JEFF PIKE - MANIA - FALL 2022 TOUR BLOG - DAY 14

MANIA - The ABBA Tribute (Formerly ABBA MANIA)
November 2, 2022
The Shubert Theater
​New Haven, Connecticut
www.shubert.com

I have never visited nor performed in New Haven, Connecticut, until today. The first thing I noticed this morning when I exited the bus was that we were parked directly around the block of Yale University and that the theater we were playing in this evening was high-class all the way. 

It wasn’t until I found my dressing room that I put two and two together about the beautiful theater. Painted and autographed on the wall downstairs was a gigantic long mural of ‘A Chorus Line’ commemorating its unprecedentedly long run at The Shubert Theater in New York. ‘A Chorus Line’ is my favorite musical and holds a very dear place in my heart. Also, adorning the green room wall were photographs of many famous people who had performed there through the years, and I thought what an honor it would be to perform on this stage tonight. 

I had some work to do online today, so since the weather was beautiful, I walked around for a while and then visited a local Starbucks to work and watch the Yale students trickle in and out. I imagined what their lives would look like as their years unfolded.

​I shared a wonderful dinner with my good friend and colleague, Annie Serravalle, and one of her good friends at a classy little place called Olives and Oil. I had a small meatball salad which was very tasty, as well as a surprise. Annie kindly gifted me with a beautiful keyboard scarf which I love! She remembered how much I had adored hers the last time we had dinner together. I know it will get a lot of use during my Northern travels. 

The Shubert was stunning, and our show, while not sold out, was a success. Onstage, I sometimes imagine the stars who have previously performed there in the audience enjoying our show, and sometimes it helps my performance and mood.

Afterward, I joined Annie and her friend again at a small local bar to get their review of the show and to show them some of the new videos I have been working on. They both had to work, so we called it an early night, and I strolled back to the bus in the glow of a good show, loving friends, and a warm scarf.