It's Over

OK.... I am back to the blogosphere now after my show at school is finished. We had our final matinee performace today. Over all the kids did a great job. I am very proud of them and the work they put into it. I had some really great parents helping coordinate costumes and props and many other things that I just couldn't deal with. After a long week last week of rehearsing every night a leaving the school at about 10:30 every night, the kids were really dragging. We had a small house for our final dress on Thursday and then a pack gym for the opening night. The opening night performance was awesome! The kids fed off the energy of the audience and it was great. We came back for Saturday night's show and I gave them the whole don't let down your gaurd speech for the second perfomance. You know the whole don't relax your concentration or your focus. And what happened..... just what I told them not to do. So... we had some slight laps in memory and concentration, which made the show not go as well as the night before, but it was still good. And mind you, the audience really didn't know the difference, but the kids and I did. Now let's get to today.... I call this the show from H.E. Double Hockey sticks. First, Annie's mic went out right before the show so, the first two songs, "Maybe" and "Tomorrow" we didn't hear. Then my sound guys got it fixed and it was OK. Then, during the "Love" song from Warbucks to "Annie," Sandy (the dog) wanders out onto the stage and the audience got a laugh and ruined the whole emotion of the song. Next, someone decides to turn on the the stage lights during Annie's final reprise of "Maybe." Again a very emotional part is messed up. All in All we made it through and I am very proud of my students for the work and the professionalism they showed. The perfectionist in me gets very annoyed when something messes up my show. The kids gave me a really cool directors chair and a $50 gift certificate to a local restaurant, do I have great students or what. The seniors got all emotional because it was their last show. I just hope I made it memorable in a good way for them. My Daddy Warbucks said that this was a very low stress show for him compared to what they have done in the past. I guess I can take that as a compliment. Anyway.... on to my next project which happens the first weekend in May. No rest for the wicked I guess.

Blessings

Easter Break

Things have been very hectic around our lives recently. Since we are on our Easter break starting today, I finally have time to breathe and reflect. We are getting down to the wire on my production at school. We have two weeks left until we open and it is getting very scary. I have faith that we will be ready and have wonderful show, but there is just so much to do between now and then. The kids have been doing fairly well. They just need to get memorized. Most of the work that need to be done is technical. Painting sets, setting light, getting costumes etc. This has been the stuff that I take for granted when putting on a show in community theatre because there is always someone else doing it. Now that it is all me, I never will take it for granted again. Not to mention preparing for spring concerts with my choirs and bands and putting together the music for our Hawthorne Players fund raise show. Lord, give me strength!

Jennifer has been great through all of this. My long hours at school means that she has to make special arrangements for Christopher and try to run the house without her husband for a while. I Love You!

Christopher is doing well in preschool and getting more talkative everyday. He talks almost constantly from the time he gets up in the morning to when he goes to bed at night, which by the way, most of the time is still in our bed. He has been loving getting outsie during our weather, not so much today with it being 30 degrees right now. I have big Daddy/Christopher plans for the summer. Like taking him to a Cardinals game, teaching him to catch a baseball. All the stuff that makes being a Daddy fun.

This is the time for Easter when Jesus rose from the dead. We like to remind ourselves of Christ's passion by watching Mel Gibson's movie "Passion" or "Jesus Christ Superstar. Doing something to remind us of His suffering for us.
If you get a chance, visit my friend Happi's blog to read some very good insight's to Christ's Passion.