what i'm doing now...

I auditioned for the Latter-Day Celebration Choir (LDC) at the university I go to. The Institute program, which is like a religious center for instruction and FUN (really, it's fun) has this choir. LDC performs at meetings and puts on shows in the winter and spring. To get to the point, I made it in!! I'm singing first soprano. There are currently about 65-70 people in the choir, I can't remember the last count. I am totally loving it.

The first few days were hard. Choir Retreat was scary too...I didn't know anyone and I'm one of the youngest girls in the choir. They usually don't take just graduated high school students. However it gets better and better every single day. I look forward to class more than anything during the week, even Friday.

Latter-Day Celebration

(This was taken at Retreat. It is, as you can see, a very candid photo. We'll use it as a thank you for people who invite us to perform. Aren't we awesome? :) )

I am so excited to be in this choir. You have absolutely no idea.

some pictures...

This blog just kind of dies, doesn't it? I never even got around to "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolored Dreamcoat". That's the problem with trying to do a detailed blog while in a show...it gets forgotten in the craziness.

Here are some pictures from what I've been doing this past year:

Seasons of Love-MVHS Choir Concert

I mentioned a little bit about this show before this blog just died...I was cast as a pre-show character (Anita from "West Side Story"). I also choreographed, directed, and taught the music for a special number from "Grease". This choir concert really changed my life. I learned tons and finally discovered the fact that I not only adore performing for people, but I'm not too bad at it either. I'm really grateful for this experience because it did change my life.

("I like to be in Amereeca!!" We did sections of "West Side Story" in the concert, and I got to play Anita!! :D )

(The girls takin' on the guys.)

(I choreographed a number for the concert for my Ariosa class. This is a picture of the girls singing "Tell Me More" from "Grease".)

ONE-ACT Festival

One-Act Festival takes place every year at MVHS. I tried out and was cast as a lead in "The Valiant", a play about a convicted murderer and a jail warden who is trying to discover his true identity. I was cast as the Warden. It was an amazing, intense experience. I loved it.

Sadly we didn't take any pictures in costume. I kind of regret that. A lot. But here is the picture of us after we won Best One Act: Judges Choice. I won Best Actress: People's Choice and the leading man won Best Actor: Judges' Choice and People's Choice. Not pictured is one of our supporting actresses, and she also won Best Actress: Judge's Choice.

JOSEPH and the AMAZING Technicolor Dreamcoat

The summer was spent doing this musical with my family and friends. It was an amazingly awesome fun show to do but...I'm kind of glad it's over. Talk about tiring!! It's hard to do a show, start college, and start a new job all in the same four week period. Here are some cast pictures:

(Joseph with his giant coat)

(Family photo!! The brothers with their wives. I was a wife. My hubby? He's the tallest one.)

("Go, go, go Joseph!!" Sixties dance party)

(A Pharoah Story: the wives "were sold" into Egypt to live with Pharoah. At least that was what we decided. :) )

(The Mega-Mix...or after. We never held still during this entire number.)

why?

I know why. I've been very tired, have forgotten to eat on too many occasions, misplace every water bottle I bring to school, et cetera. Which is probably why I'm sick and progressively getting worse with the concert a week away.

Wonderful much.

I've also learned that I like doing theatre/performing outside of high school better than in it. 140 high school students and 4 adults do not get nearly as much done as 50 high school students and 25-40 adults, like in regular theatre. I don't like wasting so much time with little conversations and kids not paying attention; we could be so much further ahead if people would just be quiet. I never noticed before how having one adult for every five "kids" helps move things along.

Hopefully I'll be better soon. Hopefully.

this week...

Tuesday:

• A Cappella rehearsal 7:45 am-9:50am
• Soprano costume check (mine aren't done...I'm just too blasted short)
  
• "Grease" rehearsal lunchtime
• "West Side Story: Amereeca" rehearsal 2:30-3:30 pm
• Preshow character rehearsal 2:30-3:00pm

Wednesday:

• A Cappella rehearsal 7:45 am-9:50am

Thursday:

• A Cappella rehearsal 7:45 am-9:50am
• "West Side Story: Amereeca" rehearsal 2:30-4:00pm
  

Friday:

• No school
  
• Specialty numbers rehearsal ("Grease") 1:00-3:00pm

Saturday:

• Tech rehearsal 9:00am-1:00pm (not required but extra credit which I need)

Oh, boy. I'm scared.

she likes it...

The costumes were due today. I only had one to bring; my neighbor did a beautiful job on the "Grease" skirt and it totally fits perfectly. I'm finishing it up the hem and the waist band to make sure it's the right length and stuff, and I kind of know how to do that. So today I took the skirt and the white blouse I found to go with it, feeling overwhelmed and nervous because the other one is just getting started and afraid that I'd be in trouble.

On the contrary, Mrs. Wilde (the costume mistress for the whole show) was very pleased, especially when her daughter told her that I have no experience whatsoever with this (8th grade does not count; we didn't even cut out patterns. They were all ready finished and then my friend helped me do all the rest because I was so confused). She agreed when I said I was taking about 6 inches off of the skirt (yep...I'm short) so it would hit mid-calf, and she loves the idea of wearing a fluffy petticoat underneath (thank you PCT costume closet). She also loved the blouse and asked where I got it so she could tell other girls in choir.

Then I told her about the Anita costume: dark purple with glittery pinkish sparkles all over it, a medium full skirt, and a tie around the waist that makes a big bow in the front. Then there's going to be gold drop earrings, a gold necklace, my hair curled with half up half down (that was her idea; she told me "it's too gorgeous to hide in a bun!! We're keeping it visible, girl!!") and possibly a flower in my hair, like a yellow lily or big white carnation or something. Not red, it'd look funny with the purple fabric.

So, yeah. Mrs. Wilde seems happy, and she said she is really glad that I've taken it so seriously. A lot of people haven't even started looking for costumes, and some of the stuff people have found is way too modern because they didn't do the costume research assignment. I didn't really need to; my family is so into theatre that all of that just seems to come naturally.

This is working out. It's freaking hard, but it's coming together.

costumes, tears, and drama...

Costumes: I can't sew, and I'm really frustrated with how long cutting out patterns/fabric takes. Not to mention the five trips to the store and back again to double check and return/exchange stuff. And I'm really bad at it because I've never done this before and I have no idea what I'm doing. Thank goodness I have people willing to sew the stuff together for me. Otherwise I'd be dead.

Tears: Stressed out. Exhausted. Frustrated. Scared to death. And I have no idea why I feel so unhappy/sad/or why I burst into tears at random moments all of the time. It's like I got hit by a train and I can't get back up again...just wham!! Smash. It's not fun. I hate not knowing what the heck is going on with me. Not to mention people keep telling me to "stop being so sad and just be optimistic. You have to be optimistic, Georgie." Yeah, well, I try every day and it just doesn't work. I'm not doing it on purpose and I'm not looking for attention.

Drama: I feel like I now create it, as well as the dramatics with some of the girls in "Grease". It's really frustrating because I feel lousy and I'm trying to not cry in front of everyone and some of my friends get a little bugged by the way I'm acting. I really am not meaning to!! Promise.

Hopefully the costumes will work out. That will be one less worry.

another show...

I have decided that this blog will tell about all of the different shows/productions I'm participating in. The link, "offtosee" makes sense in that, hey!! Another show that you're "off to see"!! Except that you get the backstage story every single time. :)

This new show, "Seasons of Love", is the gigantic fund raising concert that the high school has to help students go on tour. We've been invited (that is A Cappella Choir) to perform at the American Choral Directors Association Convention (from now on known as ACDA) in Arizona this March. This concert will help us go. I'm so excited!!

I hope you enjoy the trip through the next three weeks with me. :)