Peter Sagal has a tell when he’s nervous.  It’s very cute and he would never admit that it exists.  But if you can spot it, it’s strangely reassuring that someone who appears so unflappable and is so practiced can harbor something so simple as nervousness.  It took me almost all week to actually decipher the tell, it was so well hidden. But after nearly that long at sea in close company I was able to spot it just before we began our show Thursday night.

“I’m starting to get nervous about my set” Peter said, and left the dressing room to go talk to Paul.

It was almost so subtle as to go completely unnoticed.  But as I sat back there about to share a set with Peter and the incredible John Roderick, I felt a little better that even the pro’s get uncontrollably nervous, even if you have to look deep to spot it.

Earlier in our stateroom I’d had a Stella and the only bit of terrible food I had the whole trip, an awful overcooked burger, and I’d rehearsed. One of the things I absolutely love about being a performer is access to sound check.  Not only do I get to see my favorite performers tweak their set for maximum awesomeness, I get to see my friends to the same thing. Our program was set to begin around 5pm because the ship would depart the Caymans at that time meaning the theater would basically shake shake shake like a booty earthquake for five minutes just before 5. I got into the theater right at 3:45 or so to find John Roderick was already beginning his check.

Jonathan and Paul and Storm were on stage, which made me excited because I had no idea what they would do with John, I just knew that if they were joining him, the awesome was going to peg the needle. As I went backstage to get settled and figure things out stage wise I heard them singing about horses, calling the storm.  The line caught my mind on a hook. “The horses call the storm, because the air contains the charge” John’s voice was clean and full throated as the trio backed the lines in a chorus.  I paused, then continued on because I knew I would see it later.  But it stuck with me very deeply, and made me excited.

Backstage David Rees was wearing a very revealing, slightly disturbing, and very funny costume.  But I wouldn’t want to spoil it.

I could tell Peter was no longer nervous.  It was evident really only to those who performed with him. “I feel better about my set.” he said as he re-entered the backstage area.  Paul followed him, “how many Stepto’s did you get?” he asked.

Now, go figure, but apparently the ever so slightly heavyset shaved head goatee look has a relatively commonplace hit rate amongst JoCoCruiseCrazy attendees. All week Paul had been approaching them from behind, mistaking them as me, and issuing them JoCoCruiseCrazy performer orders before understanding he had the wrong person. From that, we recruited a number of Steptos for my initial bit.  I informed him we had worked out the Steptos and were just needing a blocking exercise for Sound check.  Steptos so deployed (as an aside, thanks guys, you were AMAZING) we began the show with Mr. Rees.

Did I mention how amazing Peter and David are as performers?  Without fail these two gentlemen were walking “obvious humor” desiccant. Every line was hysterically funny and as bone dry as taking a swig from a gin bottle and calling that a martini. They both killed and I decided to make a couple of alterations to my bit that were meant to be self deprecating about my humor but against the clear joy and love of the audience would have just seemed terribly maudlin. They nailed it and gave me tons of confidence.

Paul was introducing me.  The Steptos were in place. It was time to do the book of enforcement.  I’d done it many times before, and it was always a big hit.  Deep breath.  Time to go.  Don’t think, stand up there and pull the energy from the audience.  They are your friends first, and an audience second.  Do it.

I did it.

 

Ok that part was over.  The part I had done before many times. Now I was going to do some new comedy and a new reading I had not done before.  So surely the transition would be a moment of pause. Dear JoCoCruiseCrazy members, I didn’t even blink in the transition.  You were so awesome, and reacted so well, that I moved from a performance that was practiced and defined to one that was all new and never performed without one single ounce of fear or worry.  You guys were so awesome and so receptive that you made anyone on that stage feel like they could take the riskiest possible choices and you would entertain the notion, and would cheer even harder if it didn’t work out, just because someone had the guts to try it. I let some doubt enter the end as I tried to obviously cover for the amazing Paul F. Tompkins, but I forgive myself that because who wouldn’t second guess themselves trying to replace someone all the performers really missed a lot and who is great.

I was in awe at John Roderick’s performance right after me. That’s really all I can say.  Here’s a small part of it. John, if you’re reading this, thank you.

The post show was great, even though we were pressed to leave because between Peter and I we ran John a little over and he didn’t get to perform the song with Jonathan and Paul and Storm I had heard before and was so intrigued by. Quickly Rochelle and I headed for the main dining room to have some drinks with our friends before our reservations at the Italian restaurant.

I had something in my eye as I waved then sat down.  I felt so appreciated and so lucky at the same time to even be in the same god damned place at people who had just a short while ago made my entire performance possible with their support and love. Thanks aren’t enough.

[Editor’s note on the above, other performers as they entered the hall usually got ovations, I was not the only one certainly, I just was not ever expecting it, nor had it ever happened to me before.]

Rochelle and I had to leave a bit early though from dinner, to reach the Italian Restaurant on the boat for our private post performance celebration.  Apparently I was so juiced up on adrenaline from the amazing reaction from the audience that it wrapped around into my being low energy. They thought I needed more sugar:

That’s right.  Coffee, three types of gourmet tiramisu, AND A HUGE DOLLAP OF COTTON CANDY.

Just before we went back to hang out with everyone I realized, we only had one more day on this motherfucking boat.  I wanted to be sad, should have been sad, but… well, that part is for my penultimate entry.

(To be continued)

Our last day at sea I slept in until 11. Rochelle got up early for more spa stuff but I think the week caught up with me all at once and I slept for like 11 hours. I was groggy and a tad bit hung-over when I noticed a small packet of home made hangover cure with a note from Mike Phirman to take it as soon as I woke up, he developed the recipe during a month long bender in Amsterdam.

This was a “sea” day meaning we would be cruising back to Florida all day and night before disembarking the next morning.  So I basically had no plans.  The final concert wasn’t until 4:30, followed by dinner and the goodbye party. I cleaned up and headed for the top deck to begin my day.

Rochelle had had breakfast with Wil, and told me that in the Cayman’s she had given him some money because he was going to go buy Cuban cigars to smoke and he would meet me at noon topside to smoke them.  I usually allow myself one cigar a year and had even decided since had not had one in 2010 I would go ahead and just give it up.  But a Cuban waiting for me already?  Why, it would just be rude to let that go by. After some *really* obnoxious poolside DJ games that thankfully got vetoed by the crowd, we were able to chill.

The show started at 4:30, but I wanted to make sure Rochelle and I could pack throughout the day, since our departure was 9:30 the next morning and I wasn’t going to be in the mood on the last night of partying to have to worry about getting up at 6 to pack. So we came back a little earlier to begin that process.  Needless to say we didn’t really get that far. But at least we got started.  Dinner that night was with the Captain, which evidently involves a floor show. So I changed clothes to long pants and shoes and we headed to the show.

The show was an all request show from Jonathan and it was fantastic as people asked for really obscure songs he didn’t quite remember.  That said, he did an admirable job, even during The Presidents where the crowd had to supply the lyrics on the back third of the song, which ended up being fun and hysterical.  Jonathan gave himself an F on that song and I shouted out technically it was an Incomplete. There was also a fancy pants parade, which was every bit as fancy as you could imagine.

Photo credit, Adhesive Medical Strips Flickr Feed 

(Editor’s note, I originally intended this to be the last post but I will do one more tomorrow just about the cruise in general for those who have never cruised and hopefully answer some questions like could we feel the boat moving, how was the food, anything we didn’t like, stuff we liked, etc etc.)

(Final Post)

Peter Sagal has a tell when he’s nervous.  It’s very cute and he would never admit that it exists.  But if you can spot it, it’s strangely reassuring that someone who appears so unflappable and is so practiced can harbor something so simple as nervousness.  It took me almost all week to actually decipher the tell, it was so well hidden. But after nearly that long at sea in close company I was able to spot it just before we began our show Thursday night.

“I’m starting to get nervous about my set” Peter said, and left the dressing room to go talk to Paul.

It was almost so subtle as to go completely unnoticed.  But as I sat back there about to share a set with Peter and the incredible John Roderick, I felt a little better that even the pro’s get uncontrollably nervous, even if you have to look deep to spot it.

Earlier in our stateroom I’d had a Stella and the only bit of terrible food I had the whole trip, an awful overcooked burger, and I’d rehearsed. One of the things I absolutely love about being a performer is access to sound check.  Not only do I get to see my favorite performers tweak their set for maximum awesomeness, I get to see my friends to the same thing. Our program was set to begin around 5pm because the ship would depart the Caymans at that time meaning the theater would basically shake shake shake like a booty earthquake for five minutes just before 5. I got into the theater right at 3:45 or so to find John Roderick was already beginning his check.

Jonathan and Paul and Storm were on stage, which made me excited because I had no idea what they would do with John, I just knew that if they were joining him, the awesome was going to peg the needle. As I went backstage to get settled and figure things out stage wise I heard them singing about horses, calling the storm.  The line caught my mind on a hook. “The horses call the storm, because the air contains the charge” John’s voice was clean and full throated as the trio backed the lines in a chorus.  I paused, then continued on because I knew I would see it later.  But it stuck with me very deeply, and made me excited.

Backstage David Rees was wearing a very revealing, slightly disturbing, and very funny costume.  But I wouldn’t want to spoil it.

I could tell Peter was no longer nervous.  It was evident really only to those who performed with him. “I feel better about my set.” he said as he re-entered the backstage area.  Paul followed him, “how many Stepto’s did you get?” he asked.

Now, go figure, but apparently the ever so slightly heavyset shaved head goatee look has a relatively commonplace hit rate amongst JoCoCruiseCrazy attendees. All week Paul had been approaching them from behind, mistaking them as me, and issuing them JoCoCruiseCrazy performer orders before understanding he had the wrong person. From that, we recruited a number of Steptos for my initial bit.  I informed him we had worked out the Steptos and were just needing a blocking exercise for Sound check.  Steptos so deployed (as an aside, thanks guys, you were AMAZING) we began the show with Mr. Rees.

Did I mention how amazing Peter and David are as performers?  Without fail these two gentlemen were walking “obvious humor” desiccant. Every line was hysterically funny and as bone dry as taking a swig from a gin bottle and calling that a martini. They both killed and I decided to make a couple of alterations to my bit that were meant to be self deprecating about my humor but against the clear joy and love of the audience would have just seemed terribly maudlin. They nailed it and gave me tons of confidence.

Paul was introducing me.  The Steptos were in place. It was time to do the book of enforcement.  I’d done it many times before, and it was always a big hit.  Deep breath.  Time to go.  Don’t think, stand up there and pull the energy from the audience.  They are your friends first, and an audience second.  Do it.

I did it.

 

Ok that part was over.  The part I had done before many times. Now I was going to do some new comedy and a new reading I had not done before.  So surely the transition would be a moment of pause. Dear JoCoCruiseCrazy members, I didn’t even blink in the transition.  You were so awesome, and reacted so well, that I moved from a performance that was practiced and defined to one that was all new and never performed without one single ounce of fear or worry.  You guys were so awesome and so receptive that you made anyone on that stage feel like they could take the riskiest possible choices and you would entertain the notion, and would cheer even harder if it didn’t work out, just because someone had the guts to try it. I let some doubt enter the end as I tried to obviously cover for the amazing Paul F. Tompkins, but I forgive myself that because who wouldn’t second guess themselves trying to replace someone all the performers really missed a lot and who is great.

I was in awe at John Roderick’s performance right after me. That’s really all I can say.  Here’s a small part of it. John, if you’re reading this, thank you.

The post show was great, even though we were pressed to leave because between Peter and I we ran John a little over and he didn’t get to perform the song with Jonathan and Paul and Storm I had heard before and was so intrigued by. Quickly Rochelle and I headed for the main dining room to have some drinks with our friends before our reservations at the Italian restaurant.

I had something in my eye as I waved then sat down.  I felt so appreciated and so lucky at the same time to even be in the same god damned place at people who had just a short while ago made my entire performance possible with their support and love. Thanks aren’t enough.

[Editor’s note on the above, other performers as they entered the hall usually got ovations, I was not the only one certainly, I just was not ever expecting it, nor had it ever happened to me before.]

Rochelle and I had to leave a bit early though from dinner, to reach the Italian Restaurant on the boat for our private post performance celebration.  Apparently I was so juiced up on adrenaline from the amazing reaction from the audience that it wrapped around into my being low energy. They thought I needed more sugar:

That’s right.  Coffee, three types of gourmet tiramisu, AND A HUGE DOLLAP OF COTTON CANDY.

Just before we went back to hang out with everyone I realized, we only had one more day on this motherfucking boat.  I wanted to be sad, should have been sad, but… well, that part is for my penultimate entry.

(To be continued)

Our last day at sea I slept in until 11. Rochelle got up early for more spa stuff but I think the week caught up with me all at once and I slept for like 11 hours. I was groggy and a tad bit hung-over when I noticed a small packet of home made hangover cure with a note from Mike Phirman to take it as soon as I woke up, he developed the recipe during a month long bender in Amsterdam.

This was a “sea” day meaning we would be cruising back to Florida all day and night before disembarking the next morning.  So I basically had no plans.  The final concert wasn’t until 4:30, followed by dinner and the goodbye party. I cleaned up and headed for the top deck to begin my day.

Rochelle had had breakfast with Wil, and told me that in the Cayman’s she had given him some money because he was going to go buy Cuban cigars to smoke and he would meet me at noon topside to smoke them.  I usually allow myself one cigar a year and had even decided since had not had one in 2010 I would go ahead and just give it up.  But a Cuban waiting for me already?  Why, it would just be rude to let that go by. After some *really* obnoxious poolside DJ games that thankfully got vetoed by the crowd, we were able to chill.

The show started at 4:30, but I wanted to make sure Rochelle and I could pack throughout the day, since our departure was 9:30 the next morning and I wasn’t going to be in the mood on the last night of partying to have to worry about getting up at 6 to pack. So we came back a little earlier to begin that process.  Needless to say we didn’t really get that far. But at least we got started.  Dinner that night was with the Captain, which evidently involves a floor show. So I changed clothes to long pants and shoes and we headed to the show.

The show was an all request show from Jonathan and it was fantastic as people asked for really obscure songs he didn’t quite remember.  That said, he did an admirable job, even during The Presidents where the crowd had to supply the lyrics on the back third of the song, which ended up being fun and hysterical.  Jonathan gave himself an F on that song and I shouted out technically it was an Incomplete. There was also a fancy pants parade, which was every bit as fancy as you could imagine.

Photo credit, Adhesive Medical Strips Flickr Feed 

(Editor’s note, I originally intended this to be the last post but I will do one more tomorrow just about the cruise in general for those who have never cruised and hopefully answer some questions like could we feel the boat moving, how was the food, anything we didn’t like, stuff we liked, etc etc.)

(Final Post)