Cinderella in Detroit

If I haven't mentioned it before, and I'm pretty sure that I have, our family has a great love for the stage. Shortly before Calvin was born I made an acquaintance who was very involved in children's theater and went to a performance of Charlotte's Web in order to see her perform. At the time she had a three month old waiting for her backstage, and my infant was about three months from making his own debut, but I was already sold on the idea of great children's theater. Calvin went to his first real show just a few years later and sat in rapt attention through the entire performance of fairy tales and legends done by Wild Swan, our award winning local children's theater group. He loved it, and we got season tickets for years after.

Even today we still go see some of Wild Swan's shows for older kids, but children's theater was really just a gateway drug. When Calvin was only five we went with friends to see the traveling Broadway performance of Mary Poppins. That went so well that we tried him out on Pirates of Penzance at the Stratford Festival that same fall.  A few shows in he started performing himself, first with his homeschooling group, then in camps, then, coming full circle, in a children's chorus for a Wild Swan show itself. It's a true love affair, not due necessarily to any strong aptitude, but to a great depth of enjoyment. 

I mention all this for two reasons. First, because a few weeks ago Calvin decided to audition for a coveted spot in a local children's performing troupe for the production of the musical Tarzan, and he won a place in the mid level chorus. The process required a full resume with head shot to be turned in at the audition where he was interviewed and put to the test for recitation, vocals, and dance choreography. I was nervous for him. I think it was the resume with head shot that made it clear how next level up this really was. Calvin was pretty easy about the whole thing, which might have been his saving grace. We'll never know. But the next few months in our house will be all Tarzan all the time.

The second reason I mention all this stagey stuff is because this weekend we went with our close friends (also known as our camping friends) to see the Broadway travelling performance of Cinderella in Detroit, almost four years to the day after we went with them to see Mary Poppins. It was a great show—a really surprisingly fresh and hilariously updated show with amazing costumes and perfect one-liners. It was a great show, plus it was a nice break from Tarzan.

Scarlet Ibis in a tree (and other theatrical moments)

It was dual camp week for Calvin. Two half day camps, both in the same building but from different though related companies. The morning camp was theater camp with the Wild Swan company that he performed with last year in The Wizard of Oz. Afternoon camp was musical theater camp with Arts in Motion, the dance school where we took mom and me dancing classes when Calvin was still a toddler.

Thematically the morning camp was about the rain forest. The group read the story The Great Kapok Tree and made it into a skit which they proceeded to perform for the parents in a fifteen minute show on Friday. Throughout the week they worked on lines, sets, and costumes, and they also did some research on the rain forest and its denizens. Calvin did most of the research for the group, coming home proudly having volunteered to look up whatever question the group had, and spending a half hour or so with the computer and encyclopedia, taking notes so he'd have a good answer the next day. If only he approached all his work with such gusto.

Thematically the afternoon camp was a review of songs from the shows Cinderella, Into the Woods, and Peter Pan. This was another thing Calvin eagerly tackled at home without nagging, or even reminding, from either of us. He fired up You Tube and sang along with Broadway performers on a nightly basis. He had his moves down, too.

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Endings

There are so many ways to measure the years, and so many rituals by which to mark their passing. Our homeschooling group's spring play and talent show is one of them, and now that it has come and gone we know for sure that the days will be getting longer and warmer, and that our time will increasingly be spent out of doors. We look forward to it every spring.

This year the play was a little harder to follow, having been written by two girls no older than middle school, maybe younger. I know it had something to do with merfolk and fairies, and I think there was an evil cat, or maybe an evil ring that had been presented by a cat as a gift? There was some adventure that involved merfolk (of which Calvin was a key member) growing legs to rescue ocean water from the bathtub of a castle. There may have been an evil spell.

The plot was a little hazy at best, and the poor acoustics in the gym/theater didn't help any, but it was graciously short, and definitely sweet. And it was followed by the usual cute talent show, with talents ranging anywhere from piano or guitar performance, to running in circles on the stage, or reading aloud one's short story to leading the whole group in a dance.

Plus there were brownies.

A midsummer dream

When I said we were on the few days between travels, I really wasn't kidding. Back from Chicago on Sunday, headed to Stratford on Friday. Calvin asked for tickets to see A Midsummer Night's Dream and Alice Through the Looking Glass for Christmas, and thanks to his grandparents we all got to go. This was our second summer trip to Stratford, and we hope to make it an annual tradition, especially now that we've found the perfect place to stay, and the perfect place to stop for ice cream.

The shows were both completely wonderful, of course. I think my favorite part was watching Calvin totally eat up A Midsummer Night's Dream. When we walked into the theater and took our seats next to two gentlemen, I think they were a little surprised, possibly even a little concerned, to see Calvin seated there. I can imagine they were concerned about wiggling and attention spans. I noted that all through the show, the man sitting next to me kept looking over him, perhaps surprised at his delight, because I have never seen Calvin quite so into a show. He loved it.

Alice Through the Looking Glass was also done very well, but it was a little more abstract or eccentric than I think I had expected. Fascinating, though. As a special treat we made reservations to have lunch with the characters before the show. Stratford, it seems, is taking notes from Disney. The lunch itself was a little on the weak side, but Calvin had a great time playing croquet, competing in knight races, laughing with the characters, and, most of all by far, trying on the costumes from previous plays in previous years. We had a hard time getting him out of the costume trying area even to eat lunch.

We couldn't have asked for a more wonderful weekend.

Peter Pan

Yesterday was the final big event of our way too busy spring—our homeschool group's annual spring party, play, and talent show.

Those people that I mentioned recently, the people who think that homeschooling is a lonely, brain-washing undertaking, have probably never visited a gathering of homeschoolers like ours before. Our group is officially described as secular, and is made up of families that homeschool in vastly different ways. The group meets once a week, though the rest of our days are often filled with play dates, field trips, or other activities with friends from the group. And if one counts the very general belief that some children will learn best at home, then I guess I have to admit to surrounding myself with like-minded individuals. As far as the usual culprits for narrow-mindedness go, though, our group is fairly diverse and definitely eye-opening and educating. Plus there's usually excellent food at our pot-luck parties.

This year's spring play was an adapted version of Peter Pan, and Calvin was an excellent Peter Pan.

I can't find my pesky shadow, have you seen it, Wendy?

Sew it on? Oh no!

How could you do it? She was going to be our mother!

You can't have it, fairies like to steal shiny things!

Hook, there is magic on this island that is completely inaccessible to you. You're too old.

Talent show—Peter Pan at the piano