Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Down time to Post














So, it's Blair here. I haven't stayed on top of the posting thing since this all started but here goes. This is mainly to share some of the crzy pictures I have taken along the way. The first half of the tour is encompassed in these photos so there will be days where nothing is mentioned, partly because my camera wasn't out each day.

This is from way back when we were learning the play a month ago. Seems like a lifetime ago.














This is from a cast party we had. "Judas" decided to wear his colors on his face. The cast divided into teams Jesus vs. Judas. Hilarity ensued at the rock when Dan and Noah faced off climbing!














I think we should all be slightly fearful.

Onwards to the actual tour now. This is one of the casts favorite sports called Keiling. Short for Keleey on the ceiling. In nearly every church we go to at one point or another Keleey is seized and put on the ceiling by Dan. It is random and usually semi-violent. It is best not to interfer in such matters as we have learned.




This little pink paradise gem is where I got to stay one night. Needless to say I made the girls jealous relating stories of the pink princess bed and room where I resided for a night. This was a first for me as I have not slept in a princess bed before.



So this is what the bus kind of looks like most of the time. Full on stinky but happy cast members, that's me in the back left with the tartan hat. Jeremy is next to me, and Dan in the back. Cara Bussis right in the front. Josh and Abi behind her, Posgate and Eric Church in front of Dan on the right. Dana on the front right.

I know I'm skipping over a lot but I'm hungry and it's diner time. I will post the rest of the 1st half of the tour later.

Sunday, July 02, 2006

Go Tell it on the Mountain....literally

We drove down to Big Laurel, KY to see Godspell yesterday. The Laurel Mission (where they performed) is about an hour and 45 minutes off the interstate in the mountains of Southeastern KY on Greasy Creek – lots of windy narrow roads needless to say. But, the setting was absolutely gorgeous. Beautiful little creek, lots of trees, and of course, several good-sized mountains surrounding it all.

The group set up outside on a flat grassy spot at the bottom of a rather large “hill.” After sound check and dinner, Pastor Titus told the cast that though their visible audience at the mission’s camp grounds may not be very large, not to be discouraged, because with our sound system their voices would carry clearly for at least a mile and a 1/2 down either side of the valley if not farther, and that they’d never know how many lives they might actually touch with their music. And the sound down in that valley was incredible! For those of you who may not have seen the show yet, it opens with a quote from Jesus – you only hear the words spoken, the actor isn’t seen until later – and last night when we were sitting there at our picnic table and Dan (the actor portraying Jesus) spoke those lines, his voice just bounced off those mountains and sent chills down my spine – it was so cool! The music and the voices were so “live” – it was if we were listening to the show in surround sound. Though there weren't as many people in the audience as the group is used to, it was interesting to watch people trickle in throughout the show. Many came as far as the church parking lot, but were not "brave" (for lack of a better word) enough to cross the bridge over the creek to actually become an official audience member on the camp side yet they stayed and truly listened, because they couldn't see much from where they were.

I’ve seen the show now, more times than I can count, and in more locations than I’d actually care to remember. But, I’m continuously impressed by how adaptable this show and the group have become to the settings in which they are placed without losing the meaning and intent behind Godspell. No matter where they are or what happens, the gospel is clearly presented and hearts are touched.