Tour Musings

 We're in Bradford now, after having completed two weeks in Liverpool - arguably one of my favorite stops on this tour thus far. With three months left on this contract, it's been leaving me in a reflective state.

The largest cathedral in Britain.

As I've said before - touring has been hard. Living out of a large suitcase isn't as glamorous as one might think. Plus, it's been hard for me to be away from my home comforts. If I wasn't having the greatest day, coming back to the digs without my wife or cat there wasn't exactly comforting. Of course, I'd give them a video call every evening anyways - but it's not the same thing as actually being in their company; and this isn't even mentioning not being able to sleep in my own bed, play video games on my PlayStation 5, or see my friends outside of work.

All of this being said...

As we get closer to the end of the contract, I'm met with the all too familiar feeling of melancholy, reflection, and gratitude that the end of a contract always brings. At the same time, I'm not wanting to let those feelings cloud the fact that being away from home has been hard. I don't think I'll ever tour again - but I'm glad that I had the opportunity to do it for the first time with this show, playing this role.

I've learned so much from this experience. Both as an artist and as a human being - as cliche as it sounds. But it's true. 
I've learned pacing - conserving my energy to be able to play this monster of a role 8 times a week.
I've learned mindfulness - staying present on and off stage, even after having done 200+ shows. 
I've learned self-care - keeping my physical and mental health stable so that I can not only do my job well, but also able to live a full life outside of work.

I think the one thing that will stick with me from this experience is the people I've met in each city; the folks at stage door whose programs I've signed, the nice baristas at the cafes I've visited who strike up a conversation, the hosts whose digs I've stayed in and chatted with over breakfast. The stories I could tell about the people. Maybe that will be a separate post.

I think back to the beginning of this journey, and how crazy it seemed to me that I was about to embark on it. Sometimes, especially on a long contract, it's very easy to lose sight of that initial spark when the inevitable day-to-day monotony strikes. When you combine that with the difficulties of touring I mentioned earlier, it can seem like an absolute chore. But it's never lost on me how crazy it is that I get to do what I do for a living.

It'll never be lost on me that I got to sing this score in front of Cameron Mackintosh, Alain Boublil, and Claude-Michel Schonberg. 
It'll never be lost on me that this is my first ever tour.
It'll never be lost on me that I'm a working actor in the UK.
It'll never be lost on me that I was able to make a career out of being an actor.

As the end draws closer, I'm going to keep leading with gratitude.