A Musical Beginning to 2013!

Last night I caught Three Form Theatre's Songs for a New World at La Cite. Tonight is their last show - it start at 7:30 p.m.  It was an admirable undertaking for the young theatre company.  They handled the challenging music of Jason Robert Brown's song cycle well and I had an entertaining evening.  I think we shall see more of these four performers in years to come.  MacKenzie Reurink, in particular, has a good sense of comic timing combined with a strong singing voice that I think will serve her well in her career.  All four (the other three being Chris Scott, Steven Angove and Robin Kumish) have nice voices and a good sense of story-telling.  The balance is a little off, so I would recommend sitting on House Right at least four or five rows up.  Sometimes the band is just a little too hot for the vocals and it's best a bit further back and to the side.

So after that delightful night of song, I took in my boy's piano recital this afternoon. Gibson started his solo well but got flustered and felt a little bad afterwards. He's playing a tough piece for his age and gets very nervous playing in front of people.  Oliver's solo went well and the duet they played was near perfect.  I am really hoping for not too many duets because it's a bit torturous to supervise them, but this time we survived. I have been told I am NOT allowed to post the video (by Gibson) else I'd pop it up.

Anyhow, thank you all for the music to start this year!

A Spoonful of Sugar... My Date with Gibson and Mary Poppins!

Last night I took my youngest son to see the Broadway Across Canada Production of Mary Poppins.  It was quite delightful.  The stage show is very different from the movie (at least what I remember of it), but it captures the essence of it and this production definitely went for creating the magical.  One of the most joyful things for me about it was being there with Gibson and seeing it through his eyes. From the moment the set started moving he was whispering "How'd they do that?" and "It's like magic!". He looked for the strings in the flying parts and told me when he saw they but seemed more delighted with that than when he couldn't see them and underscored it with "It's still cool, Mom!". Watching him (and feeling him - that chair was bouncing!) dance in his seat during Step In Time was pure fun! I loved it when he recognized that it was 'lucky' when Mr. banks shook Bert's hand (a big O-shaped mouth and a grab at my arm when that happened). I highly recommend taking a child with you if you get to see this show.

I might have to go and re-watch the movie, or not... I haven't decided.  I liked the differences.  I liked how it was more about Mr. and Mrs. Banks than I remembered.  I loved the whimsy and the colour of Mary Poppins' adventures as they contrasted with the dull greys of non-adventure London.  I liked the sweet romance between Bert and Mary.  This production was smooth and hit all it's moments just right. They certainly knew what story they were telling.  I also enjoyed seeing a variety of people up on the stage.   The story may be set in a very anglo-saxon world, but it is a children's fantasy story, and I felt it was a stronger piece for the inclusion of people of different colours. I was certainly glad to hear such a strong cast belting out with fabulous voices and was thrilled by the outstanding dancing.  I am always in favour when the most talented people are on the stage in front of me!  Mary Poppins (Rachel Wallace) herself was perfect and I enjoyed her vanity and sense of fun.  We saw the understudy for Bert (Con O'Shea-Creal) but there was nothing missing there. 

It was a Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Night!

* Mary Poppins marks # 29 of my 2012 Theatre Goal (only 11 to go and I still have Fringe ahead of me!).

And We Go Sailing...

Titanic came and went quickly. Three shows over two days in the gorgeous Winspear Centre. Gibson did well for a 7 1/2 year old dealing with late nights and early mornings. He was a bit of a handful backstage but onstage he did what was asked of him and (in my humble opinion) was one of the most skilled wavers on the stage! Although I saw the show primarily from the little window in the Stage Right ASM room, I can certainly say it was a wonderful in-concert performance. So many strong voices and with the addition of the Orchestra and Choir it was glorious in the space. Staging was wisely kept simple so as to not detract from the music and the story. Gibson learned a lot (we did a list on the way home of what he learned, but much of it was very silly due to his sleep-deprived state of being) and as a theatre-mother I was very pleased with his experience. The cast and crew were great with him, especially Cole Chapelsky and Joy Quilala who played his on-stage parents. I liked that his experience was not dumbed down and that he learned what it meant to do his role in the play. As the only kid onstage, I think he held his own.

* #14 in my 2012 Theatre Goal

In Which I Pull a Mama Rose on Titanic...

My youngest, Gibson, is a very talented little dude but quite shy, however, that shyness obviously did not stop me from getting him to participate in Two One Way Tickets to Broadway's upcoming production of Titanic at the Winspear (April 4th and 5th). I received an email from Barb Mah, the Director, asking if he might be interested as they needed a child to play Jack Thayer. I wasn't sure what Gibson would say. He's shy. Anyhow, first he said no, then he thought about the fact that he would miss school and then he changed it to a yes (what motivates children...). We get a bit of a break on rehearsals which is nice. Barb is excellent in working with him early on school nights so that he can leave before it gets too, too late. He is also happy to get a 'treat' on the way home. I sit in and help wrangle him, but I am happy to say he seems to be doing quite well. Luckily every boy from 5-50 seems to understand the language of video games so he was bonding quite nicely with some of the other cast members last night. This allowed me to visit with friends from past shows.

I have enjoyed sitting in on the rehearsals playing the role of stage mom (I think I have been a fairly innocuous one at that). I am amazed at the sound of this cast. It is big - I think there are 44 of them - and I keep marvelling at how many strong men they have. I have been casting musicals in Edmonton for a few years now and I have been blessed with getting who I needed for my shows, but men are always difficult to come by. You usually have 2-3 times as many women - this show is almost the opposite. It makes for a lovely sound. I know too, that the sound will be even bigger when they add in the choir that will be singing behind them. Hopefully, Gibson will continue to fit in well and I will be able to sit in the house in a proper seat and watch the show. He does not want his brother to come, but we might take him anyhow and not tell Gibson until afterwards. I think Oliver would want to see it. I know Grandma is coming.

On another note - I started the APN Edmonton Playwright's Circle this week. It has it's own blog where you can follow our journeys in writing. I was excited to hear all the other Play Pitches and to get recharged with the 'questions' you need to ask yourself. Hopefully I will be able to get a little work done tomorrow (it's Teacher's Convention so the kids are home). I have a few weeks, but time seems to fly! I will be working on Little Monsters and am excited to plug away at it and then share it with the group.

Here We Go!

The boys have one more day of summer holidays and then they return to school. Gibson is entering grade 2 and Oliver will be going to grade 5 this year. I get more and more relaxed as the years go by. I knew with Oliver that he would settle in as he grew more mature. He had a challenging time socially and behaviourally in the first few years of school, but by the middle of grade 3 those issues disappeared. He still wants to work fast and not necessarily well, despite being capable of better, but that too is improving. Hey, when my kid consistently cites Math as his favorite subject, I am going to be happy about it. Gibson has been a bit of a surprise as he seemed more mature socially than Oliver but the end of last year and this summer has shown a crankier and less cheerful child. I know some of the crankiness is a frustration with others when they do not get things as quickly as he does, but it is not going to serve him well in school. Academically he excels, and I want that to continue, but his social impatience needs to be tempered a bit. I think grade 2 will be challenging for him in this regard. We shall see. I expected smooth sailing from him behaviourally, but I think I should never ever plan for kids to be as I predict.

I know I shouldn't let it bother me, but a blog post by one of the Edmonton Journal writers has me cranky.

http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2011/08/30/the-best-choice-for-your-childs-school-is-most-likely-the-local-school/

I know that it is opinion, but I am annoyed by the push for community school when Edmonton has designed their system based on program based education. The community school model works when all the schools are not program based, but when you want something different for your child they don't always work. For example, in my case I wanted French Immersion for my kids. I also wanted strong arts education and good physical education. I 'assume' that with public schools that the basic educational needs will be met in any school (reading, writing and arithmetic...). After all, that is what the Alberta Education Curriculum guidelines guarantee. Now, I can meet the arts education and physical education needs outside of school by using my own resources. I cannot, however, do French Immersion outside the school, therefore I had to make my choice based on the delivery of that program. I also know people who have children with specialized education needs who have home schooled or who have sought programs that met those needs. Not their community schools. Another interesting point I would like to make is that OUR Community school is just as far away if not further than the non-community, program based school our kids attend. The closest school is the Mandarin school... So there are no advantages such as proximity. For many kids in Edmonton the closest school is still a 45 minute bus ride away without even taking into consideration the programs offered. The article is written without thinking about the realities of how our schools are programmed and how the schools themselves are laid out. It doesn't take into account the needs of language based immersion programs (late immersion is possible, but not preferable). Anyhow, it bugged me. It also bugged me because when the writer posed his question on Twitter the night before posting his blog, I responded with my reasons for program choice, but he only responded to those people who were rah-rahing the community school choice. I think he was only looking for agreement - not really exploring the value to both options. I know that the community school is NOT the best place for my children to learn and I know many others who have different reasons for not choosing the community school and I feel that they are equally right in their choices.

Back to School Preparations...

We are one week from the return to school for the boys and a little bit longer for me. Now that Fringe is done I have to go through all their stuff that they brought home last June and see what I need to get. It is irritating to buy a new set of pencil crayons every fall when I know we have a huge box of half used ones at home. I think I might spend some time sorting through those and the crayons and saving some money instead of buying new ones. Don't call me cheap - call me frugal. I hate the waste!! I know they also brought home some duo tangs and loose leaf paper and Oliver has a binder that is immaculate. I'd like to reduce the purchases as much as possible.

For my school I have a list of nothing. I am doing scene study (Drama 257) so there are no texts on the list and I think I probably just need to dress to move. I am at a disadvantage there since I do not move as well as those 20 year olds, but I will do my best.

I am debating auditioning for a couple of projects this Fall. I do not want to get swamped and I want space to write. It will have to be the right project with the right people. I want to work on things where I learn... I also don't want to fill up the time and then find I am unable to do something amazing that might come along later. So, I think I have to wait for the right thing... I really should be writing more...

Night Music picks up again this week and goes into high gear next week. Sitz Probe on Wednesday and rehearsals on both Saturday and Sunday. I really need to review my lines. I know that next week will be challenging but luckily we (as a cast) are in good shape and I know we will all support Elizabeth as she finds her Desiree and moves into the show.

Today I spent some time with Gibson alone at the Telus World of Science while Oliver went fishing with Grandpa. Apparently Dad fell in the water and the fishing was not great, but Oliver had a good time and is getting quite good at casting. That's pretty cool. Gibson enjoyed having me to himself and spending my money!

Mystery Solved

So last night I told Mark about the conversation with Gibson about chords and harmony and tempo and he nodded and said, "yeah, I have been teaching him all that stuff" so maybe he's not a genius (ha ha ha). Anyhow, I still think it's pretty cool that he is so interested. This morning Mark and I and Gibson sang a few chords. Oliver wasn't much interested in joining in, but he was looking for something Pokemon related at the time.

Gibson and Music

Both my kids like music. They both like to dance and sing and they are both taking piano (because I make them), but Gibson not only likes music... he's really insightful about it. I always say that Gibson sang before he talked. He would babble and coo in tune with songs on the radio in car. I was in a musical while pregnant with both of the boys, and with Gibson I was also in Honey B's and they both attended many Honey B's rehearsals in the sling (Gibson more than Oliver I would say). Maybe that was a factor. So tonight. Tonight as I am putting Gibson to bed we start talking about school and what he likes and we get on to talking about Music Class and he starts asking me about Do Re Mi... we then sing Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do several times (he is in tune and it sounds lovely) and then he has me sing a solo and then he sings and solo and then we sing a duet. He uses the terms solo and duet. Then he starts asking about chords and whether people can sing chords as well as play them on the piano and we talk about songs he knows and where the chords (harmony) happens. He is articulate and understands the concepts. And then he brings up tempo, and he starts clapping different rhythms telling me which tempos are fast and slow. He drove the whole conversation with questions and input. Sometimes he freaks me out a bit. I am looking forward to hearing him play and sing as an adult.

Anxious and Excited about Tomorrow...

Tomorrow is a busy day. First of all, it is Gibson's 6th birthday so we are following up the grand dinner at BP's we had tonight by heading off to IKEA for breakfast. Mark will then drop me off at the theatre while he takes the boys elsewhere for whatever adventure they can handle. The three of them are all in various stages of sickness so they may just head back home to rest.

And THEN, I will see the first 3 of my Rabbit Hole auditioners. A few people contacted me and wanted to audition but were away for the Thanksgiving weekend. I anticipated this and had an extra session booked for this weekend to accommodate any requests. I am so excited. I have been wanting to do this project for almost 2 years and now it is finally beginning. Currently there are about 60 people signed up. It is the last week before auditions so I may get more this week that I will have to fit in somewhere. There are some spaces left, but technically only about 12 before it gets crunchy... I just want to get started.

Safety City!

Went on a field trip to Safety City with Gibson and his Kindergarten Class this morning. Very fun. Gibson declared the day AWESOME! Hard to corral those high energy Kindergarten kids and mine was no exception, but they did love driving the mini-quads!

2004 Brings Son #2 - Gibson aka Speed Bump...

Just when you think you have the parenting thing somewhat figured out, you have a second child and all the tricks that worked with the first one do not work for the second. Gibson was a real surprise for me. For one thing, I really thought he was going to be a girl - the pregnancy was totally different than my first. I also successfully had a VBAC so I could drive the day after coming home and my body didn't feel like I had been in a car accident. I knew how to nurse. I wasn't afraid of him dying if I left him alone in his room while he slept. I was way more relaxed. BUT I didn't instantly *get* him like I did with Oliver. It took me awhile. Oliver liked to rock to sleep. Gibson wanted to just be laid down - back off Mom! Gibson was not a snuggler, nor was a he an up and down baby - he was a side to side baby. So I took a little while to get used to him.

Now he is five. He started Kindergarten this fall. While Oliver was a late talker, Gibson spoke early and well. He actually sang before he spoke, humming tunes he heard on TV or from the radio. He still sings all the time, almost unconsciously. He has always sung/hummed in tune. Even our Kindermusik Teacher was impressed (and she must hear many, many kids who sing early). I think that he will be somehow connected to music in his life. Not surprising really. I was doing a musical when pregnant with him and it had very challenging harmony. He also spent many of his early months at Honeybee Rehearsals - only really content when we sang.

In many ways Gibson was easier than Oliver. He was our second so we went through things with Oliver for the first time and had the luxury of systems in place for Gibson. However, Gibson has his challenges. He has been able to lie very convincingly from a very young age (Oliver still has a hard time). We know we must teach him to use this 'gift' for good (acting perhaps?) and realize that it isn't just about getting caught... it's about being wrong. He is also more emotional when things do not go his way. The world isn't *fair* a lot of the time for Gibson. I think he sees the things that Oliver is allowed to do and he wants the same privileges but doesn't want to wait until he is old enough. He is, however, adorable. I know, I know, I am his Mom. But he is a sweetie pie.

I am lucky with the 2 of them.

Just a few things...

1. Wonderful to hear the band with the voices on Sunday. Cathy and Jamie sound so good and when you add violins, and guitar, and the coolness that a bass just is, it all gets better. Somewhat sad I had to leave before they made it through the whole show, but I will hear it again (and again, and again). The Last Five Years, People! March 12-14th! Be there!

2. Good meeting tonight with the directors of the Reading for he Footlights Festival. We have a plan for casting both shows that should be fair and manageable. A bit of a challenge to sort it all out from names and numbers and some resumes, but we do have a plan. Both the ladies are sharp and keen and enthusiastic and working for the good of the script. That's what I like to hear! I feel good about this.

3. Spent a lot of time working for Revenue Canada today and I am glad that is done for another year. When you only do the monumental task once a year it is always a steep learning curve come February!

4. Great fun at the library with Gibson today. If I paid attention to what he actually said I would know everything there is to know about Mario.

Wiggles and Whining...

That's what the last few days have felt like. Okay, the Wiggles were just on and I liked the alliteration, but the whining has been palpable in the house the last few days. However effective it is to remove the DS from Oliver as a punishment, you still have to put up with the whining when he doesn't have access to it. I am praying for a good day at school today so he earns it back and the whinging stops. Gibson has had his fair share, but that usually only happens when he is tired so I am a little more tolerant of it.

Bus Blues...

So today the driver would not let Oliver on the bus. Not on the list, she said. Alright - perhaps there was an error. Mark took Ollie to school. I got on the phone. I spent 1/2 hour to 45 minutes on hold with Briggs and then phoned the School Board and left a message. I then called the school itself. It seems we were not alone. There were 4 of us who registered late, but were told that the child was on the route - no problem - BUT Briggs apparently could not accommodate the kids at this time... not until the 17th of September. Okay, fine, they have a route issue... WHY NOT INFORM THE SCHOOL?, THE PARENTS?, THE SCHOOL BOARD? Why just have the bus driver be kind of rude and say 'no'? We were lucky. Mark took Oliver to school and just didn't get the early start to the day that he planned. Lucky it wasn't Tuesday.

So, after all the calls we got a short term solution. The school pays for a cab for the 4 of us until they are allowed on the bus. We only need the cab on Tuesdays so we will drive the other days. Thankfully one of the other mothers will let me drop Ollie off at their house on Tuesdays so I can get to class on time. All that work arranging for a last minute screw up... Bites my butt!

Anyhow, Gibson started Big Boy Pre-School today and he loved it. He ate all his snack and did the songs and dances and played well. Yay! I went to the Circuit work-out and had to stop halfway through because I felt like I was going to faint and/or throw-up. Guess it's not a great idea to workout like that the day after giving blood. I am still a little woozy, but better for having had lunch.

First Day of School...

Today Oliver starts grade 2 and I do my registration for my return to University. The lunches are packed, the hair is combed and the teeth are brushed. We are early because normally Oliver will be getting on the bus so I wanted to be sure I could get it done by the right time. It is nice to have this little bit of time before we go. Gibson has decided he will fuss about going to daycare (3rd day in a row) but I am not reacting to it as I know him and I know that he is trying to see if a little fussing will get him out of it. Hopefully that will stop soon.

I am excited.

Oliver has been expressing a dislike for school, but further questioning has determined it is because he doesn't like the fact that he can't play DS or computer games at school. Those are not reasons I am prepared to give much weight to. I am anxious to find out which of the two classes he is in. Last Spring M. Alyre said he was in the straight 2. Last week they said he was in the split. It is quite possible it could go either way. I am personally not sure which is the best place for him.

Gibson Singing

A fun new feature on my new camera. I am posting it to make me smile through my current angst. Gibson is quite happy to entertain me, especially when there's a camera to record it.

The Evidence...

Pencil drawing by Gibson
June 22, 2007
"Portrait of Auntie Annie"

My Child, the Artistic Genius....

Okay, this is a second child I am talking about, so I am not in that happy delirious haze of first time parenthood. Had to get that out of the way first. My child, Gibson, is an artistic genius. Maybe it is too soon to tell, but if you can't brag about your children on your blog, where can you? But get this, he sings, in tune, all the time. Now, his favorite songs are "Stupid Girls" (Pink) and "Upside Down" (Jack Johnson - Curious George Soundtrack), but still, - in tune! Why is that so amazing? Well, for me it is because he is 2 years and 8 months old. The reaction of the teacher at Kindermusik has confirmed for me that Gibson's vocal skills are unusual. Most of the children his age listen to the music and dance a bit, but very rarely do they actually sing along and extremely rarely are they ever in tune. He can also tap out beats correctly and in tempo - most kids his age just bang away randomly.

So that's his musical genius - but get this - today he drew some amazing pictures for his age. Today he drew faces, with correctly placed eyes, noses, ears, mouths and hair. I know that is unusual for his age. His older brother (almost 6) doesn't even consistently do that when he draws. Get ready Auntie Annie for your first portrait a la Gibson --> it's a beauty!

So will I become a psycho stage parent? Pushing him to develop. Vocal lessons at age 3, shoving gouache and water colours into his hands at age 4? I hope not. But I think it is cool and if he likes singing and drawing I will provide that outlet, after all I like to do those things too.

Now, if I can only get through potty training!