Bumps, bruises, muscle strain, cuts, aches and pain! My body has had it all…But oh how I love it!!!
Doing this production has given me a new-found appreciation for athletes, gymnasts, dancers or anyone who choose a career physically demanding day in day out!
I’ve always been a physical guy, love sports and keeping fit but this show requires so much from your body. I know I’ve become more physically agile but I hadn’t really noticed a drastic change to my physical appearance until two days ago when my best friend (who has flown from England to visit me for a week in Chicago) commented on how different I looked. I disagreed at first until he showed me a few pictures of myself before I started this tour. I recommend anyone who can create something within their homes where you can fly everyday to do so! But not only do we have to fly everyday in the show (and swim for the Darling brothers), we do have a stern rota! As a company all the actors have a 30-minute warm up before every show that requires planks, press-ups, sit-ups and lots of stretching. All of the flyers in the show (Peter, Tinkerbell, Wendy, John and Michael) also have aerial fitness every Friday for one hour led by Tiger Lily (Heidi Buehler – Dancer) who puts us through our paces!
Speaking to my best friend at the moment, I have said how I want to keep up the good work and try new athletic and physically demanding skills. He and I went to see a baseball game the other day and it got me thinking, as a British guy in America I should try and find something American that we in England would never have been taught (like baseball) to keep me fit and try something different and new!
Sooooo… what sport in America should I learn or even what kind of classes (like yoga) should I take in order to learn a new technique plus keeping fit at the same time?
– Scott Weston (Michael)
