Music Man Cabaret

Last weekend was the Music Man cast cabaret. We did this for the King and I, and I was also at the one for the Wizard of Oz last year.

I sang a duet with my pal Scotia. Here she is singing with Julian.

There was some dancing after the performances.

And some show tunes.

And my husband rocking out on the piano!

Happy hubs

Here is my hubbie, after the opening of his show, Solo Sisters.

It was amazing! Great music, great scenes and dialogue, and the kids did great!

He was exhausted after, and fell asleep on the couch. Pretty exciting Friday night. Congrats, CK!

Weekend Event: Solo Sisters

It's the weekend! And tonight, my husband is opening a show called Solo Sisters. This is an exciting one, because he wrote the book, lyrics and music for it, AND he co-directed it. Yes, he's been a busy guy! It's part of the class that he taught this past year at the Gateway Academy, with the Musical Theatre class. I'm so excited to see it tonight!!

The Wizard of Oz - Gateway Theatre

My husband's show is up and running at the Gateway Theatre in Richmond: The Wizard of Oz!

I had not one, but two lovely dates for opening night: my nephew Noah and niece Leyna.

This was me, attempting to get a proper picture of them.

We didn't do very well at getting a nice picture. Ah well, it was a great night and a great show!

King and I peeps!

I went to an opening at the Gateway Theatre and ran into a bunch of old friends. We all did the King and I together, it was fun to see them!

Happy new year!

The king and I has officially closed! I was fortunate enough to ring in be new year with some friends from the show. Beginnings and endings - happy closing! And Happy New Year!

King and I cabaret

The King and I is coming to a close! We decided to have a cabaret, a fun get together to showcase our talents, eat, hang out, and have fun! Here are some of the kids, preparing for the opening dance number: (Sorry for the terrible picture quality, it was so dark in there!)

Here's me bugging Toby, while he tries to play the piano:

And more singing at the piano.

It was a great night, and there were SO many great performances! IT was nice to see people sing stuff outside of the show material and really highlight there talents. I'm gonna miss this bunch. 

Erasers

The kids in the show do all kinds of things to keep themselves amused.

The other night, one gal brought in her collection of fun erasers. I have to admit, I sat and played with them for awhile too - they were just so cute! (The kids AND the erasers.)

Backstage

Things you see backstage:

Rack o'clothes:

Encouraging notes:

And a huge picture of a puppy dog!

Opening Night

Last Friday was officially opening night of The King and I! That means:

Opening night treats

Opening night flowers

Opening night falsies

MORE opening night treats

And opening night reception!

Here is a close up of my costume and some bling I get to wear:

And here is a shot of me "teaching" the Siamese children:

It was a great show, followed by a few more matinees and evening shows. We had a day off and are back in the theatre today!

Into the theatre we go

We have finished with our rehearsal space and have moved into the lovely Gateway Theatre. Look at how nice our set looks - and it's not even done yet!

As usual, I bring my yarn to knit and crochet backstage or in the house, when I'm not needed. I finished this little pink toque the other night and added a crocheted flower to it. I did it in Tunisian crochet, which crochets up quickly - and looks like knit!

More rehearsals

One of the kids in the King and I brought in some play dough to keep her occupied during rehearsal. She asked me, "What should I make?" It suggested she make a hamburger, here's what she came up with:

Pretty darned good, hey? We both enjoyed squashing them when she was finished with her masterpiece. Ahh kids, they create, they destroy!

We have been rehearsing in Lansdowne mall, look at the lovely window display. And now, we move into the theatre!

Knittin' Kids

There are lots of kids in the King and I and they just love to hang all over me, looking at my latest crochet project and messing up my yarn! Ok, I admit, I like to bug them too.

We get into a lot of trouble when we're sitting around, waiting for our scenes to come up.

So yesterday I brought in some needles and yarn, and taught a few of them how to knit! It's amazing how quickly they clam up - look at that concentration!

I'm not sure how many of them will keep up with it, but I hope they do learn something. If I can get them to finish a square I'll add it to the donation pile. It's great to pass on my knitting wisdom!

The King and I

I have started rehearsals on my latest musical - The King and I! It's being produced by the Gateway Theatre this Christmas, production dates are Dec. 5 - 31. I play Lady Thiang, head wife of the King of Siam!

And guess what - my niece Brianna is in the show with me! This is the first time we've ever done a show together, I'm pretty happy to be sharing the stage with her. And I like torturing her in rehearsals - see below.

My hubby is Music Directing. Here's a pic of him with the kids - there are 15 royal children of Siam!