Gettysburg, Judy's House, and Award-Winnig Cleopatra!!!

ornate detail of the ceilings of the Coronado Theatre, Rockford, Illinois
me and Dominique eating dinner in NYCafter Red Bank show

Giving the cast a tour of Gettysburg

my mom took us out for Mexican in Waukegan!!!!

me in the snow, in front of the Judy Garland house, Grand Rapids, Minnesota!!!!! T.P.ing the hotel room with the cast after the Yankees won the ALCS ! immediate noise complaint!!!!!!

award-winning Cleopatra!

Cleopatra and The Green Lucky Charm!!!!

so ive pretty much sucked at the whole blog thing, and I am very sorry!!!! The last month in many ways has flown by, with lots of adventures along the way. The show's been going great, as I think we have really continued to develop our roles and our relationships with one another. The crowds have been wonderful, with anywhere from 300 to 2000 but always appreciative, gracious, and every show we'vd had a standing ovation!!! I am very lucky to be a part of such a talented group of people. We have been to some SMALLLLL towns but have managed to have a good time and find things to do to have a blast. Some highlights of the last month have been:

1. Gettysburg!!! I set us all up to go on a ghost tour of the Farnsworth House and it was creepy! The next day went through the cemetary and saw Pickett's charge, very sad. Then, we had a show that night. It was thrilling to get to sing "God Bless America" in such a huge landmark in American history.

2. getting to do the show with a live orchestra in Red Bank! We normally are tracked with a pianist, so it was cool and added so much to the show! Also got to catch up with Dominique and Colleen, two of my besties who came out to see the show!!!!!!

3. eating Mexican with my mom and the cast in a restaurant in Waukegan/ performing at the gorgeous, HAUNTED Coronado theatre in Rockford, Illinois. Breath-taking theatre, great crowd, although I think a ghost moved some props around on me while onstage!!!!

4. getting to meet one of our castmate's, Josh Woodie's, family in Springfield Ohio. We had a wonderful relaxing day with his family and got to see a football game and ate amazing food and had an amazing time. yay homemade chili, cookies and pumpkin pie!!!!!!!

5. Grand Rapids, Minnesota- Being a life-long Judy Garland fan, it was AMAZING getting to tour the house where she was born and raised (before her move to California) and attached museum. I e-mailed the house and begggeeedd them to let us see it, as they were already on winter hours and only open on the weekends! But they were absolutely lovely and opened the house for us! One of the directors even came to our show the night before and she said she loved it!!! I stood on the stair landing where Francis Ethel Gumm (Judy Garland) and her two sisters used to sing songs in the family room with the piano and the cast made me (they realllllyyy had to push me,lol, NOT) to sing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" in my best Judy Garland impression!!!!!! All and all an amazing experience, one I will never forget!!!

6. watching the playoffs with the cast- amazing, fun, tense, wonderful, and just as good as being there!!! Good company, good baseball!!!!

7. Newport, Arkansas- SO not that excited about being there at first as there were no taxis to get around, but had an absolute BLAST here for Halloween!!! Dressed as Cleopatra, won seventy-five dollars in a costume contest which I split amongst the cast , ANNNDDD had an overall amazinnngg time!!!! so go Newport Arkansas!!!!

ONE MONTH LEFT AND MORE TO COME! XOXOXO H

my first real Piano tour post

SO. I’ve been on the road two weeks now and things are going along quite nicely. I am so very happy with this cast, we all complement each other very well as performers and people and it is a wonderful breath of fresh air after an eventful summer. I don’t know if it’s the closeness of touring with a show, or just the fact that I have been so lucky to have casts of amazing, amazing people the two tours I’ve been on, but I’ve been pretty damn lucky.

me and my wig, Gertrude...Trudy when she looks good, Gertch when she looks like crap

Let me tell you a bit about the show. It is all Irving Berlin music, a review but with plot- so more of a review-sical, telling the stories of how many lives a piano can touch with Berlin’s music. It starts in 1910 and goes through 1950’s, and the character archetypes remain the same throughout the show. The show has six people in it, three couples. There is the young Judy/Mickey type, the Ginger/ Fred type, and the Ethel Merman/ whoever played opposite Ethel Merman authority figure male type. Kind of like the babies, the kids, and the parents. I play the ballzy broad parent. I go from singing “God Bless America” a la Kate Smith to singing “Suppertime” about my husband who is lost in the war to doing Lucille Ball-like comedy, an incredibly challenging, thrilling, wonderful arc to get to do every single night onstage. The audiences really love the show, many of them grew up with the music and so it’s kind of nostalgic. It is in a sense for me too being a history major and also as an artist who was most definitely born in the wrong time period.

Some highlights of the show so far have been: opening in Brooklyn so all of my friends could come- JCS 08er’s included, singing God Bless America in NC for Kate Smith’s niece, who was very wonderful and complementary, dragging my cast along to Chapel Hill to party with my college friends when we played Durham and making them eat pokie sticks!!!!!! And go to Top of the Hill, going out for a cast drink with our casting director who drove all the way up to see us, and singing Karaoke at a very interesting bar in West Virginia.

I am also a red head in this show. We went through several wig options, the first of which made me look like a certain recent Mama Rose in Gypsy when I had to wear a very similar dress to that of “Rose’s Turn” for “ Suppertime.” However, we ended up going with a more muted auburn color, which let me tell you, it is interesting maintaining a wig on the road. Thank God for my amazingly talented friend Ashley who is in charge of wardrobe and helping me tremendously with Gert.
We bought a pumpkin yesterday. His name is Herman, he will be traveling the country under each of our care and we will be photographing him in random locations throughout the continental United States until he starts to smell. But regardless, his first trip with us was to the movies yesterday.
So, we’ve hit up NC, PA, WV, and Brooklyn so far. We’ll be heading down South soon, then to Midwest, Cali, and ending in FL. December 1st we play my hometown!!!! YAYYY!!!
Off to Gettysburg I go-and I’m FINALLY going on a ghost tour after all these years of begging my friends!!!!
LOVE YOU ALL

me

ps read more about the tour at www.iloveapianothemusical.com

and here's a review from Charleston: http://sundaygazettemail.com/News/200909270886

poem

I got to writing on the bus today, and I wrote a poem about being an independent woman.

How can I live the imperfect life
Of a soulmate abandoned midway-
Broken, dejected, confused, and alone
Never dreaming that you wouldn't stay?

These imperfect pieces are scattered and torn,
Scorched and burned deeply to dust;
But as time trudges onward and life lingers on-
I find that myself I must trust.

Though it's hard when I look at the imperfect parts-
And I have to go at it alone,
I look at myself and how far I have come
And realize how much I have grown.

I'm not scared anymore I won't get what I want.
I know that I'm going to try.
I'll pick up the pieces of my broken heart
And chase after my dreams and not cry.

And I'll never look back
And I'll never allow
Myself to be broken once more
It's my heart and my life and I have to believe
That alone and alive I can sore.

Love,
ME

Back on the Road

well, Monaco is over, and I am finally on the road again, this time with an Irving Berlin show called I Love a Piano...I am having a blast and the company is wonderful. We opened today in Brooklyn and the show went great I think. We are headed to NC this week, so more updates once we open down there! xoxo
H
ps check out the schedule at www.iloveapianothemusical.com

french travels so far

So, we have been given some full no show days as well as many days off with nothing to do before half nine...while most of my friends have been going to the beach, etc., I have taken much of this time to explore the beautiful country I am lucky enough to be working in for a month. Most of my travels have been alone, which has allowed me the independence and freedom to explore and make many friends along the way. I have been more of a free spirit than usual, in that I have been impulsive and last minute...decided the days if to go to Paris...which was incredible, and a friend I mer visiting Provence showed me around via bike and then I did a full day of more sightseeing, museums, etc..... I really loved paris, my only complaint is there are too many tourists there in august...I suppose I've become a bit more european as I like to try to use the little french I know to get around....and I think they appreciate that I am making the effort to learn it!!!!!! Some highlights were ----the mona lisa and the louvre-----luxembourg gardens----moulin rouge and montmare----bikeriding to all the areas----seeing toulouse, renoir, degas,van gough, rodin, and monet at the orsay museum----the notre dame cathedral----the famous world fair ferris wheel where u can see all of paris----the eiffel tower----the statue of liberty's mini twin----my adorableeeee tiny hotel room at hotel louvre bons enfant----visiting my friends house in bastille---and singing to the cab driver on the way home---the crypt with roman and medieval ruins underneath notre dame---ze can can! Must go my flight is leaving---more to come!!!!! Au revoir xoxox H

the show im doing in montecarlo

Well, I sure was right---it's been a hell of an adventure this past month... I've fought for myself and proven myself to people who at first didn't know what I was capable of...but now they do!!! I am doing a 1950s show in monaco france with las vegas dancers and singers from the west end and ny. The sporting club hosts a summer sporting festival where they bring in such singers as duffy, liza, gloria estefan, and about 10 other big artists over about a 6 to 8 week period in the summer....on the days that the stars don't perform, we do our show, which is a 70 minute highpaced show all 50s music complete with an elvis impersonator (who rocks btw) at the end....three female singers and five male singers round out the cast and together pay tribute to buddy holly, jerry lee lewis, the chirelles etc...the firdt couple of weeks were workshop hell, figuring out what is going on and what numbers were cut...even through opening.... Now I feel the show is on its feet solid and we can relax into it...the show is great and a ball to do every night..curtain is at 1045 pm,perfect for my nocturnalness!!!! So the rough part is over and now we have the days off to explore!!!! Next post on montecarlo itself...but for now I am happy w the company and the show and am well!!! Xoxo

Fourth and Time at Home

Fourth of July was a blast at home in TPA! All of the family got together to celebrate my grandfather's birthday. and the Fourth of July and we went out on the water in a tug boat..we had a blast, watched the fireworks, and (I anyway) ate far too much food! here are some fun pics of my friends and family.

me and my cousin (although she looks like my child!) Margaret

Jenny's/ my friend Lacy, me, cousin Margaret, cousin Jenny

Fireworks 1

Fireworks 2

It was a blast. Now I am just packing and getting ready for another trip on the road and spending some good time with family before I leave for Las Vegas Wednesday. Oh, and I'm getting tan for the first time in like five years. Bye Bye Casper jokes.

See you in Vegas!

H

Monaco, here I come!

So I've taken a couple months to ease my way back in NYC and figure out what I am doing next. I am getting the site back up becauseeeeeeeeee I am going on another adventure this summer. This summer, starting in August, I will be singing in a 50's review at the Sporting Club in Monaco this summer. The country Monaco, right near France. I am thrilled and excited, and have NO idea what to expect other than hopefully an amazing time abroad singing some great tunes!

I of course will be updating my blog with pictures and cool sites of Europe. Don't know how much traveling outside of Monaco I will get to do until I know my performing schedule, but regardless, I am greatly looking forward to what I'm sure will shape out to be an adventure.

We are rehearsing in Los Vegas in two weeks starting around the 10th of July, so I shall be updating my blog around then.

Au revoir (my one French phrase I know how to write) until then!
XO
H

Ten Things I Have Learned on Tour

1. Touring is definitely not for everyone, but touring is for me.
2. Accepting who I am as a performer and having the confidence to go out there and trust my work, my talent, and what I can do, and not worry about what people have done before me or what others think.
3. Learning to pick and choose my battles and to approach them tactfully, and learning that many people have not learned this.
4. Learning that other people are entitled to their mood swings, and when you live together on the the road, these mood waves are bound to clash sometimes, but it is ok. It does NOT mean you don’t care for the other person and they don’t care for you, and, at the end of the day, you don't love that person.
5. No matter how many hours I have been on that bus, no matter how little I’ve slept the night before, and no matter what is going on in my life, the minute I run onstage for that overture, I’m there. All my heart and all my soul goes into the work. That someone out there is seeing this show for the first time.
6. Living and breathing the work with your fellow castmates, which only gets better as time goes on.
7. Being a sponge and absorbing everything from everyone around you, especially from those who have been in the business a long time, and taking the lessons to heart.
8. Not everyone in life is going to like you, no matter how hard you try. Just continue being yourself, being kind to others, and reaching out to those who need it, and those who are meant to be your friends will come along. The ones that don’t accept you for who you are don’t matter, but these will ultimately be few and far between.
9. It’s ok to be crazy. And hiding your eccentricities for too long will only make you want to explode. Be who you are.
10. From Ted: You can be a famous celebrity and the most humble, caring, kind person in the entire world.
more to come

me and JD

me and James Delisco as Mary Magdalene and Judas at the 4/22 show!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

me as Mary and Matthew as Judas at the 4/20 show

Mary times two in Little Rock

SO now Little Rock, Arkansas is officially one of my favorite towns ever. Why? I got to go for Mary Magdalene twice and got to go in for the Herod number (my other cover) the other night. The other understudy, Raz, who is amazing btw, went on the second night (we have both been lucky enough to go on four times!) so I covered her in Herod that night. I thought I had done my last show as Mary in Flint and even as a Herod girl, so to get to go on again was a surprising blessing. I was able to more deeply explore the character and just really get comfortable with her. Getting to work with Ted was incredible- I can't even EXPLAIN IT!!!!!!! I feel so lucky and blessed. I got to work with both the amazing J.D and the incredible Matthew Myers as the Judases both nights.

My parents flew out to see the show tonight. When I got the call at 2, they dropped what they were doing and found a flight. It was amazing and meant so much that they were there. I can't even explain it. I was honored when I went out to the lobby at the people who came up to me and said they liked me!

Then I went out and celebrated with some of my besties from tour, and now I'm back here in my room for a day off tomorrow in Little Rock. I could not be more thankful for the experience of the last two days. I am excited to get to my track but grateful for the experience.

And, hey, I even got reviewed! This is what the Arkansas Gazette said:

There were some high points in the show, including understudy Haley Swindal (subbing for Cristina Sass) as Mary Magdelene who was, well, super in “Everything’s All Right” and the ballads “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” and the very touching, very simple “Could We Start Again, Please” (an addition to the score from the 1973 film).

I am touched and honored for the last few days, and looking forward to a day off in Little Rock tomorrow. God is good!
Love,
Haley

one nighters and Gettsberg

Just before Newark, James, Ray, and I went to Gettysburg. It was fascinating, haunting, sad, and enlightening. I have always wanted to visit there since I was a child, and we did the five hour tour via car before our night show in Hershey. I am so thankful I got to go. The two pictures below are from there.

Devil's Den Gettysburg

a cannon in a field

Then we had a string of one nighters after Newark, this pictures of which I am posting below.

being random somewhere a theatre we went to that was really pretty Joe's Birthday

Louis as Judas for the first time in Buffalo I think it was-he did awesome!

The last couple weeks besides Newark have been filled with one nighters around the Northeast, from Massachusettes to PA. The cities, although beautiful, start to really meld together after a while when all you see is the theatre. Above are some highlights in pictures.

Holy Week, Newark, and the Show

at Hair the first night with a bunch of the cast

This weekend we spent Maundy (spelling?) through Easter in Newark, NJ for a six show sit-down. As a Christian, it was such an unbelievably powerful experience getting to do this show during Holy Week. Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter shows were so overwhelming for me. I was so grateful to get to be a part of this show and really live the story I was celebrating in church at the same time. I am always grateful to be a part of this show, but this time was particularly special for me.

On top of the shows, I did the following things:

1. Auditioned for the Broadway company of Spiderman and a summer production at Gettysberg

2. went to see "Hair" on Broadway with Ted, JD, Shannon, Daryl, Raz, Ethan, Daron, Craig and Misty, and my mom went with me...Loved the show!!!!!

3. went to Baptist Church on Sunday in Newark and had a wonderful Easter Sunday service and a fabulous brunch with our amazing company manager, who I ran into at the service! If you are ever in Newark, go to Don Pepes! Then my mom and two of my best friends, Dominique and Colleen, came to the show!!! Then I hung out with a couple guys in the cast who were hanging out with some awesome people from last year's company before heading into the city! It was a fabulous Easter day! And I ended it by eating way too much Easter candy and Peeps.

4. received a BEAUTIFUL Turkish charm from a lovely couple who I met at the stage door. It meant the world to me- Thank you!

5. had wine and dinner in the city with my lovely Joe and his friend from college

6. had dinner with one of my most favorite people in the world. His name is Stanley and he was a drummer in the days of Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra, all the greats. The most amazing stories you will ever hear.

7. I slept. Oh wait, that hasn't happened yet. I'm going to do that right now.

Off to Providence!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Goodnight!

XO

Haley

The Florida Leg of the Tour

me and my beautiful mom and grandma in Tampa Friday night

some of the girlies in Daytona

By the end of the FL tour, I was tired and loopy but so grateful to have seen family!!!!!!

I had SUCH a fabulous blast in Florida when we were there just a short while ago. My family is all from Florida, so it was really neat to be traveling through my hometown, and to sleep in my own bed when I was home! It was a week of beaches, pools, and tans for most but for me, it was a week of catching up with family and old friends. I cannot tell you how grateful I was to be able to see my family and friends after six months! They all came to my show at Ruth Eckerd, which was so fabulous!!!!!!

Clearwater at Ruth Eckerd Hall was the big day for me. It was a two show Saturday, but for me, it was so much more than that. I met up first with the woman who first got me into theatre, named Roseann, who I had lost touch with for 10 YEARS! This lady cast me in my first lead role in a musical ever, and was the first to ever be like, hey you're pretty good, kid! She continued to be my first voice teacher for two years or so. Needless to say, without her, I not only would not be an actress, but I never would have gotten through middle school. It's teachers like that BELIEVE in you that get you through those tough years. Despite the social toughness (and boy was it rough) of middle school, I had theatre to get me through, and people that believed I was good at it pushing me. I gave her students a tour backstage and talked to her class at the conservatory next door to the theatre. It was really cool.

Then my family came to both the matinee and the evening shows. My mom's friends, my teachers from high school, my dads friends, my grandparents, my grandparent's friends, my uncles and aunts and cousins were all there!!!!!!!! It was such a wonderful feeling to walk out of the stage door and see a ton smiling faces waiting to hug me!!!!! After the evening show, the theatre threw us a reception, and the theatre director gave me a shout-out for being from the hometown and says he always loves to see local talent coming through. He was so wonderful, and it was really special.

The whole day was just magical. It was a dream come true, really, finally getting to show family and friends what it is I do.

DC

me and the Lincoln Memorial

me and Judy's slippers

at the cast party with Joe and Ted

Ok, so it's been an awfully long time since I've written, so I'm just going to start with DC. DC was a fabulous week, even though I didn't get to see as much of it as I would have liked because I was trying to catch up on things that one has to catch up on during sitdowns on tour. Case in point, my hair was brown at the roots and blond on the bottom, so I needed to get it dyed one way or another. The first day in I traveled into Maryland and got it done at the Saks Salon, and now it is super, super blond!

The rest of the time I did the following things:

1. Saw the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Memorial, the World War II Memorial, the Great War Memorial, and the Korean War Memorial in an hour and half, would have liked to have spent more time, but glad I saw them regardless.

2. went to the American history museum and got to see Judy Garland's ruby slippers (well, one pair of them-apparently there were like 10) from The Wizard of Oz, as well as Abe Lincoln's tophat, many of the old first lady's dresses, and the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the anthem.

3. had a cast mixer with the cast of JCS, Chorus Line, and Civil War, thanks to our marvelous casting director Dave, who happened to be in town to mount his production of Civil War at the Ford's Theatre

4.Troika threw us an awesome cast party opening night. We had such a blast, and everyone from the Troika office was there as well as cast and crew for food, drinks, and fun!

5. pretty much spent the rest of the time either sleeping, eating, or at the Warner Theatre. I ate sushi like four times that week, I have not the foggiest idea why.All and all, it was a good time, and my friend Caroline came the last night which was fun!

A Carolina Girl Again (well, for three days)

I just spent the last four days in Durham, NC, about 15 minutes away from where I spent the last four years of my life. It was a really weird mix of emotions being back- a simulatenous finality (I didn't go to my graduation so it was my first time there as a "graduate," and an intense pride I had in my school.

I flew in a day early to Chapel Hill because I wanted to go to my dear friend Eve Carson's one year memorial. It was a beautiful day, a day she really would have loved. Hundreds of people came to the campus meeting place, the pit, for a celebration of her amazing life. I felt in that moment how lucky I was to have known her and to call her my friend. She made the kind of difference in this world in her short 22 years that most of us cannot achieve in a whole, full life.

The rest of the company joined me in Durham the following day. I was excited to do the show for my friends, family, and teachers.
First off, they wrote an article about me coming back
http://www.dailytarheel.com/news/university/former_lorelei_part_of_jesus_rock_opera_tour-1.1598537
in which two of my drama teachers said really sweet things about me. I didn't expect many people to come see me, but SO MANY people were so supportive and came out. The first night, around 30 of my drama friends showed up at a bar in Chapel Hill to celebrate my return on tour to the Triangle! I had such a blast with these people, and it was such a blessing to get to see them again. I also spent some quality time with my brother and my Mama!

All in all, coming back to college was a wonderful experience. For my first time back as a single woman in four years (I dated a guy all through college,) it felt freeing, and I realized how independent I have become. I realized I needed the time off to really learn to try to respect myself. It was great to visit old haunts, spend time with old friends, see the fam, and re-connect to the real, non-tour world, if only for a few days.

Now we trudge forever onward unto a week of one nighters. Knoxville, TN was sold out and one of the best audiences we've had!

XO FOR NOW!
Haley
“I never worry about diets. The only carrots that interest me are the number you get in a diamond.” Mae West

my mom and I

My Mom came to visit me in Durham and we have had a blast!!!!!!!!!

Playing Mary

MY ROOMIE AND I (WHO WENT ON FOR ME AS MAID BY THE FIRE WHEN I WAS ON FOR MARY AND DID FABULOUS!)
On February 28th, 2009, an extremely sleepy girl awoke around 12:30 from a long busride from Cleveland to Flint, Michigan, to find out that she would be going on for Mary Magdalene at 3PM that day. Thrilled and frightened to death, said sleepy girl quickly woke up from adrenaline, left her hair and makeup to her dear fellow cast member David Baghat, and got ready to play the role of a lifetime opposite Ted Neeley.

And what a day it was! The first show I did decently well, but there we were technical aspects I had to work out. For example, how not to trip over my skirt when I stood up and exactly how long it would take me to get to x space by y line. Adrenaline, nerves, and Ted guided me through it. I was so thankful for the one opportunity, I cried at curtain call.

And how lucky was I to find out that the music directors and stage manager wanted to me to have another go at it at the evening performance? It was this show that I felt I was able to truly allow myself to trust the work I had done and really just live in the moment. I immersed myself in the piece and every moment. It was truly one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. When it was over, I couldn't sleep for two nights straight. I was just so thrilled and thankful to have had the chance to play Mary opposite Ted, and it took a few days for the excitement of what I had done to really settle with me.

I am so lucky and so thankful.

Maid by the Fire re-enactment

Re-enacting my Maid by the Fire solo in the dressing room in Columbus:

I think I've seen you somewhere... I remember! You were with that man, they took away, I recognize your face!

where I spent my vacation

I just had a wonderful seven day layoff, in which I greatly missed the tour, but was glad to get some time with family and friends. The first three days I spent in NYC, auditioning for summer stock stuff that starts after the tour. I went to five auditions in two days (I'm psychotic) met with two agents, and slept very little.

Then, then, then, I headed to the Bahamas, with my BFF Dominique. It was a blast...Here is a picture of where we stayed. I got much needed rest and relaxation on a dream vacay! Life is slow in the Bahames-we actually did stuff for about two or three hours a day, and the rest of the time just soaked up the sun on the beach and on the boat. We went to Thunderball Cay (see second photo), a cave where they filled the movie Thunderball and Into the Blue. At night we had dinner on the island, and the last night sang karaoke for an hour an a half. Just the two of us. It was AMAZING. Note to self, never drink rum drinks during the day if you want to have an event-filled afternoon. EVER.

Oh, and yes, Dominique and I swam with the sharks in the top photo (I took the picture from someone else- but it's of the same sharks). There were about 12 nurse sharks surrounding me in the water. They asked us not to splash, and who comes to a crashing splash in the water while hurrying to get out? Me, of course. I am thankful I did not get eaten....

Fast forward a few hours, and I'm in Columbus Ohio, relaxed, rejuvenated, and ready for the road, baby!

all for now

xo

H

my, how life (and I) have changed: a day at Culver

So the last week has been absolutely crazy with one nighters, and I haven't gotten the chance to write about one of my most exciting days on tour so far: performing in Southbend, IN. Why, you ask, is it such a big deal that you were performing in the middle of Indiana when you have performed in LA and Alaska, you ask? Well to me, this was by far the most exciting performance I had so far. I went to boarding school about an hour away at Culver Academies (from sophomore to senior year), and was blessed to have MANY of the faculty come see my show. Everyone, from my acting teacher to my English teacher to my college advisor were out there in the audience that night. It was truly magical, as I always told all of them my dream was to be on tour and then on Broadway, and here I was passing through a town where I spent the best years of my life!

The show ROCKED. I had my best performance so far, by far. itself lost power right after we bowed, and all the girls in the dressing room screamed their brains out. The technical crew had to come down and calm us down, we were like six year olds. HAHA. anyways, because of that, all of the audience had to leave via cell phone light in the dark, so I didn't get to see everyone....but it meant the world to me that they were there.

I spent the night with my voice teacher/ second mother Stacy Warren in Culver, and spent the next day traveling around campus. I visited my old swim coach, who taught me everything I know about being part of a team on tour and beyond, as well as the importance of both leading and following. I saw my favorite lady at the post office, Ms. Sheppard, dropped by to see the theatre, visited my favorite lady at the bookstore, and visited with a retired faculty couple who practically raised me when I was away in school. I visited the small downtown, and went to my favorite weekend restaurant (we weren't allowed to go into town on the weekdays), where I ordered the same thing I got there for three years, for old times sake, a regular coke and a taco salad.

Besides getting to see my large extended family and visit all the old buildings, I felt incredibly old. Cadets from the military academy (it's military for boys) addressed me as ma'm, and some people didn't even recognize me until I said "HELLOOO, IT'S HALEY." why wouldn't they recognize me? well, lets just say I grew up in college. Look at the pictures below for verification of stated fact. I was that nerdy alumni walking around campus wishing I could turn back the clock.

I even spent part of a day teaching a class. Yah, you heard it right. Me, teaching a class. I was actually nervous as hell too. It was a group of 30 in a choir class, who all turned out to be really sweet, great kids! I talked to them about "the biz," life on tour, and pursuing your dreams. I think they enjoyed the talk a lot, as I think they expected an old boring lecturer, not the crazy blond that stood in front of them. I think I had them when they asked me my major, and I said, history, drama double major with a minor in Japanese. You can say a lot about me, but I'm not boring.

And then I left, a little sad at heart, but happy to have gotten the chance to return, and headed in a taxi to Wabash, Indiana, back to my life on tour.

Here are some pretty much unidentiable pics of my younger self in high school. for your enjoyment.

xoxoxo to all-how blessed I am to have you all in my life and reading this!

xoxo

Haley

Sometimes on tour....

random things happen to you. Like you get a call from one of your fellow tour friends saying, "my boyfriend rented me a limo. come out and ride in it and drink champagne." It's 1 AM, you're in your pajamas and asleep, but you do it anyway. You throw your coat on over your PJs, you pt your contacts back in, and GO. And it's a blast.

And you get up at 6 AM the next morning and head to your next destination to perform at 4 PM. Brilliantly, of course!

LOVES IT.

Akron, OH stopover

Slept till 7:00 PM on day off, went to CVS with Amber (above) and Joe, and watched a movie. Henceforth, saw none of Akron, other than CVS, which was standard, ate lots of chocolate, and slept a lot.

Tomorrow we continue, trudging ever-onward in the name of JCS

XOXOX

Haley

Where the hell have I been and why the hell haven't I been writing? The truth is, I really don't know. Last week was a week of one nighters, where I don't really feel like doing much else rather than eating, working out, sleeping, and doing the show. Bus rides are tiring and tough, and take a lot of the energy out of you. I have to make sure I'm takign care of myself in every way. I started getting sick last week, I DID get sick last week, but I've been taking care of myself so that I get better.

Philly was fun. We were there for three days, and I caught up with an old flame, Noah. It was fun to catch up with him, and it was like no time had passed. We talked and laughed and had a great time....

hmm

then some random one nighers, Syracuse my friend Monica came to visit which was really great! It was soooo cold there, but I am glad we went because I got to see her and the theatre was GORGEOUS...then in Baltimore I shopped like a crazy fiend.

And tonight we went to Westpoint, where I got to meet up with my friends Suzyn and Karen, and we took a picture in the hotel on the way backffrom the theatre. It was a blast to see them and catch up!!!!!!!!1

then this week it's on to see my roomie in Toledo and then to Culver, IN!!!!!!!

Cold places

this week I have been to South Dakota, Nebraska, Missouri, and am now in New London Conneticut. Things have been going well, just not lots of time to write because doing a lot of traveling on the bus and doing the show.

In Missouri I met up Charlie, whose like my second brother, when he came to the show. He got mad at me because I thought I was in Minnesota. There are two many M states and we are traveling through them too close together.

Traveled into the city to see my mom the other night before New London. I had a great time just chilling in the city, but it really made me thankful of being on tour and reminiscent of a few months ago when I wanted to book a tour more than anything in the world. I am very lucky, and I can't lose site of that.

Tonight Bobby is here, and tomorrow Dominique and her mom are coming....then its making our way back to the MidWest!!!!!!!!!!!!!
XOXXOXOXOXXO
Haley
PS Pictures to come.

My Daily Schedule-for the non-theatre folks who were wondering

A Day in the Life of Tour (One Nighter Days)
1. Fall asleep the night before at around 2:30
2. Set the alarm for around 4:45 for 5:30 departure
3. Hit snooze between three and four times
4. Put on glasses so you don’t trip over yourself
5. Finish packing
6. Find a granola bar somewhere around the hotel so you’re not tempted to eat McDonald’s when they stop
7. Roll luggage outside of room and to bus
8. Fight for first swing seat on the right side closest to the front
9. Run back inside because you’ve forgotten your cell phone, your ipod, or your computer charge
10. Fall asleep between the rows on the floor with Ipod on listening to Ben Folds “The Luckiest” and “Still Fighting It” on repeat
11. Dream of people on the bus doing bus-like things whilst aware that you are on a bus yet dreaming and sleeping
12. Wake up because your right side has fallen asleep
13. Roll over on left side until left side falls asleep
14. Get up and trudge off the bus, slide ball with your name on it so they know you are off the bus, and go into some random gas station in the middle of cornfields or desert
15. Go back to sleep
16. Get there around 2 or 3, eat something
17. muster up the energy to work out for at least 30 minutes cardio
18. warm up voice in shower
19. bus to theatre
20. Find dressing room, explore new theatre space, plug in curlers
21. Head to Green Room for Cast Meeting: we talk about if anyone has called out, what the attendance is, the specifics of the venue, where the water bubblers are, etc.
22. Head to stage for mike check in new space: sing through a few numbers
23. Grab something light to hold us over until the show
24. Get back-do hair and makeup, preferably before half hour call
25. Realize it’s 15 minutes till the show and you’re still not done yet
26. Get into costume, rush upstairs, stretch and listen to ipod and focus until show time
27. do show
28. get dressed, get on bus back to hotel
29. grab a glass of wine and something light
30. wind down until 2:30 AM
31.begin schedule all over again

It's a crazy life, but I adore it!

I'm a grownup

There are various point as I get older in age that I have a dawning realization that I am a real grownup. I know that sounds ridiculuos, as I have always been incredibly independent, heck, I've been away from home since I was 14. But today I willingly went and got a tetanus shot on my own in a strange city without anyone having to make me. I hate shots, I hate doctor's offices, I used to lock myself in the bathroom until I was like 18 so they wouldn't make me take shots. But I cut my leg on the set the other night, no big deal-very minor, but I have not had a tetanus shot since 1997 and the set is metal, so I thought it couldn't hurt after I googled the symptoms. I arrived in Wichita, googled a medical clinic, took a cab there, and sat through the shot without flinching---although I did make the nurse warn me before she did it.

I can't believe I actually just did that willingly.
That is all I have seen and will see of Wichita probably, other than the haunted hotel I am staying at, which is exciting in itself.
Love
H

San Antonio pictures and post (below)

an Alamo ghost? look at the second column on the left towards the center at what looks clearly like a face.....looks more detailed on my camera..freaky

the Alamo walkway where I took the ghost photo

RIP Davy Crockett

the main building left at the Alamo

our theatre- the Majestic

After shows come through, they paint on the walls downstairs and sign them-so now there are hundreds of shows (ours included) that adorn the walls. SO COOL!

a gorgeous cathedral we stumbled upon the first day

the riverwalk