Tara spends a lot of this month subconsciously nesting, organizing closets, sewing small elephants
and feeding an insatiable appetite. James continues to run 8 shows a week, with some side projects keeping him extra busy. A spread in Time Out New York's holiday issue features a few of the BBAJ cast members in full costume and attitude. Here, James plays a card table in front of a green screen that will later be edited to look like a piano in a cool bar...
James and Tara realize that there have not been many outside shots of the Barry Bean, so James snaps a pre-walk photo of Tara in the soon-to-be nursery...
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| So lucky to have this beautiful park a block from the apartment... |
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| Dinah, contemplating eating a nearby squirrel. |
Chicago pals, Tabitha and Shawn, visit during the middle of the month. Their time in New York is brief but chock-full.
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| Tab and James at a favorite brunch place... |
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| Shawn and Dinah finally bond over a few afternoon beers. |
As the first part of their Holiday Travel Extravaganza, Tara picks James up in Manhattan after his evening show on the eve of Thanksgiving and they drive to the Barry homestead in Connecticut. The next day, they all drive to the Cape to celebrate with the extended family. A fantastic day...
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| James and Nancy |
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| The Wilde-Barry-Detmer-Nick-Owens Clan |
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| Siblings |
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| Christmas Carols around the baby grand... |
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| Family shot... |
James takes the train back to the city the next day for a marathon weekend of shows and Tara heads up to the Berkshires to celebrate Thanksgiving Part Deux with her family. In an effort to get some of the grunt work out of the way, Tara and her mom buy and unwrap 650 candy canes for the upcoming Peppermint Bark Extravaganza. Oh yes, folks. It's on.
On the last night of November, the cast of BBAJ is told that the show will be closing in January, the last performance being a matinee on the 2nd of that month. They would have preferred a longer run, perhaps into the first few months of their little one's existence, but Tara and James look at the bright side and realize that they will have optimal time to get things ready for the Barry Bean's arrival. Everything happens for a reason, no? They like to think that it does.
