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Chaz is in the middle of the back row in this picture from the song "It Takes a Woman". Notice the nicely painted shelf on the left - I designed and painted that, along with every other piece on Vandergelder's shop platform.

Chaz is fourth from the right in this photo from the song "Sunday Clothes"

Chaz is the one in the red vest.... just kidding. He's the waiter dancing second from the left dancing the "Waiter's Galop"

Chaz is 4th from the right singing "Hello, Dolly"

Hello, Dolly!

We had an exhausting week with the opening of Hello, Dolly!. Chaz and I were busy with dress rehearsals Mon-Wed and then we opened with a Family Preview on Thursday. Our big opening was Friday, and then we had another show on Saturday. Unless you've been a production it's hard to explain what it is like.

For me back stage, I have a 7 page typed list of every piece that needs to be set and when. I'm on a radio with my crew of 5, and the sound, and the director. I run the back stage, making sure pieces and props are cued, and that the actors are all in their places and keeping quiet. I deal with all emergencies, including curtain collapses, dead microphones, scenery breaking/malfunctions, and injuries. In the two hours of the show and the hour of set up before, I rarely sit, and I try hard to remember to drink and eat (if I don't I get faint as I learned). A few minutes before a scene change I get on the radio and tell the crew to get ready, then I go around to the cast dressing rooms and solicit as much help as I can get. I stand right behind the curtain and at the cue I yell "go, go!" in the radio and then I wave my arms wildly at the 20 or so people standing back stage getting ready to move. What ensues is 30 to 90 seconds of controlled chaos with as many as 28 pieces of scenery moving at once. Often at the end I take a quick visual sweep of the stage to make sure all is in place and then dive behind the curtain just as the lights come up. We have seven major changes like this. After the show when the cast is taking their flowers and praise, my work continues as my crew and I stow away the set and the props. Then exhausted, 30 minutes after the show, we shove the 17 foot rolling platform (it's kind of like giving birth in reverse) into the back stage, swing the gate closed and give each other high fives. Another night of Hello, Dolly! completed.

We have four more shows to go. Monday the 12th (Chaz will be at scout camp) and then Friday, Saturday and the following Monday, the 16, 17, and 19th.


Chuck on Sabbatical

Every five years at Chuck's job he gets a four week sabbatical that he started this week. He has been busy getting ready for scout camp, and he also started work on a new sprinkler line across the flower beds against our back and side fence. He is almost done. He has also been watching the kids a lot as I've been so busy.

Cow Day

On Friday, the kids and I made make-shift cow costumes and went down to the local Chick-fil-A for cow appreciation day. We all felt a little silly, but we got a free lunch.

A Camping we will go!

This week Chuck is taking his Varsity Scouts to scout camp, and Chaz is also going to scout camp with the Venture Scouts. They are going to the same camp but will be doing separate activities. Kaitlin also is off for a week of camp with the girls at our church.