The One with Six and Carmines

 

 

 

 

We went to NYC for what now seems to be an annual family visit. And, on the way, Emmie found a good deal on tickets for the musical SIX. I know Emmie had been interested in seeing it, so we decided to give it a go.

 And what a go it was. We went in knowing it was going to be about Henry VIII's six wives. However, instead of being about his wives, it was an upbeat, music pounding story about six women who happened to also be married to the king.

 While the musical starts as a competition for the audience to see who is the favorite queen, by the end, they make it clear that they should not be known as Henry's wives, but that they each have their own individual experiences and lives. And sure, two were divorced, one died, two were beheaded, and one survived....but they all share their individual stories so well. Not to mention, it was a short musical....about 80 minutes with no intermission.

After that, we went to Carmines, and actually sat upstairs. There we had the chicken parm and rigatoni with white sauce (garlic sauce), and talked about the musical and the movies we wanted to see. It was quite a night. 

  

The One With Prince Edward Island

 

 

Last year, we attempted to go to PEI, a place that Emmie had longed to share with us. Unfortunately, Bri caught a nasty cold in Canada and we ended up going home early instead.

This year, we got to make up for it. And, I will say, it was quite an experience. PEI was such an amazing island and more beautiful than I ever imagined.

A few highlights of our trip.

 

1. Emmie had THE BEST caramel latte she ever had in a restaurant in PEI. In fact, we tried to go back and get another one there, but it was closed.

2. We had the chance to visit the Anne of Green Gables house and walk the grounds. It was, simply put, enchanting.

3. We saw the musical Anne and Gilbert.  It was incredible. A great take.

 

We definitely would visit the island again.

The One With Annie

 

 

Today, Emmie, Bri, Kiff, and I went to see Annie at the Boch Center in Boston. Now, truth be told, Emmie was really into seeing this. Bri and I were interested (though I have seen and taken part an Annie enough that, before going, I was okay if I didn't see it again). Kiff was a slightly more reluctant participant.

 

However, once we arrived we realized we were in for quite a show. First, the people working in the place were very, very, very much about herding us in the right direction when we entered. It was slightly off-putting at first because it was so over-the-top...but we quickly got past it.

 

Emmie got us some good tix close to the stage. It was quite a view. And, it turned out to be quite a show. Great singing and acting from the kids (and Sandy a real dog), as well as the adults. Their were little nuances added to this show to update it slightly. For example, Ms. Hannigan says "next thing you know, Annie's gonna be in the comics" which subtle irony I don't remember hearing in the original. There were definitely a few such scenes (such as the radio scene where they sign "You're Never Fully Dressed).

 

Overall, it was amazing. I realized why Emmie was so connected to the musical. She remembers seeing it with her Mom in the movies...and her Mom made a big deal about it. So much so that Emmie wanted to make sure Kiff had a souvenir Sandy and Bri had a souvenir Annie from it.  

 

It was a fantastic show...even if Bri and I had to fight the crowd to get back in and get her jacket, which she left behind. It was definitely one of the best musicals I have seen.  In fact, I could feel my Dad shining down watching it. He would have loved it.

The One with Beauty and the Beast

 

 

Well, this weekend, it happened. For the first time since Covid-19 shut down Kennedy's doors one week before Tech Week. The triumphant return of the KMS musical - opening for the first time at the new Kennedy Middle School.

And it did not disappoint!!! What an amazing show the Kennedy students put on as they performed Beauty and the Beast in front of a live audience (the first time a show has been performed in front of a live audience there).

It truly was amazing. The cast was spectacular. Because we have a full time technical director, the stage crew actually numbered 20 students (a record!). And the blend of lights (with the light room), sounds, with a whole sound board section, and crew (with plenty of space on both sides), was amazing.

I returned for another year behind the scenes and enjoyed every moment of it. It also enjoyed the fact that 5th graders got to be in the show for the first time since The Wizard of Oz in 2002. It was wild and crazy...but amazing!

What a 24th show. What amazing memories. And what a stage (as you can see from the picture above).

The One With Opening Night

Finally, it arrived. After months of hard work, staying after school, and challenging herself, Bri took stay in her school's performance of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Last night was opening night.

Now, unfortunately Kiff and I had to arrive late - we had an Arrow of Light ceremony (see the entry that will come before this on the right timeline), and we had a little trouble getting passed locked doors.

But, once intermission arrived, we were able to enjoy the second have of the opening night. And, it was awesome. Bri, dressed in her red soldier uniform, looked like she was thoroughly enjoying herself...which was great to see.

Although we were only there for the second act, it was clear...Bri will probably be doing more shows in the future.

The One With The School Musical

It is an annual tradition that always seems to sneak up on me. The week of our annual school musical.

For 23 years I have been part of the musical at our school. In fact, it has become a favorite part of my time as a teacher. Like my parents before me, who spent years dedicated to theater, I have been a part of productions for many years.

It is hard to believe we have actually presented 23 plays at our school. The tradition continued this week as our school presented the student version of Crazy For You. Although I was unfamiliar with this show, it did not disappoint.

As usual, our students were fabulous and did a great job as cast and crew. The music was lively and fun, reflecting the life and times of the Gershwins.

What a great play! Today with completed the second and third performance. Tomorrow will be closing night!

It will definitely be a memorable event!

The One With The Play and Art Show

Yesterday was a busy day in these parts. Bri and Kiff had two different week-long arts camps come to an end. Bri was working at a local art came, taking drawing and printmaking. Kiff was wrapping up a musical and play camp. And what a wrap up it was, with both having culminating roles.

Kiff's went first, with a play performed in front of a live audience. Title How Our Garden Grows, it was a fun 20 minute musical that tells the story of a special garden that can grow, particularly when it is rid of weeds. Kiff, of course, was one of four sun-glass toting weeds that got chased from the garden.

Two hours later, we showed up at Bri's art show which was also phenomenal. The show included three pieces of her art, which were  fun to look at. All and all, it was a fun and engaging end to their week.

The One With Mary Poppins Junior

This past weekend, I helped out with the 21^st annual play at Kennedy. This year, we were piloting Mary Poppins Jr. What a blast!

Now truth be told, it is a fast moving play. Epically fast. So, helping to run stage crew kept us quite busy. But the crew was great. Even though it was a small crew – fortunately some of the 9^th graders came back to help – we ran it smoothly. Phew!  But, it was quite an event.

The play itself was fun. It is a version of the Broadway play, with more of the “Saving Mr. Banks” feel to it. The sets were great. The acting and singing was phenomenal. And the dancing was fabulous.

And, I made several memories. First, Bri and Kiff helped out on a play and worked several major parts of it, which was fun. Second, we were able to move in and out on more scenes then we ever have before. Finally, the students in the production gave me a fantastic Mary Poppins tie as a gift and a memory of this year….something I will always treasure.

All and all and fantastic play!