More Oliver!
It’s theater time again! The girls’ middle school puts on a big musical every year, and this time it’s Oliver! If you’ll recall, we did Little Shop of Horrors last year. If you didn’t catch that post and are wondering why I said “WE did…” it’s because I was the musical director.
Despite my never conducting an orchestra before, it went really well – probably because there are some damn talented kids around here. This year, I passed the baton back and took the role of Assistant Musical Director. Also helping out in this production is our non-performing daughter who is working with the lighting crew. She got some great experience with light design and learning the workings of a show. But she’s really talented as well, so I’m really hoping she’ll make it on stage one day.
Music
If you’re one of the four long-time readers of this blog, you may also recall that I posted about Oliver! a while ago when my daughter performed it with a different company. In that post, I mentioned my own performing experience and then posted a video of the opening number “Food, Glorious Food.” That was pretty logical, right? This is a food blog, after all. But the dirty little secret is that I wasn’t really familiar with the musical outside of that song.
That was then.
I ended up working backstage crew for that production so I probably saw it at least six times that week. For this production, not only have I heard the songs a bajillion times, I helped teach them to the kids. And, in one of the final dress rehearsals, I stood in for the Fagin role as our young actor was sick. As of this writing the kid’s well again. I suppose seeing me ROCK THE FRICKING HOUSE sped up the recovery right quick.
Here’s the power of a great musical – no matter how many times you hear it performed, you don’t get sick of the songs. It’s different than hearing a great tune on the radio or your iPod. The songs in a musical are part of a story, sung by a character, and you’re emotionally invested in that character. When the actor is someone you know (especially when you father them) you multiply that investment by a thousand. As cheesy as it sounds, this song has become really special to me. I’m sure many of you parents can relate.
things you do for your kids
parenting family
There are so many other great songs in Oliver!, but I have to mention the one my daughter has a solo in – “Who Will Buy?” At around the 1:40 mark is a character selling strawberries. It’s one of the tougher parts to sing and her voice soars. My daughter nails it every time…
proud of my kids
I’ll leave you with one more song, which is pretty much what I’m secretly telling all you readers at the end of every single one of my posts –
Be Back Soon!!!
ann arbor
I love that song.
If you’re local, you gotta go! For tickets, go to www.showtix4u.com and look up Tappan Players.
Musical
Theater
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5 comments on “More Oliver!”
Leave a Reply to Go Jules Go Cancel reply
wine century
Doppel Member, Baby!
Awesome! And crap, I can’t play the clips right now, but I’m sure they’re chock full ‘o talent. I agree you know they’re great songs if you never get sick of them. Like the Growing Pains theme song.
U had to go there, didn’t u…
Absolutely yes.
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