Especially the beans
Tomorrow, my high school pit orchestra repertoire increments by one.
When I was in high school, I performed in the pit orchestras for Sweet Charity (sophomore year), Godspell (junior year, about which I posted this entry five years ago), and The Wiz (senior year). Before The Wiz was selected, my friends and I lobbied hard for Into the Woods, which we all thought was the bee's knees (or bees', not sure how many insects are involved in that expression). I don't know the official response to our campaigning, but the general consensus was that there wasn't enough male talent in our school (specifically among our class) to pull off the show. They chose the Wiz which relies on far more female (although apparently not Black) talent.
After we graduated, news reached us that our high school was performing Into the Woods, much to our indignant shock. But we were in college now, and we couldn't allow ourselves to be so affected by the goings on of our high school, so we got over it quickly and betrayal turned into thrill that we'd get to see a live performance of our beloved musical. Sadly, none of us were able to come home for the show (or maybe it fell lower on our priority lists, or maybe not all of the betrayal turned to thrill), but they did a special run-out performance of a few of the numbers a month or so later, which we were home for and did get to go see.
Fifteen years after the carrot was dangled before the Class of '98 and then given to the Class of '99, I have been asked to play in the pit orchestra for another high school production of Into the Woods. I'll be playing percussion (rather than violin as I did in high school), which is exciting because some of the action on stage is accompanied directly by percussion, such as door knocking on the temple blocks and transaction of the magic bean on the triangle (and later, a gliss on the xylophone when it is carelessly tossed away).
Looking forward to fulfilling what is clearly my destiny.
When I was in high school, I performed in the pit orchestras for Sweet Charity (sophomore year), Godspell (junior year, about which I posted this entry five years ago), and The Wiz (senior year). Before The Wiz was selected, my friends and I lobbied hard for Into the Woods, which we all thought was the bee's knees (or bees', not sure how many insects are involved in that expression). I don't know the official response to our campaigning, but the general consensus was that there wasn't enough male talent in our school (specifically among our class) to pull off the show. They chose the Wiz which relies on far more female (although apparently not Black) talent.
After we graduated, news reached us that our high school was performing Into the Woods, much to our indignant shock. But we were in college now, and we couldn't allow ourselves to be so affected by the goings on of our high school, so we got over it quickly and betrayal turned into thrill that we'd get to see a live performance of our beloved musical. Sadly, none of us were able to come home for the show (or maybe it fell lower on our priority lists, or maybe not all of the betrayal turned to thrill), but they did a special run-out performance of a few of the numbers a month or so later, which we were home for and did get to go see.
Fifteen years after the carrot was dangled before the Class of '98 and then given to the Class of '99, I have been asked to play in the pit orchestra for another high school production of Into the Woods. I'll be playing percussion (rather than violin as I did in high school), which is exciting because some of the action on stage is accompanied directly by percussion, such as door knocking on the temple blocks and transaction of the magic bean on the triangle (and later, a gliss on the xylophone when it is carelessly tossed away).
Looking forward to fulfilling what is clearly my destiny.