Life was a Cabaret.....

Now it's a West Side Story...oh yeah, and Cinderella. But mostly West Side Story. I am relieved and sad to be done with Cabaret. It was a ton of work and really put a strain on every corner of my life, my square box of existence was quickly becoming an expanding globe. On the other hand, I met a lot of cool new people and got to dance my little heart out. I hadn't been in a show since 2002 when I did Major Barbara and it was good to be back on stage. Although, after finishing, I think I prefer being the choreographer to being the wallpaper at the Cabaret. Even though the Kit Kat Girls were allegedly a big part of the show, I always felt very separate from the story as a whole. We were there when Sally performed and then disappeared, like some imagined elf dancers. The worst part about it was when one person saw me a couple of days later and said she didn't even remember I was in the show. She might as well have punched me in the face. It's a lot of work to do to not be remembered and it brought up a lot of questions about why I perform or why I do theater in general. So, those things are still lingering even as the Jets and Sharks tear away at them and demand my total attention.

But before they rip me to shreds, I have been focusing ever so briefly on Cinderella, which has been fun. I am sure I am driving the cast crazy, but that's ok. I've never worked with adults, so this has been a bit of an adventure. At least I can safely tell the kids they need to listen and pay attention and not feel bad about it. I expect adults to listen and pay attention, but that isn't necessarily the case. But overall, it's been a good experience. The music is fun and I think everyone is mostly enjoying themselves. It's going to be very over the top and wacky and I love it! Working with Bob is always fun and I learn a lot.

Other than that, I've been trying to keep up with Sophie. She's flying higher than ever before and challenging me at every chance she gets. She learned to say "no" this week. It's exceptionally funny because she says, "Noooooooo". It's not in a standoffish sort of way, it's just a cute, sweet, "Noooooo." As of this writing she hasn't used it in a naughty kind of way, just when she doesn't want to eat something or do something. It's actually kind of cute. I'm especially proud of her because it took her so long to feel the need to say it. 18 1/2 months is pretty good. Mary G. and Charlie G. and Mel came over last night. I haven't seen Mel in a looooong time and haven't seen Mary for any length of time since last summer, so it was good to have them here. They lightened my mood and made me realize how much I miss all of the kids who have gone off to college and maybe that's been my problem for the last 9 months or so. Well, it's not been the only problem. The overwhelming amount of work I've taken on has also been a burden. Anyway, I have some cute pictures of Sophie playing in the pillow fort Mary and Charlie built her, so I'm going to post one. It's a bit blurry, but still cute. Enjoy!



Here she is as Kung Fu Cornholio (she actually put her sweater up by herself!):