chuckography: Three years in the making....

Friday, February 12, 2016

Three years in the making....

The last show I saw at the "OLD" Gaillard Theater was k.d.lang.

She was in top voice and I was in the front row.

Yes, I took a few pictures. That's what I do.

At the end, I stood and stepped forward, holding my upturned hand. She handed me her guitar pick. Cool.

Then the place was shut down for 3 years of renovations.

During Spoleto a few months later, I walked into the TD Arena for a rock & Roll show.

Hanging on the wall there was a huge mural depicting what the NEW Gaillard Center (Centre?) would look like.

I had a buddy snap a few shots of me in front of the artist's rendering, with the idea of inserting myself into the image.

I was pleased that it turned out just the way I had envisioned.

I had cloned a seat back so it now appeared that I was seated in one of the boxes in, I guess, the Dress Circle?

Fast forward to a few weeks ago when I went to see the CJO (Charleston Jazz Orchestra) starring jazz diva Diane Shuur.

Diane and the local Jazz group were the openers for the Arturo Sandoval show. The percussion-filled performance by his 5-piece backing group featured the master "horn player" displaying his amazing talents.

OK, during the intermission, as I walked around admiring the new look, I took out a copy of my 3-year old fantasy creation.

A helpful usher suggested I needed to go up the stairs to find the area where I had visually created a seat for myself.

These were "private" boxes with closed doors so I peeked into several before I found the target area that I sought.

I had a ticket for a floor seat so really didn't "belong" up here.

Several occupants saw the image I had printed and was trying to match and even suggested I sit down in a vacant seat.

Not wanting to intrude too much, I just stood and had a picture quickly snapped.

Mission accomplished.

(Click on the images and links to see more details.)

Thanks to the nice people in the box - and the usher - who helped me zero in on where I had "seated" myself three years ago.

The renovation was marvelous to see.

I plan to attend many events there.