The Miraculous Thing About Miracles

I'm currently reading Tim Keller's book "The Reason for God."  Tim Keller is the pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City.  It is one of the largest congregations in the city and he is known for his excellent approach to Biblical truth.  Manhattanites love him for the way he comes at the Bible from an intellectual perspective.  The book is excellent.  I often compare it to the modern version of C.S. Lewis's "Mere Christianity" in that it is a reasoning for the Christian God, broken down by the doubts many intellectual seekers have.  The title of the book has garnered many questions from friends and even strangers on the subway.  Everyone seems to have a question or strong opinion about it without my even asking.  Haha!  One woman on the subway yesterday said to me, "If I were you I would just skip to the last page."  Ha!  
Anyway- Keller makes some really excellent remarks on many issues people have with the God of Christianity, but today I was really struck with his discussion of miracles.  He goes through the arguments of science conflicting with faith, etc. and then at the end of the chapter he says this:


"Jesus's miracles in particular were never magic tricks, designed only to impress and coerce.  You never see him say something like: 'See that tree over there?  Watch me make it burst into flames!'  Instead, he used miraculous power to heal the sick, feed the hungry, and raise the dead.  Why?  We modern people think of miracles as the suspension of the natural order, but Jesus meant them to be the restoration of the natural order.  The Bible tells us that God did not originally make the world to have disease, hunger, and death in it.  Jesus has come to redeem where it is wrong and heal the world where it is broken.  His miracles are not just proofs that he has power but also wonderful foretastes of what he is going to do with that power.  Jesus's miracles are not just a challenge to our minds, but a promise to our hearts, that the world we all want is coming."


A redemptive, powerful God.  


Live rejoicing.

For a mom who broke all the rules

Growing up the son of a conservative, Christian mother who was a teacher wasn't always easy.  My mother is a woman of strict morals, self-discipline, respect for authority, and high expectations.  She raised her kids to follow in those footsteps in many ways, but while growing up we also discovered from restrictions and constraints comes freedom, abandonment, and fierce love.  

My parents raised us in a home where you knew the rules.  We had chores without an allowance.  We knew words we weren't allowed to say unless we wanted to eat soap for dinner.  We knew what channels we were allowed to watch.  We knew our butts would be in a church pew every Sunday morning.  Our house was always clean; we made our beds and dusted our rooms.  As a music teacher, my mother required my sister and I to take piano and practice DAILY from 3rd grade until we graduated high school.  By middle school we were required to be making our lunches and doing our own laundry.  We couldn't see PG-13 movies until we were 13, and if we planned on driving a car once we got our drivers' license, we knew we would have to pay for it ourselves by getting a job.  Life could seem a bit regimented...but it never did.  

My mother always had a love and zest of life unlike other moms.  Other moms are sweet, kind and gentle.  My mom is all of that, but I more admire her wit, sarcasm, and spontaneity.  As an actor, I have had the privilege of stepping into different worlds on stage and telling stories.  My mom was the one who instilled in me the love of story-telling.  Some of my earliest memories are of her reading to me and convincing me to watch a new movie musical with her.  When I picture my mother in my head it is usually with my father and sister around the dinner table laughing at each other.  Our dinners were better entertainment than anything the television could provide.  She is an entertainer through and through, and most times... an even better audience member, laughing at me or my dad telling a crazy story.  My family loves louder, harder, and harsher than any other family I know.  

More into her Halloween costume than me or my sister

In elementary school we would be woken up by Mom and head downstairs where she would make us breakfast.  99% of the time it was a bowl of Cheerios or Crispix and then a "next."  She would ask, "What do you want for your next?" and we would proceed to have toast or a cinnamon roll or something.  One day she asked, "What do you want for your next?" and with my little kid humor I joked, "Ice Cream!"  Without missing a beat, my mom got out a bowl and scooped me out some cookies and cream, the breakfast of champions.  That was when I knew I had the coolest mom ever.  The next morning the request for ice cream didn't work.

As we cleaned the house every week, I remember BELTING out to the soundtrack of "The Big Chill" and to Billy Joel and Beach Boys albums.  My mother has always loved music and watching her love it taught me to love it in a very special way.  Forcing us to take piano was a monumental task.  No parent wants to argue every day with their kid to practice.  And no kid wants to practice learning an instrument every day.  No parent wants to have to hear "Tarantella" and "Flight of the Bumblebee" 7,000 times, each time with repeated mistakes.  My mother knew the secret, though, that my sister and I certainly didn't know.  She knew the joy and freedom that would come from the drudgery that is daily practice on the piano.  She knew the payoff would be worth it.

Me trying to keep up with Mom's mad skills.

My mom isn't like your mom.  She is such a night owl, you would never believe it.  As a teacher who has to get up in the mornings you would never expect it, but she loves late nights.  I know past 1:00 a.m. the only person I can call and expect to answer is my mother.  She's still got better things to do than sleep.  While I was at college, a number of times she would actually call, waking ME up!  It would be 2:00 in the morning and I had class the next day.  She didn't see the issue.  When I was little my mom always tucked us in and would be up for hours and hours later, but she also woke us up early in the morning, ready for work.  The rule of the house on Saturday was STRICT, though.  If you are up before noon, you better head downstairs and stay pretty quiet.  And whatever you do... do not even THINK about cracking open or sneaking through the door to my mom's bedroom.  Saturdays were no joke.  My mother slept in like a 22-year-old college student...and still does to this day.  

My mom instilled in us as kids the need for intentional fun.  Growing up we always had games to play and places to go.  One of our favorite days was the Donna Hampton original "Kid's Shopping Day."  We would have a big day of fun where my bookworm sister would get to go to Hawley-Cooke Booksellers to purchase a new treasure and I would pore over rocks and gems at the Nature Company.  To top it off we would head to downtown Louisville and go to Caufield's, a costume and novelty shop where my mother led us in finding the wackiest and most hideous masks, wigs, and hats.  You've never seen anyone rock a crazy hat better.  

When I bought my first car, a Jeep Wrangler, my mother was not happy.  She insisted it was dangerous, foolish, and not practical.  I bought it anyway.  When I brought it home I remember taking her for a ride in it for the first time with the top down.  We were driving on a back road and all of a sudden my mom begins to unbuckle her seatbelt.  She proceeded to stand all the way up while I was driving, head all the way above the windshield.  She raised her arms high in the air and shouted and laughed and screamed.  She wasn't happy I was driving that car, but she sure was happy she was riding in it.  A year later she bought herself a nice little convertible.  

When we got our new dog while I was in middle school I'll never forget my dad trying to convince my mother it was a good idea.  The dog wasn't well-trained, it shed everywhere, used our living room as its bathroom a couple times, and was disobedient.  While trying to find the perfect name for the dog, my conservative Christian mother insisted that we name the dog "Damnit."  That way we could say, "Come here, Damnit."  "Look what you did, Damnit."  We named the dog Sadie.  

Sneaking around backstage at one of my shows to get a go at those hats!

I remember my mom and I had a wild chase one Saturday morning in high school when we began fighting over who would get to eat the leftovers in a bowl of brownie batter.  We chased each other around the house in our pajamas, me running with the bowl in tight grip and her wielding the mixing spoon like a weapon.  The chase continued into the back yard, barefoot and laughing, but unrelenting... mom won.  In the same irreverent way, I remember my mom and dad arguing over a lost spatula in the kitchen.  Dad insisted mom had put it in a wrong spot and now it was lost.  My mother was viciously bitter.  After all, she did the dishes most nights and always put things back properly.  Upon discovering that, in fact, the spatula was sitting right in front of my dad, exactly where it should have been, my mom didn't gently point it out and move on.  She grabbed it and started spanking him with it until it cracked in half!  

Her favorite picture of us.  Okay- it's actually MY favorite picture of us.  

My mom breaks rules.  She HATES cooking.  When my dad would travel out of town for work or something she would maybe make a simple dish, but usually she used that time as an excuse to order pizza or chinese takeout.  She LOVES facebook and her facebook account is more active than mine.  She loves her kids like mad, but also loves to make fun of us, be sarcastic, and laugh at us.  Nothing is off limits with her.  When I need an ear she is there to listen to my frustrations, encourage me, knock me back to reality, and sometimes tell me the tough stuff I need to hear.  I am still learning from her every day.  She is incredibly successful in her work and continues to learn and grow and come up with new ideas.  She is loving and hardworking.  She is dedicated and fiercely loyal to my dad and our family.  She is wildly talented and the funniest person I know.  (After me.)  And she is mine.  

I love you, Mom. 

Sailing away from the South Pacific

During my week off I had made final negotiations for an exciting offer. My "'S Wonderful" family had called and I had the opportunity brought to me to help set the show at a theatre outside of New York and I couldn't pass up such a great chance to be part of a creative team. This business is so hard. You have to make such big decisions in such a quick time-frame it seems. My heart was torn from trying to be loyal to the contract I was already involved with, working in a new position, working with people who had been so loyal and wonderful to me, etc. So many things go into these decisions, but I ultimately had to decide to say goodbye to the "South Pacific." I had only a couple weeks left, though, so I knew I had to live it up!

Our first week back was in Nashville, TN. Since it was so close to home I was able to have my car, which was such a treat. I felt like I could really get around and see friends, eat at great restaurants, etc., even with some pretty nasty weather. The week was spent drinking vats of sweet tea, fried green tomatoes, cheese grits, and biscuits. Haha! I made sure to take a group out to the Grand Ole Opry where we did a backstage tour and had fun exploring. More than anything, though, just going aroudn the grounds of the resort was so interesting. That hotel is CRAZY! Around every turn even I was blown away, having been there before, to see ANOTHER giant atrium, indoor waterfall or giant tree!

We also spent some time at a trendy area with some great restaurants in East Nashville. I LOVED Noshville, Fido, and a Frech cafe place. Broadway is always fun downtown, too. I had a really fun night meeting up with my elementary school friend, Ashley Herod. We literally hadn't seen each other since 6th grade, but had so much fun catching up in a honky tonk and she was so generous to come see the show with her family. Then Katie Reid and I were SO excited because our 'S Wonderful friend, Katie Mitchell came to see us, also! We had a great night going to a couple honky tonks and dancing with her. Seeing any of the cast from that show is just special. We can catch up right where we left off like it's only been hours since we've last talked. The highlight of my tie in Nashville had to have been my family coming to visit! Berry, Donna, GG and Grandaddy, Debbie, and Paul all trekked down to see the show. It was an incredibly special time. We ate a Puckett's Grocery and stayed up late after the show chatting. In the morning before they left we had a great brunch at Fido. I am so grateful that they could come down and see the show. Donna and Berry always know how to bring me back to earth, encourage me, lift me up, settle me down, humble me... whatever it takes. I always just feel a little more like me when I have them around.

The last week I was on tour was a week in Chicago! I haven't spent a ton of time there, but it was great fun getting to explore and we played a beautiful theatre. Other shows were playign in town at the same time so I got to meet friends of friends in American Idiot and Million Dollar Quartet. I was really excited to meet a fellow Stephen Foster alum, Colte Julian, who is in MDQ and hooked me up with tickets to see the show! Those guys were insane! They are ridiculously talented, playing instruments, singing, and looking just like their iconic counterparts they are playing. What an awesome show. I also enjoyed seeing the Bean in Millenium Park, having good food, Chicago pizza at Giordano's with Katie Reid, and drinks on top of the Hancock Tower. As a finale to my time on tour a big group of the cast went out after my last show to get ice cream sundaes at Ghiardelli and then to party and celebrate the wonderful time I've had on tour. There were some ups and downs along the way, but I will say one thing: I would have NEVER gotten through this tour without losing my mind if it wasn't for my friends (who became family) on tour. If I wasn't able to vent and laugh with all of them I would have become so bitter and jaded.

On South Pacific I learned so much. Mostly about the kind of person I want to be in theatre. I learned that I want to be a teacher, an encourager, and a positive force. Too often I think the art of play is lost and theatre becomes work. I learned more about respecting people and treating people how you want to be treated. I learned that even in a business of actors and artists and all types of people, honesty is the best policy. Most of all, I learned that there is no point in doing theatre if you aren't able to have joy doing it. There are so many people in love with the arts and music and dance and storytelling that there shouldn't be room for those who are are jaded and tired of it all. Smile, people! It's not rocket science! It's theatre! Have fun! Live rejoicing!

Tripp

Quick Stops

At this point on tour we started doing some one-nighters and weekend stops. Schedules are tighter and there's just not as much opportunity to explore, so tour becomes a little less exciting. We drove Bartlesville, OK and I was in some pretty bad back pain. I called around and found a chiropractor that said she could squeeze me in, so I started walking to the office. In smaller cities, walking from a hotel to a doctor's office isn't super easy. It means walking a far way, without sidewalks, among lots of cars, and sometimes (as in this case) not great GPS directions. I ended up calling the doc back because I had walked in the wrong direction and wasn't going to make my appt. Being in Oklahoma was lucky, though, because that sweet hospitality came right out. The chiropractor insisted I shouldn't have been walking out in the cold anyway and drove out to come pick me up! Haha! She was very nice and did a great job fixing my back! If you're ever in Bartlesville, head to see Karen Wallis!

Next we headed to Lawrence, KS. It must not have been too interesting because I can't remember ANYTHING about our time there.

We had a stop-over in Elk City, OK before arriving for the weekend in Albuquerque, NM! We performed on another college campus while in Albuquerque, which is always fun because there are lots of shops, restaurants, etc. around. We had a good time enjoying great Mexican food, good weather, walking around to hipster shops and having great coffee. We also enjoyed Rudy's BBQ again (from Austin) and ate at the famous Frontier Restaurant. Those cinnamon rolls... I can't. We had another stop over on our long travel into California. We stopped in Laughlin, NV, a town that is only there for one reason... gambling. It is the strangest, smallest, dingiest town around. We stayed at a casino where I ate at a gross buffet, smelled a lot of cigarette smoke, and saw Red Tails, the not-so-great movie about the Tuskegee Airmen. Needless to say, I was glad to get out of there in the morning and head to Cali!

We had a quick one-nighter in Bakersfield and then headed to San Luis Obispo. I loved "SLO." It was a very cute town with great shops and restaurants and we had the chance to be outside and enjoy walking in the sun again. We found Firestone Grill and devoured one of the best sandwiches I've ever had, the tri-tip steak sandwich, before the show. After the show we enjoyed a little bonfire on the patio of a nearby bar and embraced being in the warmth of California. We spent the weekend in Palm Desert, CA, a very wealthy community. The McCallum Theatre was so nice and we enjoyed the many amenities for the weekend. There were lots of great shops, fun outdoor restaurants, etc. The highlight of the weekend was getting to see Tina Diaz! Tina is one of my closest friends. We went to Governor's School for the Arts together in 2004 and became fast friends then. Through the rest of high school and all of college and beyond she has been a great friend to me and I was thrilled to see her and her boyfriend Charlie. They drove to see my show and then stayed for a HUGE cookout on the grill and patio at the theatre. With our Emile, Marcello, manning the grill, we had mountains of food to enjoy and send us out for a week off!

For this little break a few of us guys decided to get a trip together to Las Vegas. I had never been to Sin City before, but knew I had to experience it, so I quickly jumped on board for the trip. What a crazy couple of days! That city just EATS your money. I may as well have just thrown my debit card down the toilet for the weekend. But boy did I have a GREAT time! Ha ha! We stayed at the beautiful Cosmopolitan hotel, the newest major resort on the strip. It was right in the heart of it all and from the moment we drove into the parking garage we knew we were in for a treat. This place was jaw-droppingly opulent. From the walls covered in flat-screen panels, constantly changing the environment, to the 3-story chandelier bar in the center of the hotel to our suite over-looking the famous Bellagio dancing fountains, we were set up for success. Our room was over-the-top nice. We had 2 large flat-screen tvs, a bathroom as big as my apartment in NYC... it was crazy.

We only had one night and one full day in town so we knew we had to pack in as much as possible. We started our first night at a tapas restaurant in our hotel. The group was me, Drew, Christian, Shane, Alex, plus Alex and Drew's girlfriends, Morgana and Sara Lynn. From there we headed to 2 shows. First was Jubilee, the famous old-school Las Vegas showgirl show. It was really fun to see that old-school style that is just about gone from the world of live theatre.

Then, on the other side of the spectrum, we went to see Le Reve. I don't even know where to begin. Le Reve is a cirque du soleil-style show at the Wynn Resort. It is a small theatre in the round and the stage is covered in water. The floor comes up and out of the water at times, changes levels, shapes, etc. The show is full of magical moments of people doing synchronized swimming, dance, aerial acts, acrobatics, etc. It is absolutely the most visually stunning thing I've ever seen. I've never sat in a theatre with my mouth wide open and audibly saying "WOW!" so much. It was unreal. If you get a chance GO SEE THIS SHOW!!!

The rest of that night we spent walking around, watching the Bellagio Fountains, exploring the Venetian, eating at the secret pizza restaurant in our hotel, and doing a bit of gambling. I am thankful that I have no interest in gambling at all. I play once to say I did it and then that's it. The next day we woke up late and went and enjoyed brunch at the Bellagio's never-ending buffet. This city is just all about indulgence. There was so much food I almost didn't know what to do! Almost. We continued the day driving out to see the Red Rocks quickly and then came back for dinner and a show at the MGM Grand.

The MGM has a fun lion display to see and we ate before seeing KA, a cirque du soleil show that, again blew my mind. I don't know how the technology of that show works, but it was the craziest beast of a technical marvel I've ever seen. I couldn't believe it. The sheer size of the theatre, built especially for this show, was incredible. After that we had indulged enough and it was time to drive out of town and head home in the morning! We had a great time, but I was so thankful for a break to spend time with my family and gather my thoughts away from work and away from the road.

All the best to all of you!

Tripp

Finishing up South Pacific

I do this at the end of a lot of my jobs. I just have a hard time keeping up with the blog when I'm traveling at such a fast rate (as I do on tour), and then I end up having to do a catch-up post because I know one day I'm going to be glad I have these stories and memories written down to tell my grandchildren. So here we go... I'm going to try to get all caught up on the blog over the next couple of weeks since I am in one place now... New York City! (More on that as we catch up with the blog.)

After Christmas break tour commenced in Salt Lake City, UT! Adding another state to my list of states I hadn't been to was very exciting and the company was all very happy to see each other. It was really cold and dry, but it was fun to see snow. Our time in Salt Lake was so interesting. Growing up with many friends who were members of the Church of Latter Day Saints, I was fascinated to learn more about their culture in the hub of it all! We toured the tabernacle and were marveled by its acoustical genius. We also went into the convention center and the MASSIVE auditorium there. Along the way we learned so much about the history of the church and encountered so many welcoming, hospitable members of the community. Our Mormon experience was fully realized on Sunday morning when we got to attend service and hear the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sing! It was so cool to hear that iconic, pure, clean sound live.

The other big event of the week was that I went skiing! I have only been snow-skiing once, but it was indoors in Dubai! Haha! Finally getting to ski outdoors was so much fun. It was just a BEAUTIFUL day and we couldn't have asked for a better time. I went with Royce, Drew, and Chase up to Alta. They were awesome friends throughout the day, being patient as I jumped in full force. I felt pretty good about it all, skiing consistent blues by the middle of the day. We had such fun. The rest of the week was highlighted by exploring Salt Lake's AWESOME library, a great sushi joint, and great pizza at Pie Hole.

A couple funny things did happen during this week back. At one point the dry air got to me and during intermission my nose started bleeding. I ended up having to sit out most of the second act because it wouldn't stop! What is it with me having bloody noses during shows?! Also- we became major patrons of a restaurant called Bayleaf. There was an eating contest that happened where our great Stewpot, Erik Cheski, took on plates piled high with fried chicken, eggs, bacon, waffles... it was intense. He didn't quite finish it off, but we were super proud of him!

Our next stop on tour was Tempe, AZ! We were welcomed to the beautiful ASU-Gammage, the only theatre designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, by great crowds and a wonderful board of directors who threw us a fun opening night party. Tempe is a really great college town and we were so glad to have some great food and fun places to walk while we were there. One morning we hiked up A Mountain, a small climb that gave us great views over the campus and main strip in town. I was glad to be in warmer weather and spending time outdoors. I quickly realized that my friend Kyle Riggs lived in Pheonix so we ended up meeting up and having a fun lunch from food trucks. I also got to see my elementary school music teacher, Pat Foley! She was so nice to come to my show and we went out for lunch as well. It's always the biggest treat to see old friends along the way during tour. It brings a little feeling of home and familiarity that is invaluable.

The highlight of the week for me was going with Chase, our violinist, and his family out to Sedona! I had been wanting to get out to see that part of the country for years. I've heard so much about how beautiful it is so I had to see for myself. We drove out and spent the morning hiking to the very top of Bell Rock, a gorgeous rock formation. Hiking and that sense of accomplishment makes me feel so alive. It's a connection to God's creation you can't duplicate. Anyway- we had a wonderful day with beautiful weather, good food, and INCREDIBLE company. I haven't laughed like that in a long time. Thank you to Chase, Michael, Chris, and Jenni! The week in Tempe ended with a wonderful party at one of the board members' homes. David Horowitz hosted the company at his home with much food and drink. We had a great time and I was able to get behind the piano and play for a while as the company had a mini jam-session. Thank you, Tempe!

Good luck keeping up, everyone! Love you all!

Tripp

Isn't This Backwards?

I just started reading a new book today that already has my head spinning a little bit. We are gearing up for another election and, as usual, I am so torn. I believe VERY strongly in what I believe. There are stances on certain issues that just are so completely clear to me right now and, unfortunately, every candidate seems to be split on some of these issues. I am totally on board with a candidate on this matter, but totally opposed to their view on another. It's so hard for me to understand how the candidates can not believe exactly as I do, but that's another issue altogether.

When I first was old enough to vote and NEED to care about politics I came to an understanding of what I thought was good, right, in line with Jesus... and those things seemed to be in the Bible and on my heart. There was this backwards thing, though; I learned about what was good and right many times from my friends who weren't part of the church. I determined what I believe was in line with Jesus' teachings and what I wanted to stand up for from my home and my church, but also a great deal from my friends in theatre. Below is a quote from "The Reason for God" by Timothy Keller. It perfectly describes how I felt.

"I seemed to see two camps before me, and there was something radically wrong with both of them. The people most passionate about social justice were moral relativists, while the morally upright didn't seem to care about the oppression going on all over the world."

I am not saying that the church doesn't fight for the oppressed and for social justice. I have been involved with missions within the church my entire life and it was those missions that gave me the heart and eye for loving people like Jesus did. It just struck me that the way I was taught to think about helping people was that it was a private sort of thing. Keep it in the church and take care of it how you would like to, but make it a public issue and it's wrong. Since when is there a wrong way to help the "least of these?" To my young mind and heart (one that is fully admitting to not being the most informed or knowledgeable on political matters) an opportunity to give to the poor or help the oppressed of our society or lend a helping hand is just that. It's an opportunity.

One thing I have learned and that I do know from this business is that you only take what you have sometimes, and many times all you have is a chance. An opportunity. Why not take the opportunity to help and to show who Jesus is? Why not take the opportunity to give, and open up conversations about the Giver who gave His life? Why not take the opportunity to follow that example? To allow others to see the beauty of a chance in Christ through the love of His people?

I know I don't get it all. I know this is a simple, surface look at many larger issues. All I know is that Christ was not stingy with me. He showed me what it means to be loved and to be COVERED in the lavish gift of redemption and life. I hope I can show a piece of that love.

Up to Christmas Break...

We spent a week in Orlando and I was so excited because I was able to visit with my friends Ellen Kahne and Brad Frost who are both working down there. We stayed at a hotel right downtown and went to dinner one of the first nights there. Seeing friends on the road is just such a refreshing thing. It reminds me that there is life outside of this show and that I have a community of people supporting me along the way.

Later in the week we planned a trip to Disneyworld! If I am in Orlando I will do ANYTHING to get to Disney. It’s one of my favorite places in the world! A couple of cast members hadn’t ever been to Disney and we all contacted as many friends and family as possible who work at the park to get some tickets! My great friends, Karen and Chris Baker, are both working there after having met on our cruise ship. They are such sweet and talented, hard working people. They were sous a chance. generous to get a big group of us into the parks and we spent the day exploring Magic Kingdom and Epcot.

The biggest part of my week in Orlando was that I went home for a few days to be part of the wedding of Matt and Catie Castleman. I had so much fun being in Cincinnati for a couple days and it was great to see so many friends from college, high school, church, etc. We just had a great time and I was so happy to be there to support two people who I admire so much and are so wonderful together. I can’t wait to be in the same city with them for a longer period of time. Our last day in Orlando was a whirlwind of me traveling back, doing two shows, and then we had a big party thrown for us! Brad and Ellen were able to come out and meet the cast (Ellen saw the show) and party a bit at a great little spot where the had food and drinks. We also got together and had a little cabaret night where we all sang Christmas songs and stuff that we had with us. It’s always great to get a chance to do something DIFFERENT than our show every night.

The last week of tour before break was a week full of one-nighters. We started in Rockford, IL where I decided to plan a little outing. The night before in Orlando we had so much fun singing together and singing Christmas songs and I thought it would be a terrible waste to not share that holiday joy with others. I found an assisted living facility nearby to our hotel in Rockford and called them. We ended up having about 20 of the cast plus our violinist, Chase, come along and sing from the show, Christmas carols, etc. I played piano, Chase improvised beautifully on the violin, and we threw together about an hour’s worth of music that the residents seemed to REALLY enjoy. It made me so glad to be able to use our talents for something bigger than ourselves. We performed that night at a really great old palace theatre. It is always fun to see the varying architecture of theatres all over the country.

The next day we were in Evansville, IN. It was crazy to think I was so close to home, but the day flew by and the next day was a travel day. We drove through rain past downtown Louisville. What a tease! I just wanted to jump off the bus, but we had a few more days. That night we stopped along the way in Charleston, WV, a city I never thought I would randomly spend so much time in. This time we were in a hotel that was surrounded by… nothing. There were no restaurants open or anything, so we ended up having a bit of a pizza party in our hotel room. All sorts of people came by as we watched old Christmas movies on TV, played Catch Phrase, and Celebrity and had a grand old time. We have definitely learned how to entertain ourselves on the road.

For the first part of the weekend we played Richmond, VA. We performed in a HUGE theatre, the Landmark Theatre, which had history as a Masonic lodge or something. I have never seen anything quite like it. It was nice to be in a pretty fun town. There were lots of shops and things around. Between shows on Saturday I ended up taking a group to a restaurant I found called The Black Sheep. It had been on Man vs. Food and was one of the best meals we had on tour. It was just so incredible; warm, RICH, and delicious. Our last stop before break was Charleston, WV, where we actually performed. We were in a beautiful performing arts center, but the highlight of being there was that my parents came to see the show! It was such a nice treat to have them in the audience and then we had a late drive to get me HOME! For someone who travels constantly for a living, I just CRAVE being home in the Louisville/Cincinnati area. To my friends and family there: I am so thankful for the loving community you are to me. It makes all the difference to have people surround you that build into you, invest in you, and care for you the way you all do. It is because of you that I love to come home. Can’t wait until next time!

Love,

Tripp