October 2005

It is almost time for the third and final installment of Tortugapalooza 2: Spies, happening on Friday, November 11^th in Charlotte, North Carolina. That means that it's finally time to talk about the Minnesota version of our latest comedy extravaganza.

Yay!

We had nothing short of a grand time performing for a practically sold out Twin Cities audience. The cheers were raucous, the laughter was unending, and the applause was deafening. Again, and probably not for the last time, I have to claim this Tortuga Twins comedy as the best time that I've ever had performing onstage.

Damn, it's a good show!

Stars & Minions (cast & crew) began arriving for the show the day before (Thursday). From Charlotte, North Carolina came Yasmine and the Magic Hips Dancers. This time the troupe boosted their number from three to four, and the extra (very fine) body fluffed up the show quite nicely. We also had our friends, James Reid, Mark Bell, and Kevin McDermott - you'll remember Mr. McDermott from last year's Tortugapalooza - join us from Florida to help with both backstage and onstage endeavors.

 

The Tortuga Minions take a break

Conversatin' with Tortugaland's Kay Kinsey

Evil Henchmen yuk it up

The night before the show we all converged on the Mediterranean Cruise, a Middle-Eastern restaurant located in Eagan, Minnesota. There was great food, fun atmosphere, and belly dancing on a small stage. What more could an out of town theater company in search of some mild-mannered trouble ask for? Our own Yasmine and company could not hold themselves back long, and soon the stage was chock full o' belly dancers. While the restaurant's dancers were clad in traditional Mediterranean garb, our own girls were dressed a bit more modern, though no less sexy. The contrast between the two was a very yummy sight to behold!

Later in the evening Yasmine and the Magic Hips gifted we Tortugas and Johnny Phoenix with four Cod-Piece Cuddlers. You can only guess by the name where they might go. There was one made up to match each of our four luscious belly dancers, and the four of us got to take our pick. I chose Yasmine - I mean, have you seen her... duh! We all had a fantastic time at the restaurant, and everyone left that evening with a serious case of face cramps from all the smiling we had been doing.

 

Belly Dancers A-Kimbo!

Cod-Piece Cuddlers

Serious rehearsal in progress

The following morning was spent up and early with yours truly at the theater and ready for the load-in. It was the "day of," and we had a lot of work to do. The second installment of P2:S promised to be slightly different than the others. We had chosen Minneapolis as the show where we filmed the DVD, and this meant that everything had to be perfect. The weeks before the show were spent in rehearsals, prop gathering (a personal unfavorite of mine), location prep for both the show and the after party, tanning, dieting, and working out at the gym. We three Tortugaz lived our days and nights as though we were training for the Tortugathalon. After all, we had only one shot at looking our best on film, and we didn't want to flub it with too much... ummm... flubber.

As with all save the first of our DVD productions, we used 3^rd Hemisphere for the shoot again. They had already proven themselves up to our own level of ability, and they were growing as we were with every new show that we put on. We even flew their director Adam Colt out to Florida to see the show and camcorder it for the rest of his cohorts. This way 3^rd Hemisphere had a working knowledge of our play as well as a video proof from which to work out all the camera angles and people placement.

Now, don't you fret none about us and our lack of "fun time." We found the ways and means to let off a little steam when we most needed it. The Minnesota Renaissance Festival is a fantastic place to work, and the people that you meet there know how to show you a good time.

Some of our newest best-buddies, and a Minnesota addition to P2:S, are Ten Seconds of Harmony. They are a singing comedy troupe based out of the Minnesota Renaissance Festival, and they are some very funny and talented mutha-f**kas. They showed us a good time in the Twin Cities, throwing parties and inviting us out and about. They hung out at Jef's birthday soiree, they taught us German drinking songs, they kidnapped and coerced me into playing hours of the World of Warcraft PC game - WoW! They even did a daily "drive-by" and serenaded us at our post-parade show at the renaissance festival. Then they topped it all off by stealing the Palooza 2 show, both onstage and front-of-house during the pre-show and intermissions, with some very M.I.B.-style characters. If they keep this up - with the talent and the notoriety and the too much competition - we're gonna have to put them down like Old Yeller...but without the crying!

 

Backstage with TSOH

A moment's peace

Ten Seconds in Heaven

As for the show itself - it was a blast! Everything was wonderful if not perfect. The not so perfect part I attribute to the fact that we were being filmed for the DVD. There is a phenomenon, I've noticed, that happens when you go from performing a show you've done a hundred times before to doing the same damned thing while laying down a permanent record. The adrenaline gets boosted by just a little bit, and that means that things sometimes go a little...wonky. We did not actually fall flat on our ass per say, but there was some strangeness that happened. Like the point where Ronn and I literally traded a few of our lines. We stared wide-eyed at each other as we realized what was happening, and hoped to the gods of comedy that neither of us would be the one to break the "magic moment." Don't worry; neither of us did. The rest of the show was like that, too, with tiny hiccups that only we would notice. Other than that, it was absolutely fabulous.

The after party was held at Bar Lurcat. It is a beautiful place on Loring Park in Minneapolis. They sectioned off a huge part of the bar for us, but we honestly ran the place while we were there. We were everywhere. Between us Tortugas, Johnny Phoenix, Yasmine and the Magic Hips, our Stars & Minions...and then, of course you our Tortugaholics, there was barely any room left for the regular customers. Oh well, I'm sure that they were having just as much fun watching us as we were having being there. We do make for an interesting crowd.

 

I'm secure in my masculinity

We three freaks

Tortuga Stars and Minions outside at Bar Lurcat

And now the final chapter of this year's Palooza draws ever nearer. We are once more hip deep in rehearsals; the locations have all been scouted out, the plane tickets have all been bought, and woohoo I'm on the great prop hunt yet again (though this time I only need the throne and the couch). I'm sure that this performance will be just as fantastic as the others, and that we will give the 2005 season the final curtain call it deserves.

So, I'll see you out there, in either a theater or at a renaissance festival near you. Until then, keep smilin' and laughin', and I'm sure we'll keep giving you a reason to do just that.

Ciao, bellos!