A Night at the Lion King
Okay tonight we went to the openning night of The Lion King.
mamaursula got the three of us (herself, our daughter, and me) first row seats. With many productions you miss some stuff, Lion King was no exception but you got to experience so much more from that close at times you could almost reach out and touch the animals.
Oh I know I said we were in the first row but it was front and center right behind the conductor. So when we sat down
mamaursulawas explaining to Kate what was going to go on and showed her where the conductor would stand. Kate asked the conductor's name and they proceded to search through the Playbill for the conductor's name: Valerie Gebert. So as the time of the performance drew closer the conductor came out and mamaursula said, "This must be Valerie. Kate say hi."
Valerie seemed genuinely plesaed that someone knew her name and asked Kate what her name was. So we talked to the conductor pretty much for Kate since she was now suddenly shy (as 4 year olds often are). So finally the house lights dim and Circle of Life begins to play and an incredible parade of animals. . .wow. You see pictures even video and it really just pales to being there. At one point there was a near life size elephant with a person in each of the costume's legs.
For the first act Kate clapped her hands (or mine) tightly over her ears, for those who don't know she has hated loud noise since she was very little. And so as intermission approached I was worried that she wasn't going to enjoy the show especially durring the kinda scary villain scene with all the hyenas. I needn't have worried. when the lights came up at intermission Kate was ready to explode with disappointment.
mamaursula wanted to take Kate to the bathroom but she wasn't going to go with out making sure she wasn't going to miss anything. The exchange was a bit like this:
Valerie: So Kate do you like it?
Kate: Yeah [excitedunintelligableblurofwordsrunningtogetherinasinglebreath] Don't put up the ah don't put it up [shortersinglebreathstream]
Valerie: (still trying to absorb the first rush of words) You had your hands over your ears.
(At this point my wife and I both realize that Kate is visible on the camera they have pointed at the conductor. Valerie confirms this point and tells us that Kate is the talk of the town backstage. I'm sot sure whether we should be embarrassed or proud.)
Kate: Ah-huh it was loud [yetanotherveryexcitedburstofwords] and ah don't put up the curtain. I have to use the potty.
Valerie: *Laughs* Okay you use the potty I promise I won't start until you get back.
When they get back Valerie continues the conversation with Kate until it's time to get back to work. The second act proceeded much the same as the first except a few times Kate forgot to put her hands over her ears.
So anyway this was a once in a lifetime experience that I will treasure.
Edit:
mamaursula has a great entry about this over on her journal check it out although if you're reading this here you already know about her LJ.
mamaursula got the three of us (herself, our daughter, and me) first row seats. With many productions you miss some stuff, Lion King was no exception but you got to experience so much more from that close at times you could almost reach out and touch the animals.
Oh I know I said we were in the first row but it was front and center right behind the conductor. So when we sat down
mamaursulawas explaining to Kate what was going to go on and showed her where the conductor would stand. Kate asked the conductor's name and they proceded to search through the Playbill for the conductor's name: Valerie Gebert. So as the time of the performance drew closer the conductor came out and mamaursula said, "This must be Valerie. Kate say hi."
Valerie seemed genuinely plesaed that someone knew her name and asked Kate what her name was. So we talked to the conductor pretty much for Kate since she was now suddenly shy (as 4 year olds often are). So finally the house lights dim and Circle of Life begins to play and an incredible parade of animals. . .wow. You see pictures even video and it really just pales to being there. At one point there was a near life size elephant with a person in each of the costume's legs.
For the first act Kate clapped her hands (or mine) tightly over her ears, for those who don't know she has hated loud noise since she was very little. And so as intermission approached I was worried that she wasn't going to enjoy the show especially durring the kinda scary villain scene with all the hyenas. I needn't have worried. when the lights came up at intermission Kate was ready to explode with disappointment.
mamaursula wanted to take Kate to the bathroom but she wasn't going to go with out making sure she wasn't going to miss anything. The exchange was a bit like this:
Valerie: So Kate do you like it?
Kate: Yeah [excitedunintelligableblurofwordsrunningtogetherinasinglebreath] Don't put up the ah don't put it up [shortersinglebreathstream]
Valerie: (still trying to absorb the first rush of words) You had your hands over your ears.
(At this point my wife and I both realize that Kate is visible on the camera they have pointed at the conductor. Valerie confirms this point and tells us that Kate is the talk of the town backstage. I'm sot sure whether we should be embarrassed or proud.)
Kate: Ah-huh it was loud [yetanotherveryexcitedburstofwords] and ah don't put up the curtain. I have to use the potty.
Valerie: *Laughs* Okay you use the potty I promise I won't start until you get back.
When they get back Valerie continues the conversation with Kate until it's time to get back to work. The second act proceeded much the same as the first except a few times Kate forgot to put her hands over her ears.
So anyway this was a once in a lifetime experience that I will treasure.
Edit:
mamaursula has a great entry about this over on her journal check it out although if you're reading this here you already know about her LJ.