We had a great show in Carbondale, IL last night at Shryock Auditorium.  The SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN had a nice little review in the paper today.

We arrived in the morning and Seth (TD) and the crew were waiting, reading to go, at the loading dock. Once we backed in and scoped the stage, we realized there were a few things that could be done to make the day a little easier.  

Seth was great at anticipating our requests and just making it “happen.”  For instance, it would have been helpful to move a mid stage curtain to a different position.  He didn’t even blink (or complain).  He (and the crew) just made it happen.

In spite of the cold (or maybe because of it), load in went quickly and efficiently! And the day moved on at a steady pace.  Scenery, lights, special effects, hazers were all in place.  Cues were written and we were ready for a quick tech rehearsal before house opened.

It was a huge crowd of people of all ages – families, college students, children, senior citizens – nice mix and excitement was building with the light show.  By the time we took the stage, the audience was ready for the show!

Great volunteers made for a fun evening for everyone.  After the show, I made my way to the lobby to visit with patrons and then off to the upper lobby for a “meet and greet” with sponsors.  This was definitely one of the shows that I’ve been looking forward to this season.  Brian and his staff have been amazing to work with and I knew they would take very good care of us (and they did).

The show was down and packed back into the trailer in about 90 minutes.  And we were on the road, heading to Farmington, MO.  It’s not that far (less than 100 miles) but on small highways through rural Illinois and Missouri.  We pulled into our hotel around 1am – morning would come quickly with an 8am load in for the show.