We had so much fun helping to raise funds, awareness and two whole bins of canned goods for St. Louis’ needy. Thanks to everyone who was a part of this huge success. When we asked current and former Tricksters to join us for the annual holiday photo the stage was full. So full you can barely see me in the picture below! I’m the one with the mic! How great to be surrounded by the very best St. Louis improvisers, the kind who think of others first.

My New Year‘s Wishes are that your year is as full as fun, laughter and love as mine has been. I know I promised to blog more this year, but it’s been a doozy. But I promise there will be more coming soon. A regular reader of this blog passed along a fun link for fans of SNL. To read an article about 10 Saturday Night Live cast members you forgot, click HERE.

If you’d like to read more about it on the NEWS page of my blog, you can click HERE.

I look forward to telling you about other fun news about I Love Lucy Live, so make sure you’re subscribed to the blog when you join. It’s turning out to be a big year for Bill Chott. Why did I refer to myself in the third person? Because I thought maybe more people would see the blog this way, I dunno.

I’ll be back next week with more news of the HOT and WET? What’s HOT this month? What’s WET? Subscribe and find out.

The town’s entire Main Street is decorated like it’s Christmas Eve for the Disney production of the film Santa Pups.. With all the lights, decorations, Christmas trees and spirit of a town called Pineville U.S.A. I play Mr. Holman, the owner of the Christmas cookie store. I can’t reveal much more of the plot right now, but I’ve been shooting several scenes for a big musical number that involves the WHOLE TOWN! Including a marching band.

I hope to get some pictures up soon of Fernie in the daytime because this town is so picturesque. It’s surrounded on all sides by the Rocky Mountains. You could swing your camera around 360 degrees and get nothing but picture postcards in this kitschy little Alpine village. I’m just finding out that the term Alpine doesn’t neccessarily refer to the Alps, which makes sense. You know, it’s all in that same family if you add an “ine” onto something: feline, canine, strychnine.

I was a little confused at first because I thought we were shooting in Canada. But it turns out it’s “British Columbia.” I’m a bit disappointed that you can’t find a better cup of coffee in British Columbia. I like the Mexican Columbia a lot better. Although I understand that Vancouver is very similar to the Mexican Columbia in many ways.

I can’t receive phone calls or texts here because Sprint informed me that it would cost something like 59 cents a minute if my data plan is activated. They couldn’t promise that it would stay off even if they “shut it off remotely.” The operator suggested I just shut my phone off all the time to avoid outrageous fees.  I’m having the working vacation of a lifetime! I only wish Sammy were here with me.

Speaking of Sammy, I’ll have video of the wedding posted sometime before the weekend. I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. In the meantime I’ve included a few pics you might enjoy, above.

“Most entertaining stage production I’ve seen in years – including Broadway!!!”
- William Keck, TV Guide Magazine 

“an absolutely brilliant and utterly engaging tribute to that iconic television show.” - The Examiner (READ MORE)

“…more than just another rerun.” – LA Times (READ MORE)

“it is Rick Sparks‘ vision that makes the show work on such a high level.”  - Broadway World (READ MORE)

“A real first class production ”  - Performing Arts Live

“This show is fun stacked on top of fun stacked on top of fun.”- Hey Melpomene  (READ MORE)

“zany fun, an old-fashioned entertainment vehicle where everyone knows their parts (including the audience)”  - The Imitated Life (READ MORE)

“when humor is solidly developed, a 1950 joke can float just as well in 2011 if the delivery is good.  And this show delivers – real GOOD, as Ricky would say.”  - Review Plays.com (READ MORE)

“My smile stretched from ear to ear throughout. I didn’t want this blithe sensory feast to ease.” The Examiner (READ MORE)

I’ve been warned not to listen to what the critics say, so I take it all with a grain of salt…Okay, a couple of grains of salt. I’ve been called a lot of things before, but never “credible”. I know it’s a good thing, but it almost sounds like a booby prize. So, you should read the reviews and see what I mean. If you’d be so nice, please return to the blog to see what else I was going to spout off about.

So I’ll spout! Let me tell you that if you ever need to get a passport, go to a Federal Building. I’ve been running around like a chicken with his head cut off because I listened to a librarian who claimed to know what she was talking about. She told me that an expedited passport (12 business days) was the quickest you could get a passport.

Why do I need a passport you ask? I’ll be travelling to Vancouver to film a holiday movie called Santa Pups. I play a baker in a town that “loses it’s Christmas Spirit“….that is, if I can get my passport tomorrow at 11am. Santa…save me now!

Turns out that you CAN get a passport the next day at the Federal Building. I had gotten one rather quickly in the past, but I assumed that 9-11 security had made it more difficult since the librarian at the Pasadena Public Library told me that there was no faster way. Turns out, librarians often conveniently neglect to mention that you can get one for an extra charge at a Federal Building so that they can collect the $25 fee. Which just gives us another reason why I hope Fahrenheit 451 comes true. BURN THE LIBRARIES!!!! Now I know why the thing I’ve been doing most of my reading done on is called a KINDLE!

Libraries shouldn’t use the Dewey Decimal system, they should use the Don’t-ey system. If you’re John Coleman, please leave a comment.

So I spent the day online with the State Department getting to the bottom of the matter and I had to drive from Pasadena to Westwood by 7:30am. If you’re from LA, you know that means waking up at 5:00am.

I made it through the oddest security in the world. It started with a check-in outside and then a long line that took even longer than most TSA  airport security lines. It took so long because the lone security guard was playing detective,  AND most of the people in line to get a passport seemed to never have gone through security ANYWHERE, EVER. They were surprised to be asked to take their belt off, and all of them seemed to empty their pockets at the very last moment instead of emptying pocket contents into breifcases, bookbags or purses. Well, they’ll have their come-uppance. Soon they’ll be dealing with security at Heathrow airport or maybe El Al. God I hope none of them are travelling to Vancouver.

There was an older asian couple in front of me. Very sweet and not very threatening looking. The security guy (who appeared to have gang tattoos) pulled out the asian woman’s make-up kit and said, “Do you put this on your face? This is very heavy. This makeup. You put this on your face?” She spoke English, she just didn’t know how to respond to this very odd line of questioning, so she didn’t. I had heard hear and her husband talking English. But she used the old “I don’t speak English” approach to avoid answering a very forward and very bizarre question.

“Maybe the make-up case was heavier and seemed somehow suspect. Maybe the guard wasn’t so odd.” I thought to myself for about five seconds.

But when I stepped up to security with my back pack full of safe and acceptable belongings, he started in with the weird questions. As he looked through my bag (which contained no metal and mostly paperwork) he started asking, “What kind of bag is this? Is this a back-pack or a combination bag?”

If you’re like me you have no idea what a “combination bag” is, but I answered quickly. “It’s a backpack.” Then he let me go on my way.  You don’t know how bad I wanted to start muttering in Korean instead of answering such an obvious question.

So with fingers crossed I’ll be heading back to Westwood to the Federal Building at 11am to pick up my new passport…speaking of passports, Sam and I are going to celebrate the solution to the passport debacle with another trip to Disneyland with our new annual pass. This time, California Adventure. We may also stop off in Disneyland too to ride Pirates of the Carribean (my favorite ride) which was not in operation the day of our honeymoon.

Dead Men Tell no Tales…….

We got a standing ovation Sunday night and everybody who’s seen it has been very enthusiasitc about how well it will play to musical theater audiences, fans of Lucy and even optimistic about it’s success in LA…not known much as a theater town. I can’t wait to pop the cork on October 1st, Hope you’ll be thinking of me this Saturday night!

Let me know what you’d expect from a stage musical of I Love Lucy.  I’m interested in hearing your opinion as an outsider. Unless you’re a fellow cast member or director/producer. In that case, I’m interested in hearing your opinion as an insider.

I’ve added some pics so you can imagine yourself with us onstage opening night. Or in the audience…or wherever you’d rather be on Saturday night.

Find out what’s going on at The Improv Trick by clicking HERE. If you’re a fan of Mr. Show, you’ll be sure to enjoy a writing workshop with Eric Hoffman, we’re adding more and more shows in St. Louis and our you’re a part of it all. Just for reading this blog post.

You can do even more. Read the newsletter (link is above) and forward it on to a few friends.

Even more you say? Sure, we could use your help adding new friends on Facebook. Join us on Facebook in St. Louis or Los Angeles. We have a facebook for each!

Now why all the shameless self-promotion? Because that’s the future. That’s not just a dumb statement, like “The future is Plastics.” I mean literally that you can travel in time if you keep focusing mirrors back on yourself…or doing a mirror exercise in an improv class. That’s my kind of Halloween.

You may wonder why the random blog post?  Well, I’m going to try to get back in the habit of blogging on a more regular basis. At least two per week. They won’t be all-out posts with all the bells and whistles. Some of them might be small, just sharing a link or two.  The rest, hey. They could be my next blogsterpiece!

But this one was just an attempt to CRAM IT all into one quick little blog post with links!

It was a VERY small, VERY intimate ceremony with just an officiant (BJ “Honkey” Lange) and two witnesses (Peter and Cate Perigo). We’ll have more details after we get back from our mini-honeymoon at Disneyland today.

As early as Thursday, we’ll have video and pics of the mini-blessed event. ‘Till then, please leave a comment with advice about how to keep a married couple happy and together.

Neat article, huh? I consider myself pretty lucky this month to be part of productions mentioned in two of the biggest magazines (that I actually read).

In case you didn’t catch the latest news update on this site, here’s a copy of the page from TV Guide mentioning I Love Lucy Live on Stage.  That was pretty cool, so was the article I was interviewed for in GQ! They were celebrating the anniversary of The Dana Carvey Show.  To read more about that article, click HERE.

But that’s still not the biggest news!!! Stay tuned, please subscribe right now so you won’t miss out on the big announcement coming Tuesday! We’ve got a lot of catching up and it’ll all start then. Sorry to neglected you, my faithful friends, fans, blog-readers and Motherfakers.

St. Louis‘ s Grammy Nominated Beatle Bob recently released an App for iPhone that helps you find the hottest band in every city.  Click HERE for more info. No matter where you live, this is the place to discover  the hottest bands in your area. Beatle Bob is the gold standard of music aficionados. His fame started in St. Louis and spread all over the country.  He can be seen at Bonnaroo, and music events all over the country dancing his very, very unique Beatle Bob Dance.  I met Beatle Bob through my friend Donny Blake, but I had heard about him for years.  I was honored when he was one of the St. Louis celebs who roasted me two years ago at my 40th Birthday Roast in St. Louis. What else is HOT? Improv in St. Louis and LA! Click HERE to read the Improv Trick’s July Newsletter.

   I’ve spent the last week visiting the survivors of the disastrous tornado in JoplinMO. I’ll be performing July 19th with Yakov Smirnoff, David Koechner, Michael Jr. and a bunch of other talented comics from all over the country with roots in Missouri.  The optimism of the people in Joplin is amazing, and the support they’re getting from everyone in the area has been truly uplifting.  Besides the storm, there’s nothing about Joplin that’s wet.  However, since arriving here, I’ve seen a lot of billboards like the one below for something called Precious Moments.

I was confused for several days, because most of the billboards just assume that everyone who is driving through this area knows exactly what Precious Moments Chapel is. It’s the worst billboard campaign EVER. Turns out that Precious Moments is even more lame than I had expected.  It’s a figurine tourist trap and kitsch chapel. It’s referred to online as “America’s Sistine Chapel.” Thaaaaat’s doubtful. Judging by the billboards, I just assumed it was a childrens’ cemetary.

If  you’re going to support this area of Missouri there is a lot of great camping and fishing in the Ozarks. Not to mention all the national acts performing in Branson. But Precious Moments looks like a Hallmark store on steroids.  It’s my pick for July’s Wettest thing.