Here I am in a quiet room at my sister Lory’s place in Oxnard, California. Just three days ago, I was in the center of the whirl of events that APO always finds itself when doing concert tours. There are the thousands of people that we meet and get photographed with. There are the members of the press whom we talk to. Then, the endless dinners, lunches, store visits, etc.. And the concerts, of course!
It may seem like that’s all we do on these trips and you are not too off the mark. But once in a while, more exciting things happen. I was fortunate enough to FINALLY meet Ate Sienna, the Keeper of the Pansitan which hosts many blogs including this one. It was such a delight to finally meet the person behind the countless emails and favors done on my behalf. Salamat Ate Sienna.
I actually imagined an older person. Instead I met a petite, bubbly, boisterous, and warm human being!
We spend a lot of time also in theaters, especially on the day of the concert. Before the sound check, I usually give the venues a look over. I tour the dressing room, backstage, lobby, etc.. I would like to share little discoveries that I have found in some theaters we perform in. Some of the venues are quite old! The Gateway in Chicago was actually a movie house. The difficult part is the lack of a dressing room backstage! When a performer has to answer the call of nature, he has to go out in to the lobby and meet his audience. Hassle!
The Spreckles theater in San Diego, I hear is close to a hundred years old! It has that air of history and antiquity. Notice the little statues that deck the top of the walls!
Makes one feel like old souls live in theaters like these.
Could a “Phantom of the Opera” reside here?
Lobbies like these are so elegant, di ba? There’s actually so much to see while waiting for our sound and lighting to be set up.
To all those who post replies/ views on my blog, my apologies for not responding. I do not always have access to the internet and so I write when I can. Pasensiya na. Keep writing as I read each one.
And so I go on with the APO tour! Till my next blog!
Jim
PS. By the way, if you want a blow by blow account of the APO tour, visit http://apohikingsociety.org