My past week was what we call a split week, meaning I spent my week performing in two cities- Bloomington, Illinois, and Louisville, Kentucky!
I was pretty bummed that I had to miss a couple of days of shows in Kansas City, so I was eager to get back to shows as soon as possible. Monday was our travel day to Bloomington, IL- besides being on a bus for long hours, the trip was easy, and it was good to be off of my sprained ankle. Our hotel appeared to be some sort of fancy, French-decor-inspired Chateau; the biggest perk was the gorgeous fireplace in the lobby. It looked like something straight out of Beauty and the Beast! I didn't explore Bloomington much (besides the shopping plaza across the street, I don't think there was much to do there anyway), but I was able to get back into shows! We only had two shows on Wednesday, and then it was off to the next.
I heard some good buzz about Louisville, Kentucky, so I was curious to check out the city. We arrived on Thursday and stayed at a gorgeous hotel that overlooked the river. It was also in the downtown area, so there were plenty of things to check out within walking distance.
Along the road, I love being able to check out different performance opportunities. You never know where inspiration might come from, and I love being able to see what other artists create! On Thursday night, I was able to see a new work through the Actors Theatre of Louisville called I Now Pronounce. It was a play featured in the local theatre festival, called the Humana Festival, which is in its 41st season. The show had just began its run, and it was neat to know that I was part of the opening audiences! The play was a dark comedy about one couple's wedding mishaps, and the mischief that they and their wedding party got into as the night progressed. The venue was beautiful, some of the conversations were hilarious, and the actors were upbeat and relatable. Many of them were from New York or other big cities with incredible resumes- as an actor myself, I strive to have careers like theirs! Being able to see a new work is exciting too- a great amount of time, effort, and passion went into the project, and I feel that the actors' performance reflected that excitement and freshness. At this point in the tour, I've done roughly 150 shows- I've never done one single show that many times! It sounds monotonous, and sometimes I feel like I'm going through the motions- it was refreshing to see other actors in their element, and gives me a renewed excitement in my own work.
The night life in Louisville was so much more fun that what I was expecting- along Fourth Street (the main downtown hub), part of the street was permanently blocked off. It featured a with a platform for live music performances, and made it easy to meander between restaurants and bars, many of which had live music as well. After our shows on Saturday, I went to a Howl at the Moon, a dueling piano bar. I've never been to one, and was excited to check it out! Not only did I have an amazing time, but I was thoroughly impressed with every one of the musicians there. Different musicians rotated instruments and each had their turn in the spotlight- I couldn't believe how easily they floated into the next set! Each song flowed right into the next, and everyone was so in tune with the music and their fellow band members. I spent most of the time dancing, but I was so intrigued by watching them play as well. Truly, they were an insanely talented and connected group- how could I not feel passionate and inspired after a night like that?!
My weekend ended with two more shows, and I had my first true understudy experience- our main live performer wasn't feeling well, so I was able to jump into the role last minute. It was a bit of an adrenaline rush at first, but in true showbiz fashion, the show must go on! Of course, it's not the same when the full company isn't involved in the show, but change definitely keeps us on our toes. I love being a part of the show from a different perspective; it gives me the chance to keep the show fresh like I mentioned earlier! Though the day was off to a bit of a stressful start, but I had so many things to appreciate- our venue, the Brown Theatre, was beautiful, the audiences were amazing, and I would be able to spend the day doing what I love most!
The rest of my time in Louisville wasn't very eventful. A couple of my friends and I tried getting tickets to the Twenty-One Pilots concert (there were playing the arena right next door to our hotel), but unfortunately, we weren't successful. After purchasing merchandise anyway, we hung out at the hotel bar and procrastinated packing (when you travel in and out of hotels as much as we do, packing becomes the most awful and mundane task). Though it wasn't what we hoped for, spending the evening with friends was just as nice!
I eventually packed, and it was time to go to the next city- Baton Rouge, Louisiana! I'm ready for some warmer weather!
Signing off from the Street,
Shelby
City #44- Bloomington, Illinois
City #45- Louisville, Kentucky
#shelbyseesthestates
With a fan in front of the fireplace (Ramiro from Rammie On The Road- check out his vlog on YouTube!)
With my same #1 fan at Red Robin (which was YUM as usual)!
Fourth Street in the daylight.
Kelsey and I after the show at the Actors Theatre of Louisville.
A dark picture of the house from the wings of our venue, the Brown Theatre!
Checking out the downtown night life.
Outside Howl at the Moon- what an amazing night!
Another view from the stage.
And another weekend comes to a close :)
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