May 6th Challenge

Hi it’s Christina –

Good Morning!

As promised yesterday, I am going to tell you about my little outing on Sunday. A little over a year ago, my friend Connie’s son started at Villager’s Theatre in Somerset. The theater has a program called Miniature Musical Makers, MMM for short, which teaches kids from 3^rd grade through 8^th grade, acting. His first performance was in Thoroughly Modern Millie. He had a small part, but he fell in love with the stage. We were together at a picnic for some occasion or not, and he chattered away, a mile a minute, about the experience.

This was not usual Michael. He had always been a shy and quiet kid, and if he had said two dozen words to me in all the years I had known him, that would have been a stretch. To see him so excited and so animated, was a pleasure. We talked for at least a half an hour straight that day, and during the conversation, he asked me if I would like to come and see his next show. I told him absolutely.

The next show they put on was Shrek, and Michael was playing Pinocchio, but for reasons I cannot recall right now (it may have been during family weekend at Lys’ college), I was unable to attend. So, when Connie told me about the show this past weekend, there was no way I was going to miss it. It is a terrible thing to break a promise to a child, and I was not going to let that happen.

This time the Villagers were putting on High School Musical 2. Being the mom of two teenage daughters, I knew the piece well, having seen it countless times on TV. Although it was far from my first choices of shows to see, a promise is a promise, so I purchased my ticket. I went to print my ticket – in black and white – and my printer error light comes on saying my magenta cartridge was empty, so it wouldn’t print. Can someone explain to me the logic behind that? Why do I need magenta to work if I want a black and white print?

Anyway, so now I’m panicking because I do not have time to run to Staples, buy a cartridge, get back home, print the ticket, and then get to Somerset by one o’clock (the time I thought the website said the show started). I leave a little early, so I could speak to someone at the theater about my issue. I get there at 12:40, explain to the person about my printer not working, and show her the email confirmation on my phone. She said it was no problem at all, and printed off my ticket for me.

Cheap seats - just kidding, they weren't this bad

It is now 12:50, and I head into the theater to find my seat, but I think it is really strange that I’m the only one there when the show was supposed to be starting in ten minutes. According to the website, the show was sold out. Even my ticket was SRO – standing room only (which meant I had one of the folding chairs in the back of the theater). Yup, you guessed it, I got the time wrong. The show was at two, not one.

Not wanting to leave and then have to come back, I occupied myself with some games I had on my phone; which, in hindsight was not the best decision. My phone died, so I couldn’t take any pictures, and that is why I had to wait for Connie to send them. During the time I was waiting, I got to see some things the general public was not privy to, the sound check, the blocking check, and most touching was the farewell to the graduating eighth graders. I’ll admit, even though I did not know a single child who was graduating, I had tears in my eyes watching them say goodbye.

Next to last dance number

Now, I know you guys are probably groaning, and believe me, I have sat through my fair share of torturous children’s productions, but this was not one of them. These kids, even though they were all under fourteen years old, did a really good job. Yes, there were a few line flubs, a few missed dance steps - the funniest was during the end number when the directors and choreographers joined the kids in the dance, and the one staff members had no clue what he was doing, some pitchy songs – kind of hard not to when the singer is going through puberty.

Mrs. Fulton & Jack Scott

Michael was playing the roll of Jack Scott, Kelsi’s – the composer girl if you are not familiar with High School Musical – boyfriend. Jack was not in the Disney production, this was a roll created for Michael. He had many speaking lines, including the MC of the talent show, where he ad-libbed several lines. He was hysterical and had the whole audience laughing.

As I said, they did a fantastic job, and you shouldn’t be surprised if you happen to find me in the audience of their next performance, Hairspray, this fall.

Okay, I need to get to work early today, so I have to run. I hope you have a terrific day, and happy writing!

Your Last Challenge was:

Use the following three words in a story (I’ll tell you tomorrow where I pulled them from – I’m sure you’ll chuckle.):

Townhouse, Variety, Occasion

The housewarming party at Kelsi’s new townhouse turned into quite an occasion. It brought out a variety of interesting characters. Other than the required family and close friends, people from Kelsi’s work and her new neighbors were in attendance, an eclectic group to say the least.

While passing out a tray of hors d’oeuvres, she was able to watch her Princeton grad mother interact with a part-time stand-up comic, her CEO father exchange philosophies with a high school drop-out, and her pretentious brother getting put in his place by a local barmaid. Kelsi was amazed at how well such a diverse group of people were getting along so well, well maybe not her brother so much, but in general, things were going rather smoothly.

That was until Tom showed up, and everything changed.

So, did the source of my word choice for the challenge make you laugh?

Your Next Challenge is:

If you could be in a play, what would it be?

You have ten minutes (be honest). There is no right or wrong, just write. Spelling and punctuation don’t count, and NO ONE is allowed to criticize what someone else has written. Go.