Touring with Dinosaurs

Dino Buzzzz!

2009-12-09T14:09:00.005-05:00

WOW! There's a lot of buzz around the internets for our show. Everyone from the BBC to the Associated Press to AOL has reported on our missing dinosaur! The problem is, all the info in the articles, aside from the fact that one of our puppets was stolen while we were in Guadalajara, is wrong.

Walking With Dinosaurs robot stolen from Mexico show

A remote-controlled dinosaur robot worth about 100,000 Australian dollars (£55,600) has been stolen from a Walking With Dinosaurs show in Mexico.
Staff noticed the 1.5m tall robot was missing after the show closed on its opening day in Guadalajara on Friday.
The Australian show based on the BBC series has toured worldwide and been seen by more than four million people.
"Only in Mexico! How it happened we don't know," said the show's spokesman, Karla Arroyo.
It is the first time an exhibit has been stolen from the show, she added.
The theft did not stop the show going ahead.
Computer graphics
"Everything went on as usual," said Ms Arroyo.
She said the stolen robot was the least expensive from the show - some measure up to 13m and cost up to 1m Australian dollars.
The show originated in Australia, where it first opened in Sydney's Acer Arena in January 2007.
Ten species are represented from the 200 million-year reign of the dinosaurs. The show includes the Tyrannosaurus rex and the Stegosaurus.
The UK tour sold more than 500,000 tickets earlier this year and has now moved to Europe.
The Walking With Dinosaurs TV series, which used animatronics and computer graphics to portray the prehistoric animals, was broadcast 10 years ago.
The series took two years to make.

Little Nigel, as we call him, isn't 5ft long. He's about the size of a cat or a small dog. He's not robotic or remote controlled. He's a simple rod puppet. I don't know his exact worth, but I know that what's been reported was grossly inflated. Even the info that we 'opened on Friday night' in Guadalajara was incorrect. We opened on Wednesday night. None of us even know who this "spokesperson" Karla Arroyo is.

Here's a pic of Nigel's twin brother, Cedric:

HUGE Itinerary Update!

2009-10-07T10:43:00.004-04:00

Yesterday our tour schedule through the beginning of April came out. Other than Las Vegas, all of these cities and most of the states will be new to me. How exciting!! So many places I've always wanted to go: New Mexico, Arizona, Montana, Portland...and a few I've never even heard of!

You can check out the new schedule over there on the right hand side ------->

*it's the last one in the right hand column

**also, keep in mind that these dates can change and aren't officially, official until they show up on the tour website and/or ticketmaster.com

A Week Of Many Firsts

2009-09-29T11:19:00.002-04:00

In addition to getting magnets from every city, I've also been taking pictures of the outside of each arena we perform in. For the first time, I wasn't able to take a picture of the outside of our arena. We were in Atlanta, well, actually Duluth, Ga; performing at Gwenette Place and I failed to take a pic.

Speaking of magnets, I have a feeling I wont be getting one for our shows in Pensacola. Which leads me to my next set of firsts...this week we're trying something new with our show schedule. We're usually in one city each week. Monday is travel day, Tuesday is load in and shows are Wed - Sun, then we start all over again. This week we're splitting it between Pensacola and Baton Rouge. Sunday night the crew loaded out and traveled overnight on sleeper buses, then awoke in Pensacola and began loading in. Today, Tuesday, (the usual load in day and the performers day off) they are finishing up the load in, we're doing the tech run of the show and the opening performance this evening. We have two performances tomorrow, with the crew then loading out and traveling over night again to Baton Rouge. Thursday, while the crew is loading in, we'll be traveling by bus to Baton Rouge. We'll do a tech run Friday afternoon and open that night, with 3 shows on Saturday, & 2 on Sunday before loading out again! WHEW!! So since our time in Pensacola is so short, and Im not in any airports or anywhere that remotely looks like they'd have souvenirs, I don't think I'll be getting any magnets this week.

Also, this week, for the first time, I'll be on my own. I mentioned that I was taking over as Lead Voodoo for Platy, Allo and Anky. My rehearsals are done and Paul, who helped teach me the role and gave me constant guidance and advice during the process, has left the tour. It's all me now. It's both exciting and scary...but Im up to the challenge.

2009-09-15T13:48:00.000-04:00

Just another manic Monday

2009-08-11T11:29:00.002-04:00

We finally made it to the hotel at 10pm. Our flight leaving Hartford was over an hour late. I over heard something about the plane having an oil leak. On our way to Detroit, we had no idea if we'd make our connecting flight. We were supposed to have an hour layover, and we were already running over an hour behind. There went my plans of grabbing dinner.

Luckily, when we landed, we were told that they were holding the other plane for us. yay! Gate C26. We were currently at Gate A9. Boooo! Luckily, there was a tram. yay! It only went the length of the A Gates. Boooo!

It had been a while since I was last at the Detroit airport. I didn't remember it being this big! To get to the C gates we had to go down a series of escalators and across more moving walkways than I've ever been on. I immediately decided that on travel days, I needed to lighten up my carry ons and wear more comfortable shoes, in case this happens again, which Im sure it will.

Nearly out of breath and sweating, we all made it to the plane. Now I know why they held it. The 17 of us were more than half of the passengers - it was a tiny prop plane! (17 you say? I thought there were over 70 people on the tour. Yes there are, Im glad you've been paying attention. On travel days, it's typical for them to schedule the flights into 2 or 3 groups.)

The entire flight was only about 30min long, if that. All of our luggage made it, we all made it through customs without incident, and our bus to take us to the hotel was right out side.

I think I was spoiled the first few weeks on tour. Travel days went by quickly. We'd have an early flight, rarely any connections, and be in the next location before 2pm, leaving a half day for exploring. As of late, the travel days have been 10-12 hrs long, and in airports with no free wifi. By the time I get into my hotel room, all I want to do is order some food and go to sleep. Which is exactly what I did last night!

Playing Catch-up

2009-08-10T16:58:00.002-04:00

There's a lot that's been going on. As a result, I have yet again been neglecting this blog. I've always told people that Im a horrible pen-pal, turns out Im horrible at keeping up a blog too.

Im writing this from the airport in Hartford. I figured I might as well take advantage of the free wi-fi and the extra time being forced upon me. Our flight out of Hartford and into Detroit has been delayed and it looks like it'll affect our connection into London, Ontario. Not sure what's going to be happening just yet, but it's not looking good.

So let's see...updates....a handfull of the show's Producers and Creators came out for a visit this week and they brought gifts. We all received Walking With Dinosaurs tour jackets and the news that the tour is booked into the middle of 2011. Looks like I'll be employed for another 2 years! yay!

There are some changes on the way to the production. Some purely cosmetic, some the audience won't even know about and one that greatly affects me. I'm learning a new roll in the show soon. My current roll is as an Auxiliary Voodoo Puppeteer and I'll be moving up to Lead Voodoo for the same set of dinos that I currently provide the roars to. This time, I'll be manning the mechanical Voodoo rig and literally calling the shots for my dinos. It's also the first time that there will be a female lead on the tour. I'm really excited about that.

Just received word that our flight to Detroit has arrived and we're going to try and make our connection. If we miss it, they're going to book us a charter bus or something & drive us to London, Ontario from Detroit. Stay tuned....

Mixed Media

2009-07-16T17:24:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I had my second go at media. This time it was a radio interview called a 'phoner'. It's exactly what it sounds like, an interview over the phone as opposed to in studio. I was to expect a phone call from the station at 8:15am. All I knew was that someone named Chester was the host. I did a little research and found out that the station was an AM talk station, but not just any talk, international and bi-lingual talk. I started to panic a bit. I can only speak English, sometimes loosely at best. This morning show was centered, more specifically around the goings ons of the Philippines ~ panic dug it's fingers in a little deeper. Would anyone concerned about the Philippines care about Walking With Dinosaurs, much less care enough to listen to ME talk about it? Was there going to be a translator? Would I understand what was going on?

Just before 8:15 my phone rang. It was Chester (a traditional Filipino name, I can only assume). He had an interesting mix a strong Asian and Canadian accents and he sounded very happy. I was instantly at ease. He went over with me briefly about the station (who knew there were over 60,000 Filipinos in Winnipeg?) and how the interview was going to be conducted. Then we went live and it was all over in a flash. I felt good about it and felt even better when the host complimented me as one the best and most interesting guests he's had. No matter the size of the station, that's a great compliment to get!

About 10min later my phone rings again. I pick up the receiver and it instantly flies out of my hand and bounces across the desk and dangles over the side. Once I finally wrestle it back into my hands, I answer "Good morning, this is Kari, where I apparently answer the phone by throwing it across the room.", figuring it was someone from the cast calling about grabbing breakfast or something. I hear a chuckle on the other end followed by "This is Moose and Julie in the Morning and we're looking for Jack Stone". *gulp* It was the other radio station that our show's "Huxley" (narrator) was to be doing an interview with. They were somehow given my room number to call instead of his. Luckily, I had the rooming list handy and was able to get them in the right direction. "Since we've got you on the phone, what do you do with the show?" and from there started my impromptu interview with Moose and Julie from a Winnipeg FM country station. We chatted for quite awhile, it was wacky, face paced, and a lot of fun. I think I could get used to this.

MEGA Magnet Monday!!!

2009-07-13T22:02:00.003-04:00

Playing a bit of catch up this week, but I brought along a bonus magnet to make up for it.

The first is from Buffalo:

There's a lot going on here. First of all, it's false advertising. The googly eyed buffalo states that there's 'So much to see in..." Buffalo New York. It couldn't be further from the truth. Downtown Buffalo looked like a ghost town; one that maybe had it's heyday about 10 years ago...but I was told that it looked the same way, by our Resident Director, when she was there over 30 years prior. Second of all, Mr Buffalo is wearing a Niagara Falls hat (it's a little hard to see in the pic), which is about 20-30min outside of Buffalo. Maybe his googly eyes are there for sarcastic effect: 'pthh yeah, there's SO much to see in Buffalo' *tilt magnet to make his eyes roll*

This next one was an unplanned purchase and I have to preface it by saying that I swear I didn't alter the colors in the photo.

WOW! Who knew that Niagara Falls looked like ground beef. And check out that creepy sun/moon (I have no idea which it is, the sky is this weird brownish color, so the time of day is a toss up). Are those clouds around it or has it sprouted ghoul-like arms??

This last week we were in Indianapolis. There were a lot of great...er bad magnets to choose from. Unfortunately the best of the worst said Indiana instead of Indianapolis. My personal favorite was the "Cow tipping in Indiana" one. I ended up having to settle for this gem:

This week we're in Winnipeg. Not a very touristy city so Im hoping that the airport won't let me down on travel day next Monday.

Color me slacker

2009-07-10T23:18:00.002-04:00

Maybe 'slacker' isn't the right term. That makes it seem like I've been avoiding my blog. I think I've been afflicted with a temporary case of ADD. I've been so distracted...but in a good way. It's been a blast, these past few weeks.

We were in Buffalo. Had a successful week of shows and lots of sight seeing. Niagara Falls was amazing. I went on the famous 'Maid of the Mist', took hundreds of pictures of rainbows that were created by the falls and got a toasty sunburn. I walked across to Canada, bought a horribly wonderful magnet (stay tuned), and had to pay a 50 cent toll to get BACK into the USA.

After Buffalo, we had a week off to go home. I have to admit, I wasn't ready to head back. I love being on the road so much; seeing new places, meeting new people; why would I want to go back? I didn't realize until I got home just how tired I was from all that running around!!! I practically spent the first two days in bed. Or maybe it was because I was in MY own bed for the first time in a month. I find most hotel beds too firm and don't often sleep very well.

Now we're in Indianapolis and loving the Conseco Fieldhouse where we're performing. Our greenroom is very swanky. We have two flat screen tvs, a kitchen, a bar and a chair that looks like it came from the bridge of the USS Enterprise and is covered in the fur of a poodle. It's so fluffy and comfy.

So this coming Monday, I'll have my magnet from Buffalo and Indianapolis (haven't found one here yet) AND a bonus magnet from Niagara Falls! I wasn't planning on getting a magnet from Niagara, because we didn't perform there, but I couldn't resist this one. You'll have to see it to believe it.

Magnet Monday ~ Call Me When You Have No Class

2009-06-23T01:45:00.004-04:00

Maybe it's because Albany is a capitol city. Maybe it's because I shopped at the New York State Museum. I don't know what the answer is, but I was unable to find my usual, cheesy, unique magnet this past week. Oh, I found a magnet, but amongst my previous purchases you can hear "one of these things is not like the others..." being sung in the background.

This week we're in Buffalo and already there's a stiff competition for next weeks magnet!

There's a first time for everything

2009-06-18T11:53:00.002-04:00

One of the duties while on tour is to do various forms of media promotions in each city. They rotate the assignments so not any one person is 'stuck' with it. Don't get me wrong, when I say stuck, it's not negatively ~ I love doing media. It gives me a chance to talk about what I do, and I could go on and on if they let me!

Last week was my turn, and my first while on this tour. The interview with the Albany Gazette came out today and I was pleasantly surprised. Usually you do a 15 min interview and you're lucky if you get one or two lines quoted. This piece is mainly me!!

Albany Gazette:

Enabling dinosaurs to move is big job for puppeteers
Thursday, June 18, 2009
By Brian McElhiney (Contact)Gazette Reporter

In "Walking With Dinosaurs," puppets of the prehistoric animals are built to scale.

As a little girl, Kari Klein used to play with a small plastic Ankylosaurus toy. Now, she gets to play the part of the heavily armored, turtle-like dinosaur every night.
That is, she and two other puppeteers are responsible for bringing a life-sized puppet of the dinosaur to life as part of the “Walking With Dinosaurs” show, which has been touring the U.S. since the summer of 2007. Now starting its third year on the road, the tour has been stationed at Albany’s Times Union Center since Wednesday night, with shows running through Sunday.
The U.S. tour is scheduled to run through 2010, with a yearlong European tour on tap for next year as well.
“Nothing like this exists anywhere, or ever has; this isn’t Walt Disney hand puppets, ‘The Muppet Show’ or ‘Sesame Street,’ ” Klein said during a recent phone interview from a tour stop in Rochester. “These are giant, one-to-one scale dinosaurs based off of skeletons. It’s an incredible, incredible show.”
Based on the 1999 BBC television series of the same name, which later aired on the Discovery Channel in the U.S., “Walking With Dinosaurs” features 15 life-size dinosaur puppets representing 10 different species. The 10 large dinosaurs in the show, including a 23-foot tall, 42-foot long Tyrannosaurus rex, move around the stage through the use of a hidden carriage controlled by a driver, while the five small dinosaurs are suits operated by puppeteers.
But the dinosaurs don’t simply stomp around the stage. Like the BBC series, the show features an actual narrative that follows the different dinosaur species’ evolution from the origins of the giant reptiles in the Triassic period to their extinction during the Cretaceous period roughly 65 million years ago. An actor portraying fictitious paleontologist Huxley narrates the action in the show (and, standing beside the dinosaurs, also serves to remind the audience that yes, these animals were huge).
The show originated in Australia in 2007 as the brainchild of entrepreneur Bruce Mactaggart. Klein, a Michigan native with stage puppetry experience ranging from “Legend of the Lion King” to the Jim Henson Company’s “Bear in the Big Blue House,” first heard about the Australian version when a friend sent her a YouTube video of the dinosaurs being built.
“I knew it was something being created and planned over in Australia, and I thought, ‘Do I have to move to Australia now, because this is awesome?’ ” Klein said. “And then I was watching ‘The Today Show’ a month or two later, and all of a sudden the baby T-rex [one of the suit puppets] is on the show, and they’re announcing the start of the American tour.”
Klein sent a letter and résumé to the production, but didn’t hear anything back for about a year. She got the call last year, when the show was looking for new puppeteers for the end of the year, and after an audition a month later she was in.
“I’m happy to say that this summer, the friend that sent me the video will get to see me in the show for the first time,” Klein said.
Klein works with a three-person team to bring three of the show’s large dinosaurs to life — the Plateosaurus, the first of the show’s large dinos; the carnivorous Allosaurus; and the previously mentioned Ankylosaurus. The puppets operate on a system known as a voodoo rig, so named because each dinosaur’s movements are controlled from afar on a smaller version with the same points of articulation.
“They each have about 25 points of articulation,” Klein said. “You wouldn’t be able to look at [the rig] and think, ‘Oh, that’s a dinosaur,’ but the way that it moves, it moves exactly the same way that the dinosaurs do.”
In addition to the driver on stage, one puppeteer is in charge of “gross” movements, manipulating the rig to make the dinosaur’s head and tail move. Klein is the “auxiliary” puppeteer, in charge of finer eye and mouth movements and sound.
“I have what looks like a really good video game joystick that I pull back on to open the mouth,” Klein said. “The thumb toggle on top of the joystick controls eye movement — up, down, left, right, where the eyes are looking. All the sounds are prerecorded and performed live; they’re stored in a keyboard. When you press on the keyboard and pull on the joystick at the same time, the sounds come from the dinosaurs themselves, and the harder you push the louder the sound will be.”
Before Klein could operate any of the dinosaurs, she had to undergo training rehearsals for five weeks. According to Klein, the dinosaurs’ movements are based on the computer animation used in the BBC series.
“A lot of their animators did a lot of the research for us,” Klein said. “We do take some liberties, because we don’t know exactly how they moved. But this is definitely the closest anybody would get to seeing a real, life-sized dinosaur.”
Because of the puppets’ immense sizes, everything is planned out onstage, leaving little room for the puppeteers to improvise. This took some getting used to for Klein.
“I’m used to doing things more improvised, on the fly,” Klein said. “With this you’re constantly refining, keeping to a very strict regimen. You find little ways here and there to add in your own little flourishes, but for the most part it’s an extremely techinical show.”
In the Voodoo Lounge
The puppeteers work out of what they’ve dubbed the “Voodoo Lounge,” usually on a platform in the back of the arena, above the back seats. This gives the puppeteers a full view of the entire show, and as such, they’re privy to the audience’s reactions to their puppets, as well.
“We can very much hear what they’re saying,” Klein said. “Some of the kids can be a little bit too scared, but when a lot of the dinos enter they get great reactions. Yeah, the T-rex, that’s the big one right there. The Brachiosaurus — the mama Brach is about 36 feet tall; the top of its head is almost hitting some of the lights sometimes.”
The long-necked Brachiosaurus is the biggest puppet in the show, and its size can cause problems sometimes. In fact, at the tour stop in Rochester, the arena’s clearance turned out to be a little bit lower than expected.
“If it’s too low and there’s a risk of a dino hitting anything, we alter our show,” Klein said. “Everything is very meticulously planned out and measured. They’re the stars, so all care is taken so that they can put on the best performances they can.”

Magnet Monday ~ Rochester

2009-06-16T02:06:00.003-04:00

If it's still Monday on the west coast, it still counts right?

This weeks edition comes from the Rochester Hyatt sundries store. Their magnet selection was limited. Most of them were picturesque shots of the skyline or views of waterfalls. None of which fit into my magnet selection criteria. Amongst the 'I (heart) NY, and color stock photos was this single gem:

Perfect!!! This magnet looked like it was there by mistake. I think the cashier even looked at me funny when I set it down to purchase it.

Dinosaurs taste gooooood!

2009-06-09T17:39:00.005-04:00

We arrived in Rochester, NY yesterday. And like moths to a flame, with no preplanning, nearly all the cast and crew descended on one location:

WOW, this place was sooooo good! Take a look at my pulled pork and brisket platter:

I especially love this shot of one of our 25 Mac trucks in front of the restaurant:

Today I did an interview for the Albany Gazette. We'll be there next week. The reporter promised to send me a link to the article once they post it, so, I'll have it up here as well. It was my first media interview with the tour and I think it went really well.

There are media features and interviews in every city that we go to. Us voodoo puppeteers aren't always included in the line up, usually it's the Associate Company Manager or the Resident Show Director who do all the interviews which range from TV to radio to newspapers.
I don't know how it's decided if one of the voodoos is interviewed, but they make sure to rotate through us all.

I'm also happy to report that I already have my magnet from Rochester. Thank you Rochester Hyatt for having a gift shop, and lots of awful magnets to choose from!! It's a pretty terrible one, and I'm so proud of it.

Magnet Monday ~ Wilkes-Barre edition

2009-06-08T16:38:00.006-04:00

I was afraid this wasn't going to happen. The Wilkes-Barre airport didn't have any magnets that said "Wilkes-Barre" and our hotel didn't have a gift shop.

But thanks to the Mohegan Sun Casino gift shop, I did not leave empty handed!!!

These next few weeks will be interesting. We usually fly from city to city, and generally the cheesiest magnets are conveniently located in the airports. But for the remaining three cities on this leg, we are tour busing it.

Right now we're in Rochester, NY and tonight we are heading to a local joint called Dinosaur Bar-B-Que. On their website they have a gift shop, though there are no mentions of magnets. Maybe I'll luck out. I'll at least be leaving with a tshirt.

Wilkes-Barre is for dino lovers!

2009-06-06T21:48:00.002-04:00

Wow, they sure do love their dinos here! Our first three shows in Wilkes-Barre (Wed, Thurs, & Fri) were completely sold out. All three of our shows today were nearly sold out and I assume the same goes for our two shows tomorrow. The audiences have been amazing too ~ they are applauding and responding to everything. Our first two nights looked like a disco dance party ~ they were taking TONS of flash pictures (which you're not supposed to do, but how do you really stop thousands of people all at once?). Anytime a dino came out, the place was filled with thousands of tiny strobe lights flashing. I've never seen anything like it ~ that must be how Britney Spears feels anytime she goes out.

Tomorrow night, our show director is buying us all pizza and beer to watch...not the NBA finals....not the NHL playoffs...but, the Tony Awards!! I've been to many Oscar parties, but this will be my first Tony Awards party. Should be fun!

This just in!!

2009-06-03T23:48:00.002-04:00

We just got word that Walking With Dinosaurs ~ The Arena Spectacular will be featured in the Aug. issue of Wired Magazine!

COOL!!!

Bar, Bear, Berry?

2009-06-03T21:34:00.003-04:00

Back on the road, fresh off of a two week break, we find ourselves in Wilkes Barre. There's been some controversy on the proper pronunciation. One things for certain though, they do love the dinos! Our first two nights are completely SOLD OUT!!!

It makes for a nice welcome to our two new dinosaurs. We have a brand new Steg and TRex. The lead puppeteers for both are having to perfect and refine their show as each of the new dinos are VERY responsive to the slightest touch.

There are some very noticeable changes in each as well. Steg looks like he's been working out. His front legs are really buff, his plates look a bit larger though his head is smaller. He also has acquired an almost tiger-like set of stripes all over his body.

The changes made to the TRex are under a bit of a dispute. There were some internal design changes that have affected her outward physical performance. The most notable and noticeable changes are to her feet. When she takes a step, her toes splay as they make contact with the ground and when she roars there's some vapor that comes from her mouth.

Not everyone's sold on the changes but one things for sure, the audience still loved it!!!

Magnet Monday ~ A Double Dose

2009-05-25T13:02:00.005-04:00

I'm not much for souvenirs ~ with two exceptions: A Starbucks' city mug and a cheesy refrigerator magnet. In the past, I've picked up one of each from any new city that I've visited. I'd love to get a Starbucks mug for everywhere the tour plays, but it's just not feasible to tote around all those mugs, plus they don't seem to be as available as they once were. But cheesy magnets are EVERYWHERE! Most notably in airport gift shops ~ perfect!!

I already have a pretty impressive collection, but after this year, I might need a second fridge!...well...once I get a fridge.

I'm making this Monday a double dose from Victoria and Minneapolis.

I think the selection from Victoria covers all bases of Canadian wildlife and the cheesiness factor:

I was a little disappointed in the selection in Minneapolis. I couldn't find any that said "Minneapolis" but tons that were just the generic "Minnesota" ~ so generic is is....and maybe someone from Minnesota can explain to me what "Uff-Da" is....

Walking With Dinosaurs

2009-05-25T12:36:00.001-04:00

Welcome Back, now GO!

2009-05-21T09:56:00.002-04:00

All the Aussie puppeteers have gone. I am finally integrated into the show. Now we're on a two week break. The timing is frustrating for me, but at least Im getting paid this time!

It'll be a busy 2 weeks, the first of which is almost over. This afternoon I'm beginning my drive from Philly back down to Orlando. Over the weekend, I'm moving all my things out of my storage unit and into my friend's house. Why? Well, remember the difficulty I was having with my cat? I couldn't find someone to watch over her while I was away on tour. Well, let me take that back. I did find someone to take care of her, TWICE, and both times things fell through.

While chatting with a friend of mine, he mentioned that he had been unable to find someone to rent the spare room in his house. His former roomie moved out to move in with her fiance. He'd been covering the rent on his own and all the while sucking his savings dry. He needed to find someone fast because he could only cover expenses on his own for one more month.

I saw my chance and jumped at it. "If you'll agree to take care of my cat, I'll move in and be the best roommate ever...I'll NEVER be there!". It took him about a day to think it over and realize it was an offer he couldn't refuse. I wasn't planning on paying rent while I was away, but the peace of mind that I'll have knowing that she's taken care of, not to mention that I'll have somewhere to stay during the few breaks we have, makes it all worth it.

*as a side note, I haven't forgotten about the regular posts I was planning on like "magnet Mondays" and my weekly burger review. I have my magnets from both Victoria and Minneapolis. And I have a very juicy pic of the burger from Victoria...you'll want to lick the screen!*

The fondant is strong with this one

2009-05-11T02:22:00.004-04:00

This has absolutely nothing to do with my tour, the show, dinosaurs or puppets. It has everything to do with me, geekdom, cake and awesomeness!!

Besides dinosaurs and puppets, nothing makes me geek out more than foodie culture and fantasy/sci-fi movies...well...those and books about wizards and vampires, but that's besides the point.

Two of my favorite blogs decided to team up and create a contest for the ultimate geekiest cake idea. Great White Snark regularly features a geeky cake of the week, and Cake Wrecks not only showcases when professional cakes go horribly, hilariously wrong, but every Sunday is dedicated to when they go deliciously right.

Together, Great White Snark and Cake Wrecks along with cake designer Melissa Capyk of Wild Cakes would be judging write in entries and selecting the geekiest of the geeky and of course the idea that would best translate into a kick-arse cake! The winner will have their cake (but sadly not eat it too), the original sketch design, photo of the cake and a special t-shirt based on their idea...not to mention the bragging rights of being featured on these astounding sites!

According to Mike from GWS, there were hundreds of entries, but as Highlander states, "There can be only one". And that one is....ME!!! I am so thrilled and can't wait to see what Melissa creates.

I guess at this point, you are all wondering what my idea was....

Here is my entry as it appears on GWS:

Kari Says: April 19th, 2009 at 7:40 am
I love this contest!
You would know someone was an ultimate geek if they celebrated their wedding with a geeky cake ~ and what if that wedding had a Trekkie getting married to a Star Wars geek ~ a true Romeo and Juliet story of today.
Picture this: A Federation officer and Princess Leia-esque, bride/groom cake toppers, who struggled to get to top tier through their family and friends who have been at war for geekdom superiority for decades ~ as seen on each of the lower tiers.
or
A wedding cake that has each tier adorned with a different geeky theme: Star Wars, Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, Dungeons and Dragons….But what’s this?!?! - the Princess Leia from the design in the Star Wars tier seems to have pulled herself out of the frosting and has climbed to the top of the cake - you can see it by her footprints in the other tiers and follow them right up to the top…and who is that she’s standing with? Is that Captain Kirk? It is! you can see the depression in the Star Trek tier from where he once was and follow his tracks up to the top as well!
These cakes show us that true love and true geek-ery can conquer all ~ even interests in opposing geeky genres.
May the force prosper with them for a long time!

Look at me, here I am, right where I belong!

2009-05-07T10:53:00.002-04:00

I don't think it's any coincidence that the past two nights have been some of the best sleep I've had in months.

Yesterday was my first day in the venue. I arrived the day before and was welcomed by one of the remaining Aussie puppeteers prank calling my room. He pretended to be hotel management, with a pretty convincing Canadian accent, saying the show's producers were offering me the Presidential suite in honor of my return. "What?!....Are you serious??", "No I'm not serious, this is Gavin. Come to my room for some drinks with me and Dan and lets go to dinner." [click]

WELCOME BACK!!

Yesterday was all about getting reacquainted, both with the cast and crew and with the show. I watched the tech run of the show and that evenings performance.

Today I'm observing a rehearsal for one of the dino drivers and hoping to get some practice on the auxiliary unit before I perform the Platy scene tonight.

A friend of mine asked me to take some dino pictures for him. He was unable to see the show when it was in Orlando, so I decided to do one better and send him THIS:

the 411

2009-04-27T00:33:00.003-04:00

Here are some stats on the show that I found interesting, and you might too:

15 Dinosaurs in all
10 Separate Species Represented
10 large dinosaurs
Plateosaurus - 10 ft tall x 31 ft long
Stegosaurus - 18.5 ft tall x 36 ft long
Allosaurus - 14.5 ft tall x 43 ft long
Brachiosaurus - adult 36 ft tall x 56 ft long and young 29.5 ft tall x 48 ft long
Ornithocheirus - Wing Span 38 ft
Ankylosaurus - 12 ft tall x 34 ft long
Torosaurus (2) - 13 ft tall x 30 ft long
Tyrannosaurus Rex (2) (one spare) 23 feet tall x 42 feet long
5 suit dinosaurs
3 Utahraptors - 8 ft tall x 14 ft long
1 Baby T-Rex (one spare) 7 ft tall x 14 long1
Liliensternus - 7.5 ft tall x 16 ft long

Each large dinosaur contains: (based upon the construction of a Torosaur)
• 433 feet of hydraulic hose
• 971 feet of fabric
• 433 feet of foam
• 53 gallons of paint
• 7 kilowatts of power from 12 truck batteries
• 1094 yards of cabling in each body
• 24 microprocessors control movement along with 15 hydraulic rams and 6 hydraulic motors each

Each large dinosaur:
• weighs 1.6 tons a piece (standard family car)
• runs on 6 roller blade wheels

To operate one dinosaur, it takes:
A Team of 3 people:
1 Driver,
2 Voodoo Puppeteers
- one operates head and tail gross motion,
one in charge of minor movements: mouth, blinking and roars

Trucks: 27 – 53 foot semis (truck is 73 feet long with cabin)

Touring Company:
65 including performers and voodoo operators
15 Cast - includes 6 suit performers, 2 actors and 7 puppeteers
45 Crew includes 9 dino drivers, 3 person skins/dressing staff, and multiple engineers, lighting and sound personnel, carpenters, riggers and workers in AV/automation

2 Weeks and counting!!!

2009-04-21T15:45:00.001-04:00

"No words can discribe this great event"

2009-04-06T15:08:00.009-04:00

In case you haven't heard, Walking With Dinosaurs has officially changed it's name from "Walking With Dinosaurs: The Live Experience to "Walking With Dinosaurs: The Arena Spectacular". I guess the original name gave people a false idea that the show was interactive or maybe something silly like the dinos were actually ALIVE...I dunno.

Apparently there were surveys and polls for the new title. I have no idea what the other options were, but The Arena Spectacular won out, overwhelmingly I'm told.

I can't help but laugh and think of this:

What do you think??

Dates: They Are a Changin

2009-03-28T11:51:00.006-04:00

Not long ago I put up a little tour itinerary over there to the right
----->
so you can follow along, and so I can have a quick reference as to where I'll be and sometimes for where I am! (after awhile, arenas and hotels all start to blend)

Since I put it up, I've had to do a few changes. Some of the Canada dates have flipped around, a TBD was filled and one of our weeks off is now a working week. Also, please be aware that the dates aren't officially official until they appear on the Walking With Dinosaurs website and/or Ticketmaster's site.

I was originally planning on visiting a friend of mine out in LasVegas during my week off in Sept., ironically it turns out that the tour will be performing in Atlantic City that week. I guess it would be more ironic if the tour were ACTUALLY in Vegas ~ but being that Atlantic City seems to be Vegas' ugly cousin, it's ironic enough for me. Same smokey casinos, same cheesy headliners, same great restaurants, a lot less Cirque du Soleil.

Wait a minute, aren't I one of those cheesy headliners now??

Things to come...

2009-03-03T16:06:00.006-05:00

It's official! I got my call today and my return date to the tour is Cinco de Mayo, May 5th! I'll be joining them up in Victoria, B.C., one of my favorite places on the planet.

Once I'm back on the road, these posts will be so much more exciting, so I have a few ideas for some regular features:

Magnet Mondays ~ the only souvenir that I usually buy is a cheesy or interesting magnet from a new city that I've visited. Every Monday, I'll post my recent purchase.
Weekly Burger ~ I've mentioned this before. In each city I'll be ordering a burger from the hotel I'm staying in ~ ratings and photos to follow
Photos and videos from my travels and tales of life on the road ~ I have the tour schedule through Sept 6th, if I'm in a city that you're from or have been to, send me your tips on what to see, do and eat!! (I'll be putting the schedule on here once I find a widget that I like for it)

insert cliche HERE

2009-02-23T16:36:00.002-05:00

Patience is a virtue.

Good things come to those who wait.

Where there's a will, there's a way.

Can you believe that I STILL haven't heard when I'm officially rejoining the tour? It is without question that I'll be going back, but still that elusive date of WHEN remains unknown. And now the tour is on a 5 week break, so the wait is going to be a bit longer. *sigh*

I've been keeping in touch with some of the others from the tour (thank goodness for Facebook), and I've gotta say, I'm a smidge envious of their last week before the break. Not only were they in Mexico City, taking AMAZING pictures in historic locations, but the audiences from what I've heard were just astounding. I don't have the exact figures, but estimates have it that over 90,000 people saw the show in 5 days!! Who knew Mexicans were so into robot dinosaurs?? I'm crossing my fingers that maybe the tour will go back there sometime in the next year!!

Until then, I'm trying to find the motivation to pack. My apartment lease is ending in a few days. Whatever doesn't fit into 2 suitcases is going into storage and then those 2 suitcases are coming with me to Philadelphia to wait. Oh yeah, and my cat is coming too.

I haven't been able to find someone around here to watch her while I'm gone. The only person who's stepped forward to help is a friend of mine who happens to live in California. He's getting ready to move soon, so he can't take her until later next month. So, until then, she's coming with me to Philly. That didn't go over well with the person I'm staying with up there. He's not happy about it but luckily he understands. Luckily he kinda digs me. ;)

Their Beds are Burning

2009-02-09T14:53:00.002-05:00

I haven't had any tour news to share recently ~ but in honor of my new found Aussie friends and the country that the show originated from, I just made a donation to the Red Cross for the victims of the fires in Victoria.

I remember one of the Aussie puppeteers talking about all the eucalyptus trees there and how the air is filled with their pungent scent. It turns out that eucalyptus oil is highly flammable. He said that the trees can ignite and explode along with the air around them!!

People have perished in their cars trying to escape the blazes. It's so devistating and my heart goes out to all of them.

If you'd like to make a donation, please visit the Australian Red Cross website.

Thank you

Planning Ahead

2009-01-26T16:19:00.004-05:00

Along with my W2's from the tour, the Company Manager included a brief note today saying that I'll be contacted soon with a return date.

So, I've been thinking about things to take with me on tour that I didn't have before.

First off, is a large cup. I know it sounds weird but those little plastic cups in hotel rooms don't hold much liquid. I like to drink a lot of water and having those tiny cups are like trying to drink a beer with a shot glass.

Second, a Tide Stain Stick. Sometimes you might not have access to a washing machine for a week or two ~ and even if there is one in the current hotel, I don't want to spend a few bucks to wash one shirt that I spilled this morning's catering on.

Three, a more monochromatic wardrobe. As boring as it seems, it's all about functionality. Most of my clothes are dark anyway but one thing I ran into was that I had a handful of dirty socks, they were all white and I had nothing else to wash them with. I tried washing them in the hotel sink but it made them scratchy. So, I either need some black socks or more light colored clothes ~ maybe a bit of both.

The next two things are wish list type items ~ things that I'll acquire once I'm back on the road, and most importantly back on that tour salary.

An iPod Touch. I couldn't imagine being on the tour with out my laptop, but I found that pulling it in and out of my carry-on while waiting in the airport or even on the plane can be frustrating. Plus I love the 'Around me' and 'Urban Spoon' apps on there ~ perfect for when you're in a new town.

A Flip camcorder. In addition to this blog, I really want to make short videos about my travels and the Flip camera is perfect. It's small, has good quality imagery, it's own built in USB port, and editing software. And now they even have it in HD.

Sheesh, I sound like an infomercial.

Once I get that Flip, be on the look out this summer for nuggets like these, made by one of my fellow puppeteers:

The left behind

2009-01-24T20:31:00.005-05:00

Next month my lease is up. Im packing everything up and putting it into storage. Then Im heading up to Philly until I head out on tour.

There's just one problem. I have a cat. I can't take her with me to Philly, much less out on tour.

It's difficult to ask someone to watch over your pet for any length of time, let alone nearly a year.

I've had her since she was just a few weeks old and I swear she thinks she's a dog. She greets me at the door, plays fetch and comes when she's called.

She's getting older, so she spends most of her days finding that perfect patch of sun coming thru the windows to lay in.

She's an indoor cat, but loves sitting out on my balcony trying to make friends with the squirrels in the trees. ~ they actually perch themselves on the branch overlooking my balcony and call for her in the morning, I swear! and when Nomi hears me open the sliding door she comes running...it's the oddest thing ~ and I'll miss it.

mini update

2009-01-18T12:28:00.005-05:00

I had my lunch meeting this week. Im still not positive that this thing is happening, and part of me thinks Im getting in over my head...and there's something about that that excites me.

I always perform my best when Im challenged and pushed to my limits.

PS, are you on twitter?
add http://twitter.com/DinoTalesByKari to your tweets :)

Grapevine's buzzin

2009-01-13T17:30:00.002-05:00

My return date has officially gone from speculation to a rumor. That would be the next step right?

Up until now, I've been left to guess when I'll be returning. There's lots of pieces to this puzzle and the company won't give me an official date until many other things are also official. (European tour offers, US contract renewals etc) I'm not upset over playing the waiting game, frustrated, but not upset...it is Korea's fault after all.

Last night, one of my friends who's out on the tour, emailed to fill me in on some of the scoop that's been floating around. I'm happy to report that my speculating seems to be on the right track. Looks like I'll be back in the saddle towards the end of April.

My logic is this:

The first performance date for the European tour is July 1
The tour will have a month of rehearsals before the opening date
The Aussies who are leaving for the European tour (the ones I'm waiting on to take their place) want to have a few weeks off before starting rehearsals
The company plans on bringing me back to the tour for a few weeks before the Aussies leave so that I can brush up on the show

Yeah, some of it's cloudy ~ how long is a 'few weeks'?? But my guesses zeroed me in to a time frame of mid-April/beginning of May. Turns out I was right.

It's still a ways off. But it'll be worth the wait. :)

Picture this part deux

2009-01-12T15:42:00.005-05:00

In the Voodoo Lounge

Liliensternus

Plateosaurus

Allosaurus

Baby Braciosaurus

Baby & Mama

Baby T-Rex

Hind Sight

2009-01-11T15:06:00.004-05:00

I had an amazing week last week.

The first great thing was a possibility that is still in the works ~ something that I'm hoping to have more info on later this week. I am honored that I've been approached and I can't wait to see if it actually goes though. I'll share the details either way later this week.

The second was something that I'm not sure many people have a chance to do. I was able to thank someone who's actions unknowingly propelled my career.

This is probably going to be a long story, so get comfy...

Just before I left for my WWD audition, I was sent an email with all the names of the other people who were also auditioning. As I read through the 15 or so names, they struck me. They seemed familiar. So, as I usually do, I googled them. Nearly everyone there had an IMDB page. No wonder the names were familiar, I'd heard them, I'd seen them in credits. They had resumes like I was working towards. Then there was me.

It made me a little nervous at first, until I realized that none of us had ever done anything like this. We were all on the same level in that regards. They just had better pedigrees.

We all know how the rest of that story goes...but it leads to another...

A few weeks into our rehearsal, I approached one of the head puppeteers and very boldly asked, "How was it that I was able to audition for this show?". I never would have expected the answer I got.

He tells me that 10 years ago, he had an opportunity to shadow the head of puppetry at Walt Disney World for a week. He was taken around to all the shows and watched them from both the audience and backstage. He was so impressed with the diversity in styles of puppetry, the amount of shows available to perform in and the quality of those performances.

When my resume was presented to him, he saw all of those shows listed. Saw that I was a part of their workshop and opening casts. Saw that I was trained in multiple and sometimes every role in each show and that I had been performing them for quite some time.

He told me that he fought for me to at least be flown in to audition. Typically they've looked for people with film and tv backgrounds, but he was curious to see what I could do. Luckily, I didn't let him down.

The person who I was able to thank this week was the person who initially hired me as a puppeteer with Disney, who became my mentor and also conducted the week long session 10 years ago that exposed a puppeteer from Australia to puppetry at Disney.

It's an amazing feeling being able to see the big picture in a part of your life. To see how something that occurred a decade ago, put into play events that would change my life. It's even more amazing being able to thank those that played a part in it, when they weren't even aware they had such a huge role.

dinos have groupies?

2009-01-08T10:13:00.002-05:00

Yes, yes they do.

Let it be known, that my friend Heather is the first official groupie that I am aware of. She declared herself so after seeing WWD three times while we were in Orlando and promising to see it again in parts unknown. Knowing her, I wouldn't be surprised to see her pop up in some random town - and I love her for it.

I labeled my friend Jeff as a groupie. He came to see it in NY and then twice in Orlando. The third time he brought his wife and son.

But the real stand outs for me were the group of 20 or so students from the Pittsburgh Institute of Art.

They approached some of us towards the end of intermission and, I guess we were feeling generous that night, we gave them a little presentation after the show and a backstage tour ~ on the condition that they buy us a round of drinks ~ they happily accepted the offer ~ many times over. BTW Circus Boy beer is really good

At some point in the evening one of the students took out the show program and a sharpie and asked me to sign it. Next thing I knew I had a line up of programs in front of me that rotated to the other puppeteers as well.

This is a situation that's not uncommon to me. Well, not entirely. I have LOTS of experience in signing autographs, just not my autograph. (I've lived in Orlando for 15 years, and worked for a mouse, I'll let you fill in the rest)

Two nights later the entire lot returned and watched the show from behind us ~ to see the show from our perspective and what it looked like as we performed.

I love that about this show and company. They are welcoming and open and they trust us. They don't hide us from the audience. We aren't featured, but we're not hidden away. It's quite common to have people come up to us and ask questions. It's also quite common for us to bring them into the lounge for a quick tour during intermission. (the voodoo lounge is what the area we perform on is called)

So if you're at a performance of WWD, don't be shy. Come say HI to the voodoos ~ you could be our next groupie :)

Picture this!

2009-01-07T23:32:00.005-05:00

Closing in

2009-01-06T21:44:00.002-05:00

Just got an email regarding the new round of contracts for the tour. I still don't know exactly when I'm returning, but this is a big step in the right direction. They are going over the current contracts and making offers and there's deadlines!

No matter when it is that I return, it won't be soon enough. I never thought that after only 5 weeks of something, that I'd miss it so much.

Less than Six Degrees

2009-01-04T23:50:00.005-05:00

I was watching tv the other day and heard a familiar voice, but I couldn't place it. Well, I wasn't so much watching tv as I had it on in the background. When I turned to put a face to the voice, I had no clue who it was ~ but I KNEW that voice!

Then it hit me! This guy was one of the original 'Huxleys' from Walking With Dinosaurs! I never performed with him, but he's on the making of dvd they gave me and I know he performed on the Australian tour. But, I did a little detective work just to make sure.

Now, I know that this show has generated lots of buzz and has attracted loads of people from the tops in their fields. (that doesn't explain me yet , but I'll get to that story another day) :) I am extremely honored to be in such good company:

From Wikipedia:

Bruce Spence is an Australian character actor. He is perhaps most famous as the Gyro Captain in Mad Max 2 (also known as "The Road Warrior") and Jedediah the pilot in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. He also performed the voice of Chum in Finding Nemo, the Mouth of Sauron in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, the Trainman in The Matrix Revolutions and Tion Medon in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.

He is acting as the paleontologist (Huxley) alongside fellow actor Felix Nobis, in the Australian performance of BBC's Walking with Dinosaurs: The Live Experience. In his role, Spence narrates the activities of life-sized mechanical dinosaurs operated by teams of puppeteers and drivers.

Here's Bruce doing the intro for the WWD 'sizzle' reel, which is a clip taken from the Making Of dvd:

Stuck in Limbo

2009-01-03T10:21:00.004-05:00

Another lesson I learned is that things change, and they change fast.

The original plan had two possibilities: after rehearsals I was to either remain on the US tour OR I was going to have a month break and then join the rehearsals for the International tour in Australia for a month and then tour Korea and Europe.

Unfortunately neither of those happened. What happened is that the promoter in Korea didn't keep up their end of the contract, forcing the tour to pull all 9 weeks of shows there. Which now means that the International tour wasn't going to officially kick off until July with rehearsals taking place in June. Some of the original performers, who were planning on going to the International tour, took that as an opportunity to take a nice long break - they had been out on tour for over 2 years! It also meant that some of the other original performers were staying now until the rehearsals began in June ~ why take a break and not get payed?

How this all effected me was that the person who normally performs the role I learned, was one of the few who decided to stay. Which meant that I had no where to go ~ but back home ~ to wait.

As of right now, I don't have a return date. Some things need to be ironed out. It's all speculation right now, but it's looking like I won't be playing with the dinos again until some time in May.

That thing you do

2009-01-02T23:28:00.004-05:00

Last time I briefly mentioned what my role in the WWD show was. Well this time, I thought I'd show you what my 'office' looks like.

So, that's my 'desk'. The keyboard stores all the dino sounds - there's a different setting and 'sheet music' (so to speak) for each dino. The joystick controls the mouth and eyes. Pull the joystick back and it opens the mouth; the further you pull back, the wider the mouth opens. There's a toggle on top of the joystick that is the dinos eyeblinks and eye movements left and right.

Better late than never?

2008-12-30T13:16:00.004-05:00

So, one thing I learned while out on the tour...Im not good at blogging ~ or at least maintaining a blog. I guess I was too caught up in living it, learning it and rehearsing it that I wasn't able to set aside time to blog it.

So let's see how much I can recall....this could take awhile.

I left off at some point while we were in Ft Lauderdale...hmmm AH yes, the Holiday Inn.

My first lesson about life on the road...there's lots of alcohol involved. At every hotel's bar, just after the vans have returned from the venue, you can find various cast and crew members drinking the night away. Im not much of a drinker, but I'd nurse a drink or two to be social ~ which meant that I was drinking more than I have in a very long time.

Ft Lauderdale was also where I started a tradition with some of the other puppeteers. We were going to get a burger from every hotel we stayed at. Believe it or not, the burger from the Holiday Inn was really tasty! Cheap too. hmmm maybe I could start a blog about hotel burgers and do a photos along with it...ok Im getting ahead of myself...but I think it's a good idea!

OK so back to the show...

This was one of the longest rehearsal processes I've ever gone though. One of the strangest as well. I'm used to a more hands on approach but unfortunately we weren't allowed that luxury. Our time to rehearse with the actual dinos themselves was very limited. Partly because it took a large team of people to orchestrate it and also because the dinos can only be used for short periods of time ~ only 30 - 45 min at a time ~ per day! The mechanisms inside are the true divas of this show!! They get over heated when used for too long and of course we have to make sure they're in tip top condition for each performance. That also means that on multiple show days, they're virtually off limits for rehearsing ~ that was usually 2 out of the 5 show days a week. Needless to say, most of our rehearsing was on our own.

The role I learned was Auxiliary Voodoo 1. I am in charge of the mouth, eyes and sounds of the Plateosaurus, Allosaurus, Ornithocherius, and the Ankylosaurus. Since most of our learning was on our own, I spent most of my time watching and listening to a copy of the show on my laptop and listening to the show's score. All of the dinos grunts are roars are ment to happen at very specific moments - timing is key and there's little to no room for improv.

On the other hand, the Lead Voodoos, the ones who control the body movements ~ well, it was a little difficult for them to practice on their own. They also call out cues to the drivers who are actually underneath the dinos and those calls are very specific and also happen at very specific times. So what do you do when you can't have use of the stage and your dino? You play with toys!!

We would go over every scene of the show with these dollar store dinos (no really, we bought them at a dollar store!) and work out timing, lingo, characterization and motivation. The majority of the magic happened on a card table.

The first 24

2008-11-18T09:09:00.002-05:00

Yesterday morning a cab picked me up from my apartment to take me to the hotel where the rest of the cast and crew were staying. From there we took a bus down to Ft Lauderdale.

We're staying at a Holiday Inn. When did they get so swanky?? Last I knew they were your run of the mill, sub par hotel chain. Im not sure about all the others, but that definitely doesn't describe this one! The room is pretty big and it's filled with the colors of chocolate brown, tan and red. Lots of leather accents ~ I love it. Oh and there's the big widescreen, flat panel tv ~ too bad the hotel only has a few channels.

I have today off. I havent yet decided what Im going to do with this free time. Right now I feel like staying in bed. Last night's dinner isn't sitting too well with me. Ahhh food on the road.

We ate at a West Indies cuisine restaurant last night. It was pretty tasty, but I don't think it's something I'll get cravings for. Luckily we made it back to the hotel just in time because my dinner was on the way out! I didn't have any Pepto on hand, but luckily my room was stocked with lots of toilet paper.

I think I'll just have some fruit for breakfast this morning.

Looking good

2008-11-15T07:51:00.002-05:00

So far rehearsal's have been all about observing. I can't wait to actually start working on the different scenes.

We have been able to play around with the dinos each day during their daily tech checks. We move them all around to make sure everything is in tip top shape. Unfortunately we only get about 45 min of face time with each one. Any longer than that and they over heat. So the day is broken up into 45 min vignettes with about an hour in between.

I'm not sure how much we will be doing today since it's a 3 show day. Probably more observing. There are 2 hours in between each show, but they open the house an hour before, that doesn't give much time for actual rehearsing ~ if at all.

The last two nights I've stuck around after the shows to observe the backstage tours they give to the media and VIPs. Strangely enough, I have known people on both of the tours. The first night it was some former managers and directors of mine from when I worked at Disney. Last night I was able to tour around someone who's work I had admired for a long time, and then there I was showing him around MY work and having him admire me.

Getting to know you

2008-11-14T00:07:00.005-05:00

Day two down.

Today was all about getting the feel of the voodoo and aux rigs ~ becoming aquainted with the dinos' movements and sounds.

Allosaurous ~ my new best friend ~ I put words in his mouth

She's one tough momma ~ T-Rex

First things first

2008-11-13T15:28:00.005-05:00

Had my first day of rehearsals yesterday.

It was a long 12 hr day consisting of meeting everyone from the different departments, completing paper work, going over my assigned role and observing the tech run and evening show ~ and I loved every minute of it!!

It feels so good to be back in the swing of things ~ Im finally back where I belong.

This is my last dance

2008-11-11T09:24:00.001-05:00

Today is the last official day of my unemployment!

I start WWD rehearsals tomorrow. I have no idea what to expect, I have no clue what Im learning ~ all I know is that I have to be at the Arena at 10am. and Im okay with that! :)

Yin & Yang

2008-11-03T10:56:00.003-05:00

So, Im about a week out from beginning my training. Right about now Im thankful that my training starts while the tour just so happens to be in my hometown. It gives me an extra week to get things in order.

This is my last week to have no where to be, nothing to do (other than clean and begin packing), and no responsibilities. I couldn't be happier that it's coming to an end!!

I've been unemployed since June and have spent most my days lounging around my tiny apartment searching Internet job sites. At first it felt like a vacation, but it quickly felt like a prison sentence. I would hardly drive anywhere because I didn't want to use up expensive gas & unfortunately the only thing within walking distance to my apartment, is a gas station ~ ironic?

In one week, I'll be going from one extreme to the next ~ YAY!

Sending out an APB

2008-10-29T14:02:00.002-04:00

Got a call from one of the tour managers this morning. He called to congratulate and welcome me to the tour ~ how nice was that?!

Many of my friends have been out on tour at one time or another. So I sent out a bulletin asking for advice. How do you pack for something like this???

I've been so consumed with trying to get the job that I didnt really give much consideration to the reality of it!

So far everyone is saying not to worry about forgetting anything. You can always go buy what you need.

One thing I'll need are some warmer clothes!! I dont think my light Florida clothes will do me any good up north in December! It's 62 here right now and Im freezing.

And so it begins....

2008-10-28T19:22:00.001-04:00

It all started innocently enough.

A friend sent me a video from youtube, "You've got to see this video from Australia!". I had no idea the impact it would have on me. I had goose bumps. "This is the kind of thing I want to do! How do I find these people? Do I need to move to Australia?"

A month later, on the Today show, I saw it. The baby t-rex. Al Roker announced that the Walking with Dinosaurs tour, based out of Australia, would soon begin it's North American tour.

I ran to my computer hoping they had a website. Luckily, they did...but now what? I had to let them know about me, I had to let them know that I was out of work, I had to do this show!!

In the lower right hand corner of the site was a link marked "contact us". So, I did. I sent them a letter and my performance resume.

Fast forward to a year later.

I get an email. "I was sent your info from our home office. Are you still interested?". YES! A thousand times YES! Im interested! As it turns out, I just so happened to be out of work again!

Fast forward 3 months later...still out of work and just reclaiming my 'land legs' after a deepsea fishing trip.

I get a call.

"We want to fly you up to New York to audition." Now, I've auditioned for shows before, well known tv shows, and none of them have ever offered to not only fly me to the audition, but also pay for my hotel.

A few weeks later Im standing toe to toe with the creatures I viewed on youtube over a year ago. It was amazing.

A few more weeks later, I get a call. Im on their short list. They want my availability.

TODAY! I get a call. I got it!!! I'll be joining the tour for 5 weeks starting Nov 11th, which ironically enough is when the tour is visiting my home town, to train. After my training is over, I'll either continue with the North American tour OR begin training with the International tour.

So, that brings me here. If someone else reads this, great, but it's really for me. I've never blogged before, Im not a writer ~ I just want a place to put all my memories that are to come. :)