2008 Spring/Summer Tour - Day 31

My first show today was at the Clark County Library in their Jewelbox Theatre, and it was another really fun group of kids. I had some pre-show music going and Becca and Evee entertained the incoming audience with their Bob Fosse-esque dancing moves. Anna, the children's librarian there, hung out and talked with them for a while and after the show she told Roseann that she loved how Becca and Evee are totally comfortable being themselves no matter where they are, and have no limitations about sharing their personalities. We really love that about them, too.

My second show, and the last of this Vegas stint, was at the Spring Valley Library, and it was a great time with a very active group of kids that ranged from toddlers through sixth graders.

We came back to the KOA briefly to freshen up... I had a 5 minute nap that actually was quite sufficient. Roseann wants me to mention here, since I mentioned the nap, that during my shows parents often come up to her and say things that indicate that they think I must be jumping around and bouncing off the walls and providing nonstop entertainment at home all day long. The reality is that, while I try to have fun and play with my girls as often as I can, it is much more subdued. Some of the same silliness, to be sure, but I'm not the hyperactive goofball you see on stage. That's a self-deprecating character, to some extent, based on what kids have responded to over the years... Kids really love being silly and goofy and having the chance to feel superior or on equal comic footing with the performer adult, at least every now and again. But the energy I use while performing tends to wipe me out, especially after two or three shows a day.

We stopped at Walmart for some groceries, then went to visit our friends Lanyard and Tammy. Lanyard is a sound tech for the Vegas libraries, and we met at one of my shows the last time we were here and became fast friends. Lanyard is an actor, singer and theater buff and we have so much in common and ended up hanging out a lot with him and his family. It was great to see them again, and Becca and Evee had a lot of fun playing with their granddaughter, Ashley. We ended up staying there very late... our conversations can get very involved and we just want to keep chatting and sharing stories all night... but we finally realized that the girls were getting sleep-deprived. They did a remarkable job of cleaning up Ashley's room, after doing a remarkable job of messing it up, and we were happy about that (well, the cleaning up part). They went to sleep about 30 seconds after we put them down... a new record!