Play Time

The girls were so lucky to get to be in a production of Beauty & the Beast with other local home schoolers (They were kindergarteners to 12th grade--the fellow playing the Beast actually left the final production just in time to head off to his graduation!).  It was fun for them as they practiced, and they did a great job performing.  It was particularly fitting for this to be their first show, since I took them to see it, as their first show four years ago!

 

My gals were town children and enchanted napkins, so no large parts to study for.  It was a fun introduction to musical theater.

waving to cars at Chick-Fil-a on a publicity night, in costume, left to right (R, Gabby, and Kate)

 

leaving stage together, Gabby to the left and Kate is the third napkin from the right

We drove a ways for practices, so Nate, Ellie, and I spent some time in a different part of town.  We often grocery shopped, when the weather was cool enough to not spoil our food; we frequented a Starbucks; we visited a lake; and we spent time chatting in the van while we waited.

I thought Nate was a really good sport, all things told.  He often wanted to stay home and play, when we were running off to rehearsal.  Thankfully he tended to cheer up once we got out of the house.  I showered him with plenty of praise for his goodwill towards the girls and the occasional cookie with Mama's coffee didn't hurt.

He was so excited for them to do the production and he was so proud of them too.

 

Even Ellie was impressed (here with my Daddy & Mama).

 Our little brood with Lumiere, the Beast/Prince, and Belle

The girls were so sad to see the play end, but they have great memories, and perhaps we'll join the cast again next year for a different show.

Acting Up

The girls have caught the acting bug.  I guess that's not quite fair to say...  Kate has always had a flair for the dramatic!

There is a local woman that organizes a musical each spring for local home schoolers.  Last year we attended their production of Music Man.  Kate was thrilled to see that they were putting on Little Women this past fall, but as it turned out, the cast was for older students.  That worked out well for us as a family, since Ellie's due date was the same week as auditions.  The spring musicals are open to children as young as five, so both girls were excited to try out for Beauty and the Beast Jr. last week.

I was involved in my high school's musical production for three years and loved it so much.  That was actually one of the things I was sorry our kids might miss out on with home school.  I've learned that if you are willing to drive (and pay) for it the kids can do just about everything they could have done in public school (at least in a town the size of ours)--possibly a great deal more.  I know my elementary school didn't collaborate with the local middle and high schools to put on Disney musicals!

The girls' parts were emailed last night.  I wasn't surprised for them both to be given chorus parts instead of leads.  Evidently last week, after drop off for auditions, the girls decided to try out for 'parts' instead of just being in the chorus.  There was a fleeting look of disappointment on Kate's face that she didn't get 'Young Belle," but I'm glad for them to have this chance to dabble in musical theater.  The director took the time to name each part, so they have their individual names (Zoe and Louise in the town), and they get to be napkins in the castle.

And about that bug...I hear Nate saying, "I wish I could be that Beast, but I'm not old enough."