Francis

Christmas Day 2018, Avalon

It was like the first day on set for a broadway production. New faces, new places. Much of the ensemble had worked and performed together at past venues. It seems that there is no more than one degree of separation between all the entourage.

Dinner one was a feel out process. Getting adjusted to new Time Zones and new names. This is going to be a party.

There were no need for auditions. The cast had proven themselves in previous productions. Now it was up to the Impresario and his talented director 

to assemble the finest talent available and create a production that would draw out the exceptional and unique talents that the ensemble had to offer.

Soft Opening

Sunset Road Beach House, 

Palm Beach, North Beaches, Sydney, Australia

Can the name be more enchanting?

The equivalent of opening in New Haven with a cluster of the characters - a couple of daughters, a bring along boyfriend and a mom who embodied life and good times hanging out in a B&B overlooking Paradise.

Prior to the arrival of the majority of the cast, us seven got down to some serious card playing, sunning, BBQ (sorry, I overcooked the burgers) and otherwise generated laughter. Befriending folks who were strangers just yesterday set the tone for what was to come.

Act 1 Scene i Avalon Beach House 

 Intro

What better time than a Christmas dinner. Not with snow and frostbite; rather tropical birds and shorts (the people, not the birds). Add good food, alcohol, and an anxious cohort itching to get to know each other. We went from Calamine to Pal o' Mine in about two hours. FG was the lynch pin around such diverse individuals as has ever been gathered under one roof. Tennis lovers, 

politicos,artists,

race car drivers, 

family, 

business associates, 

lawyers, 

hospitality experts, 

all friends with FG, all characters, 

Anybody remember the Pigeon Sisters from The Odd Couple?

soon to be all friends. 

Act 1 Scene ii Bert's Bar & Brasserie, Newport

Drinks; and dinner too 

Something about the appellation 'Newport'. I've never been to a town of thusly named without enjoying myself immensely. North Beach's version would not disappoint. Set in a stunningly appurtenanced and magnificently refurbished 1930's hotel, the elegance of conversation amongst the party reflected the non-faded glamour of the venue. 

Old friends, lubricated with a few G&T's, rosés, or whatever floated their bloats caught up on what had been going on in their respective lives. Geographical variances of home locales melted and dissipated quicker than the ice in our glasses as commonalities were instantly found. A day of sunshine on Whale Beach began to etch away the frosty whiteness coating the northerners' skin. 

Act 1 Scene iii Jonah's Hotel, Whale Beach

The main gathering place for the cast and our first all-out production. A special thank you was in order for the person responsible for making the whole thing happen. But director demurred to impresario. So we all put on our best tap dance shoes and offered up renditions of homage to a truly unique and wonderful man. Speeches rivalling from McBeth MacBeth Mcbeth, Macbeht, Hamlet, T-Shirts emblazoned with the face of the birthday boy, 

songs sung so out of tune that they prevented whales from beaching themselves below, 

reminiscences of fun times, past, 

and a general good natured kibitz session all around provided laughs, a few tears, and additional camaraderie. 

Act 1 Scene iv The Departure

How could Sydney hold a candle to this? Just wait.

***

Curtain

Intermission

***

Act 2 Scene i Ovolo Wooloomooloo Hotel, Sydney

Never felt so safe.

With a name like Wooloomooloo what else do you need for a good time? The former wool warehouse and shipping locale has been transformed into a trendy upscale art friendly environment, perfect for the combined mindset of the troupe. The house band, back in the 60's, was Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs. This is where their hit song Wooloo Mooloo was written. Whether it was the ping pong tables, bringing together epic father-son battles, 

Duelling Apostles Marathon

Love your enemies. Do good to those who Hate you, Bless those who Curse you. Pray for those who Abuse you - Luke 6:27-28 

or other one-on-one upsmanship exhibitions, the area became the play within the play.

Act 2 Scene ii Carriageworks Gallery, Sydney

Continuing the vibe of transformational architecture, the Director arranged for our next rehearsal site to be held in a converted manufacturing venue. Formerly a railway car production centre, the immense property has been converted to a contemporary art exhibition space. While closed to the public on Saturdays, our Director used her extraordinary powers to convince the curator to 1) open up the building for us and 2) provide a guided tour. 

Rarely is a building capable of handling such an immense installation but the fifteen meter height allowed for suspension of Nick Cave's art as well as suspension of belief. The spinning, sparkling whirligigs were profound and awe inspiring, particularly in contrapuntal relationship between the brightly coloured beauty of the objects compared to the theme of gun violence and unapplied justice, the themes of Cave's work. We all took it in and left wowed.

Act 2 Scene iii Sydney Harbour and Beaches

The actors went their own ways, in groups of a few, to explore the Opera House, Bondi Beach, Manley Beach, the Botanical Gardens, the bar at Woolloomooloo, etc., all to gain further clues from the local culture before rounding up together to meet over drinks and a view at the Icebergs Dining Room on Bondi Beach. 

Noting to myself the dearth of icebergs encountered in high 30's weather (low 90's for our American cousins) anywhere on the continent, I was curious as to where the name came from. My best guess was from the cold and aloof behaviour exhibited by more than one or two of the staff working there. I knew how the Titanic must have felt.

Act 2 Scene iv Sydney Harbour, New Years Eve.

We saw a fireworks display. It was nice.

OK, fine, more details. The weather was frightful with God trying to outdo Sydney in terms of pyrotechnics that evening. Rain in torrents, Thunderclaps, Newmans, Lightning, all threatened to put a literal damper on the evening's festivities. 

Dancing Queen

International Glamour Couple

To Noah, Noa, know them...

On the left - Jeff the Tennis Player. On the right - Jeff the Tennis Player.

The cast and crew, all of us, were building toward the celebratory crescendo scheduled to take place in a few hours. It would be a shame if we were rained out. But as the old adage says - The Show Must Go On. And it did. The Impresario and the Director were seen huddling in a corner, making phone calls, calling in old favours, and spouting lines such as 'Do you know who we are?!?' It worked. Stepping onto the chartered yacht, slippery floors and all, being careful heeding the term 'Break a Leg' trying not to do so. Surprise - more food and drink served up with amazing aplomb and Grace.

Grace

The rain stopped, the skies cleared, we found our mooring spot and were wowed. There is a pre-midnight display that goes off (goes on, you pick) around 9:00. Maybe to get the kids into bed early, but the real bonanza of brightness commences at midnight. Sydney is the first city in the world that, thanks to the International Date Line (do you come here often?), to greet the New Year. None of us will ever forget the bombastic mix of sound, colour and excitement

that embodied the week we had together and summed up experiencing flashing, sparkling, multi-chromatic explosions lighting up the harbour, the Opera House, the Bridge, and the faces of the cast and crew.

The audience screamed out for an Encore, but our tanks were empty. 'Leave 'em wanting' as the expression goes. Perhaps the audience was wanting but none of the cast felt anything other than ecstatic and replete with love, joy, and wonder.

Act 2 Scene v Woolloomooloo Lobby

Removing the costumes, the greasepaint, hugs, kisses, e-mail and Facebook exchanges, we assembled and disassembled for the last time, each of us carrying home memories, pictures, and a few extra pounds. Thank you to one hell of a visionary with one hell of a heart.