I look like I just ran 15 miles....

Hey everyone,

Sorry for such a late update. Lots has happened since the last blog. I've been very very busy doing tech rehearsals, seeing the sights (from the ship right now) and doing some duties on the ship. I have officially been on the ship for a week and it went quickly. I'm ready for tech rehearsals to be done and tonight is our FINAL show that we haven't performed yet. After tonights show, I have performed all my shows. I'm very excited to have performed everything.

Let me recap since the last blog. 

Spirito our deck show on Thursday night was absolutely a blast. It was alittle crazy because we were changing our costumes in the bar closet but still. The audience for the show was a little dull. I think I was screaming at them, running up and down the deck, trying to get some energy to come from their bodies and I got a few claps but that was it. The only other problem was the humidity. Oh my lord…if you would have seen me after the show…you would have thought that I had ran 15 miles. I have never sweat so much in my life. (I know that its so lovely to read about this but just updating…haha) Before the show however, I went up to the 11th floor, to see the Bosporus transit…..SUCH A BEAUTIFUL SIGHT. It was the first time (I'm sure of many) that I got overwhelmed emotionally by what I was experiencing. It was such a beautiful sight. I just stood there and realized what was happening around me and what I was about to experience. I have some great pictures of this trip….

Doesn't it look like a postcard?

Couldn't get to Canakkale, Turkey because of the tide, so we had a sea day and arrived in Piraeus, Greece. It was a strange city but it had a beautiful background with the mountains and sea…just breathtaking. That same day, I worked the first embarkation day. That was an interesting time. I had to stand at the elevator (for 2 1/2 hours) and say "Welcome to the Silver Spirit…reception is this way." Holy crap, I think that I was going to run and jump off the ship….haha. Also, had to do the "march of the pumpkins" for the first time as a crew member…that was fun. For those people that have never been on a cruise before, that is the time that I have to demonstrate how to put on a lifejacket and step off the ship…if they had to do it and everyone has to do it….thats why they call it the "march of the pumpkins."

Sunday night we had the longest day of tech. We had to do the show Euro 2010 and it was quite something. I didn't really feel very prepared for the show…we haven't been given a lot of time to rehearsal the shows on the actual stage, so it has been interesting. In the show, I have to sing in German so that was EXTREMELY interesting. It was funny…one of the German crew members was sitting in the first row…lets just say, I was sweating alittle bit. I hope that I didn't say anything offensive. HAHA

Today was a LONG LONG LONG day of rehearsal for our last show "Aquarius Dawning" (60s show).  We have to perform it Tuesday night and that scares me. I had to learn the last 1/4 of the show on Monday because I was a week late for the rehearsals. It's been an extremely interesting time but I'm getting good use of my education….THANKS MOM!!! haha

Well, I'm needing to get to bed. I have a big day tomorrow. I can not wait for this Friday…its the day that I get to Venice, Italy. I will just have a whole blog about that city.

Until next time,

Jason Slattery

I have to shower...where?

Hey everyone, 

Have had an adventurous few days on the ship. It is absolutely beautiful and the ports that we have been to are pretty to wake up to every morning. When we got on board we were all TIRED from flying and being awake for almost 36 hours. We had to take our crew I.D. photos…thats a pretty picture of myself…haha. Then we made it to my cabin.

Let me just start off by saying, this is no cabin I have ever seen IN MY LIFE. It may be the smallest living area I ever seen in my entire life. To just give you a visual, I had to turn my bigger suitcase on its side, to get through the desk bed area…to then get it stuck behind my bed. Then I went to the bathroom, to see what that was like (which I have to say I'm happy I'm not sharing with 15 people, we have our own bathroom) and it again…is the smallest bathroom EVER! The best part is the shower. I would like everyone right now to think about the smallest closet (like a linen closet or pantry) in your house/apartment/dorm room/what have you….have you found it….now go stand in it and shut the door behind you and you have now just walked into my shower. I have to shut the water off, open the curtain and soap myself up because I have no room whatsoever. 

Anyway, we have been teching our shows this week. Long days in the theater and not really seeing anything else. I did however got to get off the ship for the first time in Yalta, Ukraine. It was strange and cool at the same time. Strange in the fact that there were SO many people in one little area but cool that I was in country that I thought I would NEVER visit. There was a festival going on when I was there…a lot of random games and such. The best part was when we got to the square and there was the steve urkel type music playing and all these random people just dancing like it was a normal day to day thing for them. 

The funniest thing was when I woke up the morning in Yalta. I looked out my window and it was a beautiful view of this city in the mountains and the sun was hitting it top of it just right…really beautiful. I look to my left, the black sea….stunning….I look to my right….Mc Donalds….wait, what? I think I laughed for about 10 mins that morning.

I have performed two shows thus far and they have been a great fun. Rocketman (Elton John show) and the Jazz show. They crowd really responded well to them. Heard from one of the spa workers that they have already been talking about us and saying that we are very talented. It was good to hear.

Tonight, I got to go to the crew deck and stare out into the Black Sea and it was absolutely beautiful. The full moon casting a pretty light onto the sea. It made me think…how blessed I truly am and how small we are as humans. I know that is a bit random but it just made me go…hmmm.

Well, I have to get to bed. I have a show on Thursday…our deck show….Spirito. It should be a great time. Where I am the rest of the week…Wed - Odessa, Ukraine / Thursday - Bosporus transit, Turkey / Friday - Canakkale, Turkey and end the week on Saturday in Piraeus, Greece

Until next time,

Jason Slattery

Welcome to....wait...where am I?

Hello all,

WOW...this has been the LONGEST day ever! Where to begin...

Getting up Friday morning was easy...I was very excited/eager/nervous to get on my first international flight. Driving to the airport, we had a wonderful time...talked to a few people on the phone that I'm glad I got to say goodbye to before my big journey. Once we got to the airport, thats when it all started. Getting in line was fine and I was all ready with my license and passport in hand. I get up to the counter and put my big bag up to be weighted. Please let it be under weight...PLEASE! "Umm...you are 3 lbs. over, its going to cost $120" (the hell it is...I thought to myself) So I take my 2 pairs of jeans, 2 pairs of shoes and swimming suit out and it was okay. (Wasn't starting off well) 

So then I put my bag back up there and the lady said it was fine and to put my smaller bag up on the weighting machine. So I looked at her and she looked at me, just waiting for either of us to do something. And she said again, put it up there. So calmly I said, "Ma'am where would you like me to put it, my bigger bag is there already" She said, "You can move your bigger bag to the side". Now, the first thing I was thinking was, isn't your job to put my bag onto the side, so I am able to put my bag up there? So I said to her, "Well, what do you mean?" she said, "I'm pregnant, can't you see?" Now this is where I got a little upset....1.) No, I can't see over the counter where you blend in with the dark wood anyway with your strange colored uniform for me to even tell that your pregnant and 2.) (which I said to her) "Ma'am, if you used your words and said something to me, I would have gladly moved it for you, but instead you were rude." Needless to say, my morning didn't start off well.

Once I got through security, I was on a mission to find the book "Eat..Pray...Love" b/c I had promised someone that I would read it :-) It wasn't looking good at first, but finally I found it and began reading it on the first flight....Miami to Frankfurt. 

I will say, the flight wasn't all what I expected it to be....in negatives ways and positive ways. It really didn't seem as long as it was (9 hours) and I found time to watch some movies and start reading my new book. But the food was....HORRIBLE.

I dont really need to say anymore...right?

My second flight from Frankfurt to Istanbul was nice...I tired to sleep, but it wasn't happening. Arriving in Istanbul was interesting...couldn't get through the passport check-in until we bought a VISA...ehhh. Finally got through, got our luggage and on our weight to the boat. Istanbul was very spread out and clean. It was so cool coming around the corning and seeing the ship in the harbor and all of a sudden, this trip became very surreal, this is really happening. 

Okay, I'm dead tired and I have a show tomorrow, my first one....ROCKETMAN (Elton John show)

Will write soon about my experience the first day on board the ship and first show.

Until then,

Jason Slattery

Crab Watch

Hey all,

Well, I've had an extremely busy but enjoyable time since I've been in Florida. Everyday the cast gets up and has a wonderful breakfast in our hotel lobby. The waitress that we normally have, has the coffee and hot water "to go" orders down to a tea (haha..forgive the pun). We then drive off to the rehearsal studio/warehouse and see the occasional 5 cops pulling over one person on the way there....which we all find extremely interesting. Once we get to the studio, we either do vocals or stage the productions. There is so much information thrown at us at once but I'm enjoying every minute of it and loving the people.

Lately, we have been doing the rehearsals later in the day and that has been fine for me...I like sleeping in. But once we are done with rehearsals its about 8pm and its starting to get darker out. Well lately, for some strange reason, it has literally become the "attack of the crabs" hour at our studio (hence the title of the post). We legit have to look out the door for crabs before we walk outside to get to the van. Our wonderful stager, CC, told us the other day that she saw a woman outside of her car, changing a tire or doing something and the crabs were attacking her. Driving down the road is no easy task either, they are EVERYWHERE. Instead of "Frogger"...its like.... "Crabber" (haha...wow). Here is what they look like...

Dead serious.

Other than being almost attacked by crazy crabs, its great in Florida. I have a great and fun group of people in my cast with me and I CAN NOT wait to travel the world with them.

Well, I guess thats all I can talk about for now. I leave for Istanbul Turkey on Friday the 20th and get on the boat. I'm very excited for that. Next blog will be about my first time flying internationally and how much fun jet lag is.

Until next time,

Jason

The Beginning...

Hello all,

First, I want to thank you for coming to my blog and reading about my journey that I'm about to embark on. First, I need to explain what has happened.

I will be traveling the world until June 2011, performing on the Silver Spirit (a part of the Silver Sea Cruise Line) as a Lead Male Singer.

I've decided that I should document the experiences that I am about to encounter because how many times can someone say, "Oh, I traveled the world, performing and doing the stuff I love to do...at the age of 23"?

I plan on writing on my blog every week or maybe twice a week. I want to take everyone that I love and care about along with me and enjoy everything that I'm experiencing. So get ready for videos, photos and MANY stories that I'm sure will be entertaining.

I have a few people that I have to thank for this amazing experience....The AMAZING David Krasner, Ben Sands, Meredith MacDonald, Mallory Merge and the whole MINE crew, my awesome B-W professors and mentors especially Victoria Bussert, Scott Plate and Nancy Maier, JeanAnn Ryan Productions, my wonderful friends and of course my extremely supportive and loving family...who I will miss so much for the next year of my life.

I have said this to a few people, that this is truly a dream come true. Growing up, we all have these dreams to do something big in life that might be life changing or something like that but know that it may never happen. Well, traveling the world and getting to see all of the countries that I'm about to see, is truly a dream come true...a BIG dream come true. I am beyond blest and thankful for the wonderful experience that has been given to me. Which is one of the reasons I have named my blog..."Getting to See the World...Priceless!" (I hope you all understand that tiny joke)

Well, I guess I should be off...I must study my songs and such.

Until next time,

Jason Slattery

ps... http://www.silversea.com/silverspirit.aspx?id=1346&page_id=silverspirit
(you can take a look at the ship and voyages that I will embark on....SO EXCITED!!!)