persephone33

I haven't blogged in a while, but I've been BUSY. With a capital B. Like you read about, folks.

I got all my academy girls' dresses finished, with varying degrees of success. Most of the little sweethearts liked their costumes, so I think it's a win. I'm still working on a piece of commissioned art for an inspirational speaker - it's drawn but not painted, and I'm still trying to make sense of the chord progressions in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. (I'm in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at ALT, if you didn't hear my shriek of joy from where you were a few weeks ago.) The music might as well be Farsi, for how well I'm doing with it. Harmony is a challenge for me. And when I say 'challenge,' I mean it's so hard it makes me want to sit down in the middle of the floor and cry real, unattractive, unmusical tears.

But enough of my harmony saga. (For today, anyway. I reserve the right to whine about it again at a later date.) Last night I went and fitted the girls in their dresses, and then watched the rehearsal to see if they needed other mending or alterations. I took LOADS of pictures, and then my camera battery died before act II. However:

( Pictures and a video! )
In any case, I love these kids, and I love my job, and I LOVE working for the theatre. There's so much joy in each step of the way. I wouldn't trade it for the world!

It's the story of the Purple Spider Sparkle Dress, as I've come to affectionately call it. It's the hardest thing I've ever constructed. And I didn't get to finish all of it because I got sick. That makes me die a little inside, but I'll sally forth. The dress is for Kiss of the Spider Woman, which opens tonight, as it happens!

( Sorry I didn't cut this earlier... )
See? Way up in the corner in the amber spot? That's the Purple Spider Sparkle Dress.
Can't wait to see it in action. I'm going tomorrow. Everyone break a leg!

This is one of those posts for Granny, so she can see all the cute. If you like cute pictures of theatre kids, you can stay, too.

( Ethan's play and AJ's hair... )

My friend Stephanie just brought back the platter that we trade back and forth all filled up with goodies, so I'm going to go have some breakfast. Tra la la!

Things I've done this week:

* I've dyed more fabric than I ever wanted to look at a rather fetching color of blue. And purple.

* I've ruined perfectly good brand new clothing. On purpose.

* I've painted purple dye on everything that would stand still.

* I prayed for the Lord of the Underworld's pants to fit while I was sewing them (for the second time) AND THEY DID.

* I've bleached my hands so they would go back to their normal, pasty color instead of purpley-blue.

* I've sewed. And sewed. And sewed. And altered. And sewed some more.

* I've glued. And glued some more. And then you know what? I glued some more.

* I've bitten my tongue when I wanted to scream. (GO ME!)

* I'll probably get the chance to do that again before the week is out.

* I went to a conference at church that was really, really good.

* I played eight holes of golf with my husband and sons. (Why only eight? That is a different story for another post. It didn't devolve into family Monopoly night, but it was close.)

* I've shopped. And bought shoes. And makeup. And dye. And bracelets. And more dye. And dresses. And more dresses. And couldn't return two of the dresses so I exchanged them for my size and inherited two fancy party dresses.

* I'll spend at least two more nights up at the theatre this week: But Thursday? Opening Night. And then Eurydice will go forward on her own.

Only he's not getting paid. Oh, well.

Tom Sawyer's house looks a lot like a beach in the south pacific, doesn't it? Funny.

But seriously, it was if the kid was born to be on stage or in front of a camera. Of course, I think genetics plays a role. Nolan doesn't like to advertise that he has the exact same degree I do, and rolls his eyes about the boys being enrolled in musical theatre, but I know he's proud, too. Neither one of us are really stage parents, though. You know those mothers who are there every step of the kids' day? The ones that still wipe the kid's nose when they're perfectly capable of doing it themselves? I call them 'Alpha Moms.' I, to coin a phrase from one of my dear friends, Jayme, am a 'Beta Mom.' I'm hanging out, waiting for them to need me, but making sure they actually do before I step in.

And honestly? I tried to help him with line interp. It's one of the five things in life that I do really well, but true to ten year-old form, he waved his hand and said, "I got this, Mom."

Fine. But I'm standing over here waiting when I'm needed.

Two performances down, two more weeks to go.


Three of these guys have taken my class. That makes me smiley.

Honestly, I've had mixed feelings about South Pacific. It's an "old time" musical, one that has a long first act and a long second act, and repetition to ensure that the songs are firmly etched in your grey matter when you leave the theatre. (I can testify, having awoken this morning to my brain singing, "I'm bromidic and bright as a moon-happy night, pourin' light on the dew!" as the soundtrack to some COMPLETELY inappropriate dreams. Stupid subconscious.)

bro·mid·ic – adjective
pertaining or proper to a platitude; being a bromide; trite.

Huh. You learn something new every day.

( Wherein I wax poetic about the theatre... )

&hearts - I'm glad I'm a stay at home mom. I wouldn't ever have time to do anything if I had an actual JOB to go to.

&hearts - Speaking of my job, I have 14 girls in my theatre three and four class who are going to be a LOT of fun. I'm going to do movie monologues/scenes with them, so if you have any favorite movie scenes from the silver screen (featuring two high school-aged girls, appropriate for same), please do share.

&hearts - the little old ladies were ten deep at the Clinique counter, today. I guess I'm the only girl under 60 that uses that? It was a good free gift with purchase, though. Go check it out. Oddly enough, there were no little old ladies at the MAC counter. They don't like glitter mascara and loud music? Tee hee.

&hearts - I'm bringing back the word "codswallop." Hide and watch.

( Cute kid story under the cut... )

&hearts - The boys are enrolled in Musical Theatre class at ALT. They had a good time and AJ said that their warm-up routine was to "Darn Yankees." When I questioned this, he replied, "We have to be 13 before we can say the real name of that musical." Thanks, Jason. Ensuring the innocence of the kiddos. Too bad I say worse than that on your average Tuesday.

&hearts - What. The. Hell. Why in the world would people need these? I'm sweating my ass off trying to GET my ass off, and now I find out that there are actually people that wear padded panties to make their butts huge? And that's somehow trendy? That's ASININE, if you'll forgive the pun. A load of codswallop. Please tell me who they are so that I can maybe stand next to them so that my rear end will look smaller by comparison.

&hearts - I love, and I mean LOVE blessing other people. Especially when it's something that they don't expect.

&hearts - Speaking of being blessed, I seriously hope that my breasts stay within the confines of the swimsuit that I'm wearing in South Pacific. There may be some duct tape/bailing wire rigging involved. I tried it on again today, and this time I stood in front of the mirror for a full twenty seconds before I burst into hysterical, cellulite-induced sobs. I think that's progress. I also made a sarong and matching headscarf out of gorgeous, donated, sari silk that's pretty freaking adorable, if I do say so myself. It covers most of the atrocities, so it's still safe to come see the show.

I think that's all. Have a great weekend, y'all!

I went this afternoon to let Valerie play with my hair. We watched the Live from Lincoln Center version of SP to get us in the mood...

The results were good!


( two more under here... )

Gonna be super easy.

Mostly this post is for my mother, who isn't going to get to see the show I'm currently in. But for everyone else, this is sort of cool. Mark Robertson-Baker, a filmmaker/director here in town is filming a documentary/ad spots for ALT during the process of South Pacific.

I'm in all three videos, but the last one is probably the best. It includes the follies routine on a teeny tiny stage on the stage, and I find it amusing that I'm continually looking down so that my lard ass isn't going to FALL OFF.

( Videos Under Here! )

Keep in mind that these are rehearsals. So nothing is quite finished or perfectly polished. Even so, it's still pretty good!

If you're into reading Ron/Pansy, here you go.

I got runner-up. :)

Read Here at carriescribbles 

I'm completely exhausted.  Nolan and I went to a work call at the theatre today where I painted wood to look like... wood. 

Oh, scenic painting.  How I've missed you.

Hope everyone's having a spectacular weekend!