Mary Poppins

Last night, we went to see Mary Poppins at the Murat in Indianapolis. This is the touring production of the Disney/Cameron MacKintosh production. It opened last night and runs through October 3. We made a big night of our night out. This was a Girls' Night- me, Teagan, and Christy. We went out to dinner first at our favorite restaurant- Wild Ginger. It's an Asian and Sushi place and Christy and I go there often enough that they know us before we even walk in the door. Christy and I went overboard on sushi and Teagan ate every bite of her teriyaki chicken, shumai, spring roll, rice, and even mango ice cream for dessert! We headed downtown after our delicious dinner...

Before the show started (and I had to put my phone away) we had some goofy girl fun with the camera. Soon enough, it was time for the show to start... Any stage production is going to have some weaknesses, of course. And this show wasn't perfect. I could tell you my problems with some of the plot points or the script or the directing choices. But I don't want to be picky about the show. It wasn't the most incredible thing I've ever seen- but it had a few of the most amazing moments I've seen! The talent was solid and I enjoyed getting caught up in the magic of it all. The storyline of the stage show is a bit more complex than the movie and includes songs that weren't in the movie.

Some of the highlights included:

- End of Act 1 when Mary Poppins flies away via umbrella.

- Dancing statues- incredible costumes and choregraphy and very talented (and physically fit) dancers.

- The set piece for 17 Cherry Tree Lane was fantastic!

- Bert walking up the side of the stage and then dancing, upside down, across the top of the stage!

- When Mr. Geroge Banks busts out of his staid and precision and order driven self with a big old spastic outpouring of Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious-ness.

- The big dance/show numbers for Step In Time and Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious were fantastic and so much fun!

After the show, I asked Teagan what her favorite part was in the whole show. I expected her first answer- when Mary Poppins flew away on her umbrella. I didn't expect her second answer.

One of the storylines in the show that isn't in the movie focuses on Mr. Banks' nanny from his childhood. He expects his wife to find a nanny that can keep the children in order and be stern and raise them up right the way his nanny, Nanny Andrew, did. He makes some reference to Nanny Andrew beating frivolity out of him but the comments are almost more in passing. He speaks very highly of this woman and the role she played in his life. Mary Poppins leaves at the end of Act 1 and Act 2 opens with Mrs. Banks bringing a surprise for the family- she has found Nanny Andrew and brought her in to be their nanny. Turns out, Nanny Andrew is a mean and cruel woman and that the horrid way she treated Mr. Banks as a boy- killing the spirit of his childhood- is why he is so disconnected from his wife and kids as an adult. So there is a song where we meet Nanny Anderw and she sings about how horrible she is (Brimstone and Treacle). Later, after Michael and Jane run away from home because of her and find Mary Poppins and come back home, Marry Poppins takes care of Nanny Andrew- sending her off in a giant cage into what seems to almost be the bowels of hell. Later, in one of the closing numbers (Anything Can Happen), Nanny Andrew appears again but as part of the full cast and she is smiling and dancing and happy.

So Teagan's other favorite part of the show? "When the mean lady started making good choices and was happy." She spoke about Nanny Andrew several more times and was very curious as to how Nanny Andrew changed from mean to happy. I was fascinated with my little girl getting really caught up in this seemingly smaller part of the show.

We were very fortunate to have a tour of the backstage area after the show. All of it was exciting- learning about how some of the props and sets worked and that it takes 15 semi trucks to carry all of the set pieces and walking across the stage and seeing the perspective of the actors and peering up into the neverending fly space. But most exciting of all was that we happened to bump into Caroline Sheen as she was leaving- that's the actress who played Mary Poppins. She was sweet and pretty and stopped to chat with our group for a moment- which I thought was especially nice of her.

It was a magical night in many ways- Practically Perfect some might say!

If you are in Indianapolis, I recommend going to see the show while it is here. If the tour is heading your way, I'd say this is a great one to take your kids to see- or to take yourself to see if you love the movie or books.

Sidebar. Yes, Mary Poppins is a kid-friendly show. That doesn't mean that every kid is ready to sit through a live theatre production. When you go to see a Broadway touring show, you are going to a real theatre- the kind of theatre that some people still wear evening gowns and suits and furs for. It isn't a movie theatre and the seats are certainly more expensive than in a movie theatre. I was surprised at how rude some of the patrons were. Christy got her hair pulled at least 3 times by the child behind her- who also spilled a drink that ran down the floor and got Christy's skirt wet. See, there is a reason we didn't bring Zach. He's not yet 3 years old. He can sit through a movie in a theatre without issue. But I wasn't going to risk a 2 year old in a theatre late at night- him falling apart or getting restless would mean someone having to leave and miss the show. In addition, screaming, loud talking, whining and crying can be very rude distractions to the actors and crew who are working hard to give a great show to the entire audience. A child reacting to the magic of the show is endearing. A child continuously dropping their booster seat on the hard floor just to hear it make a loud noise is not. So before you decide to take your young children to see a show, please make sure they can handle it. Teagan is a "seasoned" theatre go-er and this was her first Broadway touring show. She's gone to community theatre productions and high school productions and a local semi-professional theatre production. Doing all of those things helped her learn how you are expected to behave in a live theatre setting.

Many thanks to Indianapolis MomsLikeMe for providing me with the tickets and backstage tour! Are you a member of MomsLikeMe?

Do you have memories of the books or movie Mary Poppins? Any favorite scenes? Have you seen the Broadway stage show? Any vent of your own to share about theatre patrons behavior?

A Bit of Magic

I am getting very excited. Thursday evening, I am taking Teagan to see Disney's "Mary Poppins" at The Murat Theatre. I've written before about my previous love of and involvement in theatre. I've been watching video clips of Mary Poppins and... I've already been in tears. I just know that when the lights go down and that curtain goes up for the first time, I will have tears in my eyes. I will cry tears of joy and excitement during dance numbers and tender moments. I have great hope that I will look over to see my daughter looking up as Mary Poppins flies away and see that magic in her eye and on her face- that theatre magic that can truly captivate. As I watch Mary Poppins in the video clips, I'm totally taken in by the complete escapism of all of it. This magical nanny who comes along and brings this broken family back together again by teaching and demonstrating hope, fun, playfulness, and loyalty... don't we all wish we'd had a Mary Poppins in our lives when we were little? While I didn't have an actual Mary Poppins, I did have some special people who passed through my childhood- staying for as long as they were needed. Growing up was hard for me. I'm open about my childhodd. My mom was a single parent, working her way through dental school in order to give us a better life. That choice and plan meant a lot of hard times and sacrifice for both of us. And my deep, dark secret was that I was being sexually abused by a cousin 8 years older than me. That went on for most of my elementary school years until we moved away from Kentucky to Cincinnati, OH- away from my abuser, away from hunger, away from the financial struggles I'd grown up with. We moved away and I had a Daddy, my mom, a home, and safety. But during those dark years, there were highlights. I have tons of very positive memories with my mom and with the man who became my dad and with friends from school and in our apartment complex and with my grandparents. There were some special people who were my Mary Poppins, though. First, there was a family from our church that stepped up and provided before and after school care for me. I assume it was at no cost to my mom. Being a mom and knowing many single moms, I look back and realize what an amazing blessing this family was. They truly lived their faith, at least through the eyes of my childhood memories. I got to witness a "normal" family. They had a comfortable home, married parents, a daughter close to my age, a little dog, a backyard to play in. Dad worked, mom stayed home. It was with this family that I had a lot of normal childhood memories- jumprope contests, learning to hula hoop, tasting dog kibble just to know why that dog liked it so much. I remember showing up at their house to wait for the bus and I'd come in while they were having breakfast and I always asked to have some, too. My mom would be embarassed- she'd fed me before we left. But I think I wanted to just be part of that family normalcy, you know? So that mom, that family, was definitely a taste of Mary Poppins for me. A window to what a normal family looked like, how they functioned and leaned on each other. It took Mary Poppins to bring that out in the Banks family, right? And Mary Poppins is, of course, about a little bit of magic. I was very fortunate to have a woman I sometimes consider an angel to pass through my childhood. She definitely brought a touch of magic to my life. She was single and I remember her being a business woman. She was fashionable and I was in awe of her. She lived next door to us for a brief period of time. She was always friendly with me. Sometimes, she would invite me over. I thought it was amazing that her apartment, which was identical to ours, could be so classy! One day, she invited me to go shopping with her. I'm sure my mom appreciated the break. I don't remember all of the details but I do remember her taking me into this little gift shop that I recall being part of a hotel or somewhere that she had to run an errand. She had taken me out to lunch and treated me like I was a grown up. We went into this gift shop and there was a display of stuffed animals. I was so taken with every single one of them- everything from tiny things that could fit into your pocket to a giraffe that looked life sized to my young eyes. She knelt beside me and said that I could pick out any animal I wanted and she would buy it for me. I still have the unicorn I picked. She moved away not long after- flying into the air, holding on to the black umbrella with parrot head handle. Have you had any Mary Poppins moments in your life?

A Special Sunday in a Nearby City

Today, Teagan and I ventured to Greenfield, IN as guests of director Christine Schaefer (and fellow blogger- Better In Writing) of Crazy Lake Acting Company for their closing performance of "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever." First, this is one of my favorite stories. I remember reading the book as a kid- over and over. It's the tale of an annual, traditional Christmas pageant, put on by the children of the town church each year. Also in this town are the Herdman children- they are poor, dirty, crude, rude, mean, bullies. No one likes them, most are scared of them. After years of church being the only place the town kids are safe from the Herdmans, they wind up taking over Sunday School and the Christmas Pageant (thinking the Sunday School offers desserts each Sunday). In the end, the Herdmans, who know nothing of the Christmas story, end up teaching everyone an important lesson about that traditional tale. Crazy Lake is located in this fantastic old theatre- so much you can do with that space and it is a building that has to hold some great history. Christine- I'd love to know more about it and I think it'd be cool to have that info on your website, too! You actually step up to the outside window to get your tickets and then go in these gorgeous old doors into the lobby. We got seats in the second row- Teagan was very excited to be so close. We enjoyed music from a brass quintet. One of the best parts of that pre-show was when one of the musicians stood up to introduce the other members of the group and then said, "If we have folks in the audience who have seen this show before, you know what you're in for!" Teagan turned to me and said, "He is NOT talking to you or me, Mommy. We haven't seen this show!" There was a pre-show "radio version" of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" that was a lot of fun. There was a narrator, 2 audience members pulled up to run the foley table (various sound effects), an audience member to hold up the audience cue cards, and audience members to play The Grinch, Cindy Lou Who, and Max. Curtain opens... show starts... intermission... final act... Then our friend Christine offered to let Teagan go onstage and take a tour of the backstage. Teagan got to meet some actors, see the dressing rooms, check out the set. She loved it. She would have taken 3 more tours if they hadn't been striking (tearing down the set). She got to see kids onstage. She recognized Christmas music and enjoyed siging along (or at least lip syncing along). She refused to applaud, didn't understand why Mommy cried at the end, and got only mildly squirrely at the end (when there was no action onstage, just a voiceover of the Scripture of Jesus' birth being read). It was a great afternoon. And now I'm itching to do a traditional Christmas pageant at my own church with Teagan and the other kids... reading the verses, singing the traditional hymns that tell the tale... and maybe finding our own Herdmans to teach us the true meaning of Christmas, to demonstrate how the story actually happened. If you enjoyed this little sliver of a Sunday In My City, swing by Unknown Mami (click the button below) and check out other participants!

WWW: Happiness Is...

Several years ago, when I was pregnant with Teagan, I directed a community theatre production of "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown." One of my favorite songs from it was "Happiness Is..." I believe you choose happiness and happiness also just happens- but you have to be open to it to recognize it. I believe that happiness is really about appreciating the little things that are around you. Happiness is... Finding a pencil Pizza with sausage Telling the time I believe that children can teach us a lot about happiness... if we let them. Happiness is... Learning to whistle Tying your shoe for the very first time Happiness is... Playing the drum in your own school band I believe that we can find happiness in most moments. There will always be tragedies, hard times, trauma. And happiness will be hard to see in that moment. And happiness is walking hand in hand Happiness is realizing that you have people beside you in those hard times. That you have a hand to hold as you find your way through a tragedy. Happiness is... Two kinds of ice cream Knowing a secret Climbing a tree But then there are accomplishments. Confidences. Connections. Happiness is... Five different crayons Catching a firefly, setting him free... Diversity. Doing the right thing. Celebrating differences. Freedom. Happiness is... Being alone every now and then And happiness is coming home again. Time for myself. Time on my own. Being with my kids. Being with my husband. Being with my mom, my dad, my brothers, my family (even without cauliflower). Happiness is... Morning and evening Day time and night time too. For happiness is anyone and anything at all That's loved by you. Waking up. Going to sleep. The things and people I love. Yup. Those are all happiness for me. Happiness is... Having a sister Sharing a sandwich Getting along Now this one reminds me of Christy. My chosen sister. With whom I often share food and a love of food. And life is best when we are in our stride, on the same wavelength. Happiness is... Singing together when the day is through And happiness is those who sing with you. Music. Friends. Singing with my kids. And back to the most important... Happiness is... Morning and evening Day time and night time too. For happiness is anyone and anything at all That's loved by you. Happiness is love. When I choose to love my husband... when I choose to love my kids... when I choose to love other people... when I choose to love myself... when I choose to love God... when I choose to love the people hardest to love... that is when I truly find Happiness. Would you please also take a moment to go visit my friend, Teacher Tom? He wrote, by chance, on this same subject yesterday and his words are wise and wonderful!

Rent, Aging, AIDS, Cancer

I went to see a community theatre production of Rent last night. I went alone- made friends with the couple sitting next to me. He had seen the show 5 times on Broadway; his partner hadn't ever seen it live. This was my first time seeing it live as well.

Rent came out in 1996. I remember hearing about it. I was in college. The show premiered the night after the creator, Jonathan Larson, died. It was amazingly tragic but also poetic, given the message of the production. No day but today.

The musical powerfully focuses on AIDS, poverty, homelessness, drugs, sex. Love, loss, acceptance, struggle, art.

The songs are lyrical and moving.

As a college student, the debut of Rent was powerful because it symbolized, demonstrated what we were soon to face. What we were romanticizing we would soon face. The struggles of young adulthood. Clinging to what we want, wanting to change the world, facing the realities of life and death and hard choices.

As many of you know, I've been involved with the Graddy Family since June 29.

A mother of 4 young children. Diagnosed with breast cancer on June 5. Died July 2.

Her husband is now a single dad. 10 year old Chris is autistic. 5 year old Katie starts Kindergarten this year. Olivia is 4... Jack only 2 years old. The widower, Tim, went from his normal life of going to work as a co-manager of a grocery store... his wife at home and caring for their children, running an in-home daycare. Going to bed at night with her by his side, waking each morning with her by his side.

10 years ago, life was interrupted by AIDS.

10 years ago, life was focused on helping those who struggle, defending and participating in art.

Now, life is children, marriage, home, church, job.

My next door neighbor just passed away last week. He was 52 years old. He had ALS.

Michele died from cancer- breast cancer that had taken over lymph nodes, lungs, brain.

No day but today.

I've heard people dismiss Rent as a show about a bunch of whiny, do-nothing young people who just don't want to take responsibility and pay bills and work. I'd venture the naysayers haven't seen the show- at most, have listened to a couple of songs from the soundtrack.

As I sat watching Rent unfold on the stage before me, I was struck with how different the experience was for me.

It's always been a show that hearkens back to my youth. To the days of fight and struggle and doing what's right and "screw the man."

Now, as an almost-35 year old mom, wife, living in the 'burbs woman...

I wanted to mother the young people who struggled with not having heat or electricity or food. I want to wrap my arms around the drug addicts, the kids living with AIDS, dying from AIDS.

The show has a character who dies from AIDS. She's full of life and giving. She finds love months before she dies and teaches the lesson that love is what really matters. Finding it, fighting for it, protecting it.

And I realized that AIDS was the fight of my youth. AIDS was scary back when Rent debuted. It still is- but research and education make it less so.

Cancer is the fight of my adulthood. And as time passes... death in general is the fight.

I've long believed that life has to be lived in the moment. As a survivor of some pretty severe sexual abuse in my childhood, part of my healing was recognizing that what was in my past was behind me and was no longer a threat to me right now. That all I had was right now. I can't now what is going to happen in the next year, month, week, 24 hours, 1 hour. All I have is right now. And if I'm ok right now- then that means I am ok. If I am happy right now- then I am happy. There is no need to focus on what happened in my past- it's over and done. There is no need to fret about the future- it hasn't happened yet.

No day but today.

This is what I have. Today. Today is when I have to show the people in my life that I love them. Today is when I hug, I love, I kiss, I don't hold back.

No Day But Today

Without You

Seasons of Love

"How do you measure the life of a woman or a man?"

"Oh you got to, you got to remember the love

You know that love is a gift from up above

Share love, give love, spread love

Measure, measure your life in love."

Beef and Boards Presents "Annie"

This afternoon, Christy and I had a real treat. We got to take Teagan to Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre to see "Annie." We arrived at the theatre and picked up the tickets. The buffet is set up where the stage eventually comes out. We are taken to our table, order our drinks (coffee for Christy, iced tea for me, lemonade for Teagan). We load up on food in the buffet- Teagan wanted some of everything. Fruit, salad, baked fish, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, mac n cheese, chicken fingers. That was everything TEAGAN ate. Christy and I also had roast beef and fresh veggies and Christy managed to snag some baked apples. We ate well! The show starts after the buffet is removed. The emcee comes out and goes through the basics and then announces birthdays, groups, celebrations in the audience. There was a married couple there celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary! Pretty amazing. The lights go to half. The music starts. The lights go dark, the curtain rises, the set moves into place. The lights come up on a few beds overloaded with orphans. I had to force myself to not stare at my daughter. She was sitting on Aunt Christy's lap on the other side of the table. Every time I would turn to catch a glimpse of how she was enjoying the opening... I'd get all choked up. First few numbers of the show... I was all kinds of teary and fighting off these emotions. Not sadness, of course. But the excitement of seeing a show like Annie... one I'd not ever seen on stage but had grown to love passionately through the soundtrack and, later, through the movie. I'd acted out every song, every role, in my bedroom. Soundtrack at full volume... Miss Hanigan, Annie, Grace, Rooster, Lily St Regis, Daddy Warbucks, The Lovely Boylan Sisters. When I was a camp counselor for a summer day camp for kids with emotional disorders... I actually started many a morning by being totally silly to "You're Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile," to the delight of the kids. I had daydreams of being discovered and being asked to be an orphan... but I didn't dare to dream of being Annie... except while in my bedroom, on my bed-stage... To take all of that and pass it along to my daughter like this... I'm not sure there are words for it, really.

Anyone Have a Spare Free Trip to NYC?

I wanna go to New York. Like... soon.

I want to go see the revival of Hair.

My mom is responsible for my passion regarding musical theatre. She introduced me to the movie musicals when I was a kid and then hooked me on live theatre when we worked the concession stand at the Cincinnati theatre that hosted the Broadway Series. I don't think she knew how deeply it would get into my blood, my soul. I'm sure she anticipated that I would develop an interest in the music and want to see shows. She probably didn't anticipate that I would end up involved in theatre starting in high school, through college, and then community theatre as an adult. And given that I didn't know how deeply musical theatre would impact me, I'm sure she had no clue.

There was one musical that my mother introduced me to and I don't think she had a clue just how much it would impress upon me... and I don't think she had a clue what all happened in this musical.

Hair is a 60's Lovefest. It completely changed the landscape of musical theatre by introducing the idea of the rock musical. It had an amazingly diverse and rowdy cast.

From Wikipedia:

Hair tells the story of the "tribe", a group of politically active, long-haired "Hippies of the Age of Aquarius" fighting against conscription to the Vietnam War and living a bohemian life together in New York City. Claude, his good friend Berger, their roommate Sheila and all their friends struggle to balance their young lives, loves and the sexual revolution with their pacifist rebellion against the war and the conservative impulses of their parents and society. Ultimately Claude must decide whether or not to resist the draft, as his friends have done.

My mom knew there was a nude scene. But since I was just listening to the music... no harm, right? I'm quite certain my mom had no idea that there were songs about drug use, sex, rebellion... Songs like...

Sodomy

Black Boys / White Boys

Hashish

There is just something about the story... the music... the lyrics... it has such passion, such power.

This has all come up because I watched the Tony Awards. The Tribe from Hair performed "Aquarius" and "Hair." And I want to go and see it performed. In NYC. On Broadway. I've seen the crappy movie and have memorized every word from the original soundtrack. I've never seen it onstage.

I want to go on stage for the Be-In. I want to be in the audience, completely part of the movement. I want to dance and sing and feel the energy and peace and love. I want to feel free and uninhibited.

I don't want to take my clothes off, though. I'll let the paid actors handle the nudity.

For now... I'll just reconnect with the soundtrack. It's been years since I've listened to it but I am finding that I still know every. single. word.

The Sun'll Come Out...

In a few weeks, I am very very very very very very very excited to take Teagan to see a local professional production of ANNIE!!! There is a dinner theatre here- Beef and Boards- and they just opened Annie this past weekend. Annie is a show that has been with me since my own childhood. I have to admit that I've never seen a stage production that I can recall. But I've seen the movie countless times. Prior to seeing the movie, I had the soundtrack. I would dance around my bedroom, singing along, coming up with full production numbers... all starring ME. I can't say I dreamed of being Annie... but I did dream of being Grace or being one of the orphans or being Miss Hannigan. I still know every word of every song, I bet. Time to get the soundtrack... I just know Teagan is going to fall in love with it. And I would love to have the soundtrack in the car to listen to as soon as we leave the theatre. So in the next few weeks... there will be a post about it... about the food, about the show, about the experience. Passing on a legacy is so much fun!!

A Year With Frog and Toad

It was her first time. It's always easy to say it is. But this will be the first "big show" in her memory. I previously took her, when she was not yet or maybe just 3, to see a children's presentation of Winnie the Pooh at a local dinner theatre. She's seen 2 shows at The Children's Museum- Sleeping Beauty, most recently.

Last night, we went to see a local high school presentation of "A Year with Frog and Toad."

This was inspired by our recent community theatre exposure.

It's odd to sit in an auditorium filled with people who are there primarily because they know someone in the show or are otherwise affiliated with the school and not be part of that circle. But it was also nice to not be distracted with having to be friendly or outgoing amongst a group of peers. I could completely focus on Teagan and the show.

Nice sized auditorium, nice sized stage. Not huge, not tiny. I'm used to tiny in community theatre. It's easy to forget that high schools usually have budgets and technology that the rest of us don't have. So consider this my endorsement for supporting your local high school's performing arts. While it may be a disaster... if there is a good program, there is almost always great talent and passion. So it's an economical way to see a show. And appreciate your tax dollars at work!

We had one person sitting in front of us, no one next to us, and were seated on an aisle. We did have 3 teen girls sit behind us who were mildly annoying with their ongoing commentary about the kids on stage and how great they are, how nice they are, how sweet they are. Better than if they'd been snickering and being cruel, though!

The show opens and she's hooked from the moment the lights come up. There are birds on stage. The girls are in color coded outfits- boas and tights and fluttery things. The boys are "Thunderbirds" (like from Grease). They sing about it being the end of winter and about Frog and Toad being friends and neighbors and about to wake up for spring. Frog sings about his dreams, Toad about his. And then we start into various scenes that are very familiar to anyone who has read the books.

Fantastic casting. Frog had mannerisms indicating his gangly limbs and no-nonsense ways. Toad was more laid back and quick to act on impulse. Both young men had fantastic voices that really lent to the characters. The show, like the books, is sweet and simple and very real to the ways of young children. This production held on to that innocence and to the focus on friendship nicely.

One of our favorite characters was Snail. Frog is very sad that Toad is sad because he never gets any mail. So Frog write Toad a letter and asks Snail to deliver it. We then have brief visits from Snail throughout the show as she works, at her speedy snail pace, to deliver the letter. This young woman had this character down pat and really brought her to life with a lot of humor. Plus her voice was spectacular!!

We enjoyed every aspect of the show- it was a very large cast and everyone seemed to really enjoy what they were doing. From the buzzing bees in their black and gold flapper dresses to the elegant flowers in the green evening gowns and flower brimmed hats to the red clad piles of leaves that dances about to the really cool underwater ballet done with neon fish and jellyfish and octopus in black light... it was all fun and colorful and truly magical.

And that's what matters. The magic. I wished I could have gone backstage before the show to speak to the cast. To tell them that my baby girl is out there watching and that this is the show that may well stick in her memory as The One that got her started in theatre. That they will be creating this fantastical imagined place that will be very real to her.

But I didn't need to say any of that. Because it happened. These kids are dedicated to this craft and their passion came through in shining colors and costumes and dancing and songs. As an actor, a director, an audience member... I couldn't have crafted a better show to really introduce my daughter to all that theatre can be. As Teagan put it...

Me: "What was your favorite part?"

"Everything!"

"Who was your favorite character?"

"All of them!!"

"What was your favorite song?"

"All of them, too!"

Many thanks to the students of Cathedral High School. While this may have just been a spring production for you... it was the start of something big for a little blond girl in row P, seat 10.

To Be or Not To Be?

First, let's get the business of the day out of the way. Please head over to Code Daddy's blog, name drop for me in the comments, and enjoy some pics of his seriously adorable daughter! You can only comment on today's post today... and I don't know if non-bloggers can comment? *** Last night, Teagan and I had the privilege of working together as greeters of the audience for a preview audience (final dress rehearsal) of my old stomping ground's newest production: The Belfry present Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap." I was there Tues evening and actually got to stay and enjoy the show as well. It's really great. Any Indy readers of my blog should make a serious effort to check it out. It will have you on the edge of your seat. The final scene alone is worth the price of admission! It's not a play for little kids- the whole murder mystery thing, you know- so I hadn't intended for Teagan to see it. Especially after seeing it myself Tuesday evening and seeing adults smoking cigarettes (fake), pipes (unlit), cigars (unlit), a character refers to another as a bitch, a woman gets murdered (in the dark but there are choking noises and then she falls down), someone has a gun they wave around, someone gets attacked (hands on the person's face and throat in full stage light). Nothing terribly difficult for an adult to watch but very hard to explain to a 4 year old, you know? So my intention was for Teagan to get a tour of the backstage area, meet some actors, see the stage and set. And then we'd hang out in the lobby, greet the preview audience, and head home when the show started. Aunt Christy is directing the show so we had someone on the inside who could show her the ropes. She loved it. And wanted to watch the play. I knew that the first scene was safe. At most, it would prove to be boring to her. Grown ups talking and walking around. So we stayed. First scene is 30 minutes long. And she did awesome. We sat in the third row, right up at the stage. She whispered a few questions to me during the show but stayed in her seat, made sure to whisper quietly when she did have questions, and she actually paid attention to what was going on. She asked me what a sign said. Legit question. She asked where the onstage doors went. Legit question- she had seen the backstage area, walked through the doors, walked on the set but then the play starts and the actors are walking through these doors to "the kitchen" or "the drawing room" so I get her confusion and curiosity. She asked if we would get to see the bedrooms. Legit question and a sign she was paying attention. The show is about guests arriving at a guest house and there are a couple of conversations about bedrooms- The Rose Room, The Blue Room, The Oak Room, etc. She asked if I wanted to share her gum. Not a legit question. But kind of her to think of me. At the end of the scene, the lights go out and the curtain closes briefly. We used that as our opportunity to duck out and head home. She had oodles of questions in the car. And we sang along with a Veggie Tales CD. About halfway home, I look in the rear view mirror and her sweet little face is all crumpled up, trying not to cry. "T? What's wrong baby?" That simple questions opened the floodgates. She begins to sob. Tears are pouring down her cheeks and she is genuinely sad and seemingly heartbroken as she says: "I think I'm big enough now that I like scary stuff! I want to go back and see the play! I want to go back to the theatre! I want to see the scary stuff! Why does Aunt Christy like scary stuff? I want to see it!" After some research, I think I have a nice little community theatre schedule planned out. We will go see "Beauty and the Beast" in May, "Hello, Dolly!" in June, and "Seussical!" in July. And I am kicking myself for not taking her to see a local dinner theatre's production of "Cats" over the past few months (the cats get very intimate with the audience, I've heard it's a really cool experience). Promises of taking her to see these shows has calmed the tears, sobs, sadness. For now. Do you see what happened? That, my friends, was the theatre bug biting once again. I believe we have a future thespian in our midst.

Getting to Know Me...

So I just feel like sharing more of my background and who I am.

I played volleyball in high school. I was even named "Most Improved Player" one year. However, I am not athletic.

I got involved with my high school's Outdoor Club and went on several grand adventures- white water rafting on the New River, hiking/camping/rafting along the Rio Grande, even dogsledding in far northern MN. However, I am not the outdoorsy type.

I enjoyed those things at the time. And I suppose that, in the right frame of mind, I would enjoy them again.

One thing has been with me since childhood.

Theatre.

During my one year as a Brownie (that's yet another story for another day), my troop put on a play. I was the lead. I think my character's name was Lucy. I have no clue what the play was about... all I remember is that I refused to do it! I ended up terrified and couldn't go on. In fact, I think I've repressed the memories from most of that situation because it isn't clear in my mind and I have no clue what the troop ended up doing about it.

But even with that bleak start, I was destined for a life in the theatre!

Junior high. My mom has become friends with a woman at church who owns and operates the concession stand for the Taft Theatre in downtown Cincinnati. At this time, this was the main theatre in the city and this was where all the Broadway touring shows passed through. We started working for her... which meant getting to the theatre early to set up and then selling concessions- candy bars and cans of soda- during intermission. I wish I could say that I remember this being something fun for me and mom, something we bonded over... which I'm sure we did. But the impact on me was THEATRE. I saw shows over and over and over and fell in love over and over and over. I saw Cats and Camelot (even met Richard Harris and got his autograph) and Les Mis and Edwin Drood and Phantom. I fell in love with the stage, the performances, the glory of the theatre. I loved being so comfortable with that building, feeling like I knew the place and it knew me.

Eventually, the theatre bought out the concession stand and my days of mass exposure came to a screeching halt.

In high school, I dabbled. My school was a good 30 minute drive from home so extra-curriculars weren't at the top of the list. I was in one production, did makeup for another. Attended a summer session, took acting classes.

In college, the fever was full strength again. I got involved right away freshman year. My first production was "Emergency Room." I played a homeless woman, Helen, who was a constant presence in the ER's waiting room. I stole things. Got some good laughs. And was hooked. Went on to "South Pacific" and "Our Town" and "Once On This Island." Dabbled in some student written productions, a small improv group.

Then I took a few years off. I was focused on my internship (my degree is in social work), then focused on my job (therapeutic foster care social worker- the job was my life). Moved from Cincinnati to Indianapolis...

I didn't get back into social work. I looked but nothing was paying anywhere near the massive salary I was making in my previous license-required state (starting salary was a whopping 25K). So I sought temp office employment... did a little full time retail work... and then back to the corporate race and I've been here ever since. And what it gave me was time. Time in the evenings and weekends.

Through a casual conversation with a co-worker, I learned that Indy has a large and thriving community theatre scene. So I started investigating and making phone calls. Ended up auditioning for "The Secret Garden" at The Belfry in Noblesville, IN. Got cast in a 2 second walk on role. Someone dropped out and I got moved up to the ghost chorus. Connected with people, made friendships, sang and acted and loved it. In fact, it was during that show that I met someone who is a major part of our lives now- Christy. Which means I've known her for almost a decade!

From there, I continued auditioning. The odds were stacked against me, but I went for the single female role in "A Few Good Men" and I landed it. And didn't look back. Auditioned for show after show. Being the "new face," I got some pretty good roles. I was a horse/prisoner in "Man of La Mancha." I was Meg in "Brigadoon." I did a melodrama where I played the spoiled, rich, indulged female. I met my husband when we were cast as romantic leads in "The Snow Ball." I started working backstage- managing the costume room, assistant directing, directing, producing, stage managing. I got involved with the administration end of things by sitting on the Board of Directors to represent the theatre's directors. I also represented our theatre on the Encore Association- a group that builds and recognizes area community theatre.

I was heavily involved, as was Jeff. We were approaching our wedding date. I had produced and ended up stage managing "Sugar Babies" at Footlite. Then we got wrangled into "It's A Wonderful Life" at Mud Creek Theatre. We actually missed some rehearsals to run off to Gatlinburg and get married.

I continued with theatre until the last possible moment... until I stepped into the greatest role of my life, the most important production that Jeff and I could be part of. Teagan and Zach.

I was producing and also acting in Christy's production of "Chapter Two" when I miscarried our first pregnancy in 2004. I miscarried the Tuesday of tech week. What a horrible week that was... but thank God for the theatre. Jeff and I were forced to be surrounded by friends who truly loved us and held us up and together during that horrible time. We had to show up (he was on crew), support each other, and focus on a show, a performance. Some nights I took it scene by scene... deflating when I came offstage. I'm certain that it impacted my performance but no one ever said a negative word to me.

I was directing a young adult production of "Lucky Stiff" when I got pregnant with Teagan. Those kids were so excited for us! I also ended up stepping into the directorial role on "You're A Good Man Charlie Brown" after another director bailed.

During Teagan's first year of life, I tried to keep a tiny finger in the theatre scene. I produced 2 shows- "Run For Your Wife" and "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest." I could produce because it only meant a trip to the theatre as needed- about a once a week commitment- and most of the work could be done from home (phone calls, creating programs and posters). But I didn't like being away from Teagan...

After Cuckoo's Nest, I dropped out of the scene completely. I've even pretty much stopped going to see shows. When we ended up pregnant again... that really changed everything.

I keep waiting for that theatre bug to bite me again... to buzz in my ear... pique my interest.

But being a mom is all that I want to be right now. My kids will be older soon enough. They will be busy with their own activities soon enough... busy with their friends soon enough... These are years that I can't miss.

And because I love theatre so deeply, I don't want to do it until I can give it my all. Prior to having kids, I could eat, sleep, and breathe theatre. I could be there until 11:00 at night during tech week. I could spend a whole Saturday helping to build or paint a set. I could waste away a weekend chasing down props or memorizing lines.

I can't anymore. I just can't. I hope that someday I can again. At the very least, I look forward to the day when the kids are older and we can hire a regular sitter and be season ticket holders at our old stomping ground.

Amazing how motherhood changes you.