Halfway through the Sound of Music

The Sound of Music at CenterPoint Legacy Theatre is now halfway through the run -- 7 performances down and 7 to go -- and I think that warrants a blog post!

Sister Berthe, Sister Sophia (me), Mother Abbess, Sister Margaretta

It's going well! Audiences are really enjoying it, and I am kind of amazed at how many nice things they say to us. I like to think it's a great show, but I'm biased, you know? Regardless, the nuns are a huge hit, as is our Maria. Seriously, Mickey Larson is perfect. Since we can't have Julie Andrews, I'm glad we have her. Actually, just read the Utah Theatre Bloggers Association's review. It sums it all up quite nicely (spoiler: the reviewer didn't like our Captain). I was honestly surprised to see my name in it, and thrilled he had nice things to say! We nuns are very proud of how hard we worked on our music, and hearing that we sound great is so gratifying. We are STILL working hard to make sure we don't get lazy and start sounding badly. Each performance gets better and better.

Fun facts (in no particular order):

• To me, the most exciting sound in the entire show is that of the curtain rising while the bells toll at the very beginning. I'm standing behind it with the other nuns, and it just... it sounds like anticipation! The curtain rising is the start of a brand new adventure, one the cast on stage gets to take with the audience. What will happen during this performance? Will the audience like it? Will we have fun? No two performances are ever the same. I love live theater!! (I've told the sisters that I sing with how much I love this sound, and they've all bought into it. It's so fun celebrating and playing with them!)

• A lot of cast members have family in the show (a nun in every family). Both Brigittas get to do it with their moms, and one has a grandpa in the show, too! Lots of mother/daughter and a few father/daughter connections... no sons involved that I know of...

Real-life mother and daughter play Mother Abbess and Maria in my cast

• Thirty of the actors wear microphones, and none of them share (well, we share with our doubles in the other cast). There additional microphones hidden onstage for those who do not have their own.

• Many cast members have performed in The Sound of Music before. As far as I know, the only persons repeating a role are the Captains Von Trapp -- both have played the role in other productions. I already hope I get to do it again someday!

• One of our nuns is pregnant. She isn't showing yet, but we still think it's hilarious.

• The people I knew best when we started are the production team. How I love these women! I'm always amazed at how much a cast bonds during rehearsals, and even more so during the run of the show. You get to know your dressing roommates really well hanging out backstage. There are several people I want to keep for a long, long time. I love how much everyone gets along. I may not know anyone really well, but I like the whole cast. They're talented, and nice. A great combination.

Choreographer Liz, music director Maddie, and director Maurie

We couldn't resist a photo with Maurie when she came to visit on Tuesday.
Melinda (on the left) jokes we have four nuns and one of the knights of the round table.
Love the wimple!

• The four main nuns (including me) are not included in the party scene, and that's ok with us! (The Captain did personally invite us once.) It means I don't have to be glamorous this time. No false eyelashes, no spanx, no fancy hairstyle. Just a lot of black and singing and facial expression :D It's fun looking more or less normal when I go out after the show!

• During dress rehearsals, I kept getting into trouble for moving my hands under my scapula (the piece of fabric that hangs down in front of my robe). Apparently it looks a little like an alien coming out of my chest... Whoops! Wrong play!
  (It is nice to have "business" to do with my hands AKA having them folded in front of me at all times. If I can manage to keep them still, it looks good, they aren't distracting, and I don't have to worry about them.) 

• All of the Von Trapp kids have dressers assigned to them, because they have a costume change for every scene and most of them are quick. I'm in charge of Marta, the second youngest. This little girl cracks me up. She probably doesn't even need me, but it warms my heart that she pretends to rely on me (I'm not fooled. There's one complicated change where two of us are helping the three youngest girls. Once, both of us changers missed it and the kids just helped each other; we apologized profusely afterwards, but they got it done and didn't seem put out). Those kids are amazing and really neat people!

Marta and Sister Sophia

• The scene change music between "Do-Re-Mi" and "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" is 23 seconds long, which means that is all the time Liesl has to change from her uniform into a frilly gown. Sister Berthe and I help her. We have been really lucky to have finished in time during every performance so far!

Liesel and Rolf

• This is what our cast t-shirt looks like:



 Cute, eh? The kids' version has the top of their pants printed on theirs!


• I've been telling my friends that my part is tiny, so they should only come if they like the play The Sound of Music. I still say so, although of course it's not nearly as fun if I don't have any friends there (I was a little depressed after that first week when I realized that most who are planning to come had already done so and few would be coming later in the run). I'm a little surprised at how many say they hate the play in general; my production is excellent (read the review again!) and you might like it more than you think. If you do come, let me know when you're there so I am sure to come out and give you a huge hug afterwards!!

• I have four scenes, three lines, seven songs sung with fifteen other nuns, and get at least one huge laugh each night. When I auditioned, I said I'd take any speaking role, and I'm glad I did. THIS is the best way to be part of the ensemble. I love it!

• This is possibly my favorite photo that I took during rehearsals:

Max and Elsa look so chic... Wait. What the?
How did Sister Berthe get in there?!

The play has been extended until Tuesday, April 1 (they assure us it isn't an April Fools joke :P) My Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday cast performs in the matinee on Saturday, March 29. We've had several nearly sold out shows and I'm guessing that'll be more prevalent as we get closer to closing. If you want to come, book your tickets ASAP!

To end, here is a short promotional video featuring the other cast. If you can't see us and still want to go, see them. They are terrific, too!


See you on the other side of the mountain! (Get it? 'Cause of "Climb Ev'ry Mountain"? Never mind...)

Fleeting February

I mentioned before that February was going to be crazy busy, and it was! I only had a few rehearsal-less, non-sick days to spend with friends, as evidenced by the fact I only have four photos to share:

Dinner at Cantina with Steph J and Amy

This place has an amazing salsa bar. Try the mango -- it's delicious!!

Valentine's Day

This photo is a throwback to my trip to Philadelphia -- good times :)

Kate's baby shower

She has accumulated a lot of terrific friends, especially the also-photoed Jenna.
It was so fun to celebrate my besty's impending motherhood!

A Man for All Seasons with Carrie at CenterPoint Legacy Theatre

Carrie was only in town for a week, and I felt lucky she and I
had the same evening free and she wanted to see this play, too.
(Pictured with our friends Jason and Todd)

Since most of the month was consumed by The Sound of Music rehearsals, it seems only fitting they comandeer the bulk of this post, too ;) 

It opens today -- get your tickets ASAP! 

(I'm in the Tues/Thurs/Sat cast, but they are both well worth your time.)

"Let's start at the very beginning..."

They accept your applause!

"Climb Ev'ry Mountain Finale"
(taken of the cast I'm not in)

Lunch during our one all-day tech Saturday. We ran the entire show twice!
(I'm sitting next to my double.)

"Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes..."

The Captain joins in as the children sing "The Sound of Music."

"You are sixteen, going on seventeen, waiting for life to start..."

"Climb Ev'ry Mountain"
(Sung by Maria's real-life mom as Mother Abbess. So, so good.)

First dress rehearsal with my Little Women sister, Summer, who plays Leisl in my cast!
(Don't I look different without my hair?)

Sisters, bridesmaids, friends

We nuns have a great time together!

The eldest and the youngest

My double, Christine, after her cast's final dress rehearsal/ preview night. 

The show is ready to go, and it's beautiful!

Funny enough, I have more free time now (well, as of tonight) that the show is open. Looking forward to the first glimpses of spring, sleeping in on the weekends, catching up with neglected/AWOL friends, and a lot of applause (I hope) in March!

February tybbling

And now it's time for more random thoughts that have been on my mind lately:

• The only time I miss having access to television in my house is during the Olympics (I probably say this every time they come around). I've watched a few Sunday events while at my parents house, but that's it. It really, really bothers me that you can't watch online unless you have cable... do people who have cable really care about watching it online? I wish NBC would even just put some clips of events on the free site, instead of just the recaps and "how they got there" public-interest pieces. I'd love to watch Meryl Davis and Charlie White's gold-medal-winning ice dance performance!

• I am so emotionally over this sinus infection. Wish my body would catch up; I'm tired of not being able to sleep at night because I have to take naps during the day. At least this hasn't affected my voice as badly as the one last month did.

• A note about microphones and speaker phones: they are not magic. They pick up your voice when you speak up, speak clearly, and speak into it. If you are literally ten feet away from it during a conference call, do not be surprised if no one can hear you.

• It's kind of amazing how much difference a hair cut and color and a facial can make to improve my emotional well-being.

• Quite a few of my favorite bloggers/friends haven't posted anything in awhile. I kind of hope they're just taking a break and will come back some time (read the link; it's a great article). I love reading their thoughts and I miss them, but I know sometimes we need to be free to live our lives and let things happen without worrying about documenting every single moment!

• Blowing bubbles is soothing. I like to think that the relaxation that occurs is similar to the calm that smokers experience. Kids: don't smoke. Blow bubbles instead. It's healthier and less expensive.

• I almost always have a song running through my head, especially while I'm trying to fall asleep. For the last two weeks, it's alternated between two pieces I've been working on for The Sound of Music: "Morning Hymn" (sung as I bring on the new postulant near the end of Act I), and "Confitemini Domino" (a section of the Wedding medley). The silver lining is that I know the Latin and my second-soprano part amazingly well now!

• I had a Bishopric interview on Sunday, and it sparked a conversation about why I'm single and his observations about single guys in their 30s. The counselor said a lot of encouraging (and hilarious) things that I needed to hear. I came out of the interview feeling much better about myself. I am grateful!

• This adorable video from the Oh My Disney blog:

The Ultimate Declaration of Love - Oh My Disney on Disney Video

• Apparently, my Facebook breaks are super inconvenient for some of my friends. I am aware that you can change the settings so you don't get e-mail notifications for absolutely everything, but that doesn't work if you're an administrator for a group or page. Also, sometimes FB sends me notifications even when I've changed the setting so that it shouldn't. (DO NOT comment with ways I can get around this). So, I deactivate instead of just logging off -- in my mind it's the difference between losing 10 pounds just because, and losing it because a wedding is coming up. I'm on my computer all day long at work -- if I deactivate instead of logging off it's an extra incentive not to log in, no matter how much I'm tempted. I'm very flattered when people notice I'm gone and make sure to send me texts to keep me posted. That's nicer than just complaining it's so much harder to get hold of me now. I'm off FB because I need a break from the "easy access." Deactivating my account for two weeks is relaxing for me. I'm glad that it's an option and all my information is still there when I'm ready to log in again. Is it really so much harder to text or e-mail me, or just wait until I get back on? (If it's really urgent, I'd hope you'd text me anyway!)

• I took Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella (the Whitney Houston version) to my mom's house for Valentine's Day. I knew she and my dad were baby-sitting the kids that night and I thought they might enjoy it. I commented to Breezy that I should have brought my tiaras so we could wear them while we watched. We didn't get to finish the movie before their parents came to get them. Sunday morning I received a text from my brother stating that Breezy wanted me to bring the movie and the tiaras. She then proceeded to boss everyone around, insisting that Aaron and Heidi and I all wear one at various points of the evening. She's such a character!

Just a little insight into the life and mind of Miss Megan.

What's on your mind right now?

Happy Monday!

Hats Off at CenterPoint

CenterPoint Legacy Theatre hosted a "Hats Off" party as a thank you to everyone who was involved with the 2013 season, including the board members, actors, production teams, backstage techs, ushers, box office people, and I don't know who else. They modeled it a bit on the party that Hale Centre Theatre does every year. It was pretty awesome, and I was thrilled to see many people I hadn't seen in awhile.

I was invited because of my role in Arsenic and Old Lace. Sadly, only a handful of us from the show came to the party.

At least Brandon was there. He was brilliant as Jonathan Brewster,

and not at all creepy in real life.

I invited my friend Liz to come as my date... and then she invited Randall to be her date... so I ended up just flitting around and talking with as many people as I could find. I probably would have done that anyway ;) I usually opt not to invite dates to these kind of things 1) because I don't have a steady significant other to default to, and 2) because I don't want to bring someone who doesn't know everyone else. Since Liz was also in a show and brought her own escort, I didn't feel too badly about abandoning them as much as I did. Haha! I was able to find them when it came time to sit and watch the program.

Randall and I looked great together in his navy blue jacket and my midnight blue dress!

The decor was impressive. They set up displays for each of the plays, and had food at each one to fit the show. Arsenic = punch, The Secret Garden = veggies and chocolate-covered strawberries, Fiddler on the Roof = chicken and rice, White Christmas = a candy bar (as in a table with various candies and little boxes to put together, not a snickers or something). I missed seeing how they incorporated Joseph, Into the Woods, or How to Succeed. I thought that concept was clever, though. They also had pizza and sodas for those of us who wanted something a bit more substantial.

The program was fairly straight-forward. The Executive Producer, Scott Van Dyke, and the Artistic Director, Jansen Davis, emcee'd the event. There were numbers from each of the plays (we didn't have enough players to do a scene from Arsenic, so our darling director sang "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park" instead), interspersed with a huge raffle. I couldn't believe how much stuff they had to give away!

Scott and Jan give a madcap recap of Arsenic and Old Lace

The How to Succeed cast leads a sing-along of "Brotherhood of Man"

Two Bettys sing "Sisters" from White Christmas...

...then Bob and Phil do their reprise. So funny!

The invitation had said to wear "sparkly attire." I was glad to hear I wasn't the only person a little confused by that. According to the party planner, some of the head honchos hadn't wanted to wear tuxedos, and she'd seen the description on another invitation and thought it was cute. She ended up getting a lot of e-mails asking what that meant. People at the party ended up wearing whatever they wanted to, whether it be a fancy gown/tuxedo, Sunday best, or even jeans and t-shirts. I'm curious to see what the invitation will say next year ;)

I opted to go all out:

My mom had to come over to my house and help zip me into the dress. Sadly, I don't have much fancy jewelry. Happily, I won the necklace seen in this photo during the raffle! Score! Now I have something to wear next time!

I can no longer say I never win anything ;)
(I had just finished saying "I kind of hope I don't win anything, because I don't think I could make it down the stairs in these shoes" when they called my name. Then I said, "Woo-hoo! It's me!" and ran down without any trouble.)

Several of the women in charge told me they'd been coveting the necklace. I feel pretty lucky.

After the program there was a dance party on the stage, and I chatted and took photos with more favorite people:

My lovely Jillian (I love that her mom is photo-bombing us!)  

Jan cast and directed me in my first shows at both Rodgers Memorial and CenterPoint.
Thank you, Jan!

Scott and me (he's going to be mad I didn't photoshop this to make him look younger, as requested...)

Thanks, CenterPoint, for a terrific party. You know how to throw a classy shindig. I hope you do another one next year!

(I'd already be invited since I'm in The Sound of Music, right?)

Happy Valentine's Day!

This is what I think about just before Valentine's Day every year:

Haha! It was too perfect to pass up.

Seriously, though: I am loved by a lot of people, and I love a lot of people. I didn't do anything creative for them this year; I had a lot of fun this morning sending messages to many who mean the most to me. They show me all the time that they love me an I am truly grateful.

As for the day itself, I have been battling a sinus infection all week, and at the moment I can't hear out of my right ear, so I think I will forego my other plans, stay in tonight, eat some Little Cesars, and watch four different versions of Cinderella. Or continue watching season 2 of Fringe. Or start tackling the 5th Games of Thrones novel A Dance with Dragons (I need to read two hours a day to finish in the 4 week library deadline). I can't decide. Oh, and I will be eating more pink, red, and white M&Ms than I should. Yummmmmmmm!

A few favorite Valentine's Day-related links:

• Oh My Disney blog: We can't handle how romantic these moments are
• Teen Girl Squad: Vamlumtimes's Day episode ("What do we want?" "Several boys!" "How we gonna get it?" "Ummmmm...")
• The most recent bunch of posts on my friend Jenna's tumblr Wings of Poesie (up to and including everything about "Why I am grateful to be single this Valentines Day").
• My Thoughts about Valentine's Day post from last year.

 Have a Happy Valentine's Day, my friends!

An early Valentine from Larissa!

The "love bug" that must have been hiding in the flowers.
Hello, Lady!

My dad surprised me with these flowers and chocolates. He is such a dear man! I am so lucky to be his daughter!

The flowers are pink, white, and red. You can't see it, but they match the M&Ms in the jar wonderfully. Dad knows me so well!

Concealed weapons class

My friend Derek is an ex-Marine and very passionate about gun safety and knowledge. He teaches a Utah State Concealed Carry permit class, and in the interest of trying something new and wanting to be more informed, I decided to go.* There has been so much talk of increased legislation and tragedies surrounding guns. I thought it might ease my mind to be better informed.

I wasn't at all sure what to expect going in. Would we be firing actual weapons or simply listening to a lecture? Would there be a lot of people there? Do I even want to get my Concealed Firearm permit?

I certainly did not expect it to be as interesting as it was.**

It was a four-hour class, and most of it was a lecture. Derek is a theatre guy***, so he knows how to keep it from getting boring. He had plenty of videos to illustrate his points, and plenty of stories and personal experiences to share. As I said, he's an ex-Marine and a trained instructor. He's also a husband and father of two daughters -- a three year old and (at the time) a two month old -- so safety is VERY important to him. He's of the opinion that the more people know how to properly handle life-threatening situations, and the more they know about guns in general, the safer people will be.

The class covered the following types of things:

• Concealed carry laws in Utah. Apparently, there are different laws for different states. If you take your weapon to another state you better know the laws there, too.
• Gun safety. As I said, as the father of two little girls he was passionate about this and had some good advice about teaching kids about how dangerous guns are, since many accidents in the home are due to curiosity and ignorance.
• Situations where it is appropriate to use a weapon. A room crowded with people? Not appropriate. Someone yelling at you on your doorstep but not being physical with you? Also not appropriate. An obviously aggressive person charging at you in a parking lot while swinging a baseball bat? Probably appropriate.
• Different types of guns and how to handle them. Derek explained the different parts of a gun and how they work. He brought in several weapons; he was the only one allowed to touch them (something of a relief).
• Pros and cons of different types of concealed holsters.
• Pros and cons as to why we might want to own or carry a weapon. He talked about things like being a target to others if they know we are carrying a weapon, how some parents might not let their kids play with kids whose parents keep guns in the house, and how a person can be ostracized for shooting a gun in public, even in defense.

Derek ended with an analogy about sheep and wolves. He said that the sheep are regular people -- those who are not willing or able to carry weapons but are grateful for those who do. They are glad for the protection, even if they aren't entirely comfortable with the concept. The wolves are the selfish, evil, mentally ill people who needlessly harm others. The sheepdogs are the good people who carry weapons and will use them to protect the sheep, because they know the evil people exist and the sheep need protecting.

The one thing Derek said that has really stayed with me is this question: Would you actually be able to shoot another human being, whatever the circumstance? Even if it was a choice between that person or me where I could be killed if I didn't shoot? Could I live with myself afterwards? Honestly, I don't know if I could. Maybe it's one of those things I'll never know unless in that situation, which I hope never happens (but if I wait to decide until that hypothetical day, it will be too late). 

Will I actually get my permit or buy a gun? I haven't decided. When honest with myself, I cannot imagine myself ever shooting someone. As a single woman, it isn't a bad idea to protect myself against intruders (I've been having a lot of dreams lately of people intending to do me mortal harm). I could possibly see myself getting a gun to keep at home. But, again, could I really shoot someone? I have shot rifles at targets and had a marvelous and safe time, but shooting at a human being in an uncontrolled environment terrifies me. So many things could go wrong, including the intruder getting a hold of the gun and using it against me. Of course, practice would help me be better prepared and less afraid. I don't know.

What I DO know is that I am glad that I took the class. Even if I don't get my permit, I feel safer knowing that there ARE so many rules. If everyone is as conscientious as Derek and my dad, then I worry less about other permitted shooters. To actually be issued a concealed weapons permit, the person has to pass all kinds of background checks and be completely clean -- I got a speeding ticket a few months ago and I'm a little worried it would keep me from being cleared. I am so, so grateful for the men and woman who know how to properly handle weapons and use them lawfully to protect the innocent. I wish there were more of them (there are probably more than I suspect)!

If you're interested in taking the class, let me know and I can send you his information, or you can contact Double Tap Personal Defense on Facebook. Regardless of whether you get a permit, the class is not very expensive and well worth your time.

*For some reason, my taking the concealed weapons class has surprised a lot of people. There is so much you don't know about me!

**I also didn't expect it to be taught in the party room at a frozen yogurt shop (I can only imagine what the average patron thought if they glanced in the room during the class) but that ended up not mattering, except that I had to get some fro-yo before I left.

***My mom thought it was hilarious when we went to a play together and I pointed Derek out as the guy who taught the concealed weapons class. Theatre takes all kinds, people, and we definitely need those buff, masculine guys!