DAY TWENTY-THREE: Feb.11, 2008 Hutchinson, Kansas

DAY TWENTY-THREE: Feb.11, 2008 Hutchinson, Kansas


Starbucks got me out of bed, and I’m sitting here at a wobbly table with a very full cup of coffee. The speaker is right above me again, this time playing SOUL music. I love that stuff! Today we’ll do much-needed things like laundry (we splurge and get fluff and fold), a trip to the bank, and hopefully a manicure and pedicure. My hands are pathetic at this point; I use Krazy Glue for my broken and split nails from playing so much. Our concert’s at 7:30 and we’ve got it down to showing up three hours prior. In that time, we do sound and lighting check, arrange the stage to how we like it, practice and get acquainted with the piano and get CDs set up in the lobby. Some audience members come as early as an hour before, so I like to be off the stage by then. That’s when I go back to whatever dressing area I’ve been given, and take my sweet ol’ time transforming into the person they’re about to see. So, We’re free until 4:30 today!

Frank just got off the phone with Paul Swanstrom, the guy who found my tape at a garage sale, and got this whole thing started. He was worried about what he’d gotten us into. He knows a lot of touring artists, and said, “nobody does that many concerts back-to-back!” Frank reassured him that we’re doing fine so far, one third of our way through. Maybe we’ll break some kind of record!

Yesterday started out pretty tough, I’ll admit. After playing a concert the night before. We had to get up and be on the road by 6:00am for a 179 mile drive to make a 2:00 Matinee. At times like these, we just say, “this is the hardest part.”

But Kansas keeps kicking us in the pants! We CAN’T be tired! We’d miss something! Our drive yesterday morning was graced with the most beautiful sunrise we’ve ever seen. First, there was a hint of “the dawn’s early light,” and then this big, orange ball emerged from the horizon, slowly spotlighting the brown fields with a glowing gold. The sky seems to go on forever here. When something looks as if it’s only a few miles away, it turns out to be more like thirty or forty!

We made it to Concordia in plenty of time. Frank calls this “cruise control country.” Rolling into this town of about 6,000 people, we decided to take a driving tour of the whole place. There were some very contrasting neighborhoods, for sure. Our venue was on Main Street, and looked like a historic old theatre. “That’s a nice change of pace,” I thought. When we entered, my jaw dropped to the floor. It wasn’t just any old theatre; it was THE BROWN GRAND THEATRE. It might as well have been Carnegie Hall. I couldn’t believe we had the privilege of performing in the most beautiful, elegant theatre I have ever seen! There was gold and brass everywhere, box seats with antique green velvet chairs, two balconies with their own separate lounges full of historic marquis, and “The Napoleon Drape,” a mural covering the whole stage which was a gift to Napoleon Bonaparte Brown from his son Earl on opening night, Sept. 17, 1907. That mural lifted, by the caretaker, Amanda, to make sure the gorgeous seven-foot Mason & Hamlin piano was to my liking.

Yikes! I was tired. WE were tired. We couldn’t be, just yet. This was the opportunity of a lifetime! We were lead back to our adorable dressing rooms backstage on the creaky wooden floor. Later I discovered a cool little wooden staircase that went up to the rafters. Frank wasn’t around. I couldn’t resist climbing it, even in my gown and high heels. I had to back down, carefully, in time to walk out on stage for my first number.
The place was packed! I have to admit I was a little nervous this time, because I wanted to live up to this Hall. My imagination had the audience being full of New York critics, or people from Julliard!
They applauded. They laughed. They were Kansas folk! During my opening talk, (always after playing the first two pieces), I confided that I’ve always been an East Coast/West coast person. This for me was one of the “fly over” states. I said I would never think that again, and the next time I look out my little airplane window at that flat land below, I’ll think,” Wow! There’s some really good stuff down there!”
The audience caught my sincerity and applauded.

At the intermission I told Frank that I was fighting fatigue and was struggling sometimes with concentration. Frank had the same problem. Then, I took on the coach role: I said to both of us, “ This is the final touchdown, with bases loaded, and one foul shot to go!” (We laughed at how dumb we are about sports.) Then I switched to a game we DO know something about… Ping Pong! I said, “Look Frank, it doubles, and it’s our add. We can win this!”

We pulled it together the second half, and just when we went out for our encore some woman yelled, “Play Over the Rainbow!” Frank stepped back as I closed my eyes in thought. Then what came out just flowed through my fingers, effortlessly. Frank was misting up over there. I love that about him. That was a moment I will never forget in my life.

We drove here to Hutchinson last evening, after the show, ending our day with a glorious sunset to keep us company the entire way. We were finally allowed to be tired.

Tonight’s concert was in another historic building. We probably had the biggest crowd yet, including lots of younger people. The piano was a nine-foot Steinway, and I totally fell head-over-heals in love with it! At rehearsal I kept making up songs, and I couldn’t part with it long enough to go get dressed. I’d gladly live simply and give up a lot of things just to have a piano like that! Our house needs a new roof, but who cares? One can always dream…

After the show it was wonderful to see so many families, with kids of all ages who play an instrument of some sort. These kids were into it! I told one young teenager that if he kept up his piano, he would be a “chick magnet.” He smiled slyly at me and gave me thumbs up. Well, I was on a roll! I said the same thing to another kid, maybe a little younger, and he bowed his head and slinked away, Oops! How embarrassing!
I miss all my students. I hope some of them are reading this. Keep playing, you guys! And girls!

Tomorrow we have a long drive to Pittsburg, Kansas, where we’re staying with some dear friends, to play a concert in Joplin, Missouri. Better catch some shut-eye.ZZzzzzz