HER NAME IS RIO...

Well, I have arrived in Rio, all safe and sound and am loving the change of scenery.  For anyone who knows me you know that the beach is not my cup of tea.  I'd rather be almost anywhere, but who could hate this view?

A mountain...

Homes in the mountain...

More mountain...

A private beach...

Swimming Pools...

Yes, yes, I know.  It's a tough life, but someone has to do it.  Besides, Sheraton Rio deserves all the praise I can give it.

I mean, where else do you lay by the pool to this view?

Catching a tan and #lovinglife

THE STREETS OF SAO PAULO

First stop for me on this tour was Sao Paulo.  For those of you who don't know Sao Paulo is huge.  It is the biggest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere, and the seventh largest city in the world by population.

I arrived to the tour "late".  Well, later than everyone else.  Allow me to explain.  Basically, I was hired with them knowing that the visa process for Brazil was difficult so I went to Orlando rehearsals for two weeks and then went home for a month while everyone else went on to Brazil and rehearsed and opened the show.  

I got my visa and headed to Brazil about a month after everyone else.  I missed out on the first city and some fun stuff that everyone else did, but better late than never, right?

First day of arrival, Lloyd took me to the venue which was inside of a huge mall with a grocery store and look what I found!

This is the beautiful venue.  Teatro Bradesco.  It was a beautiful theatre.  My apologies for not getting a photo of the inside, but I was insanely busy for the week that I was in Sao Paulo between rehearsals and shows.  

The interesting thing about Sao Paulo was the juxtaposition between the beautiful buildings and the "normal" American standard of living and the less than stellar standards.  This photo is literally immediately across the street from the Sao Paulo theatre.  

 This was the street my hotel was on.  As soon as you stepped outside of the hotel walls this is what you saw.  Barbed wire, high walls, electrically charged and you have to be buzzed in.  It's no joke.  I never saw anyone that looked like they were seriously violent, but apparently it is a big concern.

These are all over the ground as well instead of grass.  Those look serious don't they?  I don't think anyone will be walking on your yard with those things.

I stole this photo from someone else in the cast who went on the graffiti tour of Sao Paulo.  Graffiti is everywhere and gosh some of it is so detailed and almost all of it is beautiful.

 The selection at the Sao Paulo Starbucks was delicious.  Empanadas?  Yes, please!

It's hard to tell, but the Starbucks cups here are so cute and tiny.  Plus, in Sao Paulo they had this doce de leite.  A dulce de leche drink that is so good I could drink them everyday!

This poster was one in a line of posters of shows that had been at the Teatro Bradesco.  I don't know why, but this is just funny to me.  ALO, Dolly!

 This is the final photo I took on the bus from the hotel in Sao Paulo to the airport to fly to Rio.  The little shanty town.  It wasn't a full blown favela, but sights like these make you realize how fortunate you really are.

EN ROUTE

And just where have I been?  Wallowing in self-pity.  The next pictures are going to make you wonder why.  I mean, what could possibly be wrong with living the dream in South America.  

All will soon be revealed, but that's not the point of this post.  This post is all of the little snaps I took while headed to South America that I didn't share with you all.  For shame!  

When I left Orlando I flew out on AVIANCA.  Not a bad flight and I was headed to Bogota for my first layover.  That's exciting!  I've never been to Columbia.  

I assembled my in flight necessaries...

Boarded this guy to Bogota, Columbia...

And...Oh my Lord, time to replace these.  Is it a bad thing when you realize before you've even left the airport on a six month tour that your shoes have a hole in the toe?

Not too bad though, because I put on my travel slippers as soon as I boarded the plane.  A steal from H&M in Tampa for like $2.50 I think?  Cheap as chips and working quite well to keep my toes nice and warm!

This is so hard to see and my apologies, but the military was working on something outside of the airport in Bogota.  I got the feeling I just missed something big going down and I didn't want to be caught photographing so a sneaky photo of their vehicles is the best I could do.  

After trying to get a sneaky photo I was starving.  Geez hamburgers in South America are expensive.  This was just the sandwich and a Coke!

And finally coming into Brazil.  I'm pretty sure I snapped this out the window when we were arriving at my second layover destination Brasilia.   But I can't swear to that.  All those planes started becoming one big one.  Also, everyone was speaking Portuguese so I was starting to feel like I was more than a little lost.  

THE WAITING GAME

So, I'm waiting, my passport came.  Tickets were booked and I'm sitting in the airport in Orlando waiting to fly to Bogota, Columbia then to Brasilia, Brazil, and finally Sao Paulo.  This is a long flight and I'm traveling with only my books and laptop to keep my company.

It's been radio silence on the blog for a few weeks.  I really didn't have anything to say other than, "I'm waiting."  So now we're off, but just to catch you up, here's what I've been into while waiting.

Saying Goodbye-What a great gift!

Demolishing-This monster cabinet from our living room

Building-A new, more updated, one to replace it

Buying-Books, Books, and more Books

BIENVENIDO A MIAMI

Went down to Miami with K to give the Brazilian Consulate my passport.  And all my money.  Yes, please, over $200 for a visa?  Sure.  Take it.  I swear, sometimes I think you have to be rich to be a performer and Lord knows I am not.  

I did go back to the health department and get the rest of my shots.  Mama Bear was kind enough to front me the money for the vaccines because, let's face it, it's better to owe your parents $200 than to be laying in a hospital bed in South America with typhoid wishing you had just taken the freakin' loan.  

So now both my arms are sore. On the plus side, I'm pretty sure I now have the invincibility of Superman or that girl in the X-Men whose skin was made of diamonds.  You know, Emma Frost? 

I'm waiting for my passport to be returned via the USPS from Miami and in the meantime I'm choreographing Spring Awakening with K music directing.  

No rest for the wicked, eh?  Well, rest for me because I am tired and apparently, not as invincible as I thought.  I will, however, leave you with some random iPhone snaps of the trip to Miami.  

The perfect tiny, single glass bottle of Coca-Cola to cool down

The Consulate

Something to dull my mind to the long wait

K

Who knew Miami was the cruise port capital of the world?

DO MINE EARS DECEIVE ME?

So, it's like this, I've been busy doing literally everything but blogging.  Figuring out what to pack, last minute things to complete, and a few more items to buy in preparation.  I keep telling myself to get on the computer and post a blog already, but instead I lay around and think about how much else I need to do.

Today, I decided would be a good day to get up early and head down to the health department and get my vaccines because Lord knows I'm the one that contracts the strange and rare diseases.  I can't even imagine having to deal with a "Bridesmaids" situation in America, let alone far from home.  I did my research and deduced that I would get an update on my tetanus shot and then the vaccines for Hepatitis A, Typhoid, and Yellow Fever.  

I arrive at the health department bright and early with my book to read while I wait and surprisingly am seen quite quickly.  I explain to the nurse, Nicole, that I need shots for foreign travel for work. She looks up my record and where I am going and agrees that those shots are in my best interest.  

Then she asks me which ones I want which is weird because I just told you I want them all.  Now, excuse my naiveness but I was prepared to pay around $100 today for these shots.  Now, Nicole, who was very nice, says, "Let's talk money."  

Yes. Let's. Please. Because the following are the prices I was quoted today:

Hepatitis A $49.00

Tetanus $56.00

Typhoid $77.00

Yellow Fever $111.00

Oh, and $12.48 for the visit.

Excuse me while my brain combusts.  Did you just quote me $305.48 for four shots?  Did I fall down and smack my head on the way in here?  So, $305.48 is not in my budget at the moment.  Forget it.  

I opted for the yellow fever vaccine for several reasons and if I can afford it and squeeze it in again before I head to the land of the pampas I will get my tetanus updated, but jeez, Louise!

So I've been moody and feverish and just generally grumpy today over the way that turned out and possibly a mild reaction to the "live" yellow fever vaccine, but I did find the time and energy to do a little work on the state of the blog.  I have a header and a dear friend of mine is going to help me out with some of the other more fun options hopefully.  I want some more detail and font and other exciting things to keep y'all interested.  

In the meantime, if you need me I'll be out front of the local Publix asking for spare change to fund my vaccine shortfall. 

THREE'S THE CHARM

Things I learned today:

1. When I know I've screwed up I get flustered and angry and then screw up more which causes my dance partners to get flustered and angry.   Sorry girls.

2. I am apparently good at lifts.  Being fearless and all that.  Plus I have thighs like Athena and sturdy litte legs to toss myself around with.  You're welcome lift partner. :)

3. K and I are not capable of having different days.  When he has a good day so do I and when his is bad so is mine.  Today he had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day and I got stuck in an elevator.  Legitimately call on the emergency phone and be pried out stuck on an elevator.  

4. My roommate and I have very similar senses of humor and laugh a lot at the same things.  I will be sad when my visa comes and I replace her on the tour.

5. I forgot water and don't have a HUGE variety of snack food.  I discovered, by way of another cast member, the gym in our hotel has free water and fruit that I can raid when I want a snack or drink that doesn't cost $5 per 100 calorie packet.  EPIC WIN!

6. I like being super organized.

7. I love this tour and everyone on it.  

PART DEUX

Well, day two is over.  And I've survived.  Barely.  

No, actually today was better than yesterday so we are making strides.  I've got about eight different things to learn, plus the role that I'm understudying and oh, by the way I have to learn it in three different languages.  So I know four of them in one language.  Baby steps.

My cast is literally the nicest group on the planet so that's a big plus.  Can't wait to really get to know everyone.  Filled out all my new hire paperwork today, but I still haven't heard a thing about the status of my visa stuff for South America so I'm learning and waiting.

Little vital information for your everyday life, I'm sore. Everywhere.  Seriously.  Even my elbows are sore.  I didn't even know that was a thing.  I mean, I have to do this insane step routine with a huge rifle that I have to throw around and I'm going to have arms like Hulk Hogan at the end of this process.  I'm sure of it.  Not to mention, I passed out in the bed last night from sheer exhaustion and didn't move from the twisted weirdo position I fell asleep in and my abs feel like giant balls of fire.  Great.  

So, all in all I'm having a blast.  Keepin' it real.  Keepin' it EXTRA sweaty and tryin' to keep up.  Until tomorrow.

5,6,7,8

The countdown has begun.  It is currently 9:20pm Eastern Standard Time and I am hold up in a hotel room in Downtown Orlando wondering how I managed to survive the first day of rehearsals.

Okay, so maybe I should back up.  Tour.  Yeah, nine to ten glorious months of seeing the world, South America and the continental USA, and working as a professional performer.  It's official.  It has happened.  I'm not a one hit wonder and I can book gigs that aren't month long regional theatre credits. Not that I'm complaining.  Ain't no shame in my game.

So, today was day one of my first rehearsal for this new company and new job.  I'm not naming the company or the gig for reasons of anonymity and because I don't want to jeopardize or get myself in trouble, but trust, it ain't no joke.

I worked today from 9am-6pm sweating for Jesus.  No lie.  It was frustrating, rewarding, hilarious, joyful, and everything I thought tour life would be.  So far.  

Is there a stack of paperwork? Yep.  That I have to fill out after a long day of rehearsal? Uh-huh.  Do I get about every third reference that people make because I'm the only new hire and I don't know who anyone is?  Indeed.  

But I'm not mad at it.  What I'm mad at is that I set myself up for frustration and failure by insisting that I nail everything in the first take and be some sort of super hero that doesn't need to learn a show, but can just magically know every nuance and dance.  

That's not reality.  This is the real deal.  Many of these people have been with my company for years and have been on numerous shows with them.  I am on, for all accounts, the toughest and most fun show of the bunch so, I'm going to ice my feet, lick my wounds and rest for tomorrow because I've got two more solid weeks of this non-stop ride before things get ugly.  

And just in case anyone is unsure of how tired I am.  The first photo is how I generally look and the second photo is after today's rehearsal.

You're welcome.