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.