It’s now the last week of August and here I sit, in one of my favorite cities (and old home town), Burlington, VT sipping coffee in my favorite cafe, reflecting on the whirlwind tour of shows that was summer, 2008. There’s technically only one week left in the summer touring season and I have only a few shows left in the Northeast before I make my way back to Pennsylvania.
At this point in the year I’d normally be eagerly looking forward to a couple weeks of downtime following Labor Day, but it’s not to happen this year. My usual time off the road has quickly booked up and, between September and October alone, I’m looking at a run of 49+ shows. No rest for the weary I suppose – or is that the wicked?
I’m looking forward to the fall though – I get to spend much of it in Connecticut and, no longer living in New England but still thoroughly a New Englander at heart (and habit), I’m grateful for the opportunity to spend a lot of time in the region during what is decidedly my favorite season.
As to the summer season itself – and the point of this little missive – I can report that, tiring though it has been, it has also been thoroughly enjoyable and marked a huge turning point for media and production value in the stage show!
It all started in late May, when I relocated to Pennsylvania. Amanda and I moved into a stunning four bedroom home – three floors (all of which are beautiful hardwood), two baths, library, office, den, fireplace – really can’t say enough good things about it, save for the fact that I’m not wild about the area. Mind you, there’s nothing terribly wrong with the region, and it is quite conveniently located to seven major cities – and seven major markets for my work. But I do miss my Vermont. I’d like to report on life in the new place but in truth, immediately upon moving in, I had to hit the road!
Word of advice: don’t move into a new home and then promptly leave for three months! Thankfully I was able to spend some time getting the house situated how we like before I left, but my time on the road has been filled with thoughts of domesticity – what I want to put where, what new gizmos and gadgets we need to get, how we want to organize the downstairs office – and no ability whatsoever to act upon those thoughts! I have seen home precious few times throughout the summer and, with the limited amount of time in town I was more interested in resting for a bit than, say, moving furniture, stacking books and rearranging things.
The season began with a delightfully grueling mix of corporate, resort, conference and high school Project Graduation events that left me wondering what day it was and what city I had just woken up in! Nevertheless, each show was absolutely stellar and I was impressed with the consistency of the production despite the long hours, lack of sleep and constant travel. It’s very rewarding to step onto the stage – lights flashing, audience cheering – and when that time comes, all of the hardships that came before the show simply melt away and you slip into that magical moment of immediacy.
Following the intense beginning of the season – which lasted for several weeks of nightly shows, each in a different location never close to the last – I was able to settle into the more relaxed schedule of three weekly shows at three different regular venues, with one or two stand-alone events sprinkled into each week, rounding it out to a comfortable four or five evening shows a week. Mind you, these venues were typically separated by 100 to 300 miles, but their layout made it convenient for me create a nice geographic loop to travel so that I was avoiding the late night, 6 to 8 hour trips that I so often run into.
Having a regular weekly show at a known, reliable venue makes life a lot easier for a traveling performer. Gone are all the unknowns – how many people to expect, the stage size, available tech (lights, sound, etc…) – and the need to arrive hours before the show begins to accommodate those unknowns. When working with a venue year after year and week after week, it becomes very easy to swoop in, set-up very quickly with little worry and deliver a stellar show. Having a tech director on hand who knows the show makes it easier still, and not only can I count on a reliable, solid audience to keep my spirits high – and in turn help me to deliver a stunning performance – but knowing the intricacies of a particular venue and particular crowd so well allows me to introduce a lot of new material which I can then take on the road with me to new venues. That’s precisely what this summer’s regular shows afforded me the opportunity to do!
I’ve been developing for the past year a very intense routine which, due to the size and scope of the materials involved, really requires video projection to help it play for a large audiences. I’d been toying with the idea of introducing projections into the show for some time, but this one routine in particular pushed me over the edge.
I mapped out all the ways in which a projection system would benefit the show, the routines which it could potentially enhance, and how I could feasibly travel with a full projection setup and came to some very interesting conclusions. I still had a lot of remaining questions, but before I could talk myself out of the investment I took the plunge. I spent my free hours between performances creating new multimedia for the show, tinkering with the technical specifics of projectors, remotes, software, computing hardware and interweaving new multimedia seamlessly into the existing material of the stage show.
I firmly believe that the power of a performance rests in the delivery of the performer. A truly talented performer can make the simple act of tying a shoelace a most engaging moment. One does not need all of the fancy gizmos available to theater performers – lighting systems, incredible sound reproduction or projections. However, when you work from a solid base of material that plays very strong all by its lonesome, and then carefully and conservatively begin to enhance that material by introducing those fancy bells and whistles, the results can be devastatingly powerful! The trick is in not over doing it, but instead finding ways in which it will enhance – and it can so easily take away. The focus must stay firmly upon the material and the performer, but by adding a layer of production value to the elements of the show, one can launch the impact of even a very strong show straight into orbit! I feel that is what has happened with my recent careful incorporation of multimedia. I’m very proud to have spent my time during this touring season pushing the show in this direction. It has already payed dividends, and even those who have seen some of my material before will have a decidedly different experience if they are to see it again. The production value is simply superb.
As it turns out, I still haven’t introduced that one routine into the show that launched this whole exploration! It will be there very soon though, and the education and experience that has come from making it possible has been second to none.
Amidst these new developments, I was pleased to have run a weekly hypnosis show at one of the exclusive resorts that I entertain at. After many years of performing there I was eager to give them a 100% change from the usual show that I deliver. Don’t get me wrong, I incorporate new material each year, but I wanted to turn absolutely everything on its head, so it was the hypnosis show that they got! Hilarious crowds and, as usual, packed to the rafters with people wanting to watch! Can’t wait to be back next year.
The middle of the summer saw the launch of a new renaissance faire in Maine. Now, I tend to shy away from working renaissance faires these days. My work has simply grown too big. In the early years it was invaluable experience – hard work, long days and the opportunity to run material over and over again. As the years have gone by I’ve chosen to work primarily with only one renaissance faire, and that is the Connecticut Renaissance Faire. I have a strong fan-base in that region, I love the people (the audiences, the faire management and the cast and crew) and doing one of these events each year helps to change things up for me. I’ve been there for years – and they’ve flattered me by giving me many awards – and, despite the hard work, I enjoy my time amongst friends. But most other faire events, unless it’s a real opportunity or falls during the slow part of the year, I tend to turn down.
When I was invited to be part of the new Maine faire I felt immediately that I had to investigate and not simply turn it down. Sure, it fell during what is the busiest part of my year, but the entertainment was also being run by good friends of mine (Stephen Pasker and Alena Shumway of Autumn Tree Productions) and whom I know to be nothing but thorough, professional and completely capable of launching a new event successfully. I took a look at the acts that they had already booked, as well as the cast of the show, and new that this was going to be a thoroughly professional event with none of the worries of a first year show (from an entertainment perspective, anyhow). I agreed to do it, and wow what a show it was!
Never did I anticipate that a first year show would have the turnout that this one did! The crowds were packed into each show – they were interactive, interested, fun and extremely generous! Added to the great show was the stellar hospitality of the event owners themselves! I’ve never felt more welcome or cared for, and I’m proud to now count them amongst my close, dear friends.
As it turns out, I have quite a fan base in Maine that I didn’t know about! As a result of this, along with some other crucial elements that have fallen into place, it looks as if I’ll be in Maine more frequently and I’m currently looking at a run of public theater shows in the spring of ’09.
And speaking of theater shows, I just last week visited a few theaters in what will remain for now an undisclosed location in NY to investigate a new home for a weekly run of public shows during the ’09 summer season. I’ve found a few possible candidates, but one in particular that I’ve truly fallen in love with is an old silent movie and vaudeville theater that opened in 1911. Arrangements for that particular theater have been slow going, but I’m hoping that with persistence and proper planning, I may be able to run the show there each week. Keep an eye out for announcements regarding the development of that project.
Overall it’s been a very successful, positive and enjoyable summer. I contract most of my work about a year in advance and, not knowing that I would be living in Pennsylvania at that time, the fuel and lodging expenses covered in my contracts have been, well, shall we say “insufficient” to cover my actual expenses. I’ve taken a bit of a hit in that regard, and have slept on more couches of generous friends than I would have liked, but overall it’s been a great season with a lot of positive evolution in the show, the career and great possibilities for the future. I’m looking at a lot more theater work for next year – which is extremely exciting – and the new level of production value in the show keeps my work looking crisper and more professional than ever – and if you’re a past client or have seen the show, you know that’s saying something.
After this week’s shows I head home for just over a week. During that time I’ll be resting, repacking for the fall season and awaiting the arrival of our new black kitten named Barnabas. Just in time for him to grow accustom to the house before Halloween.
Thanks for sticking with me, following the show and continuing your support of my work! Amazing things have happened in 2008 and we can all look forward to even more incredible developments this fall and into 2009!
See you at the show!
-Roderick
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[tags]College Entertainment, Corporate Entertainment, Fire Eating, Hypnosis, Performing Arts, Resort Entertainment, Roderick Russell, Summer Tour, Sword Swallower, Sword Swallowing, Touring Artist[/tags]
My Countryman E6 microphone – perhaps the best microphone on the planet – has sat idle in an old neglected sound box for six full years. In its place, I've been traveling with and abusing a Shure lavalier mic during the sword swallowing show, and an el cheapo Nady hand held for the hypnosis show. Both have provided years of dedicated service (the lav mic even entered service before my E6), and have been through thick and thin, including extreme temperatures, humidity and liquids, and have been dropped, trampled, whacked, banged and smashed. Still, they push on. They've truly been remarkable examples of technology standing up to the rigors of the road.Â
But oh my E6, how I've missed you! It wasn't until tonight, upon digging you out and placing you momentarily back into service, that I realize the clarity of your voice! The integrity of the full, rich signal that travels mysteriously down your deceptively thin wires! I shall not neglect you any longer. You shall travel once more, though I'll shield you from the harsh realities of touring. I'll provide nothing but the most luxurious of cases, the most delicate handling and subtle storage. Never shall you be careless abandoned on stage while busy feet and hands repack the show, and never will you be tossed mindlessly aside to land precariously, perhaps, next to a glass of water, while I tend to other technical demands.
No, you will once again grace the stage to carry your pure, even signal, and in return you will be well cared for, allowed to shine, and to share your elegance with the world.
I was considering skipping my training today due to an enormous at-home workload – and was feeling guilty about it – when I stumbled upon this 
