Finster Finds

Well, the week was a whirlwind as I knew it would be. It would have been nice to have had that last day before Christmas Eve to do any last minute shopping and make sure I had everything I needed, but I didn't have it, so I dealt with my missing items by phoning Mom to bring them. It all worked out, but I knew it could've been better. The trip itself wasn't so bad, but there was little in it that enriched my life. No one asked about me, despite my asking about them. It was good for the boys, but a little too good in the presents department and I worry about that. As it is, only one of Gibson's 3 big trucks has been opened and played with and I don't think Oliver has picked up the Spiderman helicopter since being home. The kids get so much stuff. We may hide some of it away for a while and bring it out later when a "new" thing is needed. Christmas Eve was less chaotic than usual. The kids are a little older and better able to negotiate with each o

Well someone must have said "no" to one of the 6 ladies in The Ladies Singing Their Song because I was just offered it. I lost the Real Estate Agent part, but that's okay, I'd rather have a chance to sing. Should be cool. Magnolia is also singing in that number so we shall have to kick it !

I decided to do the show. I am still feeling a little low about it because I really wanted Arlene and I know I would have rocked the part. I am also worried about how much singing I will get to do but I have been reassured by Marie that I will be doing a lot of singing. I am not so sure because it doesn't seem like that kind of a show, but it may be that there is more chorus stuff that just isn't on the soundtrack. The way my musical theatre experience has played out in Edmonton so far has really messed with my self-image. In Fort McMurray I was what Judy is here. I haven't been able to show that and I thought this would be the role. There is something liberating about being able to recreate yourself, but I hate that I feel like that in doing so I have lost a big part of my self-identity. El Muchacho was something, but it wasn't the kind of stuff I do best, this show would have been. There is also something exhausting about having to pay my dues again when I have been d

Well, I didn't get it... and now I have to decide if I want to do what I was offered. I knew the odds were there, but I had hoped high. I don't know if I can go and do the show and hear the other people singing the songs I want to be singing and be "happy" with the part I am left with. I have until Boxing Day to let Clyde know. I have just done my "ensemble" time and if I do decide to do the show, the person who has my part had better be FLAWLESS.

Okay, the title says it all. I had a good callback but so did a lot of other people and there are only 3 roles. I figure it is down to me and one other person for Arlene . I can't fault that since we were both strong, but I will be disappointed if I don't get it. This is only because I really want it and I would kick major a$$ in the role. I also want to be in it with my friends and I am not sure if the combination will be what they are looking for. It is all about waiting now and I don't wait well.

Tonight I auditioned for Baby with ELOPE. I have worked with Marie Nychka, one of the directors, 3 times before but had never met the other director Randy Mueller. I was a little nervous because since moving to Edmonton I have not had the best auditions for musicals. This is because in McMurray I was severely spoiled by having either Mike Eddy or Carol Anderson play for me and they are both geniuses on the piano. Tonight I had the magic - Randy is a genius too! Yay! Anyhow, both songs went beautifully, my monologue rocked and I am called back for Tuesday night. The songs they want me to look at are for the character I am interested in and Randy even said " she has the perfect kind of voice for this show " (yippee!). Even if I don't get it, I will feel good about what I have done. I could not have done better.

I periodically surf the yahoo news articles and saw the above headline (or something like that). The article didn't give many details other than a male parent entered the school, was arguing with the female principal and then began hitting her in the face. He is now being charged with assault. This story bothers me because something like this can happen, and what bothered me even more was the "comments" afterwards. Many commenters were appalled but many were applauding the hitter and asking "what did the Principal do to create the situation?" as though that mattered. Sad sad sad.... Many people ask me if I intend to go back to teaching. I don't know. I have had 'scary' parent-teacher interviews where I signalled to the teacher at the next table over to 'rescue' me from an aggressive parent. I have had parent meetings that have caused me to cry later on. I didn't just stop teaching because I wanted to be home with my kids (altho

I just got back from seeing Losing Will at Zeidler Hall (Metro Cinema) at the Citadel Theatre. Two of my former students (Arlen Konopaki and Mike Robertson) directed it and were also 2 of the 4 co-writers. There are sections of the scripts that were improvised around a suggested concept so the 3 main actors were technically all writers. Other former students were also involved in the film (from sound design to medical research). They also filmed part of the movie in Fort McMurray though it is not credited as the Fort. I was very impressed with the work done. Some of the acting seems rough and there were some strange bits that got a lot of laughs but could easily leave someone with a "what the?" feeling, however they really tried to tell the story. I loved the soundtrack and the flashbacks that were used. It was hard to believe that they made the film for $3000 (no grants). These young guys took a concept, took their own money, begged many favours from friends and family

I took Oliver to see Sinbad the Sailor at Walterdale last night. It was a very committed show and there were many fine performances, particularly from the leads. Oliver had a lot of fun until about 10:15 when he just started to feel too tired (I kept him home today because who knows what he would be like at school after last night). The show didn't end until 11:00 p.m. The funniest part for me (and the best for Oliver) was when Oliver got to go onstage to guess the camel's name. He was by far the "best" for audience particiaption in the first act and apparently the cast LOVED him (we were told this by Wayne Arthurson who went backstage at intermission), so when volunteers were asked for to name the camel Ollie's hand shot up and they literally were already looking right at him to bring him down. He was so excited. They obviously had a plan, the third person to guess would obviously be the "correct" guesser, so Oliver was asked last and he "wo

I am still tired from the weekend. I did Midsummer in Spruce Grove on Friday and on Saturday Mark and I went out with friends for his birthday (dinner and karaoke). On Sunday I had rehearsal in the afternoon, dinner at the Next Act and Walterdale Board Meeting in the evening. Then I stopped at the folks house to feed Harriet and check the house and shovel the walk (cooooooold). I am over 40 now. The three late nights in a row are hard to handle.

Whew! The things I have to do to go out to see a friend in a play... Last night I went to A Midsummer Night's Dream in Spruce Grove put on by Horizon Players . The show started at 7:30 p.m. (What the? What ever happened to 8:00 starts?) but I had to start driving at 5:00 p.m. to get there on time. My sitter lives by Clareview so I left at 5 p.m. to get her, it was 6 p.m. by the time I got back to my house with the sitter and the kids. Then I headed off to pick up my friend Julie in Beaumaris. A couple of wrong turns meant that took me 20 minutes which was a bout 10 minutes longer than it should have (It was the one place I didn't mapquest! Doh!). Then we were off to get Wanda at the River Cree Casino in Enoch. Whoosh! Down 137th Avenue. Whoosh! Down Anthony Henday. Whoosh! Down the Whitemud? (I'm not sure I just went where Julie told me) Then we headed back up to the Yellowhead and off to the theatre. We rolled into the parking lot at about 7:20 p.m. We needn't have be