Black-out, Traffic and Baseball
I had to make it from Hollywood to Burbank by 7pm.
I was a volunteer usher over at The Colony Theatre .
So I leave the office by 6pm.
Gee ... that would be plenty of time, don't ya think...
I get on Cahuenga - and it is a parking lot.
We are not moving.
I am thinking "Is it always like this? Do people deal with this every day?"
Because I never really drive from Hollywood into Burbank right after work on a Friday night.
Finally, nearly an hour after leaving the office - I turn right on Franklin east, and jump on the freeway at Argyle.
I exit at Barham, entering all the traffic way at the beginning of the build up.
I see at all the cars behind me, who have just been sitting there while I spun around the long way to get to Argyle.
And these people are not nice. They are irritated from sitting on Cahuenga for over an hour. No one will let me cut in to get over to the right lane.
One guy and an I almost side-swiped eachother.
I am so happy when I finally reached Barham Blvd - and then I realize the problem.
There is a Black-out !
Studio City is entirely dark. Not a single traffic light is working.
As I drive up Olive, I call the Colony Boxoffice. I tell them that there is a black out in Studio City. And traffic is one big parking lot.
I arrive at The Colony 40 minutes late. Thats 7:40 pm.
It took me One hour and 40 minuted to make it from Hollywood to Burbank.
I got there in time to help them hand out programs, and of course help at Intermission.
Just as I walk into the lobby, I hear one theatre patron telling another "Oh, yeah, I can still make phone calls in a black-out, I just can't get on my computer."
An older couple come racing in, and have to wait a few minutes before going into the theatre because the announcements have already started. "We got stuck in that black-out, our entire neighborhood was without power", they tell me.
I actually got complements from the Staff on being very helpful with all the theatre patrons.
But it was just that I was on some sort of adrenaline high from trying to fight all the traffic to get there.
I did get to see the play "Rounding Third".
A very funny story about two guys who coach Little League Baseball.
The people who came to see the play were really into it.
One person wore a baseball jersey.
Another guy brought his kid, for a Father and son night at the Theatre.
The play was very funny. And worth the rush it took me to get there.
Links:
LA Times story on power outage
Baseball Books on Amazon.com
Baseball DVDs on Amazon.com
Labels: hollywood, losangeles, studiocity, theater, theatre, volunteer
