Seussical
I hardly know where to begin.
It probably all began when my partner-in-crime/musical theater-loving/and extremely dear friend began throwing ideas my way about which show the home-schooled kids could pull off. This was last year-- or one hundred years ago. I forget which.
Our last undertaking was "High Button Shoes", and that was two years ago. Before that, it was Gilbert & Sullivan's "The Gondoliers". (It's not like we have a stylistic theme or anything!)
Hands down, "Suessical" won the contest. She perused many a show before making the decision, taking into consideration the talents of our kids, the non-existent budget, and the appropriate subject material. We also needed a show that allowed a large group of kids to have a chance to shine.
As for me, I stayed out of the way until the actual score fell into my hands and rehearsals began in earnest. That was sometime in February.
I stay out of the way a lot. I play the notes, throw in a (hopefully) helpful comment now & then, and generally cheer the kids on. I sit back on my little wooden piano bench and watch our veritable director (the aforementioned partner-in-crime) do her amazing stuff. She switches gears from character to character, demonstrating their staging, the proper inflection of their lines, the choreography ("simple" works for us!), and every other little detail that lends excellence to what will happen on stage.
There are so many departments that need commandeering. Lighting, costumes. make-up, hair. Set-design and sound. The playbill, advertising, ushers, orchestra rehearsals, constant clean-up after rehearsals. Back-stage crew. A concession stand? Sure, if someone wants to take the helm. The cast party! (which is always a highlight of every cast member, by the way!)
There are more things; I can't dredge them up at the moment.
As I said, I do my part -which is assuredly an important one- but, in between measures I sit back and watch some very devoted people do their stuff. The mood is upbeat. Negativity is practically non-existent. Confidence is boosted, gifts and talents rise to the surface. The kids absolutely shine. They shine, I tell you!
To quote our spunky director, we are all "stepping up to the plate." It is a marvelous thing to behold.
To what do we attribute this? Our own cleverness at learning lines or nailing a dance step? A colorful set that grabs everyone's attention? The snappy music that accompanies every scene?
No. Rather, we have been reminded every step of the way (thank you, Mrs. Director) of the One who gives us strength. He has given us life! Every breath is a gift from His hand. He is the reason we do the things we do. He is the only reason we can hope to do them with excellence.
We have one more performance tonight at Christian Fellowship Center, Madrid, New York. Curtain: 7:30 pm. Admisson: FREE. Donations gladly accepted. Come see the home-schooled community do their thing! Come and see the work that God has done through us all.
In the end, He is One who deserves all the applause.
It probably all began when my partner-in-crime/musical theater-loving/and extremely dear friend began throwing ideas my way about which show the home-schooled kids could pull off. This was last year-- or one hundred years ago. I forget which.
Our last undertaking was "High Button Shoes", and that was two years ago. Before that, it was Gilbert & Sullivan's "The Gondoliers". (It's not like we have a stylistic theme or anything!)
Hands down, "Suessical" won the contest. She perused many a show before making the decision, taking into consideration the talents of our kids, the non-existent budget, and the appropriate subject material. We also needed a show that allowed a large group of kids to have a chance to shine.
As for me, I stayed out of the way until the actual score fell into my hands and rehearsals began in earnest. That was sometime in February.
I stay out of the way a lot. I play the notes, throw in a (hopefully) helpful comment now & then, and generally cheer the kids on. I sit back on my little wooden piano bench and watch our veritable director (the aforementioned partner-in-crime) do her amazing stuff. She switches gears from character to character, demonstrating their staging, the proper inflection of their lines, the choreography ("simple" works for us!), and every other little detail that lends excellence to what will happen on stage.
There are so many departments that need commandeering. Lighting, costumes. make-up, hair. Set-design and sound. The playbill, advertising, ushers, orchestra rehearsals, constant clean-up after rehearsals. Back-stage crew. A concession stand? Sure, if someone wants to take the helm. The cast party! (which is always a highlight of every cast member, by the way!)
There are more things; I can't dredge them up at the moment.
As I said, I do my part -which is assuredly an important one- but, in between measures I sit back and watch some very devoted people do their stuff. The mood is upbeat. Negativity is practically non-existent. Confidence is boosted, gifts and talents rise to the surface. The kids absolutely shine. They shine, I tell you!
To quote our spunky director, we are all "stepping up to the plate." It is a marvelous thing to behold.
To what do we attribute this? Our own cleverness at learning lines or nailing a dance step? A colorful set that grabs everyone's attention? The snappy music that accompanies every scene?
No. Rather, we have been reminded every step of the way (thank you, Mrs. Director) of the One who gives us strength. He has given us life! Every breath is a gift from His hand. He is the reason we do the things we do. He is the only reason we can hope to do them with excellence.
We have one more performance tonight at Christian Fellowship Center, Madrid, New York. Curtain: 7:30 pm. Admisson: FREE. Donations gladly accepted. Come see the home-schooled community do their thing! Come and see the work that God has done through us all.
In the end, He is One who deserves all the applause.
posted by thisrequiresthought at 9:36 AM
1 Comments:
Great stuff, Nance. He makes the difference. He really does.
Post a Comment
<< Home