And we’re done

The eight weeks spent in North America on my newly ended “Human Heart” Tour went by in a blur. Twenty seven performances, over 20,000 tickets sold, thousands of miles covered on planes and buses. Hundreds of fan meet-and-greets, even more autographs signed, and a good number of “A Whole New World” duets with great sports all over the continent. All in all, it’s been quite the ride, one that brought me much joy.

The tour began with me in a wheelchair at airports, and crutches at performances, tentatively stepping onstage, taking my time with each footfall to make sure I didn’t slip.

Getting stronger

With each week, my left leg (which I broke last January on a ski vacation) got stronger. I would continue physical therapy exercises as prescribed by my therapists, and found that it was able to support more and more of my weight.

After a couple of weeks, I was able to walk around with one crutch, instead of two. After even more time, I transitioned to a cane onstage. I could then stand in the shower instead of sit.

By the time the tour ended in Vancouver, I ditched the wheelchair, crutches and cane. The only assistive device I kept was my “bionic” metal-leg brace, which makes walking longer distances, like at airports, more stable.

Allow me to admit, that very first show on April 5 was the one I went into with caution. I knew the audience would be fabulous, especially since I had many friends and family in attendance.

My manager Josh Pultz also got me a small teleprompter called the Wolfgang Telemonitor, which totally eliminated the anxiety of trying to remember so many song lyrics. With all of these pieces in place, I sat onstage for my first rehearsal with musical director Larry Yurman and musicians Kevin Axt (bass), Ray Brinker (drums) and Paul Viapiano (guitar).

Nothing to worry about

My voice felt very rested, and my body responded as it normally does. Each song I laid into felt wonderful. My instrument was relaxed and ready, as if to tell me I had nothing to worry about. That rehearsal and the ensuing performance (thanks to Yuko Takahashi for all the glam) went without a hitch.

The travel aspect of the tour would prove to be more challenging though, because we had so many parts to the puzzle. My friend and one-time assistant Tin Samson helped me with packing, pushing my wheelchair and just keeping me and my daughter Nic company (she would be replaced by Josh’s friend, Mitch Strong, a couple of weeks later).

Nic, thankfully, was a champion in the independence department, taking care of her luggage and her daily outfits by herself. We had to keep this long checklist in our heads every time we’d leave venues and hotels to make sure we had everything.

For much of it, save for one hoodie that nearly got left behind at airport security, things ran smoothly. We had one heck of a well-oiled machine, thanks to Josh for keeping things organized like a boss.

A long tour can also mean a shock to the system and to one’s physical and mental well-being, but thankfully, we had rest days built into the schedule. There was a full week in New York to watch shows, have great food and catch up on sleep. My overall health was thus taken care of, and I entered each venue feeling renewed and reinvigorated.

Best thing to happen

Upon greater reflection, it seems as though my falling on that ski slope was possibly the best thing to happen to me. I had just closed “Once on This Island,” and my whole being felt fried.

Just thinking about the upcoming performances was stressful, as I needed to recalibrate my brain from Broadway mode into concert mode, and start to learn a lot of new material. I thought that maybe the vacation in Japan would serve as the proverbial reset button with the peaceful scenery and wonderful company; perhaps it did, but not in the way I expected.

Maybe having to cancel all those concerts, as heartbreaking as that was, was a blessing in disguise. I was forced to stop everything. My body, my brain, my heart—they all needed a long break.

The hiatus coupled with all the recuperative activities ended up being exactly what I needed. More than the rest, I gained greater appreciation for what it is I do. I found myself falling in love with it all once again when the tour was well underway, and was excited to sing at every single show.

So perhaps my greatest takeaway from all of it is this: Gratitude for my body hitting the brakes, taking the time to think, and for remembering what I do, why I do it, and how much I love it.

I prayed my thanks before, sang my thanks during and expressed my thanks after every show. It’s truly a blessing to get to do my strange, unique and wonderful job.

To Team “Human Heart” Tour, thank you. To our audiences, thank you. To my family for your support and sanity (and insanity), thank you. This girl is grateful to you all.