FRIDAY, 3/6/15
Today is the BISS musical, so Judy has a full day of activities. After school, she and the other staff make all the final arrangements, checking their lists, etc. The doors of the Annex, where the show is performed, open at 6:30. There’s a sizable crowd when they open, and there is a scramble for seats. By the time the show kicks off, the house is full, around 120 or so.
The show goes really well. There are some nice musical moments, as well as staging and light effects, and the crowd is appreciative. It’s always fun to watch the reaction of the actors when they realize the audience is reacting to what they’re saying. Some of the students really “stepped up” as the evening progressed.
After the final curtain, I help Judy clean up a few things, and prepare for the matinee tomorrow. We get home around 10:00 pm. It’s not long before Judy is “sawing logs”.
SATURDAY, 3/7/15
Judy leaves at 11:00 am. The show starts at 2:00. I leave around 1:00, arriving in time to participate in the scramble for seats when the doors open at 1:30. Another great performance of the show today! Several things went better. Judy put a fix on the ending/encore that helped a ton. The participating students were so excited at the end. It’s fun to watch them enjoying the results of their labor. The staff did a great job of putting together these performances, rehearsing only 45 minutes a week with the group. The first time everybody was together was “dress rehearsal” on Wednesday. So many vacations, holidays, sports activities, kept popping up.
After clean-up, the staff all met at a new restaurant, “Taco Place”, next to Homeplate BBQ in Sanlitun. The evening is a lot of fun watching the group “let their hair down.” Several Australians, Americans, and a scot, make for an interesting mix of accents and unusual phrases. We’re all constantly having to ask each other “what does that mean.” Everyone has stories to tell about the challenges of teaching a musical to a group of students where English is their 2nd or 3rd language.