OPENING NIGHT!!!!

Good morning! Tonight is the night! OPENING NIGHT!!!! Please read to get up to date! :)

I am very proud of these kids. What they have accomplished is not a small feat. As a matter of fact, if you think about it, 2 months ago today was our first rehearsal and meet and greet. Since then, we have had 28 rehearsals (including Tech Week) - where we've learned 30 musical numbers, many, many dance numbers and put together an amazing show.

When we made the decision to jump up from the KIDS version to this Jr. version this year with this cast and age group (5-12), we doubled the length of the show and more than doubled the amount of material for the cast to learn. This is because we knew they would rise to the challenge - AND THEY HAVE! The show is a winner. I hope you will encourage your family and friends to come out tonight and this weekend.

The most important thing for me is that your child has:
1. HAD FUN!
2. LEARNED SOMETHING.
3. WANTS TO COME BACK AND PARTICIPATE AGAIN BECAUSE THEY'VE FOUND A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN BE THEMSELVES, FEEL COMFORTABLE AND "BELONG."

If we accomplish those things, I feel like it's a victory regardless of anything else.

As parents, it is equally important to me that you had a wonderful experience, felt like you knew what was going on, and were confident that your child was being valued and that their talents were being grown and developed. I am so grateful for all of the help you have provided. Susie, Jaimie and I could not have done it without all of the parent support. Any time we asked - the answer from parents was always "no problem," or "that's easy." :) THANK YOU.

My only notes for your kids tonight:
HAVE FUN!
SMILE!
SING OUT! DICTION!
REMEMBER YOUR CUES! and...
OWN YOUR AWESOME!

Call time for mic'd characters: 5:30pm, all others 6:00pm. Please arrive in hair, makeup and with all costume pieces according to the information provided.

See you soon!
Rach

NOTES FROM OUR COSTUMERS HANNAH AND TRACI:
Jungle Animals:
(1)  It is YOUR responsibility to make sure that your costume/props for the circus performer is backstage in the "holding area" for your quick costume change.  You need to know where it is and have a plan.  If you have zippers/buttons on the costume you put on, have it unzipped and ready to go.  It is fine to just dump your clothes and run out on stage if you must, but you need to come back and pick up your things afterward.  Someone (Mrs. Fritz, Mrs. Beerbower, or Ms. Rachel) will talk to you all about this tomorrow before the show.
(2)  The fish costume is head to toe black.  Long sleeve shirt, pants/leggings, socks, shoes.  If you are putting your black shirt on top of another shirt, you NEED to tuck in your bottom shirt so that it doesn't show as you are moving around because it is quite obvious.

Georgia Osmun-- to make things easier ... wear full length (not capri) black leggings and black socks under the skirt for the bird costume.  These will be the same things you can wear as a fish.  Make sure to take the bird mask off when you are a circus performer.

Krista Mangrum-- please style hair low enough to put on snake hat.  Also, at Intermission, put the white button-down shirt on under the snake jacket.  That will make the quick costume change much easier.  You can leave the white button shirt on for the remainder of the show under the jacket.

Vivian Rodkey-- wear black socks

Who girls in yellow dresses:
(1)  make sure your socks are pulled up tall and not scrunched around your ankles.  Check every time right before you go on stage.
(2)  please do not pull/play with the green buttons and bows.
(3)  all Who girls (not Cindy Lou) were given two green ribbons to put bows in their pigtails.  Parents-- please make sure they are in their hair each night.  It is strongly suggested to slip it through the ponytail holder to keep the ribbon in place.

Who boys-- please continue to remember that your pants need to be worn at the natural waist (bellybutton) and come just below the knee.  We want to see those fun green socks, but not the green polo between the vest and pants.

Wickershams-
(1)  if you do a stunt where you go upside down, you MUST clip your hat to your hair so that it does not fall off.  These are "cool" characters, and they don't look so cool when they are scrambling to get their hat back on.
(2)  a lot of the tails are losing their "curl."  When you get your tail put on before the show, have a backstage mom curl it back up for you.