As the little girl in Poltergeist says 'THEY'RE BAAAAAAAACCCCCCCKKKKKK'

The Oklahoma cast and crew are back with a vengence. It was really great to see everyone. Everyone is just as they were when we left save the the few holiday pounds gained or crazy every-day cardio pounds shed.

This is really a great group of people. The sheer number of smiles can't help but make coming to work a joyous occasion. With a good company of people last year I can't help but feel like eventually the other shoe will drop and I will someday be stuck with a miserable group of people. But I hope not.

BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN

As I'm packing my stuff up again to head out on the road I'm realizing that I'm becoming contented to live with less. I think this has much less to do with me becoming a less materialistic person as it has to do with me not wanting to Schlepp two 50 lb suitcases everywhere I go.

I can't wait to get back to the show though. As crazy as it may sound I miss the sound checks, bus calls, and late-night hotel viewings of downloaded Desperate Housewives episodes. So here goes. The last 15 weeks of 'Oklahoma'!

Thoughts on the National Tour of Mama Mia

I wasn't sure what to expect with the (4th?) National Tour of Mama Mia. (It might be the 3rd?) Having been on Oklahoma for over a year I was thinking the line between a union tour and a non-union tour would be fairly distinct. I was pleasantly surprised to find otherwise.

Mama Mia was a good show. A good show that also suffers from some of the same touring life hazards as 'Oklahoma'. The talent was for the most part fine. A few performers I wasn't particularly crazy about and a few really great ones.


There was the occasional missed spot cue. The randomly focused light. There were cuts made for this leg of touring. (The stones in the show deck no longer light up)

But what I noticed most was where every tour suffers that I hadn't noticed until working in touring spaces. For the last year or so I thought some things about Oklahoma were odd but have come to realize that all shows have to deal with the same problems.

For instance, growing up I never realized that the show decks rarely cover the whole stage. You can always see the black or bare wood beneath around the edges. And that messy snake of coil is always present, running from the stage to the sound booth. At some theatres it's elevated, in some it's hidden and in some it's just taped over on the floor.

Mama Mia opened my eyes to the fact that seams show in just about every touring show regardless of the tier and that ultimately it's what's going on onstage that the general theatre-goer focuses on. (Thank goodness)

Kasey RT Graham