Musical Awakening

It started with The Secret Garden.

Last year my aunt Sylvia and Grandma, Mama Faye, took Brooklyn and I to see The Secret Garden. I love the music and was excited to share it with Brooklyn. It was a small theater, but oh so well done. It was an amazing experience seeing such a high caliber production so up close. You could see all their expressions, no microphones needed, and I loved the live orchestra of a pianist, violinist (or was it cello?--it's been awhile!), and flautist--perfect and so full sounding!

The next one we saw was Oliver! We watched the movie beforehand, listened to the music lots, then went off to see the production at the theater Mama Faye is helping with the music at. So fun! It was fun for Brooklyn to see so many little kids in such an energetic production! (And my cousin Julia too!) Fav line still: Please sir, may I have some more? MORE?????

Then Brooklyn had fun in her school play/musical, Life Cycles!

Then we went to the Redlands Bowl for a free showing of Roger's and Hammerstein's Cinderella. My sister-in-law, Jen has the old (and cheesy) movie so we went to her house to watch it right after she had brand-new-baby Porter! So fun to remember all the songs, but it did not hold the boys' attention....I looked for the newer Disney/Brandy version at the library but all they had was VHS.

What a magical, lovely night....impossible! things are happening every day!

Then this summer we got together with some friends and put on our own musical. All three of my kids got to be in Three Nanny Goat's Gruff, and they had a lot of fun! You might recognize my set from Brooklyn's school play, it's already coming to additional good use! I had fun helping with music and choreography. Look at the cute costumes!

It all came together so nicely and the kids all did such a good job singing and remembering the actions! Nathan was a Narrator, Brooklyn was Fannie goat, and Hunter was a Bumblebee. Most quoted line: Then stop (pause, pause) where you are (pause, pause), I will gobble you up!

Then a couple of weeks ago, I took Brooklyn to see Mary Poppins, again with Aunt Sylvia and Mama Faye, and cousin Andrew. We had watched the movie many times and even the boys really like the movie--such a classic, up there with Gone with the Wind I'd say :) Nathan was kind of sad not to be able to go, but maybe when he's a little older. It's hard enough keeping one child awake, feeding her candy all through the second half to keep her awake!

This was an amazing show, so fun to see Mary Poppins fly! Loved the music, have to say though that I love the songs from the original movie. I liked the songs they took from the movie and changed up a little, but I missed some of the songs from the movie. Maybe I just wasn't used to the new ones. But an amazing show. LOVED Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and Steppin Time!

So Brooklyn saw a preview on Daddy Day Care for Annie, the musical. So I picked it up from the library and she has watched it several times, already memorized a bunch of the songs, and sings them at the top of her lungs. One night we were driving home from the beach and we decided to sing all the songs from Annie--she knew way more than I did! So I guess that's the next one we need to go and see!

I love that she loves musicals, it is such a fun things to share!