Madras Kids

This spring semester the girls have been involved in the musical theater group, Madras Kids. The program was started Spring 2007, we saw our first show Fall 2007, and now Spring 2008 the girls were singing and dancing under the lights with 20 other kids. They spent weeks rehearsing selections from the Lion King, Wizard of Oz, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Mulan and Priscilla Queen of the Desert (what can I say, the Director is a little nuts! The kids thoroughly enjoyed it). I spent today helping out backstage, flipping kids through costumes and tossing them on stage. With the Director's husband, Ian worked magic with the projected backdrop and getting the music pulled together. Brian had the vision, Ian fixed the bugs and together they made it work seamlessly. It was a blast. The boys got to play unlimited DS during rehearsal and Nicholas was in charge of the video camera during the show with a front row view, so they had a wonderful time.

The girls of course had a fabulous time.

I'm hoping next year to play a bigger role in the production, perhaps lend a hand with individual/small group singing guidance. Our choreographer is leaving this summer, so I may put in my two cents with stage movement too if we don't get someone else to fill the gap. Of course all this is only if the Director will have me, and she promises she won't hate me by the end of it all! A Consulate friend, Kelly, was a huge asset backstage too, managing the mikes, doing makeup and shushing left and right along with me, we may have to draft her again.

I do think one top recommendation is finding another performance hall. Last year the kids performed in the school gym, which was way too big for 100 people to sit without feeling lost and the kids' voices did get lost. This time the theater was almost too small, the room was packed and actually that's a nice feel. But, the a/c really didn't work. And backstage was open air, meaning absolutely no a/c and 25 active bodies producing massive amounts of heat in a cramped space. There was even a "skylight." Thank goodness it didn't rain, because the big hole in the ceiling, uh skylight, would have created quite a bit more chaos. If the cast (and therefore the audience) gets any bigger using a larger venue will be become a necessity, which isn't a bad thing. Each year the performance and the tech support get better, so I have no doubt the Fall show will be even more wonderful.
So proud of my family. Katherine did a great scarecrow and really got into "I'll Make a Man Out of You."
Becca's already prepping her audition song for the Fall.