Since September, my kids have been going to weekly practices for the school play. Both VOLUNTEER directors were there TWO days a week (half the cast each day) from September through January to prepare around 90 children for this event. INCREDIBLE. All of the sets and props were made by parents (and stage crew kids). Lighting, backstage help, photography, videography, costumes, everything, was done by volunteer parents. The only exception I know if is the sound people for the actual performances.
I love how James described it at one point. He said the practices can get kind of boring doing the same songs over and over, but he remembers from participating in the talent show last year that it is worth it in the end. He said it's like paying $10 for a toy and getting $15 back. Experiences like this are priceless for teaching the value of hardwork. You put in the work, even if it's boring sometimes, to reap the reward in the end: law of the harvest.
The show was a great success, too! So many times while watching the dress rehearsals and performances (I was one of the volunteer photographers), I kept thinking, "We can never move out of this school's boundaries"! I just love this community and the experiences the kids are getting here. I wonder if they timed it for this to be happening at the same time I got the tax summary that showed how much I paid in property taxes this year! (We have exceptionally high property taxes).
Ok, here goes the picture overload. For the sake of brevity, I will only share pictures from the numbers my kids were in:
Be Our Guest
Initially the little kids were going to prance back and forth on the front of the stage, but they quickly realized that having them go up and down the aisles would clear up the on stage congestion. And it was adorable.
dress rehearsal (every seat was filled for the performances!)
The older kids being the waiters on stage.
My kids will never hear the words "Course by course, one by one" again without going into a kick line:
Can you feel the love tonight?
This is out of order, but this was the closing song. It was one where the little kids did go on stage. The first night was hilarious because the littlest ones were in front repeating the main refrain until the people behind them cleared off, like they were supposed to, but they just kept singing it over and over and over again. People back stage and the director playing the piano kept trying to wave them off the stage, but they just kept singing until the stagehands came out and pulled them off. I couldn't breathe I was laughing so hard. Trust me. It was hilarious!
Look at all those kids doing the same thing at the same time! Miracle!
Curtain call:
Cast photos I took for a display in the atrium. I also took headshots of the main characters.
Lets go fly a kite:
It's A Small World:
James yawned every time! He's so funny.
James yawned every time! He's so funny.
Love the gondola in the background!
Supercalifragi....
Lots of words and lots of movement and the kids did great! Another one they can't help but dance to when they sing it now!
Because of some stage mix-ups the first night, James accidentally ended up in the front row. I was so glad to be able to see him for some pictures and even more glad that he remembered the choreography without someone in front of him. He actually did great and really got into it.
Under the Sea
The props alone for this number!!
My cast photos:
