Show Stoppin' ctd.

There hasn’t been a lot to report since the majority of what I do has gotten into a pretty basic rhythm. There aren't a whole lot of surprises and even with random mishaps (losing power during a storm, dancer injuries, etc.) things still run very smoothly. After awhile with a longer run you start to really notice details, patterns and trends in performances. Everyone is working very hard to keep the shows consistent, but the first show has a different type of energy than the show after dinner, or the last show before night parade. I don’t think it is anything noticeable to guests, but to reserve energy for a full day’s work here, there has to be a level of restraint.

Yesterday Sean Kingston had a concert at the park and I worked the events staff for extra hours. It was really, really similar to working at CY Stephens except the stage is a giant volcano that opens up. Sorry I don't have any pictures of the place uploaded, but trust me that it looks awesome. The space used to hold a stunt show, so when that ended they left up the volcano and converted it into a concert venue. This was the third concert of the summer, after Raven and Jesse McCartney.

My show closes August 16th so things are wrapping up fairly soon. I think one of the bigger reasons I’ve had such a blast are the people here. Not only do I live with a bunch of fabulous South Africans, but the people in the entertainment department are a ridiculous amount of fun. The techs in my building especially get along really well and it’s made a huge difference. The past few weekends I’ve had were also particularly fun—I got to play beach volleyball with the Beach Boys then see their concert at Ravinia (a nearby outdoor concert venue), see my first White Sox game, see Barenaked Ladies at Taste of Chicago, visit high school friends in the city and lay out on the beach (have I mentioned how much I love Lake Michigan?) all summed up with an employee ride night on Tuesday!

I’m looking forward to the fall semester, but things here have also been pretty great. More updates to come! For now, here's two youtube clips from this year's show: