The End of Era

Last week, we traveled to Cedar City to see Drama Queen in her final production as a student at Southern Utah University. She played the title role in Hamlet. Yes, that Hamlet, the famous one by the Bard of Stratford-upon-Avon. The director looked at the talent in the program and decided to do a gender-swap version, so she wasn't Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, but Hamlet, Princess of Denmark. Claudius was also a woman, as were Horatio and Laertes. Ophelia and Gertrude were men. The only roles sticking strictly to the traditional genders were Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and Polonius. Although you may call me biased, I think she did an amazing job. She owned the role and the stage every time she was present, even when not speaking.

We're not the only ones who think so. Here's a link to a review of the closing night in USA Today.

It's been an amazing journey, and we are so glad that she has found something she is so passionate about. She will graduate in December and, if she's in Utah, walk in April.

We were told that photography wasn't allowed, so we didn't take the good camera to the performance. During the opening announcements, they said that only flash photography wasn't allowed, so I snagged a couple of pictures with my cell phone. Next time, we'll just take the big camera and then use or not use it, depending on what's allowed.

Drama Queen and the Utah Shakespearean Festival!

We were so excited when Drama Queen told us that she was picked to participate in an internship with the Utah Shakespearean Festival this season. We love USF, and we love Drama Queen. It's a perfect combination. We can't take pictures of her in her costumes for Amadeus or South Pacific, but here are a couple of her working the crowd as part of the Greenshow.

So everyone head on down to the Cedar City and catch our girl in one of these fabulous performances!

Xanadu is calling you ... oo oo

Last weekend, Mr. Perfect and Most Happy Girl ventured yet again into the deep, dark south of Cedar City to see Drama Queen in her latest theatrical en devour: Xanadu: the Musical. She played Clio/Kira (the lead), and had only three weeks to learn the music and lines while perfecting her mad (aka until-this-role non-existent) roller skating skills. She triumphed, and the show was so much fun to watch. The cast had a blast. What an amazingly talented group of students.

The Muppets take Les Mis

Mr. Perfect and Most Happy Girl are gearing up to audition for Les Miserables at Hale Centre Theatre next week. In honour (yes, I know it's the British spelling) of this event, may I present for your viewing enjoyment: Les Moussables by the Muppets. You're welcome.

Wordless Wednesday

Home again, home again, jiggity jig

It seems like all we have been doing so far this summer is running from one trip to another (I know, I know; what a horrible problem to have). This past weekend, we made our yearly jaunt down to Cedar City for the Utah Shakespeare Festival. It was a wonderful trip. Both Drama Queen and Man in Plays came, we saw all six shows (in three days no less -- whoosh!), we ate too much food, and we walked around town a lot.

I love this tradition. 18 years strong, and still no rain-outs in the outdoors Adams Theatre. Whoot whoot!

Percy and Harry visit Sherwood Forest

Our dear friend, Dizzy Dandelion, was in a wonderful production of Robin Hood: Legend of the Sherwood Bandit with Clearfield Community Theater. We loaded up the car (okay, we grabbed some jackets to ensure it wouldn't rain or be cold) and headed out into the wilderness (okay, so it's only about 25 miles from our house). And we remembered to bring Percy and Harry along.

The show was just so much fun. It's an original script, and the opening song tells us that this is "the absolutely true and not made up story of Robin Hood." How can you go wrong with a show that includes a song with that lyric? Seriously.

You could tell that the cast was having a blast, which really helps to pull in the audience. The playwright also played Sir Guy Gisbourne, and he seemed to really relish playing a baddie. Dizzy Dandelion's character was conflicted, and we weren't sure which side she would end the show on until almost the very end (good job!).

Sadly, last night was the last night of the production. It was really our only chance to see the show (Mr. Perfect is in rehearsals for West Jordan Sugar Factory Playhouse's production of South Pacific right now, and last night was a rare night-off), and we are so glad we did. It's great fun to support friends, but it's also a bonus when the show is worth both the drive and the price of admission.

The Drowsy Chaperon and a new blog name for one

A couple of months ago, Game Boy landed his dream role in Cottonwood High School's musical The Drowsy Chaperon. No, he's not the title character. He's much better than that. He's Man in Chair. If you know the show, then you know that means he's the narrator and main character. Mr. Perfect and One Happy Girl saw the show last night, and it was amazing. Everyone was perfectly cast, but Game Boy is the reason to see this show. He is amazing. For the last six weeks, we've basically been living with Man in Chair. As a tribute to his awesomeness, Game Boy will now be known to one and all (at least on this blog) as Man in Plays.

*and the crowd goes wild in the Palace*

Here's the set:

The really cool set

Here is Man in Plays in his extremely appropriate and comfy looking costume (with Mr. Perfect, the proud papa):

And here he is with Drama Queen (the proud sista):

And a couple more random shots of him and another friend from the show in character:

Robert Martin

As Man in Chair

Happy Birthday, Mom M!

Tomorrow is Mom M.'s birthday. We know that she enjoys good food and good theater, so we took her to dinner and to see No Time for Sargents at Hale Center Theatre. It's a really good production, so I recommend getting tickets and seeing it. We saw the Mon/Wed/Fri cast, but I'm sure both casts are really good.

For dinner, we let her choose. She was in the mood for chicken, so we headed to Cracker Barrel. (There's one really close to the theater.) At Cracker Barrel, it's all about comfort. Mr. Perfect and I shared an entree (they give you really big portions), and we had cookies at intermission.

The play is very funny, and there were a couple of places where the cast had a hard time keeping it together and not busting a gut laughing. We were a very  responsive audience, which helps a cast do even better than with no audience or a dead audience (zombies make the worst audiences).

Happy Birthday, to a lovely, wonderful lady!

From an Evening of Songs You Should Know

If the world all sang like him...

Drama Queen and The Women of Lockerbie

We headed down to Cedar City the past weekend to visit Drama Queen and to see her in her first main stage show at SUU. What an amazing show. I'm posting a few pictures I took during the performance. We could take non-flash photos (I asked before the show started), but unfortunately our camera has this annoying red light that helps the auto focus when the lighting is too low, so I had to stop taking pictures about half-way through the show. It is better to not annoy the actors and other audience members.

Calm

Is it bad that I felt this way most of my time in college?

Percy & Harry see Steel Magnolias

Mr. Perfect and I were very anxious to make it to the theatre this weekend. Our own Sweet Cecily was starring (with five other amazing women) in a wonderful production of Steel Magnolias. She played Shelby, a part she has been dreaming of playing almost her entire life. And she was amazing. The whole production was well done, from the set and costumes to all of the women cast. We laughed a lot, and many people in the audience cried (even Mr. Perfect a little). Game Boy and his girlfriend, Champion Debater, came with us and enjoyed it, too.

We sat with another wonderful friend, Dizzy Dandylion, who is another amazing actress. We love going to her shows, too. She was more than happy to pose with Percy & Harry during intermission.

They also got a tour of the women's dressing room, courtesy of Sweet Cecily.

As usual, they enjoyed some time on the set. They're such hams.

I would recommend that everyone see it, but Saturday was closing night. Maybe next time we'll get to the show in time to send everyone else to see it, too.

An amazing voice

I was surfing around YouTube when I came across this video of Marla Mandelle. I just love her voice.



I haven't heard much about Sister Act, The Musical, but this makes me wish I'd seen her in it.

Drama Queen in Suessical the Reader's Digest version

As many of you know, Drama Queen is studying Theatre at SUU. She's having a great time and loves her Acting I class (taught by Peter Sham). One of her classmates posted this on YouTube, for which we are very, very grateful. So, Drama Queen and her Acting I class present Suessical, the Musical in just under 9 minutes:

Missing Peter Pan photo

I don't know how I did this, but I missed posting our favorite picture of Game Boy from Peter Pan. So here it is:

I love the blur of action behind him, too.

Never Never Land is never far away

Game Boy just wrapped up a wonderful performance as Smee in Cottonwood High's production of Peter Pan. The whole cast did an amazing job. Mr. Perfect and Most Happy Girl happily came out twice to see it (opening and closing shows). Kudos to everyone involved!

Here are some pictures from the closing night performance.

Drama Queen came up from Cedar City to see the show (and to stay for Thanksgiving). It's always so fun to see them together.