| Fri 30th April 2010 at 13:42 |  So our final two Sing Live USA singers arrived safe and sound yesterday and the party is now complete. So after a train ride from Leeds and an aeroplane ride from Orlando to Gatwick the Elevator gang is reunited. And so we are in London.
It was a travel and settling in day and in the evening most of us went to the West End to see a show. I went with several others to see Andrew Lloyd Webbers sequel to Phantom of the Opera - called Love Never Dies. SO how on earth can you write a sequel to the most successful musical in history - and expect it to work. Well you can't me thinks - and right up to the interval I was right - you can't - and with not a memorable song so far in earshot - not a trace of the excitment of the real Phantom - I could quite happily have gone home at the interval. But I didnt - Onto the second half.
Quite simply totally amazing - the first half was a set up obviously - so when you go see it you had better be paying attention. Not a dry eye in the house and I was with everyone else at the end - giving the whole cast a standing ovation. Still not a memorable song in the show - but the whole thing wove into a total theatrical masterpiece. The Phantom, Christine and her child - set in New York - how does that work then? - well go see it and you will find out. I am not going to give away the end as it will spoil it for you - all I say is it is a must see show in London. Andrew Lloyd Webber - you are still a genius.
You are so right - Love Never Dies |
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| Wed 28th April 2010 at 17:48 | ..... So another day in really sunny England - and I'm not joking - really unbelievable weather here - lucky or what?
After meeting in the hotel lobby yesterday off we went to Whitby in 2 cars. It wasnt long before I couldnt see the other car in my rear view mirror - so I called them up on my cell and we agreed to meet a the first stop - Goathland Station - where Harry Potter was filmed. So no probs - off we went. Except my sat nav didnt take us to Goathland - it took us to Pickering - another beautiful real England vilage - but the WRONG station!! Plus my cell was now dead and I had no contact with the other car. Ah well - we'll find them in Whitby me thinks. So after a look round the wrong station and me looking for a cellphone shop to buy a car charger - only to find there wasnt one in the village - what?? - I dropped lucky at a TV store - who stocked charges. Happy days I think. Only to get in the car and find the cigarette lighter didnt work! Ok - so we'll find them in Whitby.
American / British incident of the day in Pickering!! - you can't expect the Air Mail sticker you are putting onto our postcard to mail home - when you peel it off the sticky backed paper - and then LICK it!! - to stick - it already has sticky stuff on it - and you just licked it off!!!
Doooohhhh.
So onto Whitby across the North Yorkshire moors. Heading for the World Beating Fish and Chips at the Magpie.
American / British conversation of the day in the car -
Singer 1 - 'I'm going to have mushy peas
Singer 2 - 'Oh no - you are rooming with me
Singer 1 - 'Well after last night - what goes round comes round!'
I leave you to draw your own conclusions ??????
So we arrive in Whitby - find car two - have a beer and head for the Magpie - amazing food and all is good.
And so to the journey home - for my car via Robin Hoods Bay - and onto the Sing Gospel rehearsal in Leeds.
Quote of the day on the way home
Singer in front - 'How you guys doing in the back'
Singer in back - 'Fine - Am holding onto the handle with my right and and have my rosary in my left'
Ok Ok - so I'm not known for sticking to the speed limits here!!
In Leeds I met vocal coach Laura for the first time who is doing an amazing job and our USA singers did some international pod hopping and new and old friends were reaquainted - and Gospel songs were sung!. A great end to a great day.
Today I said goodbye to my parents this morning - for now anyway - and have been finishing things off in the office - and am just about to get the train to London - to meet our next two USA arrivals at Gatwick early in the morning - then meet the remainder of the party at Kings Cross station London early afternoon.
If you are on the 11.10am train from Leeds to London tomorrow - watch out for the Elevator gang as they are on it too - so anything could happen! |
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| Mon 26th April 2010 at 18:42 | Yesterday Sing Live USA aka the Elevator gang arrived safe and sound into Manchester airport - bang on time and although obviously tired - extremely excited. Just over 2 hours after touchdown we were drinking coffee in their Leeds hotel and planning the days ahead. A bite to eat, check in, a quick shower ( them not me!) and then out to Morrisons supermarket to buy provisions and over to mum and dads for a get together with my family and friends who I had not seen for some considerable time. It was a great evening and mum and dad couldn't help laughing as our US visitors admired their front and back yards !!! - and both of them looking at me with a puzzled look on their faces - its a GARDEN not a yard - a yard is something you pave over or concrete over - or equivalent to 3 feet - not something wonderfully manicured and full of flowers!!! - Yup - America and the UK - two countries joined at the hip but separated by a common language - more laughs were had due to misinterpretations than any comedian could tell a joke about - you just had to be there!!And can you believe that our American visitors had never seen a pork pie - never mind tasted one - or a yorkshire pudding - and that McDonalds is known as the American Embassy here? - the best script writer on the planet couldnt write whats going on here right now - its a movie in the making
One by one our USA singers started to flag - but was it the jet lag or the Pinot Grigot? - so we whisked them back in the early evening to their hotel - with a threat under the pain of death that if they went to bed before their normal bedtime - no matter how tired they were - they would never beat jet lag and get onto UK time. - Hmmn - we'll see!!
Today they had a free day - so right now they could be anywhere - look out for an International incident on CNN or Sky News - 'Danger Will Robinson' and I went up to the Northallerton office where it was safe - to play catchup and find out what has been going on here in the UK - and help in any way I could.
So still here working on the computer - and tomorrow we look forward to a day in Whitby, North Yorkshire - a visit to the infamous Magpie fish and chip shop - and I understand we may be doing a detour to the railway station where Harry Potter was filmed. Well you learn something every day as I never even knew it was filmed in Yorkshire !!! |
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| Sat 24th April 2010 at 11:57 | The ultimate 'Stupid Brit' experience yesterday! - So I get to Orlando airport and find that my flight has been delayed by 2hrs 15 mins. Ok - so no problem - that was to be expected - just grateful to be flying! - So I ask the guy - is my flight delayed or have we just been bumped onto the other Virgin flight departing for Manchester at the same time? - a simple question I think - No its been delayed - they are both going he says. Fine - no problem me thinks. Oh how wrong could I be. So I get to the gate and we have 2 shiny red and white Virgin Jumbo jets parked next to each other at adjacent gates - both leaving for Manchester at the same time - 8.25pm - one ( mine - flight no VS76 being delayed from 6.15pm)So they call the boarding for VS74 - the other flight - and SO many passengers from VS76 try to get on it!! - what??? - just because they are going to the same place at the same time and are gated next to each other doesn't mean you can get onto which one you want!! - they aren't buses they are AEROPLANES - so the 2hr 15min delay turns into a 4 hr delay as the Virgin ground staff sort out the stupid Brits who just don't 'get it!' - not only don't they get it they want to argue about the fact that they don't get bit! - how stupid can you be - so what did I do? -well I did the sensible 'Brit with a green card thing' - and went to the bar and watched from afar - ordering my drink in my native Texan accent cos I didnt want to be associated with the idiots causing the fuss down at the gate!!
So now safely back in Blighty - our friend in Iceland didn't blow its nose again and we climbed 5,000 ft as we flew near it to get over the ash - but it must have been sniffling cos the turbulence was amazing for about 3 hrs - and so to touchdown. Mum and dad did recognize me - my Blackberry does NOT work so I have no cellphone - my soccer team are doing crap! - as are my rugby team - I haven't had a curry yet - but the weather is sunny and warm - so all is good.
Going to my dads Art Festival today at his church - then out for dinner with mum and dad tonight - then an early start in the morning to go to Manchester Airport on the train to meet the Elevator Gang.
More as it happens! |
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| Thu 22nd April 2010 at 14:54 | So after a week of are we aren't we - we finally get clearance to fly to the UK. I leave this afternoon and the rest of the Elevator gang follow on Saturday. All supposing of course our friend in Iceland doesn't decide to blow its nose again!
It will be fun going back to the UK especially as there is election fever going on with the election on May 6 - with the prediction that it could be a 'hung' Parliament - what a great idea - lets hang them all and get someone in to run the country who really knows what they are doing!
So this morning - tidying my desk - sending last minute emails - speaking to the UK on the phone - and I suppose I should think about packing!
I will be blogging from over there whenever I can get on-line and am only an email away.
When I get back - on May 4 - there is so much to look forward to here - our upcoming concerts - I am planning a huge series of singing days in both Orlando and Tampa - they will be called ''Building the Dream' - so tell your friends - and I will be bringing some fabulous new music back form the UK specifically for them - then our new concert seasons - and we will be planning a trip to New York to sing ( I haven't forgotten Jen!)and looking at the options of doing concerts on cruise ships on weekend cruises out of our local ports - Port Canaveral and Tampa.
And so to packing - hmmmnn - I wonder? - I wonder if my new Blackberry will work over there? - I wonder how my soccer team is doing? - I wonder if curry still tastes the same? - I wonder if gas has hit $12 a gallon yet??? - I wonder if my mum and dad will recognize me after 5 months? - and I wonder if Rich will teach me how to load photos onto this contraption? - and most of all I wonder if my Green Card will work when I come back - it's been plugged in on charge!
Glad I said that - better not forget it or I am toast!! - going to find it now!!
Quote from the musical Oliver - 'Will be back soon!'
Caio
( No Fagin didn't say Caio - I did !!) |
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