Being in quarantine has helped me realize that without deadlines I am easily distracted and can procrastinate a task–such as writing and posting a new blog post– indefinitely.
It was Disney that threw me off course. When we were in Orlando back in February, we spent the entire week either at Disney World, Universal or the theatre. Plus, family was in town, so there was no time for a blog post to get written. We then moved on to Fort Lauderdale and our only free Monday was spent back at Disney (I also spent a lot more of my free time on my bike), and then the Covid-19 pandemic sort of took over.
We were notified on the morning of Friday, March 13 (a coincidence, I think not) that the remaining performances in Fort Lauderdale were canceled. The cast and crew were still called in for a previously planned rehearsal to put in a couple vacation swings scheduled to go on in Denver a couple weeks from then. The tour managers were holding out hope that we would still play Denver. While they rehearsed, my boss and I packed up all the merchandise ready to get loaded on the trucks for wherever they were going to go next.
Once rehearsal ended, we were gathered together on stage and were told that our performances in the next two stops, New Orleans and Denver, had also been canceled, effectively laying us off for over a month. That news began the hurried packing and frantic travel planning. Emma and I decided to go to my parents house just outside Salt Lake, found flights for early that next Monday, and pulled everything out of our trunks that we would need for the month layoff.
After a frantic Friday night, the rest of the weekend was actually pretty relaxed. We went to the Beach a couple times, enjoyed a few last minutes with our friends and colleagues, then packed up our things, and were on our way to Salt Lake.
Since then, the one month layoff was extended as Las Vegas and Tempe canceled their performances. Today would have been the first performance in Vegas.
Emma and I are doing well, spending time with my parents, staying away from other humans, and finding projects to keep ourselves occupied. Although there is debate among the cycling community as to whether I should be riding outside at all (if I were to get injured while cycling, it would add to an already strained healthcare system), I have determined that it is necessary for my physical and mental health to get out and ride on occasion; I am trying to be smart about how and where I ride to decrease the risk of an accident as much as possible.
Utah is a really lovely place to ride. I was not prepared for the mountains, but am getting stronger which will come in handy when we, hopefully and finally, get to LA where we are scheduled to start performances on April 28. Those performances could still get canceled (Broadway is closed until June 7, which is our last scheduled day in LA), but we are hopeful that we will be able to go for a portion of the time.
As hard as it is to be away from our friends and colleagues in an industry that is all about social, shared experiences, we understand and respect how important physical distancing is right now. I’m certain there is not a single person who has not been directly impacted by this pandemic. The way that Emma and I have been impacted seems so insignificant compared to the experiences of some of our friends who have lost family members due to the virus. I often find myself wanting to say that it will be alright but then stopping mid thought because it probably won’t be alright for a lot of people for some time. I am hopeful though, that soon enough, it will be alright, and in the meantime, we can look out for each other and help each other the best we can from a distance.
I’ve set more firm deadlines in my calendar for blog posts now, so hopefully that helps me keep you updated on how we’re doing and when we’re getting back on the road.
Please stay safe and well.
-B