YPT's Tarzan

I mentioned back in January that Calvin had tried out for and gotten a chorus style part in the Young People's Theater production of Tarzan. What I didn't mention then (because I didn't know) was how much a life takeover that one moment would turn out to be. It's not just the rehearsals, which were numerous and long, nor the parental involvement, which turned out to be so absorbing that I swear the house went uncleaned for the final three weeks, but that the caliber of the show and the intensity of the people working it, young and old, rubbed off on us in some way. 

As he did during the audition back in January, Calvin took this entire journey in stride. Rehearsals for him were anywhere from once to four times a week and lasted for one to three hours. It seemed like a lot at times, especially on the nights when his earlier choir rehearsal meant he was eating a cold dinner in the car between the two activities, or on nights when he got home fifteen minutes before his usual bedtime. But he loved every minute of it and expressed only disappointment on nights when there was no YPT rehearsal. 

I have no idea what went on in those rehearsals that left him so eager to return because parents were never allowed in. You dropped your child off at the door before it started and picked him up at the door when it was over. Rehearsals were run entirely by the director, assistant director, music director, choreographer, and an indispensible producer. With a cast of one-hundred-and-seven that is a testament to the professionalism and dedication of all the kids involved, as well as to the respectful and patient attitudes of the adults working with them. That or it's a statement about how good kids are when their parents are not around.

Though the lack of parent invitation at rehearsals does mean that parents weren't involved. Being a mostly volunteer organization, parents were strongly encouraged to participate by volunteering for a particular team, which is how I found myself working on the costume that was responsible for the biggest and most impressive costume show in YPT memory. I didn't know what I was getting into when I signed up, of course—the costumes weren't yet designed at that time—but only a two months later I was putting in my own measurable hours every week. There were weeks when costume pieces were spread throughout the house, days when we couldn't even eat at the dining room table, and all the time Calvin danced through our own jungle of costumes singing his Tarzan songs.

The months of preparation culminated in a final two weeks of intense rehearsal. That last week Calvin and I were at the theater every night from four to nine for full run-throughs, bookended by the application and removal of stage makeup at home. I was ever so thankful yet again that we are homeschoolers, because we basically took the week off and spent our mornings outside and our afternoons resting inside with books before applying makeup and heading out the door. For the whole week we lived and breathed the Tarzan jungle and all the people—actors and volunteers—who were part of it.

And Friday night, Jon and I dropped Calvin off for opening night . . . and went out for dinner before taking in that first show from the audience. It was a fun date night to celebrate the survival of theater "hell week" (which we both remember fondly from our high school days). Dinner was fun, the evening was beautiful, and the show. Even after all we had learned of the organization through our months of involvement, even after all the nights I'd spent backstage working costumes during the final week of rehearsals, we were totally unprepared for the caliber of the performance. It was like Broadway with children. The voices were delightful, the dancing spectacular, the costumes pretty darn amazing. 

We went back the next day with our parents (the doting grandparents) and then I worked the final two shows backstage. I was torn the whole time between wanting to be in back or in front of the curtain and loved every minute in both places. Families from our homeschooling group and from the neighborhood came and Calvin basked in the attention of his friends. He loved being on stage, and it was obvious from every seat.

While there are so many things I could say about how well YPT is run—how well they take care of the kids and how much they teach them—there is nothing I can say to truly describe how wonderful this experience has been for our family. Now, a week out from the final performance, as I am finally getting the house back into working order and finding time to make fresh dinners and sort the gardens out from under the weeds, Calvin is already talking about "the next show" and what he can do to prepare and how he will audition. 

Tarzan (photos taken of rehearsals/performances from the front of the stage are by YPT photographers Sabine Gabaron, Krista Campeau, and Susana Pecina)

(home)school play

It's been a performance week here all around. Calvin participated in a master class at Jon's piano studio yesterday, had long Tarzan rehearsals on three evenings, and this afternoon was the HAA end of the indoor year play, talent show, still projects display extravaganza. Calvin, of course, did all three. He wouldn't to leave any stone unturned, or any activity undone.

The play this year was homegrown—a story written then scripted by one of our own homeschool kids. It was a bit of a socialist production focused the uneven distribution of wealth between the seasons, which in this case were countries of their own. The moral of the story was "share to avoid going to war with the have-nots". It was cute and well-adapted, and I had a good time coming up with a last minute costume for my military leader of the have-nots (billed as chief warrior from the fall).

I apologize for the dark and blury shots from the play. Photography in the gym where we hold our indoor activiites is touchy, to say the least. And I was so busy enjoying the talent show that I forgot to take video of Calvin's performance, which was brilliant. 

But be sure to hop on over to his own blog to see the photograph and accompanying poem (both his own) that he turned in for his still project display. He is considering entering both in the 4H youth show this year as well.

Up next? It's dance recital weekend.

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.