For the last four years of my life, I have been on the road with the national tour of a show called Jesus Christ Superstar, on and off. I landed the job in June of 2006, after finishing my bachelor's degree at NYU the month before. I had no idea what I was about to experience. Rehearsals began in August of 2006, and over the past four years, I've seen 48 states, Canada, and over 200 cities. I've done the show over 700 times. I say all of this because, in essence, the show and being on the road was my life. I never had the time after college to settle into a new apartment in the city, continue the relationships that I had made with all my college friends, and hit the audition scene. In the past four years, I moved once, to Astoria, for a year lease, but only stayed in the apartment 4 months before leaving for tour. Permanence was not my thing. Returning each year to the show, friends I had made left, new people were cast, and the experience changed, always in a way that allowed me to grow more. Hotel rooms, upright buses, and finally, a sleeper bus with a bunk were the places I lived life. I broke up with my high school 'sweetheart', met my birth father, finally met my half brother, gained a few friends that have turned into my family, and found the love of a lifetime, all while on the road. I also made mistakes, learned from them, and had enormous amounts of growth and change that have shaped me into the woman I am today. Our show closed in Boston, on May 9th, 2010, and saying goodbye was one of the hardest things that I've done. When you spend so much time with a show, it leaves its mark on your life. The relationships with people, the exchange of energy between the cast, and between the cast and the audience, is something that I can't even describe. I've poured my soul into the show each time it's gone out on the road. The last shows were filled with tears, and a feeling that something important in my life was passing away, and I was mourning it. I still am. And now that the journey has ended, I'm trying to build some semblance of a life from pieces that I've scattered around over the last four years.
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| part of a large collection of hotel keys accumulated over 5 months |
Right now I'm living at home, using this time to 'recover' and get myself together because I'm taking a huge step soon- moving back to NYC, but with my boyfriend of 2 years, whom I met on tour- hopefully by August. It's the beginning of something new, and I'm overjoyed that my love and I are starting it together. I'm hoping that I can settle myself and adjust to living the 'normal' life of an entertainer. I'm hoping that I can use my talents not only in musical theater, but in other areas as well.
I'm hoping that I can use this blog to document and work through whatever 'life after tour' is...
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| E and I right after the last Superstar show EVER 2010 |
