Annie Tour: City #1--Dayton, Ohio

It should go without saying to anyone who reads this (as you'd already know this about me) that I was pretty familiar with our first city...it's only about an hour away from my latest (previous to NYC, anyway) home of Cincinnati, I'd worked promotions here, dropped off files here at the awful legal job last year, and even attempted a few social situations in this city...which, by the way, were bad ideas every time.

The best part about being here was that I got to spend my Thanksgiving (and last Saturday, and tonight for dinner) with Cincinnati friends--Lauren, Dave Powell, TJ, Mary, Adam, and Paul Lieber. The short rundown of this week as far as Cincinnati goes: Last weekend was the much-beloved waffles (and the best whole grain bread of my life...I'm so visiting that hippie bearded man every week when I'm back in town this Spring) at Findlay Market, some brief tour preparatory shopping with Lauren, Dewey's with the crew, John Doyle-directed and Sarah Ruhl-translated "The Three Sisters" at the Cincy Playhouse after a couple of needed glasses of Riesling at the Mount Adams wine bar, sang at Knox on Sunday morning and had lovely coffee and muffins with those friends at Awakenings, and lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings with Lauren, Dave Powell, and TJ and his friends.


Thursday was my very first race, the 100th Annual Cincinnati Thanksgiving 10K. I have really gotten into running, and am looking forward to my next goal--the Flying Pig Relay back in Cincy in May...I'm trying to get together as many Cincinnati theatre folks to join in, run a leg of the race (only 6 miles, I promise it's easier than it looks) and raise money for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Lauren and I cooked an amazing meal for the two of us, Matthew, and Lauren's friend Son, and TJ joined us for dessert. Tonight I got to go back for dinner, and Lauren and Paul and I feasted on nearly intolerable spice levels at Ambar. Man, I miss that place. One of my favorite Thanksgiving highlights involved a beet tasting by Lauren and Matthew. A very telling visual of the results is to the right.

Fun times at 'home' were had, but it was also a work-filled week. Three other new cast members and I learned the entire show in a couple of days, before we knew it we were in costume, and we had three seemingly very successful shows here in Dayton. Tara ("T") Snyder, my friend from my grad class who lives here in Dayton, and Dave and Sue Conrad from Knox Pres in Cincinnati, came out to see the show this afternoon. It was great to see them and know that somewhere in that vast audience, someone was looking for me onstage. (Hint: if you are attempting this feat in the future, just look for the smallest maid/homeless person/Boylan sister. Easy as that.)

Tomorrow, we get on one bus to Columbus, OH, to fly to Albany, NY by the way of Baltimore, MD...then we'll get on another bus to take us to Burlington, VT. Supposedly this will be one of our worst travel days of the entire tour. Fingers crossed. I have some predictions for tour.

There will be a lot of these:

A lot of these:

...and a WHOLE lot of these.

That's it for now. Tales from the road to come...stay tuned.

Lauren Haar, this is especially for you.

Sunday night Matthew and I saw The Swell Season in Philadelphia. I was totally blown away.

I'll just let them speak for themselves.

Thank God for youtube.

Glen Hansard, Astral Weeks (classic Van Morrison tune). Incredible.



"I Have Loved You Wrong," my favorite song on the new album.


"Fallen From the Sky." Note them sitting on the ground, and Glen's hat. Yep. Adorable.


Finally, a new untitled one. Complete with audience background vocals. I very much appreciated the NPR crowd, only singing when asked.


I promise to start blogging regularly from the road. Departing LaGuardia for Cincinnati next Saturday the 21st, beginning the tour in Dayton, and on across the country from there...exciting and a little scary. Luckily I'll have lots of music and books to accompany me on the bus...any suggestions appreciated!