It's showtime!

Tonight was finally/already show night #1!  It usually feels both like 1) We're not ready yet! and 2) It's about time; we've been working on this for ages! I'm almost always in the first camp--I don't feel ready.  But, it's exciting, no matter what!

Annah stayed after school every evening this week and did homework, hair and makeup, and had supper before each rehearsal.  The cafeteria workers provided great meals at a small cost for all those cast, crew, directors who were around each evening--such a blessing.  

Mom and Dad arrived mid-afternoon today, and I made Italian beef sandwiches for us this evening before I left for the school.  When I arrived, I found most everyone was about ready.  

Addie was totally ready and waiting in costume, and I found her checking out the programs.  She said she had a lot of emotional things to tell me, about how she was so glad I'd chosen Somewhere That's Green for her to sing in voice lessons, because it led her to really love Little Shop of Horrors and beg Mr. Marchese incessantly to do the show for her senior year.  I had totally forgotten that I'd heard the song on a streaming radio app and loved it and chose it for her!  I'm so glad she has had fun playing the part of Audrey!

My Annah was all ready to go too!  This really is her favorite week of the year!  And, even though I haven't been able to watch most of what she does on stage, it has been really fun to share this experience with her from behind the piano!  Musical theatre is one of my favorite things in the world, and it is great to share that love with my girl!

Hair and makeup is done in the choir room, where the cast then stays until showtime.

Vocal warmups...

Dangerous tongue twisters...

Passing the excitement along just before showtime...

There was a pretty good crowd!

Our Pit Band!

L to R:

Mr. Marchese: director, Adam Born: electric guitar, Dr. Marchese: bass guitar, Deanna Marchese: auxiliary percussion; Mr. R: drumset, and me: piano

It was such a privilege to get to play with these talented musicians!  They made a great challenge really fun for me!

The best pictures of the performance are by Addie's Nana, Michele.

Skid Row

Grow for Me

"The guy sure looks like plant food to me..."

"You dizzy cow!"

Call Back in the Morning

The beautiful Street Urchins

The Death of Audrey

"The plants proceeded to grow and grow

and begin what they came here to do

which was essentially to 

eat Cleveleand

and Des Moines

and Peoria

and New York

and this theater...

Posing for their fans, after the show...

Our fam with our star, "Chiffon"

Annah with her Gram and Krampa!  Thank you for coming all the way to see the show!

Many people went on stage for a close look at the plant puppets after the show.  They really were the stars of the show.  SO much work went into designing, creating, and operating them!

It was a wonderful opening night!

LSoH - Final Tech Rehearsal

This evening was the final tech rehearsal!  It was a pretty good run-through, with mostly technical issues to work out.  I think we are all ready to put on a good show tomorrow!

vocal warmups...

The actors

Audrey and the Urchins

My view from the pit--behind Jacob (the voice of the plant) and Mr. Marchese as he directs...

I begged Sylvia to try her hand at taking pictures with our Canon, since I am playing for at least 90% of the show and can't do it myself.  Here is the only photo I have of me playing.

Sylvia did a great job with my minimal instructions.  It is very hard to photograph a stage production.

Annah (Chiffon), Kasey (Ronnette), and Allison (Crystal) are the Street Urchins. They narrate the story in song, but are also part of every scene in the story at the same time.

"Down on Skid Row..."

"'Cause I constantly pray to get outta here..."

"Someone give me a shot, or I'll rot here!"

(view from the pit)

"That's a strange and interesting plant..."

"I call it the Audrey II."

"I'll give you a few drops, if that'll appease. Oh please, oh-oh-oh please, grow for me?"

"Sit down Seymour. Chiffon gon' sang fer you."

"There's plastic on the furniture to keep it neat and clean..."

"In the Pinesol scented air, somewhere that's green..."

"We're closed for renovation"

"When I was younger, just a bad little kid, my momma noticed funny things I did..."

"I am your dentist!"

"Say, 'Ah!'"

"Want some nitrous oxide?"

"I'll hold my breath until..." 

"Ok, you win! I'll be your son!"

Shelby is an amazing puppeteer inside the third Audrey II!

"FEED ME!!!!!"

"Orin, that hurt!"

"The guy sure looks like plant food to me!"

"It's stuck!"

"Shing-a-ling, what a creepy thing to be happening!"

(Jacob and James putting on their own production during a break)

"Call back in the morning, won't you?"

"Here, take my Kleenex. Wipe that lipstick away."

"Suddenly Seymour is standing beside me!"

"FEED ME, SEYMOUR!"

"Hey, Seymour Krelbourne, you prince, you."

"It's nice to meet me. The pleasure is yours."

"I couldn't sleep. I took a Sominex. But the voice in my head kept saying, 'Go to Seymour.'"

"This could be bigger than hula hoops!"

"Subsequent to the events you have just witnessed..."

"But, whatever they want from you, DON'T FEED THE PLANTS!"