I can't stop quoting the musical "Hair" in reference to Caleb. So here is the song that is stuck in my head every time hair is mentioned. This is from the Broadway revival a few years ago. (Amusingly, I just remembered being in NYC at the time. We were celebrating our 10th anniversary and had been to see a different show the night before. The next morning we were standing in line at the TKTS booth trying to decide whether to see another show or go to the Manhattan LDS temple. There wasn't much available that morning, so in the end our choice was Hair or the temple. I would like to say the answer was obvious, but I did pause for a moment. This is why it's good to marry a better influence. ;) )
I mentioned the other day that Caleb was going to get his hair cut in preparation for Halloween. Here is the after:
I guess a picture of the before would be nice, too:
But here is my favorite part of this story. Caleb gathered all the hair from his haircut and brought it home in a plastic bag. After we got home we finished up his school work and then his friends started coming over after school. Each time the doorbell rang, he'd invite his friends back to see his new pet. He was showing them this:
Yes. That's his hair. Yes. It's in an animal cage. Most people initially thought it was a guinea pig until Caleb would whip off his hat to reveal his freshly shorn head. He told this story tonight to his drama teacher and she said to him, "You are what we love best about drama." True dat.
One day at the beginning of August, Todd called from work and asked what was on the calendar the week before school started, because needed to go NYC. I said, "Oh, no problem, I was going to take the kids to an amusement park during that time, and spend the night at a nearby hotel, so go ahead." He said, "Um, no. It's for all of us. My boss's boss in NYC is having a party in the backyard of her mansion in Scarsdale and families are invited.
Now. Do you all remember that movie "Mona Lisa Smile"? There is a scene in it where Marcia Gay Harden's character puts the fear of God into her Home Ec. students by presenting a scenario in which their husbands bring the boss home for dinner on the spur of the moment. She goes on to say something to the effect of "You are being tested as well as your husband. You may very well make or break that promotion he's up for." This is what popped into my mind when he asked if I'd like to go. That, and the idea of keeping our children well behaved in front of all of Todd's co-workers, yikes!!
The thing that eventually won me over was being bribed by a hotel right at Rockefeller Center and tickets to How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. Apparently, I can be bought. ;) I still freaked out about clothes and hair for the two weeks leading up to the trip, but it all went swimmingly in the end.
Literally! The boss had a beautiful pool in her backyard and had hired two lifeguards to amuse [read keep track of so the parents didn't have to] the children. So, keeping my boys well behaved wasn't so bad after all. Also, the caterer had planned a dinner just for the children and he basically served them all. The outdoor kitchen/pool house was probably bigger than my regular kitchen or bathroom here at home. I don't think I said anything too awful to anyone, and actually enjoyed intelligent adult conversation where I was not mocked for staying at home with my children for over a decade, as I expected. AND there was a flourless chocolate cake, so this gluten free lady was HAPPY!
We all survived and enjoyed it and then drove into the city, where I finally drove in NYC!! First time in the 35 years I've been going into the city.
The next day, Todd went off to work and the kids and I ate breakfast and then headed over to the Intrepid where we met Uncle Mark and saw all sorts of cool things!
We just happened to be at the Intrepid on the same day that there were ASTRONAUTS there from the last Atlantis shuttle mission !! I had a vague sense that something was happening so, Lilyanna and I got in line while Mark had the boys down in the submarine. It turned out that before they got out I had the Shuttle flight commander's autographed head shot and then got in line to meet the female Astronaut. She was very friendly and happy to chat to all the boys while signing. I tried to tell Lilyanna how awesome it was to meet a female astronaut, but she wasn't impressed.
A LEGO replica of the Intrepid Aircraft Carrier.
Mark is a total space program geek, though for some reason knows more about the Russian program than the U.S. program. He's a little weird, that one. ;)
No pictures, but we also went to Serendipity for huge amounts of ice cream and had pizza that was like heaven in my mouth. (I bailed on the gluten free thing for two bites. It was worth a rash!)
Uncle Mark took us back to our hotel and we lounged around until Dad got back and we went out for fancy shmancy Indian food at a place called "Mint". I recommend it.
The next day, I told the boys I had a surprise for them. (It wasn't this very odd sculpture in front of an office building.)
Or going to St. Patrick's Cathedral. We just passed those things on the way. Here is the video of what happened when we arrived at the dummy location. [Warning: you may want to turn down the volume for Nathaniel's initial reaction.]
Not only was the store at Rockefeller Center all things Nintendo, the ground floor was also devoted almost exclusively to Pokemon. Making it my boys' dream store and my nightmare store. Funny how that works, isn't it? Still they were really excited and happy, and we basically had the store to ourselves, because the Today Show had one side of the plaza blocked off for an Enrique Iglesias performance.
And THEN we went to the American Girl Store. We weren't going to buy anything but Lilyanna ended up with a bitty baby and matching bunny slippers for her and her baby. She was obsessed with this video at the time we went.
After this, we hopped on a bus and headed down to the village to eat at a S'Mac, a place that does nothing but macaroni and cheese and will make any of their dishes gluten free! Caleb and I were in heaven! (It's right across the street from Angelica's Kitchen, the Vegan restaurant where Todd and I took his brother and wife and our two little boys 9 years ago.)
Then we headed over the river to NJ to see Todd's parents. We took his Dad out to dinner for his birthday, had a nice day playing and chatting the next day, and then Todd and I headed into the city to see Harry Potter Daniel Radcliffe and John Larroquette. They both looked like they were having tons of fun onstage, which makes any show a delight to see. Also, I LOVED the set design of this show. It was minimal but really well executed!
Todd waiting for our train back to NJ in the wee small hours. Btw, the Seacaucus station is GREAT! It's been practically empty every time I've gone through it! Although walking to the parking lot in the middle of the night alone is a little creepy thanks to how far away it is from the station.
And then after church the next morning, we headed back to Ohio, where we jumped immediately into before school conferences and the first day of school.
It is my fantasy to someday live in NYC. Not forever. Just for a year. There's just so much to do. I'd homeschool the kids and we'd take TONS of field trips. Sadly, at this point, that looks like nothing more than a fantasy. But who knows? Things could happen!
I didn't watch last night because I was sure that NPH couldn't possibly be as funny as last year. I mean he was great at both the Tony's and the Emmy's last year. It just didn't seem statistically possible that lightning could strike a third time. I was wrong. And last night's opening number? SOOooo much better than the monstrosity that was last year's number.
And could anything have been more fun than watching Daniel Radcliffe dance?? My boys are going to be excited to watch this number. It's not my favorite song from the show, but the energy in it is great!
But back to Neil Patrick Harris. Again with the very funny and talent showcasing numbers! This time with Hugh Jackman, who I didn't love as a host to be honest, but that's just me.
It looks like it was a great show, and I may need to see if I can watch the whole thing later.
This is Warren singing "Stars" from Les Miserable at his high school's pops concert. He was in a quartet that was fabulous also, but unfortunately, my camera is not functioning properly and the recording was unwatchable. :( Enjoy this one, though!
More on the Tony Awards. Here are some of my favorite openings from past years. I offer them in contrast to the 10 minute long, bad sound system, ridiculously expensive mess that happened this year.
This one from the 55th Tony Awards. I'm a little sad they didn't show them all having to stop and swipe their metro cards, though. Still, there was the requisite singing and dancing, sparkly costumes, whimsy (the very idea of tapping down to the awards is delightful...and everyone finding a seat on the subway, which, let's face it, is pure fantasy), and best of all it was under five minutes. Incidentally, this show was the year that "The Producers" swept the awards. The performance they offered that night was the little old ladies tapping with their walkers. The crowd loved it!
I also really like this one for it's simplicity and IT'S AMAZING ALL STAR LINE-UP OF PRESENTERS!!! Seriously, it's like all my favorites got together in a row. And under three minutes.
Anybody else have any favorite Tony Award numbers?
I am adding Neil Patrick Harris to my list of crushes. Because he's adorable and funny and talented and gay. Which seems to be a requirement for my crushes these days.
AND because he did this. I missed it because I went to bed before the closing credits because I had spinning at 6 AM the next day. Todd showed it to me today.
Love him. Todd, I mean. But Neil Patrick Harris, too.
Hated the opening number!! (Except all the Billy Elliot's dancing, and the guy from Rock of Ages getting hit on the head with the scenery, and the very end when everyone sang along with "Let the Sun Shine In" from Hair, and that Dolly Parton came and sang for her show.) I especially hated the whole West Side Story singing along with Guys and Dolls. It just didn't sound good. And there were definite sound system issues all night long. You can hear audible coughing through the opening number. That should never happen on mic.
Loved Stockard Channing's costume!
Loved Neil Patrick Harris as host!!
Loved that Angela Lansbury won!!!
Enjoyed that the Sharks speak Spanish in the West Side Story revival.
Did not enjoy the weird ending to "Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat" from Guys and Dolls.
LOVED Carrie Fisher announcing the number for Next to Normal!!! She is so so so funny and a great face for mental health issues.
Liza Minelli is a tranny mess and is just embarrassing to watch.
Loved Geoffrey Rush's acceptance speech.
And now here is the 10 minute long monstrosity that was the opening from last night. It was just too much.
I have been wanting to see Blithe Spirit on Broadway, ever since Todd mentioned to me months ago that it was coming!! Hello?! A chance to see Angela Lansbury on stage AND Rupert Everett!! Too good to pass up!
So after our day in the city with our boys, Todd bundled them home, I shopped a little and then met two wonderful friends for dinner at Ellen's Stardust Diner. Chris Ian, a.k.a. the tooth fairy to my children, works there and took us to meet all his fellow singing waiters and waitresses. Again, snobby me was a little appalled at the idea of going to such a touristy place, but we had SO much fun!! You can't not have a good time at Ellen's, specifically if the entire staff is stopping by the table to check on you. All of the staff take turns singing either a song from the 50s or a show tune, and all of them are working there way into showbiz, so they are goooooood! One of the guys there had just been hired to be one of the Hyenas in The Lion King tour. There were lots of other similar stories. Anyway, fun, fun, fun! You should go if you're in town. (And order the strawberry shortcake! Perfect proportions of cream, strawberries and cake. Mmmm.)
Chris Ian and Marc were delightful company! The two of them kept humming the theme from "Murder She Wrote" in anticipation of the show. For me, it was all about Rupert. Who despite recent plastic surgery is dang good looking on stage and in a tux.
"I'll take one of those, please."
The play was delightful! (And should at least be nominated for a Tony for the lighting design.) Angela Lansbury is amazing considering she's 84 years old, and according to Rupert when he appeared on the Today Show, she never misses a show, which guilts the rest of the cast into having to do every show as well.
After the show I convinced Marc and Chris Ian to be theater geeks with me and to wait by the stage door for the actors to come out. I was not leaving without a signed program and a close up glimpse of Rupert.
I can't remember which one of them came out first. But...
Angela came out of the theater, and she was a delight! She smiled and talked to everyone and signed any program or poster handed to her. (She did refuse to sign anything not from the show. She didn't want to encourage people who hadn't been at the show and were just glomming on to the awaiting theater crowd.)
Rupert came out (snicker), signed a few programs (mine being the most important) and then waltzed away all by himself, casually down the road. One very handy thing about being in the company of a man who is 6'5" is that he can see over the crowd and when I had lost sight of my darling Rupert was able to spot him immediately strolling down the sidewalk. All. By. Him. Self.
Do you hear me?!
No security.
No friend.
Alone.
Marc suggested that then was my chance to tackle him. I would be lying if I said that the thought was not instantly appealing to me. But then I had a sudden vision of having to call Todd to come bail my out of some precinct in the city. I didn't think he'd find it very amusing...well, not for a few months at least.
I struggled inwardly at my decision to not throw my arms about Ruperts waist at a stampeding run, but then he got in a car at the end of the block and my turmoil was over. The moment had passed and I wasn't going to have to explain any ridiculous behavior to my ever-loving-and-ridiculously-patient husband.
Though I may forever regard Rupert Everett as "the one I let get away".
The oh-so-sassy Chris Ian and Marc waiting by the stage door. Rupert!!! He signed my program and made eye contact, and yes, Marc, is shorter than you. You still win.
Angela Lansbury!! Also signed my program and looked at me when I told her how delightful she was, and didn't complain about the fact that I was draped across the hood of her waiting car to get said signature. And yes, Marc and Chris Ian continued to hum the "Murder She Wrote" theme song. I wonder if you can get sheet music for that...
J and a wall of guitars at the Hard Rock Cafe. (Caleb tried to climb the wall.)
Benjamin was amused by the apparent pigeon convention.
Me and Caleb in our car of the Ferris Wheel.
For Spring break, we Smiths drove to NJ to see friends and family and Broadway shows! J loves theater, so we were especially excited to take him to see a show on Broadway and to NYC for the first time.
The day we headed into the city was sunny/cloudy/rainy/snowy. Typical spring. The little boys were so excited. They remembered NYC from last time. We tried taking them in a lot when we lived in NJ, but they were so young when we moved that they don't really remember it. Benjamin has a few memories, but the others don't really.
We took the PATH from Jersey City to NYC. And then walked from Penn Station up to Times Square. Todd was so happy to be back in the city. He has always loved the sights, sounds, and smells. The crowds, the rush, the everything about it. Todd was happy.
We divided paths when we got up to the TKTS booth. Todd and J went to stand in line at the booth and I took the little boys to the Toys R Us at Times Square. Caleb and I went on the big fun Ferris Wheel. Nathaniel and Benjamin were still too traumatized from the Chicago incident to consider it.
Afterwards, we decided to get lunch while poor Todd was still in line at the TKTS booth. J asked if we could go to the Hard Rock Cafe. Todd and I were about to say "but it's tourist food" when we remembered that we are tourists now, and it was fine. We were happy to give him the experience. He was a little surprised by the prices of food and asked quietly if it was okay to order a $15 hamburger. To which I replied, "eh. It's midtown. That's what hamburgers cost."
Afterwards, J and I went to see "Avenue Q", and Todd took the little boys to see "The 39 Steps". Everyone enjoyed their respective shows. And then we met back at the TKTS so Todd could take the boys back to NJ and I could stay and see Rupert Everett!!! More on him in the next post.
The little boys loved the city! J did not. It was complete and total sensory overload for him. To the point that upon returning home, he decided that acting was no longer a viable career option.
Benjamin was the most city savvy. He remembered all the maneuvering in and around crowds. Nathaniel (who is hyper-sensitive to the fact that he can't be around cigarette smoke) after holding his breath for the gazillionth time shouted an exasperated, "AGGHH!! Does EVERYONE in New York City smoke?!"
All in all it was a fun adventure, but perhaps in the future we'll take in one or two kids at a time so it's a little less chaotic.
I have probably attended well over 100 professional performances in my relatively short life. About 15 years ago, I noticed that people would give standing ovations for anything. Even if it wasn't great. Heck, audiences would give standing ovations for stuff that wasn't even good.
In the case of Broadway or The Metropolitan Opera, I think people feel like they've blown so much money on one show, they are going to treat it like the show of their life! I'm a little more jaded than that. Okay, maybe a lot more jaded. I am a firm believer that standing ovations should be reserved for those performances that completely blow you out of the water. (Or for the shows that your kids are in, obviously.)
Last year, I only attended one show that did that for me. "The Light in the Piazza" was amazing and wonderful and makes me smile still to think about it. However, my opinion was not shared by everyone in the entire theater. Typically, a standing ovation is like a wave. Everyone collectively realizes that they have witnessed something incredible.
Last night we took our kids and a couple extra friends to go see The Lion King.
It. Was. Breathtaking.
Everyone loved it. My four year old was SILENT and wide-eyed the entire time (until he fell asleep for the last 15 minutes because it was three hours past his bedtime by then.) My eight year old and his friend sat literally on the edges of their seats for the entire performance. The sixteen year old we brought was totally captivated by the entire thing. And Todd and I found it all delightful.
It was the first time in ages that I found myself completely swept up with the tide and stood up and clapped my heart out without any grumbling.
"Rent" opened when I was in college as a music major. It became almost compulsory to immediately memorize all the music and lyrics, but I didn't get to see the show until Todd took me for my birthday after we were married. (He was so excited, he couldn't keep it a secret.)
The summer after I graduated college, I drove from western Wyoming to southern Illinois all by myself. I listened to Rent the ENTIRE time. And I don't think Todd and I have ever painted a room without listening to at least a few songs from it.
Todd and I even considered having "I'll Cover You" as our wedding song. (For those of you who don't know the show, it's a lovely love song, but sung by two men...not that you can tell they're both men if you're just listening. We thought it might be pushing things a bit to do that to all of our LDS family and friends in attendance.)
My first year of teaching I had the kids sing "Seasons of Love" at one of my first concerts as their director.
If you've ever said any of the following things to me and I zoned out it's because I was using the lyrics from Rent to complete the sentance in my head. My apologies.
- "You look familiar." (like your dead girlfriend)
- "Ew" (It tastes the same. If you close your eyes. And thirteen orders of fries. Is that it here? Wine and beer!)
- "Yoga." (To yogurt! To rice and beans and cheese!...)
-"Langston Hughs." (To the stage!)
- "Mark." (Mark! Mark! I'm Mark!)
- "Doc Martins." (I'll kiss your Doc Martins. Let me kiss your Doc Martins! Your every wish I will obey!)
- "We're okay." (We're. O. K.)
- "Just wanted to call." (and say 'we love you' and we'll miss you tomorrow. Cindy and the kids are here, send their love-Oh! I hope you like the hotplate. Just don't leave it on, dear when you leave the house. And Mark, we're sorry to hear that Maureen left you, I say 'C'est la vie'. So let her be a lesbian. There are other fishies in the sea. Love, Mo-om!)
- "Angel." (I'm Angel. Aaaaaangel. Indeed.)
-"Nice tree." (Let's get a band-aid for your knee.)
The list goes on and on and on. But twelve years after the show opened on Broadway, it's still in my head in full force. It is full of clever twists and double meanings which is my favorite type of show. It's the same reason I love Sondheim's stuff. I love composers/lyricists who can provide singable tunes with quick wit. Jonathon Larson certainly did that and it's so sad that he wasn't able to see the fruits of his labor. (He died of an aortic aneurism after a final dress rehearsal in 1996.)
