The whole cast
Before the show, we gathered in the choir room.
When I was in school, there was a wooden tunnel backstage that we could pass through behind the curtains and not be seen going from one side of the stage to the other. After each show we would all sign it with the show, year, and our character name by our signatures. Apparently the tunnel was taken apart in 1997, and Justin May wrote on a piece of it that was saved backstage. Shane read it to us, and I managed to catch some of it...
There were lots of sweet mini-reunions happening in this big reunion.
A slideshow with photos of shows Mr. Normal directed scrolled above the Harold Norman Stage before the show and during intermission...
Cathy Petrie welcomed the audience and explained that this show was put together as the best way to thank Mr. Norman for everything he has done for the community of Churubusco.
Missy...what would we do without her?! We love her!!!
The first song of the show was the first song in the first musical ever performed on this stage--Oklahoma!
The beautiful Cassandra Petrie
My very favorite song in this whole show was Just One Person from Snoopy the Musical. I didn't realize I'd be part of this song until Wednesday night, and when I looked it up to learn it I was flooded with emotion. I'm not sure what year Snoopy was performed at 'Busco. I was pretty little, I think, but I remember being in the audience and I remember being moved by this song then.
And every time we sang it on Friday and this morning in rehearsal, I had to pull myself together and keep the tears from streaming down my face. It was a crazy combination of remembering and nostalgia and tradition and legacy and message and music, and it filled my heart to overflowing.
Do You Hear the People Sing?
If I Were a Rich Man
Together at Last, including the youngest cast member--a 3rd grader!
current New Era members joined Shawn and Adam for Greased Lightin'
"Doin' a-what-a-comes natchurly!"
Pick-a-little
Mr. Normal joined us on stage as we lined up by class year singing Hello, Harold!
I think we all loved the fact that he talked about how this wasn't really about him, but about COMMUNITY.
After the show, it was more overwhelming emotion as the audience greeted us and there were so many familiar faces and hugs!!! What a blessed and wonderful community! It really was too much for my mind and heart to take in, and I'm so incredibly grateful to have been a small part of such a celebration.
I'm also impressed that Travis got Harold to take a selfie!!
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