TIME FOR AN UPDATE: THE JOURNEY CONTINUES

It is hard to believe that the last blog post was from mid-September. It would be impossible (and totally overwhelming to attempt) to capture the last 6+ weeks. So much has happened and yet some things haven't changed at all....

For example, here it is about 1:45pm on Saturday and in 15 minutes (way sooner than I will be finished writing this) the curtain the will rise at the Winter Garden Theater and Cory will perform the first show of his "twodoshay" (that is what he calls the days he has two shows, a matinee and evening, which is every Saturday and Sunday). Michael (his chaperone) picked him up this morning and off he went, as happy as he does each and every day - big smile, School of Rock (SOR) cast jacket, SOR beanie (fleece hat), boundless energy and equal excitement as he's had for the last 3 months. Today he will perform his 116th and 117th show!!!

Lots has happened in 115 shows! Cory's seen technical difficulties, kids get hurt and not able to perform, he himself got sick mid-show once and couldn't go back on after intermission, Andrew Lloyd Weber was in the audience one night, one show was stopped mid-song and scene due to a medical emergency in the audience, adult cast members finishing out their runs and moving on to new opportunities, and more. The behind the scenes look at live theater continues to be fascinating. When people say "the show must go on," it is not just a saying - but in fact the reality!

Eric Peterson (Dewey) on the night
of his last performance.

Steven Booth (Ned), Emily Cramer (Ms. Sheinkopf) and
Becky Gulsvig (Patty) on their last day.

Jenn Gambatese (Miss Mullens) on her last day.

Nightly fist/elbow bump in the wings
with Cory and Emily.

Cory had the chance to be part of a recording for the annual Carols for a Cure CD that is produced each year by an organization called Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids. He and many of his fellow SOR cast mates went to a professional music recording studio and put their spin on a holiday favorite. And just like that, Cory Logan has his first CD credit, with name listing and photo in the CD folio. The studio experience was awesome and Cory had a blast!!

You can purchase your copy at:
http://broadwaycares.stores.yahoo.net/caforcu20vo17.html

Family and friends, and friends of friends, continue to go and see Cory perform. We are always humbled and so happy that people want to share in our excitement! People always ask, "so how many times a week do you [me and Josh] go to the show?" Here's the scoop: Josh and I have both seen the show a total of 9 times. While we'd love to go more often, time (and money! we have to pay for all tickets, no discounts, no exceptions) doesn't really allow for it. We are both busy with our jobs and we want to be involved as much as possible with Ryan and Andrew too! It is truly a balancing act, and it is never totally balanced, but we do the best we can.

Rothbergs and Addess 

Cousin James and "James"

O'Malleys, Mayerfields and Wulfsohns

All three kids are having fantastic school years! Cory is thriving in his new school, Fusion Academy, where he goes 3 days/week, 4 hours each day. Ryan is doing well in 2nd grade. He loves his teacher, and after school takes Taekwondo, guitar lessons and tennis. Andrew is growing by leaps and bounds in his 3s class at Beth El Nursery School and never passes up an opportunity for an after school play date. He's super social and loves to play with anyone who wants to play with him (and sometimes doesn't care if they don't want to play, he'll still attempt). The three boys aren't together all that much and this is definitely one of the compromises of Cory's Broadway life. Family time for just the five us is both a rarity and premium. Ryan often talks about missing Cory and wishes he was around more. But when they do have an hour here and there, you can find them on the trampoline, building forts together, or fighting.....LOL....they're brothers after all. It has been interesting to watch the dynamics change in the household. With Cory not around as much, Ryan has really stepped into the older brother role with Andrew, and they have a wonderful bond.

Missing Cory at our annual apple and pumpkin picking outing.

Schedule change and Cory was home for Halloween (performed Thursday instead)!
So much fun for the three boys to be together.

SOR casted a new swing (a person who understudies many roles in the show, but only performs as needed, not on a regular basis). Collin, the new swing, happens to live right near us (less than 10 minutes away). Crazy small world considering they audition thousands of kids from literally all over the country. Collin and Cory have become fast friends and Michael now takes both of them back and forth to NYC. It's nice for the boys to have company on the drives and time in between shows. Collin and Cory have done what all 10 year old boys on Broadway do, they started a band. They are taking themselves very seriously, making sure that we schedule at least one hour of band practice into the schedule each week. Collin plays guitar and Cory has been playing drums and sometimes jamming with Collin on guitar too. They sound great - who knows what will come of "Package of Wonders" (their band name).

Another FAQ that Josh and I are asked often is, "so what kind of feedback do you get from the show? how do 'they' say Cory is doing?" Answer: WE HEAR NOTHING, with regard to his technical performance, areas of strength or improvement needed on stage! I know this hard to imagine (or at least it has been for us), but it is simply not part of the culture. Cory was hired to do a job, they have high expectations and any and all feedback is given directly to Cory, the employee (which if that happens at all, never makes it back to me and Josh). I've learned that if there was really something to know, we'd know (I think), but that is the exception and not the rule.

Here's what we do hear....we hear that Cory is a good kid, good to his core. Adults in the cast and crew have shared with us stories about his kindness, compassion, wonderment, energy and friendship. And in truth, this feedback means more to Josh and I than anything else. We strive as parents to raise good kids with good values. The world needs more good people! This is more important to us than anything, including Broadway. So with that in mind, we hear good things and ultimately, the true proof is in Cory's happiness.

Total exhaustion. Starving + Exhausted = THIS

Current and past cast of SOR at the annual Broadway Flea Market.

One of the amazing guardians that takes care of Cory!
And a huge Bruce fan too!

Cory is truly thriving! We are so grateful that the cast and crew, particularly the child guardians, who Cory is surrounded by the most each week, are simply amazing. They are teachers in their own right, teaching life lessons and guiding Cory in ways that Josh and I feel good about. We have become more used to sending our 10-year-old off to NYC everyday, and knowing he is in such good care has helped alleviate much of the anxiety we had/have about him being in such an adult world. I really could write an entire blog post just on highlights of the guardians, cast and crew. They are sensational in so many ways and Cory has benefited from his relationship with each of them.

The schedule has never totally become regular. The most regular parts of our weekly routine is we know the performance schedule for SOR. But as we head into the holiday season, and the show adds additional performances, even this will change. And of course the comings and goings of Ryan and Andrew, rehearsals for Cory, Beca's school schedule, etc., is always changing and so we continue to wait for the ding of the incoming email on Sunday afternoons and at that time I develop the overall schedule for the week. I'll answer your question...."YES! It is exhausting!" But we have so much to be thankful for and so many blessings threaded throughout the chaos, it simply is what it is, and that's OK.

Through Cory's schedule we have learned that being on Broadway is way different from the glorified celebrity life that most typical theater-goers may assume. The schedule is challenging and demanding and each and every performance is given as if it was their first! It continues to be an amazing journey and we all are still learning and figuring it out as we go.

Coming up....Cory has been invited to participate in a few PR opportunities. He will be interviewed for a local Westchester magazine and part of a holiday music video for SOR. More on those things as they develop and happen.

For those that are still following and reading the blog (and especially to those who have asked for more updates), thank you for being on this journey with us!

PS - For those that know us well, you know my family are HUGE Springsteen fans! It is particularly exciting for me that both Bruce and Cory are on Broadway at the same time, just a few blocks from each other. If you go to see School of Rock, Cory will come out with his cast mates after the show and sign autographs. I'm not sure if Bruce is doing the same. ;) LOL

You can follow more regular updates, mostly pictures and short comments, on Cory's Instagram page, @coryloganmusic.

NEW ROUTINES, NEW CRAZY

It has been quite some time since I have had the chance to post. Just as we were settling into the show routine, the routine changed. Josh and I now have 3 kids, in 3 different schools, on 3 different schedules PLUS Cory's Broadway performance schedule to contend with. This is all in addition to our jobs. Needless to say, sometimes we don't know if we are coming or going. But with all the craziness, our kids are happy and healthy and each enjoying what they are doing. Family time, with all of us together, is rare. We are so happy that this year Rosh Hashannah falls on a Thursday so Cory will be able to go to shul and celebrate with us.

Cory has already performed in over 55 shows at the Winter Garden. He is becoming more comfortable in his role as James and this week and next week has spacing rehearsals and put-ins for Freddy (drummer) and Zack (guitar), the two parts he understudies. Thanks to the help of the child guardians and stage directors, Cory has a system of note cards helping him to learn, and keep clear, the three different tracks he needs to know. He loves hanging with his SOR friends and his favorite activity in the city, in his down time, is still visiting Guitar Center.

Fusion Academy, Cory's new school, is the perfect fit for him and his schedule! He is really enjoying his new school experience. Ryan loves second grade so far and Andrew is thriving in the 3s! So grateful that each of our children are having such positive experiences so tailored to each of them.

This coming Sunday (9/24), Cory will be taking over the School of Rock social media, Instagram, and snapchat accounts. Be sure to follow him to see some inside peaks at what life is like as a cast member of SOR. @coryloganmusic (on Instagram)

We feel blessed to continue to share in the excitement of Broadway with family and friends who have gone to see Cory in the show (with many more already on the calendar for the coming weeks).

To everyone celebrating the Jewish New Year, wishing you and your loved ones a happy, healthy and sweet new year. Thanks for following our crazy adventure. Stay tuned for what's next.....

Guitars from backstage - the lefty ones are for Cory!

The Langer/Wolpert Crew on Erica's Birthday!

Parker and Grant excited to see their cousin!

The Sibers

The Gellers

Our neighbors the Farrs

The Weissman/Edelstein Crew

Shayna and Jenna

The Schucks

Ryan's friend Henry

Cory with "James" from the SOR Tour!

Top Left: Rosenbluths, Top Right: Browns
Bottom Left: Browns, Bottom Right: Abby Faughnan

The Browns

The Levys

Andrew's first Broadway show!

Brothers excited to see their brother!

Quick backstage visit for Erica's birthday! 

NEW BEGINNINGS

The Winter Garden Theater's sign on Broadway is written in bright twinkling lights. People hear "Broadway" and, rightfully so, they think, "wow!", "amazing!", "fun!", "exciting!" and it is all of those things! Rehearsals began July 3. Today we are exactly 2 months into this experience. 2 months!!??!! It feels like it has been forever! Opening night was only one month ago. And in one month, Cory has performed in 40 shows!

Side story: Every year for the last eight years we have vacationed with my entire family, at the end of August, to celebrate my Grandma Lila's birthday. This was her dream for her 80th, 8 years ago...to have her entire family together, surrounding her and enjoying each other's company. Her dream came true for her 80th, and then every year following. When I told people that I was going away with my entire family (17 of us) and we had every meal together and spent every waking hour together, some thought we were nuts and some were insanely jealous. Every year, the week of vacation was amazing. I can't say the vacation was always drama-free, but I can tell you that each of us counted down the days until the trip, and treasured each and every moment. For the last 4 years we spent our vacation in a huge house on the beach in Sandbridge, VA. We cooked together, drank together, laughed together and lived together for a week. WE NEVER LEFT THE HOUSE, except to go to the pool and the beach out our back sliding glass doors.

This past March, the unthinkable happened. My grandmother passed away. Unfortunately loss is something that my family has experienced too often. But we did exactly what we knew my Grandma would want, the trip went on! Two weeks ago, we all congregated in a beautiful home in Sandbridge, VA. My Grandma's void was palpable. On top of the paramount change we also added in the significant change that Cory, Grandma Lila's first Great Grandchild, was now performing on Broadway. 

Cory hasn't yet accrued vacation and he is still acclimating to his new experience, so Josh and I made the difficult decision to split up. Josh stayed home with Cory and I took Ryan and Andrew, with the rest of the family, on our annual vacation.

I recognize this is a different energy then the rest of my blog posts, but this is reality. Broadway is exciting, but this experience is not without its sacrifices. Vacation was nice - but it was different for so many reasons. Cory and Josh did fine at home, but there were tears and heartache, in NY and in VA, as we were all missing out on what was happening hundreds of miles away in either direction. 

Vacation ended, and it was back to reality. Just when we thought we were hitting a stride, things are about to change again. Starting this week, Josh and I have three kids, going to three different schools, on three different schedules. This is adding a level of complication to the schedule that I anticipated, but couldn't fully appreciate until we were in it. Well, WE'RE IN IT!

On Tuesday, Cory will begin attending Fusion Academy. He will be going three days each week, studying English, Math, Social Studies and Science in a 1:1 instruction environment. This is in addition to performing 8 shows per week and any additional rehearsals that my be scheduled. It is an incredible school and we feel so fortunate that Cory will have the opportunity to learn in this way! We are also anxious about how this addition to his already intense schedule will effect him. Time will tell. (Irony: Fusion Academy is just across the hall from the Westchester Jewish Council office, so Cory has lots of people local looking out for him!).

Everyone rooting for Cory at the Westchester Jewish Council

Cory when we went to tour Fusion!

Ryan is heading back to WARD Elementary for 2nd grade and Andrew, in two weeks, will be starting the 3s at Beth El Nursery School. 

Even though we have been in this Broadway world for 2 months, it is still new. We are now adding even more new beginnings. And day by day we are figuring it out together.

We are continuously blessed and humbled by everyone who is sharing in our journey with us! So many have come to see Cory in SOR and others are on the calendar for the weeks to come. Even if you don't plan to see the show, your Facebook and Instagram support go a long way. Cory loves seeing the likes, shares, posts and support in the virtual world along with the cheering and smiling faces at the stage door! We are blessed, we are lucky, we are fortunate and we appreciate every moment. 

Burton Family - STRONG!

Gabriel, Cory's friend since they were 1 years old

Susan from Shake, Rattle and Roll,
the first music class Cory took (at 3 months old!)

The Peisters keeping in cool with Cory Logan!

Morah Dana, Cory's Nursery School Teacher, with her mom, my colleague Eilleen and Eileen's Mom

BROADWAY BIRTHDAY

How do you make a 4-show weekend, even more fun, and crazier? Have a birthday party! After a great day off, full of swimming and hanging with friends, it was back to rehearsals and the show. Cory is busy learning the roles of Zack and Freddy and he has come a long way. It is a lot to learn three roles, all with lines, songs, different blocking, and props placement, plus guitar and drums. Cory is up to the challenge and is definitely being kept on his toes.

Saturday was another big day for Cory - HIS BIRTHDAY! Our baby, who is not a baby anymore, turned 10! Double digits! It was such a fantastic day. Started with a matinee show followed by a birthday party at Bowlmor in Times Square. We had just about the entire kids cast of SOR (we missed Troy and Chloe) and Cory's closest friends from home for a-rockin' rollin' birthday party. The kids had a blast. Most of them shouldn't quit their day jobs (pun intended) as their skills on the stage far surpass their skills on the bowling lanes. After bowling and some fun in the arcade, it was time to head back to the stage door. This was no small feat getting 17 kids through times square. Not as easy as it sounds!

Cory, Emma, Benjamin and Jordan - Cory's childhood friends

Family Photo, with Beca!

Levi and Cory

Cory and Zach

Amadi, Olivia, Zach and Gabby

Cory and Gabby

Cory and Michael

Once back at the stage door, happily greeted by several of the guardians, the kids all ran in and Cory's celebration continued. Check out this video. The SOR family certainly knows how to make a kid feel special!

Josh and I went out with friends while Cory performed the 8:00pm show. The next day we were getting ready to have a family first. I was leaving for our annual family vacation with Ryan and Andrew and Josh was going to be staying home with Cory. Cory loves what he's doing, performing in School of Rock, and is so grateful for this opportunity, but we are all making sacrifices, including splitting up and spending a vacation week apart. Cory and Josh are going to have some special time at home between shows and I am giving Ryan and Andrew some much-needed special attention with the rest of my family on the beach!





We love hearing from family and friends (and friends of friends) who have plans to see the show or who have just gone. Cory loves greeting everyone at the stage door and it is so wonderful to be sharing this journey with so many people we love.

Stacie, a childhood friend of Erica's and Debbie, her sister,
and best friend with Uncle Adam

Bekka and Jen from Beth El! I think we need to plan a field trip!

This week's schedule feels a little more relaxed. The rehearsal schedule is a little lighter and Cory will enjoy some much-needed down time. There are only a couple of more weeks of summer and then we will add school into the mix. Things are constantly changing. Eyes forward, we can't wait to see what comes next!