Where was I...
OK, my sister has been bugging me, so I'll try to remember my last week in Toronto. Now that I'm in DC though, it's hard to look back!
On Monday, the day after the Tony's, my parents and I did some serious sightseeing. We woke up early (ugh) and took a boat around the harbor, to the Toronto Islands. Toronto is this serious city, but if you take a ferry ten minutes South into the harbor there are like ten islands that are so cute! A lot of them are wildlife preserves, one contains a teensy airport, some are just for your average yacht clubs, and two have cottages! There are only about 200 cottages built on these islands, and no more can ever be built. The way it works is, people own the houses themselves, and lease the land from the city. The lease is like 40 bucks a year and it's a 99-year lease. If you want a house on the islands, you have to enter a lottery. IF you win the lottery your name is put on a list of 500 people. When someone who owns a house dies, or wants to sell for some bizarre reason, the first person on the list gets the house. CRAZY! The islands are so cute and have tons of parks and things, and I totally want to get on that list. The weather was beautiful, and we cruised around checking everything out, before we continued on our way.
Afterwards we headed to the "Historic Distillery District". There are a few blocks that used to be a distillery up until 1990, when they were converted into what's basically a tourist area. There are some cute restaurants, a fantastic chocolate shop, beer from the original distillery that's not bad at all, some shopping, and some beautiful art galleries. It was a great place to walk around and enjoy. We ate some TO-DIE-FOR fish and chips, and then unfortunately had to be on our way. My parents packed up and caught a flight, while I napped off the early morning and stress from family visiting. It was so fun to see everybody!
On Tuesday I knew my time in T.O. was running out. I decided to head over the Castle Loma, and get some exploring done. Of course I slept in, and by the time I got going I was already running out of time. After some failed maneuvering on my part (who knew that the Canadian subway doesn't take credit cards?) I didn't get going in time, and ended up shopping in the underground maze of downtown. It is huge and fantastic, although a little like a casino... they might be pumping in oxygen and artificial lighting because time seems to stop.
On Wednesday we had two shows, and I thought about packing, but didn't. On Thursday, I realized that this really was my last day, and I took advantage of it. I woke up super early, and headed to Casa Loma. Casa Loma is this beautiful castle up on a hill overlooking Toronto. It was built by the man who brought electricity to Toronto, a bigwig who was the star of the city for quite some time. He bought the land and started building the castle for a projected $250,000. It was supposed to be a dream home for he and his wife. A few years later the castle had cost him $3 Million, and his business ventures had all gone bad. He died penniless, and the city took the unfinished castle from him when he was in his sixties. It was a fascinating story. The castle itself was gorgeous, with "100 rooms", secret passageways, stables, turrets, etc. I took my time walking around and learning the history, and enjoyed the weather outside in the gardens. After a few hours, I moved on, taking the subway to the ROM.
The Royal Ontario Museum is a fantastic place. It used to be a classical structure, and a few years ago an architect was hired to build "the crystal" onto it. It's this freaky glass and metal contraption that holds a bunch of the galleries and the gift shop, and that's designed to contain no right angles. It's true too - even the doors are slanted. I spent some time checking it out before I hopped on the subway again to head to the Eaton Center. Also, just so you know, this was the first and last day that I took the subway in Toronto. It reminds me of a mix between the NYC and Japanese subways, with jaunty red touches like the Canadian maple leaf that the northerners love so much. Not bad, a little urine smelly, but with the cool clock that tells you when the next train is coming.
Anyway, I headed to the Eaton Center, which is basically just a huge mall. It's very pretty, with a glass roof and three stories of shops. I shopped and shopped, although I was on my best behavior and didn't buy that much. Especially because I had to pack everything up in the next few days, and I didn't want to have to pack too much. After that exhausting day, I did a show and then headed home. My friend Shane, who lives in Toronto, was having a sleepover with my friend Sean, who joined the cast a few days after me. They coincidentally know each other from working together, like Shane and I know each other. On Thursday night I crashed their boys night, bringing them nail polish and chocolates as a joke. Of course we ended up drinking scotch and talking and eating pizza (because they're real straight men), and I didn't get back to my room until after three. At this time, I had to pack my truck, because it was being picked up the next morning!
One of the bonuses of this tour is the fact that we all get huge trunks. The company picks them up in our hotel room in one city, and delivers them to our room in the next city. We can put whatever we want in them, which for some people is cooking supplies or hobbies, but for me was clothes and toiletries. Hey - at least I'm consistent! Anyway, I stayed up until six packing my trunk, before being woken at 11 when someone came to pick it up. I went back to sleep and then did a great show on Friday. On Saturday we did two shows, and the mood in Toronto was changing a bit. It's always sad to leave a city, with your dressers and local crew people. We'd made some good friends, and the amount of food they brought in over the weekend was astronomical. So... two shows on Saturday, then a few beers afterwards at the Duke of Argyle, our fave pub. I know I'm forgetting a few fun meals with my new besties (because yes, I'm finally making them) and some beautiful weather.
On Sunday we did our last show, which went really well. There were actually tears at our curtain call, because our Meg is retiring. She's been doing this tour for four years, and Phantom in other incarnations for about fifteen. Her husband is in the show as well, but apparently she's done, and maybe wants to get pregnant. She's very sweet, and so her bows were bittersweet. She was presented with flowers, and I cried, and I'm sure I wasn't the only one. Toronto gave us a great send-off, especially since there were apparently a bunch of people in our closing audience who acted in the Toronto production of Phantom a few years back. It was sad to leave, but we tipped our dressers (actors be aware - apparently on bway and national tours you are always supposed to tip your dresser $10 - $15/week. who knew??!) and were on our way.
I went home and packed for a wee bit, and then went out with some of the girls. Which I think I already told you about, so I'm caught up! Now I'm totally ready to immerse myself in DC.
On Monday, the day after the Tony's, my parents and I did some serious sightseeing. We woke up early (ugh) and took a boat around the harbor, to the Toronto Islands. Toronto is this serious city, but if you take a ferry ten minutes South into the harbor there are like ten islands that are so cute! A lot of them are wildlife preserves, one contains a teensy airport, some are just for your average yacht clubs, and two have cottages! There are only about 200 cottages built on these islands, and no more can ever be built. The way it works is, people own the houses themselves, and lease the land from the city. The lease is like 40 bucks a year and it's a 99-year lease. If you want a house on the islands, you have to enter a lottery. IF you win the lottery your name is put on a list of 500 people. When someone who owns a house dies, or wants to sell for some bizarre reason, the first person on the list gets the house. CRAZY! The islands are so cute and have tons of parks and things, and I totally want to get on that list. The weather was beautiful, and we cruised around checking everything out, before we continued on our way.
Afterwards we headed to the "Historic Distillery District". There are a few blocks that used to be a distillery up until 1990, when they were converted into what's basically a tourist area. There are some cute restaurants, a fantastic chocolate shop, beer from the original distillery that's not bad at all, some shopping, and some beautiful art galleries. It was a great place to walk around and enjoy. We ate some TO-DIE-FOR fish and chips, and then unfortunately had to be on our way. My parents packed up and caught a flight, while I napped off the early morning and stress from family visiting. It was so fun to see everybody!
On Tuesday I knew my time in T.O. was running out. I decided to head over the Castle Loma, and get some exploring done. Of course I slept in, and by the time I got going I was already running out of time. After some failed maneuvering on my part (who knew that the Canadian subway doesn't take credit cards?) I didn't get going in time, and ended up shopping in the underground maze of downtown. It is huge and fantastic, although a little like a casino... they might be pumping in oxygen and artificial lighting because time seems to stop.
On Wednesday we had two shows, and I thought about packing, but didn't. On Thursday, I realized that this really was my last day, and I took advantage of it. I woke up super early, and headed to Casa Loma. Casa Loma is this beautiful castle up on a hill overlooking Toronto. It was built by the man who brought electricity to Toronto, a bigwig who was the star of the city for quite some time. He bought the land and started building the castle for a projected $250,000. It was supposed to be a dream home for he and his wife. A few years later the castle had cost him $3 Million, and his business ventures had all gone bad. He died penniless, and the city took the unfinished castle from him when he was in his sixties. It was a fascinating story. The castle itself was gorgeous, with "100 rooms", secret passageways, stables, turrets, etc. I took my time walking around and learning the history, and enjoyed the weather outside in the gardens. After a few hours, I moved on, taking the subway to the ROM.
The Royal Ontario Museum is a fantastic place. It used to be a classical structure, and a few years ago an architect was hired to build "the crystal" onto it. It's this freaky glass and metal contraption that holds a bunch of the galleries and the gift shop, and that's designed to contain no right angles. It's true too - even the doors are slanted. I spent some time checking it out before I hopped on the subway again to head to the Eaton Center. Also, just so you know, this was the first and last day that I took the subway in Toronto. It reminds me of a mix between the NYC and Japanese subways, with jaunty red touches like the Canadian maple leaf that the northerners love so much. Not bad, a little urine smelly, but with the cool clock that tells you when the next train is coming.
Anyway, I headed to the Eaton Center, which is basically just a huge mall. It's very pretty, with a glass roof and three stories of shops. I shopped and shopped, although I was on my best behavior and didn't buy that much. Especially because I had to pack everything up in the next few days, and I didn't want to have to pack too much. After that exhausting day, I did a show and then headed home. My friend Shane, who lives in Toronto, was having a sleepover with my friend Sean, who joined the cast a few days after me. They coincidentally know each other from working together, like Shane and I know each other. On Thursday night I crashed their boys night, bringing them nail polish and chocolates as a joke. Of course we ended up drinking scotch and talking and eating pizza (because they're real straight men), and I didn't get back to my room until after three. At this time, I had to pack my truck, because it was being picked up the next morning!
One of the bonuses of this tour is the fact that we all get huge trunks. The company picks them up in our hotel room in one city, and delivers them to our room in the next city. We can put whatever we want in them, which for some people is cooking supplies or hobbies, but for me was clothes and toiletries. Hey - at least I'm consistent! Anyway, I stayed up until six packing my trunk, before being woken at 11 when someone came to pick it up. I went back to sleep and then did a great show on Friday. On Saturday we did two shows, and the mood in Toronto was changing a bit. It's always sad to leave a city, with your dressers and local crew people. We'd made some good friends, and the amount of food they brought in over the weekend was astronomical. So... two shows on Saturday, then a few beers afterwards at the Duke of Argyle, our fave pub. I know I'm forgetting a few fun meals with my new besties (because yes, I'm finally making them) and some beautiful weather.
On Sunday we did our last show, which went really well. There were actually tears at our curtain call, because our Meg is retiring. She's been doing this tour for four years, and Phantom in other incarnations for about fifteen. Her husband is in the show as well, but apparently she's done, and maybe wants to get pregnant. She's very sweet, and so her bows were bittersweet. She was presented with flowers, and I cried, and I'm sure I wasn't the only one. Toronto gave us a great send-off, especially since there were apparently a bunch of people in our closing audience who acted in the Toronto production of Phantom a few years back. It was sad to leave, but we tipped our dressers (actors be aware - apparently on bway and national tours you are always supposed to tip your dresser $10 - $15/week. who knew??!) and were on our way.
I went home and packed for a wee bit, and then went out with some of the girls. Which I think I already told you about, so I'm caught up! Now I'm totally ready to immerse myself in DC.
posted by Beth at 10:28 PM
2 Comments:
your sister is right...keep those blog entries coming!!
Yay for Toronto and onto the Hot Air capital . . .enjoy D.C - DLADK
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