This is the only picture I took because cameras weren't allowed during the show.
Last night I had the
opportunity to go see my cousin Laura perform in a High School musical called, “It’s
a Matter of Time.” First things first: I was absolutely blown away at the level
of flair and imagination presented by these teenagers. From start to finish I
was glued to my chair with wonder, astonishment, and occasionally maybe a piece
of sand or grit got into my eye and some sort of fluid began to leak out. That
happened almost immediately when they brought a piano out and a girl played a
song called 7 years old. I had never heard it before, but I would imagine she offered
it flawlessly.
I’m going out of order as usual because my memory doesn’t
always serve me right. The first song was actually The Time Warp, which I’ve
heard on the radio before, but I don’t know what it’s from. If I had to guess,
every kid in the school was involved in this piece. They flooded the aisles and
the stage and singing and dancing was all around me. It was a good intro for an
even better show to come.
Next up a song called Seasons of Love. I had only heard a
version of this song maybe in a commercial before but I’m fairly certain it’s
famous for something. Only briefly, but for the first time ever I got to hear
my little (not so little anymore) Laura sing. I now know what it means when
somebody says, “She has the voice of an angel.” It was beautiful, soft, and
sweet. I was truly disappointed that she
didn’t get more time.
I’ll skip ahead a few songs to one that I was quite
captivated by. Cell Block Tango sounded like a classic show tune from a musical
off Broadway. It might be just that, but I refuse to use Google for this post.
My memory alone will try to paint the picture. Six girls sat in a row on stage,
and I think the chairs were backwards. They started saying funny words like
squish, snap, crackle, and pop. Maybe not quite those words, but close. Then
they each told a tale of a mischievous man and how they killed them. It was
funny, inspired, and undeniably entertaining.
And backwards I go again because I forgot about two solo
acts that were really good. I have the program from the show in front of me now
so hopefully that will keep me on track. Writing’s on the Wall and Viva la Vida
were both sung powerfully, passionately, and from what I could tell, spot on. I
can’t be held accountable for my lack of musical awareness pertaining to Broadway
or Coldplay, but I do know a good voice when I hear one, and they had talent.
When was the last time you saw tap dancing? For me it was
last night. And, it was the first time in my life I had seen it live and I was
quite mesmerized. All of my skills either involve food or uh……. Hmmm I’ve got
to be good at other things, more on that later. What I’m trying to say is that
if I tried my hand (or rather foot) at tap dancing, I would surely break my leg
and those of anybody near me. It takes dedication and practice to get to the
level at which they performed, and they should be very proud of themselves.
Blast forward to Rocket Man, the only solo by a male last
night. I was a little worried at first that he couldn’t hit the high notes, but
sure enough, I was phantom-singing along with him half way through. He actually
even kinda sounded like Elton, which I would take as a huge compliment. Keep
singin’ kid.
I don’t have enough room to go over every performance, and I
couldn’t possibly remember every minute even if I could, so here’s the last
couple…
Transitioning us through the whole performance was a core of
kids travelling through time in a Tardis as seen in Dr. Who. Between every song
they would come out and say a few lines and meet up with various personalities
in music history. I’ll just say that my favorite was Beyonce. Anyhow, right
before every song, they would have a few lines which inevitably lead to them
saying the title of the number to be performed. Numbers like 25 or 6 to 4. See,
I did it! The Cabaret House Band played this ditty by Chicago quite well. The saxophone
player got up front and center and showed off his skills in a little solo that
got the crowd going.
And I have to skip to a little a cappella originally
performed by Billy Joel. I’m terrified of a cappella since I saw Rajaton
dismantle the Beatles a few months back, but this was enjoyable and in tune. I
never realized how few words I actually knew to that song until last night. I
might have been good as one of the hummers, but I would look like a fool if I
had to sing.
Overall it was an incredible evening. This is where I say
how grateful I am for sobriety, and for being back in the lives of my family. I
know I’ve missed a lot over the years but I’m trying to make up for lost time
now. Laura if you read this, know that I love you and that I’m proud of who you
are and what you’ve become. You have so much life in front of you and it looks
like you’re on the right track. I’m sorry if this post didn’t do the show
justice, I’m a work in progress!
