fast though as new TAD's come in a week from Monday and the 2011-12 tour begins!

Where did this year go!?

The Adventure Continues - ML

Daring Dining ~ Sam's Hof Brau

Sacramento, CA
Hello Friends!

Today was great! First we went to the Crocker Art Museum near old town Sacramento. Our wonderful home stay gave us passes and we were quite impressed! The museum had recently built a very large state of the art museum hall attached to the old (and amazing) Crocker Mansion that was the original art museum. Lots of amazing pieces and by far the best part was the 11th and 12th grade exhibit of self portraits. There are some very talented kids here in Sacramento! Being a nice art gallery, photography was not allowed so no pictures from that part of our day.

Afterward we went to a restaurant that is none too far from where we are staying and has been calling my name all week long, Sam's Hof Brau. Yes, you read right. At night the place is lit up like a casino yet has all the outward charm of an old ma and pa pizza place. We were told that there sandwiches were tasty so full of art culture we sought a might fine meal.

Upon walking in we discovered that it was a cafeteria set up. You walked up to the counter, told chefs what sandwich or slices of meat you wanted, took your tray, grabbed your drink, and paid the nice lady before you sat down to eat. The meats looked divine! Ham, roast beef, turkey, fish, pastrami, corned beef, all piping fresh and steaming succulent smells right before you!

I opted for the house ruben and lordy-lodry was it amazing! They sliced a huge hunk of pastrami right in front of me before my lushes lunch headed to the grill. At the tabled was mustard and horseradish and I threw on some home made pickles as well - HEAVEN!

Today is the last rehearsal of Beauty Lou and tomorrow our last shows. The week is going great and soon I will be back to my Montana home!!!

The Adventure Continues - ML

The big 3-1

Sacramento, CA
Hello Friends!

Our week in Hemet is done and good times were had by all. Our last week of Spring/Winter tour finds us back in Sacramento for a fourth time. The last week of "Beauty Lou"!

Yesterday was a big day. Yes it was Mothers Day and it was also my BIRTHDAY (I also learned that yesterday was 125th anniversary of the first Coca-Cola being served)! As we drove nine hours on I-5 I couldn't help but think back to my birthdays past. So here they are! I will warn that the first weeks of May are prime time for shows opening so a lot of my birthdays involve being in a show of some sort or another.

2011 - Drove from Hemet to Sacramento. Enjoyed a birthday doughnut from Starbucks. Sadly the Starbucks breakfast sandwich went right through me, I think it wasn't cooked all the way... Was given a wonderful shirt from Calida and Shawna gave me a fan and a Hansel and Gretel t-shirt a few weeks past. I ma looking forward to one more shin-dig with friends in Missoula!

2010 - After celebrating "30 Days of Loehrke" on the Facebook I had a busy day of seeing a student in an Oregon Children's Theatre Show, taught an audition class at NWCT, dressed up as Crick and attended an NWCT fundraiser with Meredith Ott dressed as Belle, and then went to the Space Room in Portland for many beverages with good friends.

2009 - Was at West TV Elementary school putting on my original play "The Wonderland Express". There was beverages with Mary Rochon and John Ellingson afterwards.

2008 - I don't remember this one too well. I think I was still at the ghetto apartment Arran and I first lived at and I think we had some sort of shindig there.

2007 - Was at East Glacier, MT on tour with Arran. Had just had my wisdom teeth removed the week before and had a crazy night with cowboys and native Americans after a delicious dinner at the only restaurant in town.

2006 - The final week of performing "Scapino" I was getting ready to go back on the road again after living for nine months in Renton, WA with Jason Deschambault.

2005 - Commerce City, CO. I was touring with Kepler and meet up with college buddy Dave McAdams. Dave took me to all the college spots their in Boulder. The next day was a very painful Sunday drive to Clovis, NM.

2004 - First birthday on tour. I was at Glendive, MT and with my fill in partner Frances Idlebrook and her fiancée who took a greyhound bus out to see her. They were super vegans so I got myself a hot fudge sundae at the Dairy Queen in town.

2003 - I was in the last weeks of my internship at the Seattle Repertory Theatre. That night we had a performance of our original adaption of Romeo and Juliet "Star Crossed Lovers". Somehow a cake was brought and the cast sang to me there in the Center House Theatre. Little did I know that in that same theatre a month later I would be hired by MCT....

2002 - A Senior in college, I was madly finishing my thesis while also performing my last role at Linfield, Launce in "Two Gentlemen of Verona"

2001 - The big 21! I can't remember the show we were in - I think it was "The Diviners", yeah I pretty sure that was the one. It was on a Sunday and some friends took me to the rooftop at Hotel Mcminnville and I had my first legal drink. I think it was a lemon drop. It wasn't a crazy night as I am pretty sure it was a Sunday we we were in tech.

2000 - We had just finished opening weekend of "Tartuffe" and that following Monday (my bday) the director calls me to the theatre for a special meeting. I was thinking it was some sort of surprise party thrown for me by all my friends in the department. Boy was I wrong. The director wasn't happy with the arch of the play and since I was one of the leads (Orgon) it was my duty to now re-learn my role to take the play in a different direction. I spent the next 3 hours in a solo rehearsal.

1999 - My first Linfield birthday and we were in performances for "Measure for Measure" other then that I don't remember much.

1998 - 18! I wasn't eager to get my drivers license, though my mother was, and I know we had a birthday at Chucky E Cheese and a lot of high school friends came out for one last hurrah before graduation madness began.

From there on out they all kind of blur together. Looking back it has been amazing that I have gotten to spend my happy day at so many places with so many friends. Here's to 31 and more even greater birthdays!!!

The Adventure Continues - ML

Summer Schedule

Hemet, CA
Hello Friends!

I received my summer itinerary today and it looks very fun! I will be back in the pacific northwest and even get to spend some time in my college town of McMinnville! Nine weeks book straight on Secret Garden with Calida Davis!!!

6/13-18 ... Travis AFB (not too far from San Fran. I was here before in the fall of '04 with Kepler)
6/20-25 ... Lake Oswego, OR
6/27-7/2 ... Klamath, CA
7/4-9 ... MCMINNVILLE, OR!!!
7/11-16 ... Medford, OR
7/18-23 ... Edmonds, WA
7/25-30 ... Bellingham, WA
8/1-6 ... Mill City, OR
8/8-13 ... Redmond, OR

It is going to be a great summer!

The Adventure Continues - ML

Vegas: Day and Night

Hemet, CA
Hello Friends!

The sunshine hit 90 degrees today and dare I say my farmers tan is way ahead of schedule of this time of year. As I sit here and think back to my days in the sin city I smile fondly and remember the day of fun I had last Saturday. You see, with two Friday shows and one show Saturday at 6PM we had quite the time off between shows. So I tranplanted myself from my nice home stay to the hotel digs of the South Point. A fairly new casino/hotel on the strip (sort of) becasue it is about 2 miles due south of the mian strip itself. It is more of a Plantation/Southern feel to it and I have to admit, I kind of liked it becasue it wasn't as packed as most of the strip establishments were.

Saturday morn I awoke and verntured to the strip proper. I have never been before so I was excited and a bit cautious. I told the cab driver to take me the Belagio and off we went. $30 bucks later we arrived and my goodness was the place opulent. It really was an ambush to all the sense as lavishness oozes from every corner of the place. I meet some good friends from the MCT ranch who happen to be spending a little R&R away from the motherland before the massive Spring Checkin / Summer Tour begins. It was great! We enjoyed some sights and took in some great food.

After a a goodbye from a too short hanging out I met Shawna at the Imperial Palace where she was staying with her Mom and we went off to do one last show in Vegas. The show went very well and for a 2-5 grade week the kids did very very well. From there I was transported back to the South Point (a good 40 minute drive) and I met up again with Brandon and Mandi on our night on the Strip began.

After a few in room adult beverages we went to the Cosmopolitan and parked. I quickly learned that all parking in Vegas is free since they want your dollars in their gambiling machines. The Cosmo was like an 18 year girls idea of casino full of shiney objects and very reminiscent of some awful rich girls sweet 16 party. It wasn't our style. So on the strip we went.

From their we stopped at the Monte Carlo. The entrance was deserated. We walked in and it was bedlam of a party going on. We high tailed it to the mall like food court (one of the best choices ever) and after some cheap food we went to the Minus 5 Ice Bar. I admit, this was my big birthday treat to myself. It was a bar made entirely out of ice. A horrible gimmick? Oh yeah, but I didn't care. After paying our cover we donned parkas and headed into the bar. It wasn't that big and defiantly not -5 degrees (more like 10 degrees) but was everything made of ice - YES! Was it AMAZING - OH YEAH! Do we have any pictures... well no.

See before you go in they say you need to stash your cameras and cell phones in their lockers so they aren't ruined by the "frigid" conditions, so of course you schlep all of your stuff out because you don't want it ruined. Then once you get in there, there is their professional photographer waiting to take your picture and you see that the bartender is using a bar till you would see anywhere else and then it dons on you that you have been bamboozled. Oh well.

Ever drink was $10 and the cover $15 so it wasn't a cheap foray, but what the hey, it was Vegas. The couches, seats, bar, even your glasses were made of ice. If someone spilled something, the bus boy had to come by with a blow torch to clean it up. It was awesome.

After thirty minutes of chillin' (get it!) we left the Monte Carlo. We walked past New York, New York and then crossed the street to the MGM. Known for its lion exhibit (which they were asleep) we wondered around the MGM for some hot slot machines, and found none. After a spilled drink on myself, we headed back out on the strip.

By now it was about 1AM and it became clear that unless you have a plan, wondering around the Vegas strip with out a plan isn't a great idea (though I was having a blast with Mandi and Brandon). As we pasted a corner we heard the sweet sounds of singing and Mandi's Karaoke Radar lit up like a K-Mart Special. Sure enough, we had stumbled upon an outdoor Karaoke bar. Tired of walking and ready to sit for a bit, we found a table and took in the sights.

The place was strangely hopping for being so late (then again I don't think they ever stop serving in Vegas) and we had a nice time people watching, and seeing look-a-likes and tourist of every type. Mandi was even serenaded by a lounge singer. 3AM rang and we started to feel like pumpkins and off we went back to the South Point.

It was a great evening and a great way to experience Vegas. Do I want to go again? Not anytime soon. I think a cabin on the coast is more my style or dare I say a houseboat with my family? I am glad I can finally check off this last spot on the list of places to go see west of the Mississippi, now if I can just get to New England sometime...

The Adventure Continues - ML

Vegas: What a Drag!

Hemet, CA
Hello Friends,

WARNING- There be pictures and tales of libations and drag queens ahead. If thou fearest these PG items turn away now!

Our whirlwind week in Vegas has come and gone. Our days were spent with a rare during school hours residency so we were done by 3PM everyday - a time when most teams are just getting started. Shawna had both her boyfriend and mom visit while we were there, though not at the same time (smart girl). This meant she stayed on the strip while I was near the school in norther Las Vegas. But hey, everything is close in Vegas, so it was easy to get around right? WRONG!

Before I get any further, I must confess; I didn't really care for Vegas. It had nothing to do with my company or nice home stay or even the residency week (which went wonderful) its just that anything and everything in Vegas in my opinion has two things - a huge price and a line to wait it. And if Loehrke Men hate two things, its waiting in line (unless it is for a roller coaster) and expensive stuff.

At any rate. I did have fun with friend in Sin City (though there wasn't much sin). Another tour team was in Vegas while we were there and it was none other then that fabulous summer lady, my old partner Mandi Jung and her TP Brandon Price. They took me to what might have been one of the most amazing experiences ever: Bingo, hosted by Drag Queens.

It was hysterical! They are wonderful people who are full of sass and will let you know it. Of course who wins there first round of drag bingo ever, that's right, me. My prize - a WALL CLOCK! How awesome is that!!! After every three rounds they would do what I can only describe as club line dancing. It's like line dancing you would see in a country western bar but done to thumbing dance music. It was spectacular.

I was not the only winner, Brandon won a set of decorative mugs and Mandi got the joys of being a good DD and enjoying some late night In and Out (that was one amazing burger). All in all, it was an amazing time.

Tune in soon for the conclusion of Vegas involving friends from near and far, ice bars, and outdoor karaoke!

The Adventure Continues - ML

Exit 410 on 1-80 NV

West Wendover, NV
Hello Friends,

Last Sunday we took exit 410 to arrive in West Wendover and we have yet to get back on the interstate though from my window here at the Rainbow Hotel & Casino I can see the interestate and that offramp that brings seniors in by the bus load for their first taste of gambling. Since the town is right on the Utah border and is on the interestate it makes perfect sense for there to be a large gaming establishment here. The funny thing is, if you take away the five large casinos here there would be no town at all. Everyone in town some how is conected to the casinos and if you turn away from them you are surrond by some of the most lonesome and spectaular high desert views I have ever seen. It is quite a contrast.

The week is done and the performance went well. It was hard to hear over the army of small screaming children we had in the audience. I don't blame them, if I had to watch my acting I am sure I would be crying too. Due to schedule SNAFUs we had a Tuesday start Friday show this week - which means putting the show up with about 8 hours less of rehearsal. We modified the show heavily so the kids could succeed and succeed they did. We were very proud of them for accomplishing such a feat.

Since we had such a small cast Shawna and I both performed on stage. I as Buck and Shawna as one of the daughters Donna Rae. Its very rare we get to do that and it was fun to share the stage together though we had to keep our focus as to not crack each other up on stage.

At the end of West Wendover is a giant statue of a cowboy named Wendover Will who strangely resembles our costume in the show. Of course we had to take a picture. Best part were all the cars going by - good times!

Tomorrow we head to VEGAS! We will be there with two other MCT teams and lots of friends - it is gonna be great!

The Adventure Continues - ML
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