Moomin Light

Some of the best weeks of the year

Happy time.  Exhausted time.  We've had daily rehearsals since Sunday a week ago (except for last Friday).  Performances are Thursday through Sunday, then we clean everything up and put it away.  We'll be done until next year.*

There the most intense days of the year, and I love them.  Sunday, after the 7 1/2 hour rehearsal, we walked outside, and I was surprised that there was still any light in the sky.  After rehearsals Saturday and Sunday, it felt strange to listen to non-show music on Monday morning.  Life seems more real when I'm at rehearsals - but I also feel like I appreciate things more outside of rehearsals too. 

Another thing I love about these days is that, for the most part, I can be totally myself.  If there's something that needs to be done - volunteer, or, better yet, just do it!  I'm not constantly tiptoeing or second-guessing myself.  There's so much to be done that it's kind of hard to step on toes. 

There's so much to be done that you can do all sorts of things.  A few years ago, when the musical director was working with the teen chorus, I got to teach the music to the adult chorus.  Last year, I painted scenery (I'd never done anything like that before).  Last year I also danced, which was a blast! 

This year, I'm not dancing (I don't tap dance, and it's a tap musical), but I am singing in a little bit as the soprano in an Andrews Sister-type trio.  Since flute was my major activity in high school, and my major in college, I've played solos.  However, though it's not a solo, I've never sung anything like this trio.  I'm always safely anonymous in the second soprano section or the chorus.  I'm excited and nervous!

I also learn things faster as time goes on.  It took a while to learn the first music we got in June even though I worked on it at the piano at home.  I learned the music we got last week in a few days. 

Every year, I realize that I'm my most self-confident during the musical time.  I'm more likely to strike up conversations with strangers and more likely to talk to anyone - I think my posture is even better because I walk taller.  Fortunately, this lasts until sometime in the fall.  Unfortunately, it takes a while to come back so I'm overly cautious for the first week or two of rehearsals. 

Older son says that starting rehearsals again each summer is like going to a family reunion.  I've had a wonderful summer working on the musical with everyone and meeting new people.

Opening night is tonight.  I have all sorts of emotions.  I'm excited but also sad because it means that we're close to the end.  Even though I'd never have the energy to keep up this pace, I don't want it to be over. 

* Well, the average cast member is.  The board members are busy year-round.

"Raining in My Heart" by Bernadette Peters (and also what's been happening here)

I haven't really taken my netbook out of the house much - in fact, it's mostly taken up residence in younger son's room, because Minecraft, even slow-running on the netbook, is better than no Minecraft.  I brought it along this evening because I haven't blogged much lately - for a few different reasons.

Rehearsals for this summer's community theater production, Dames at Sea started four weeks ago, and we open two weeks from tonight.  They're rehearsing Raining in My Heart, which is one of my favorite songs in the entire, extremely fun, musical. 

Dames at Sea is a late 1960's homage to the big musicals of the 30's and 40's.  It has an ingenue, a wise-cracking chorus girl, a diva, romance, misunderstandings, reconciliations, a Nelson-Eddy/Jeanette MacDonald-style waltz, and, of course...

A wistful rain number. 

Although she started acting professionally at a young age, Bernadette Peter's performance as Ruby, the ingenue, made her a critically acclaimed star.  Here she is singing Raining in My Heart in concert:

Along with the musical, lots more has been going on here.  That's why I'm actually writing during a part of the rehearsal that I'm not involved in.  I don't blog in the evening because by the time I've got time, I'm too tired. 

Because photoblogging and the internet have gotten so slow on my six-year-old computer, we ordered a new computer for me in late May.  It's a computer specifically designed to handle Photoshop easily (apparently it's a memory hog of a program).   Dear husband has spent lots of time getting it set up for me!

Not this week, though - for such a happy reason!

Dear husband started his new job this week.  He started out working for a local company, which was eventually bought by a company in South Carolina, which was eventually bought by a company in Atlanta.  He's been going out-of-state to the company headquarters for over nine years now.  They closed the local office a few years ago so he's been working from home when he's not traveling.  His new company is headquartered in California, but he'll be spending most of his time at the local office. 

I'm so happy he'll be actually working with others at the office rather than always talking on the phone.  [Although, I already really miss having him home to talk to at lunch.]  Great company, great benefits, and he's got so much to learn.

Fun.

We've been trying to get lots of stuff done around the house in the last two weeks because we knew we wouldn't have much time once rehearsals get into high gear and while he's trying to get up to speed at work. 

[They're still working on the harmonies so I'll go on to a book review of a book that has captivated me lately.]

Bits and Pieces: April 11, 2012

April is a third of the way over already?!  How did that happen?!!!

Oh, it started with Holy Week, which kind of races by because it's so intense.

A few random thoughts, some of which could be posts on their own, but I'll never get around to it:

• I think I enjoyed Holy Week more this year than any other year.  Part of it was that my voice has been doing pretty well lately.  I could really enjoy the music without having to worry so much about whether my voice could handle it.  
• I feel joy in choir. 
• I tried an introductory modern/jazz class last week, and I really enjoyed it (third use of the syllable "joy" in the post).  However, since it was really all modern, we did the whole class barefooted, and my arches were killing me when I was done.  I've been going to physical therapy for Achilles tendonitis/plantar fasciitis for the last month so, yesterday, I asked my physical therapist what she thought.  She thought that it would be good practice for me in using my legs correctly and that I should keep going! 
• I did the modern class last night, had a quick snack at Francesca's (they have soup along with the desserts), and then went to choir.  I was exhausted by the time I got home!
• I've had 3 bad bouts of the Achilles tendonitis/plantar fasciitis in the last year, keeping me from doing anything beyond taking walks for anywhere from a week to a month.  Physical therapy has been so helpful the last month!  It turns out that this isn't that unusual for people who've had knee surgery.  After knee surgery, you spend lots of time strengthening the muscles around the knee.  Sometimes, as in my case, those muscles get so strong that they take over from the gluteal muscles, which throws everything out of alignment.  I've been doing glute exercises to combat that.  Also, my calves have been taking over from my glutes which makes the calves tigheter which pulles on the Achilles tendon, etc.  I'm supposed to focus on doing movements in modern with my glutes rather than my calves. 
• As much as I love Zumba, I've really missed doing a regular dance class.  There's a focus and intensity in doing that.  It's also been about time to try something new. 
• It really hit me last night that daughter isn't coming home this summer.  In the last two weeks, she's found another job, along with the research job that she's staying in Asheville for, and a place to live.  I'm so happy that everything is coming together for her, but my eyes are still puffy from crying last night.
• Okay, and this morning (back from getting a Kleenex).
• We spent time helping older son plan for going to Prague this summer.  The house is going to seem so large and quiet with just three of us here.
• The chorus for this year's summer musical is only half as large as the choruses the last few years.  I'm really worried that I won't get in. 
• If I don't, I'm going to see if I can audition to play flute in the pit orchestra.  Of course, I'll still help with costumes and sets.  Younger son is really excited about helping with sets again this summer. 
• With the studio course he's taking in Prague, and because he's taken fairly heavy course loads all along, older son will be able to graduate a semester early - next December - if he wants. 
• With older son going to Prague, daughter staying in Asheville, possibly not being involved in the musical the same way, and other changes, such as one of my best friends moving further away, and another friend going to the night shift, my social world feels like it's shrinking.  That makes me angry. I could write a long post about this, but there are plants to plant. 
• My creative life is expanding; my social life is shrinking.  After looking at this internet cat video, I feel that I should be able to come up with some dramatic meaning in this, but I can't:

[Hat tip to Books and Movies]

• For equal time here's Text From My Dog (language) [Hat tip to a Facebook friend]
• Oh, and it's not as simple as "Just go out and meet more people!"  The number of people that I can really be myself around - not continually tone down - is not that large. 
• We're heading up to Asheville this weekend to see daughter's dance performance.  I'm excited!

Smoke on the Mountain Homecoming - Orange Community Players

Last night, we had a wonderful time at the Orange Community Players production of Smoke on the Mountain Homecoming.  It's the third play in a trilogy about the gospel-singing, Sanders family (the first two plays were Smoke on The Mountain and Sanders Family Christmas which OCP performed the last two years).  The singing and the harmonies are lovely and the hymns are woven in with the stories the characters tell and with the reality of their current lives.  Here's the setting (from the OCP website):

It's October 1945 and the gospel-singing Sanders Family is back together again. The war is over and America's years of prosperity are just beginning. But there's another kind of rite of passage at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, where Reverend Mervin Oglethorpe is giving his last service. He's been called to preach in Texas, and he's already bought a ten-gallon hat and is preparing to ride into the sunset with his wife June, who is eight months pregnant. Tomorrow morning, young Dennis Sanders takes over as Mount Pleasant's pastor.

Join Burl and Vera Sanders, along with Dennis’s twin Denise and Uncle Stanley as they send Mervin and June off in style, with hilarious and touching stories and twenty-five toe-tapping Bluegrass Gospel favorites.

Their faith, their flaws, their successes, and their love all come out through their stories.  All three plays have been gently beautiful (though, of course there are conflicts), and I wish I could see it again next weekend!

It's being performed at churches in the Hillsborough area.  Next weekend, the performances are:

Friday, Oct 7, 8 pm at Walnut Grove UMC
Saturday, Oct 8, 8 pm at Antioch Baptist Church
Sunday, Oct 9, 3 pm at Central Orange Senior Center, Hillsborough

For tickets, see the Orange Community Players website or buy them at the church at the performance.

Friday Fun Song: "Boogie Fever" by the Sylvers

I will forever treasure this song!  It was part of the disco medly that we danced to in Once Upon a Mattress.  Picture about 40 to 50 cast members onstage - all excited about dancing.  You could feel the energy!

Introverts and acting

I never would have tried acting in high school because I was quiet, and acting must be for outgoing people. Right?*

Then, three summers ago, my son, who is one of the most introverted people I've ever known,** got involved with the community theater's production of The Music Man.  He was in the barbershop quartet.  He'd been in choir for a few years so I knew he could handle the singing.

What surprised me was that he could handle the acting.  He really throws himself into it!

I'm so used to listening to people and not being expressive (i.e. imposing my emotions on them), that I find the acting part of community theater very difficult.  Blocking and stage movement?  Fine - I can learn them.  Dance?  Fine - fun!  Singing?  Like breathing - except longer. 

Last year, someone videorecorded some of the songs during the dress rehearsal of Bye, Bye, Birdie.  I thought I was being expressive, but, when I looked at the video I looked very wooden compared to the other chorus members.  I was glad that they had posted it so that I could change.  This year, I was watching what the other chorus members were doing in scenes so that I could learn from them.  Dear husband said I was far more expressive at the closing performance. 

I still wonder at why or how introverts act onstage - when they aren't necessarily emoting the rest of the time.  I find it very interesting.  On the other hand, in everyday life, introverts have to work hard to act like everyone else because being extroverted is the norm and expected.  Stage acting is much more fun (and creative)! 

Every summer, there's one Sunday rehearsal that is very long.  We rehearse individual scenes, have dinner, and then we run through the show with the orchestra for the first time.  It's a very long day. 

By the end, you can tell the introverts in the cast because they're staring off into space when nothing's going on.  The extroverts, on the other hand, are getting even more talkative. 

There were lots of teens in the cast, and they're involved with theater in their high schools too.  I'm rather jealous - I wish I'd done that back then. 

 

* Well, that and the fact that I don't remember the high school I graduated from even having a drama program.  The first high school I went to did have an excellent one, and I really enjoyed their performances. The drama department seemed like a foreign country to me, however.

** If you know him in person, and you're saying,"What?", introverted means social events sap your energy,*** not that you're shy.  He's social, it just takes him a long time by himself to recharge. 

*** Unless they're musical ones, which give him energy.

Random thoughts on the musical

There's a Tumblr about theater called Thespian Peacock.   Most of the posts are one liners about theater.  The one that's applicable today is:  Show ends; wear black for the rest of the week in mourning.  This show has been the most fun I've had in a long time.  I can't be too depressed, though.  Daughter is still home for almost three weeks.  Three weeks from today, I'll be depressed.

Here are totally random thoughts that I'm going to type up throughout the day:

• I've been drinking lots of water, doing lots of stretching, and doing physical therapy religiously* so as to stay healthy voice-wise and muscle-wise for the show.  Will I be able to keep it up now that the show is done?
• Physically, the show was the most demanding one I've done yet.  The Spanish Panic/disco scene was** really intense, and then there was another active scene following it. 
• One night I was so tired that I didn't stretch after the rehearsal.  I was limping the next morning.  I've never skipped stretching again!
• At one point, I overheard one of the teens say, "All theater people are assumed to be awesome until proved otherwise."  The other teens agreed, as did my kids when I mentioned it.  Love it!
• I'm going to miss these people so much!
• I have to work every summer at being more animated.  Dear husband went to see the play on opening night and again at the last performance.  He said I was much more animated in the last performance.  He said it's also spreading in to my behavior in every day life.  He likes it. :)
• He also mentioned that the self-confidence/high that I get from doing the musical every summer lasts well into the fall - until around the time change in November.  This really makes my year seem rather manic-depressive since I'm so gloomy in the winter.
• I wonder if there are musical theater things I could get involved in in the winter?
• I'm not much of an actor so this shouldn't give me any self-confidence. 
• Oh, except that everyone is so accepting, I can sing in harmony, and in tune, and I remember choreography.
• It was rather strange to have people who are more experienced in theater say they were following me in a scene.
• I wrote about how my social life revolves around what I'm involved in (and how wonderful the musical is for that).  When I have an injury, dance and Zumba/aerobics/exercise classes go out the window along with the social interaction I have through them.  When illness derails my voice - which takes weeks to come back after I'm sick - I can't go to choir.  Interestingly, I realized that those two problems don't apply the same way to musical theater.  One of our friends injured his back, and he was told that, if he didn't feel up to being onstage, he could still sit in the wings and sing because they needed his voice.  Alternately, I realized that, even if I lost my voice, I still had a place on stage and in the dance.  I would still be in it.
• I need to find some regular social things this fall that don't rely on voice, dance, or the weather.  That last one is from our court.  We have wonderful neighbors and lots of spontaneous get-togethers, but those usually only happen in nice weather.  We haven't seen much of the neighbors when the weather has been in the 100s.
• Oh, that's partly because we've been gone every evening for the last two weeks. 
• We have seen lots of the neighbors that are in the musical!
• To comfort ourselves (and just because it's fun), daughter and I are going to Broadway dance class tonight.  We've invited a few other cast members.

Written later:

• We had a wonderful time at Broadway dance!  The major dance we did was to a combination:  the first part was Liza Minnelli's New York, New York, and the second part was to the fast part of Chicago, Illinois from Victor/Victoria (from 1:37 on.  Note:  Our choreography was different, and far more tasteful than the movie choreography (more tasteful, but not totally).).
• The muscles in my legs have changed shape because of disco-ing every night the last two weeks.  
• I'm exhausted so I'm going to publish this now.  If I don't, it will just sit, unpublished, forever.

*  Which is a strange way to put it when I haven't been to church in two months.  Choir starts in a little over a month!

** I have to keep editing and putting everything in the past tense.  Sad.

I wish I could bottle this up...

...and save it for next winter.

I'm spending many evenings (almost all of them for the last two weeks) with a wonderful, talented, friendly group of people.  We're all throwing ourselves into something we love doing.  We're all singing, dancing, and acting, and everyone is encouraging.  Audience applause is magical, but applause from fellow cast members after a good scene is particularly special. 

I often find it easier to get to know people while working or volunteering with them, as opposed to supposedly more socially-focused events like "come to this dinner and meet people."  Community theater is almost tailor-made for me in that respect.  There are so many things to work on and get involved with - onstage and backstage.  I've gotten to know people through set painting and costume fixing along with getting to know people while learning music or blocking scenes.  At one point, we were figuring out how to dress up a particular costume, and those of us in the room didn't have many ideas.  I remembered that I had overheard one of the mothers giving suggestions a few weeks ago so I went and found her, introduced myself, and brought her in to the discussion.  Now, I chat with her when I see her (and when we have time).  I've never been anywhere where it's been so easy to get to know people.

I just realized if you're not involved in something like this, "one of the mothers" sounds kind of strange.  Our community theater really emphasizes getting kids involved in the summer musicals, and the musical would not happen without their mothers!  The mothers are constantly working on sets, props, and costumes while we're rehearsing.  They volunteer backstage, get the kids dressed, take care of tickets and concessions in the lobby, get the kids where they need to be on time, supervise them between group scenes, etc.  I've gotten to know more of the mothers this year too.

I'm also enjoying talking to people of all ages.*  I just end up talking to whomever is around or standing next to me.  At one point, yesterday, three of us in a conversation were 60/70-something, 40-something, and a teen.  We were talking about stage things which all of us are interested in. 

With the musical and a work project due Monday, I've been very busy this summer, and extremely happy.  A large part of the happiness is also because daughter and older son are off from college and because I'm involved in this with them.  Younger son and I also did set painting.  However, I'd keep being involved even if they weren't because this is so much fun.

Last winter, we were sick a lot, dear husband was traveling, and, as I wrote about before, I was very lonely.  I wish I could bottle up all the involvement, friendliness, and happiness that I have now in order to bring it out next winter and take a whiff or a sip just to remind me of this kind of joy and being involved in and surrounded by a community.

 

* I can't help but contrast that with the way things seem to go at most of the churches I've been to.  There's a teen group, a young adult group, and a seniors group.  I've never cared for things being that stratified.  Yes, I like to talk to other mothers of college students or twelve year olds - but I don't want that to be my entire social life!!!  One of the intergenerational groups at our church is choir, which is the only thing I'm involved in.

[Note:  Opening night went really well, and I had a blast.  We talked about it until the wee hours of the morning (I got to sleep at 1:45 am) so I'm exhausted today.  This post was written yesterday while I was all energetic and excited...

...which I'll be again today by about 6 pm.]

Opening night!

I don't want my posts about the angst of auditions or even the joy of rehearsals to come up in searches for the community theater group (for their sake, not mine) so I don't mention the group by name in more personal posts.

I am so excited about opening night!!!!!!  As much as I enjoyed the musicals the last two summers, I've enjoyed this one even more.  It's really one of the most fun things I've done my entire life. I have a few blog posts percolating in my head about it, but I don't know if I'll get around to writing them. 

The costumes for this are so beautiful!  We look great!

If you want to come, all the information is on my previous post.  Daughter will be one of the ladies in waiting at the Saturday morning Tea mentioned there.  If they don't get enough ladies, I might be there too. 

If you come, I'd love to talk to you in the lobby after. 

More photos on the community theater's Facebook site:

• I'm in costume  By the way, I haven't mentioned that I love my costume for this!!!!  It's made for someone about half a foot taller so it had to be shortened, and the sleeves had to be fixed (our wonderful neighborly friend who is also the jester's mother did this).
• Gentlemen of the court - older son is on the left
• Daughter in costume
• Rehearsal

I'll link to more in a later post, but I don't want to give any of the plot away. 

I am going to be so keyed up today!!!

This summer's musical: "Once Upon a Mattress"

As you can tell by the lack of written blogging, the community theater musical this year has been much more involved for me.

In other words…

I’M HAVING SO MUCH FUN!!!!!!!!!!!

I had a wonderful time in the musicals the last two years, but this one is even more fun than those were.  The chorus numbers are very involved and humorous.  The teen chorus is with the adult chorus this year so I’ve gotten to know more of the teens than I usually do.  That’s one of the things I love about community theater – you just end up talking to whomever you’re next to, or working with, onstage (or backstage).  You get to know all sorts of people. 

I’ll back up.  We’re doing Once Upon a Mattress this year.  It’s a musical based on The Princess and the Pea, only this is a princess with more attitude.

Who swims.

The music was written by Mary Rogers, daughter of Richard Rogers who wrote the music for The Sound of Music, The King and I, etc.

Since most of the members of the chorus play lords, ladies, knights, and musicians, the costumes are particularly beautiful.  Some of the chorus members are scullery maids, but they have a lot of fun things to do.   I’ve been helping with the costumes this year, although, one morning last week, younger son and I went and helped paint sets.

I’ve never painted before, but, if you volunteer, they’ll find something at your skill level to do.  That’s one of the (many, many, many) things I love about this group!  I painted the fronts of some of the steps, and younger son and I painted the ladder to the bed.  I occasionally look at the front of the steps:  “I painted that!” – and now I know how to use a paint roller.

Younger son has painted sets and helped with props.  He sprained his foot a few weeks ago so he’s had that foot in a “rigid shoe” to keep it from bending or putting stress on the sprained area while it heals.  He’s sick of it so we now call it the “wretched shoe.”  He’s had to come to lots of the rehearsals because dear husband has been traveling a lot, and I don’t feel comfortable with younger son being home alone after dark.  This week, he said he’s caught the fever – he now loves coming to rehearsals and helping with theater work. 

Oh, and I haven’t had a chance to mention – I’m dancing in this one!!!!!

There was a try out for six women dancers for one brief scene.  I knew it was a long shot because there are a lot of good, younger dancers in the chorus.  I tried anyway – at least I could dance during the try out – and you never know what happens.

What happened, was that 5 teen/20’s dancers and I tried out.  I was in!!!!!

I’ve been bouncing around the house for weeks:  “I’m dancing!  I’m dancing!”

After me, the next oldest dancer in the formal scene is at least 10 years younger than I am (probably more). 

Also, in this musical, there’s a really good dance scene for the chorus in general, too. 

There are rehearsal pictures posted on the group’s Facebook page, and they’re open to the public so you don’t have to be a Facebook member to see them.  Here are some of them:

• The princess and the prince (I'm in the green tank top in the chorus)  
• The princess introducing herself (Older son is second from the left with a surprised look)
• Learning the dance (The dance teacher is in white, daughter and I are both in green (how did we do that?), and older son is in sage green behind us)

We've got a wonderful cast.  Click here for a video of Sir Harry and Lady Larkin singing the first part of their love song.  I wish they'd recorded more - they harmonize in the second part and it's beautiful!

If you're in Central NC, and you'd like to see it, here's the information:

Performances will be at the Orange High School auditorium in Hillsborough, NC:

July 28 - 8:00 p.m.
July 29 - 8:00 p.m.
July 30 - 8:00 p.m.
July 31 - 2:00 p.m.

For more information on tickets, see their website.