Immersed in the Opera

My daughter, Hayley, auditioned a few weeks ago for the local high school production of 'Phantom of the Opera'.  Well, she got in and we're so, so excited for her!  She will be playing the ratcatcher in the Masquerade scene... I know... it doesn't sound like a very glamorous part, but I tell ya, Miss Hayley is thrilled!  In case you didn't know, small children used to be hired as ratcatchers in Europe as a form of pest control.  According to Wikipedia I guess there are still ratcatchers in India and in other developing countries.  She will also be in the Ensemble for the rest of the show. 

Well, for those of you who don't know about the world of drama, let me be the first to tell you that it consumes 1) you, 2) your theater star, and 3) your entire family!  I don't mean this in necessarily a bad way because the positives definitely outweigh any negatives (endless hours of rehearsals, lots of waiting around, etc.), but it absolutely does take over your life from the moment of auditions until the closing night!

This time around, however, I (as a parent of a theatre kid) have not only just dipped my toe in the drama water, but I just dove in head first!  For starters, I'm embarassed to say that I did not know the story, so the kids and I watched the DVD last weekend (LOVED) and I just finished the book (which I highly recommend, but be prepared it's WAY different than stage or movie).  Now we've been listening to a couple of different versions of the soundtracks (stage and screen)... gorgeous music!  Did I mention that, in my absence at the theatre one day, I was nominated to be the parent communications coordinator for this production?  I have spent the past week and a half trying to decipher names and e-mail addresses for about 100 people (parents, cast & crew, and orchestra).  I finaly got them all listed and put into one gigantic distribution list only to find out that the computer does not like huge distribution lists!!  Thank goodness I have an on-site Tech advisor to come running when he hears me screaming at the computer, "OMG... about 30 names just bounced back at me!!!"  Well, I'm happy to say, after about 5 or 6 hours all is well with my distribution lists... yes, plural... I now have 4 lists for the cast, crew, orchestra, and parents!

Anyway, wish me luck on this fun endeavor and I hope you can all come and see the musical... Save the dates from the middle of April through the end of April.  I'll keep you posted!