every thing's up to date

So, surprise surprise, the kids pulled through.  (note: it was not a surprise- I expected the audience might put some life into this bunch)  Dress rehearsal was VERY good, but not so good that I was afraid the show might slump.  And then the first show was brilliant.  SO much fun!  We were so proud.  And so not surprised when the second show was not as good as the first.  But it was still a good show.

The wolfgang cracked me up yesterday.  After the first show, when they realized how much the audience LOVED the, they started trying new things for laughs in the second show.  For example: during the scene where the wolves run out on stage dressed up as sheep, one little girl decided to take a little piece of paper out on stage with her.  When it was her turn to say "baah" she stood there dumbfounded for a second, looked at her paper, and read aloud "baah".  Well the audience LOVED it, and I was so impressed with her real sense of comic timing.  And then there was the littlest wolf who only says "nuts".  Well he started off adding an "oh" before it and it evolved throughout the show from cute, mild annoyance to seething anger.  One time however, he decided to say "oh nuts nuts nuts nuts NUTS", while dancing around snapping his fingers.  I was backstage with the Shadows and we all just looked at each other with huge, wide eyes that said "what just happened?" while the audience cracked up.  And the best part?  He knew not to do it again, because the joke had already been done.  When he said his line again, it was totally different, and still hilarious.

A side note, this is the same kid who decided during circle time before the second show, that he was going to sit on my lap and we were going to play "ask the actor" but he was going to answer for me.  Someone asked, "How many countries have you been to?" and he responded with "Is Chicago a country?"

Also, during "ask the actor" we had another incident of identical twins knowing how much I adore them.  One of these smart aleck little freckly red-head seven year olds asked me "Who is your favorite kid in this circle?" (with a very self-assured smile on his face).  I obviously responded "TOO personal" but he obviously knew I would answer him.  It helped that these twin boys were frighteningly similar to my twin cousins.  Even though my boys aren't identical.  It was something about their pattern of speech and the way they interacted with each other.

I also just have to point out that this week we had the best Assistant Director EVER.  Besides having her name spelt in a totally cool way (her name was Britnie) she had this incredible ability to take initiative.  She would notice that something had to be done and instead of asking, "should I do this?" or waiting to be told, she would just do it.  She got everyone on stage, sold T-shirts and CDs for us, and prompted people during rehearsals when they were allowed to call line.  Plus she helped with make-up and organized things when she found them lying around in chaos.  I wish I could take her with me everywhere I go.

Super fun things: 

1) We both had a Nebraska Runza for dinner between shows.  It's basically sauerkraut and hamburger meat all cooked up and served in the middle of a little hollowed out loaf of sour dough bread.  Back in the day you could take a mustard bottle and stick it right in the center of the sandwich and squeeze the mustard out into the interior of the sandwich, but we had to use mustard packets and dip the sandwich in it.  They're not so in to the old bottled condiments anymore.

2) Our contact gave us yet another gift: Nebraska City t-shirts!  And the little girl who's parents own the restaurant downtown that makes to the Barbeque sauce I really liked gave me a bottle of it as gift.  She was SO excited about it.

3) We had a cast party at a pizza place after the show.  Of course, I didn't actually get to eat any pizza until after the party was over, since the whole time I was being swarmed by kids crying "sign my t-shirt!!!"  Also when it was time for her to go, the tiniest of all the raccoons latched on to me and told her dad that she was stuck.

4) Megan and Zach, another Missoula tour team came to hang out with us last night!  They drove to our hotel after they were done with their show.  We all hung out in my room, drank a little, and stayed up way way too late gabbing about all of most hilarious work stories.  Then we all had breakfast together before we hit the road.  Also Megan and Brendan got their apartment in Missoula and I am going to stay with them/help them move in during check-in and fall training.

5) We stopped at Arthur Bryant's in Kansas city today for lunch.  It was on the travel channel for the world's best barbeque and they weren't kidding.  We waited in a ridiculously long line, but my burnt-ends of the brisket and delicious, surprisingly spicy, baked beans were totally worth it.  Plus their original barbeque sauce is unlike anything I've ever had.  It was all grainy and vinegary.  I dug it.  Some famous patrons: President Carter, Emeril Lagasse, Steven Spielberg and James Spader.  I mean if Emeril goes there, it must be good.

6) Our contact here in Missouri lived/worked on a military base in Germany for five years.  That was her first experience with Missoula Children's Theatre and she is SO excited about this week.

7)  My room on the base is totally on-campus apartment.  It's got dorm room tile floors in the kitchen and bathroom area, and totally dorm room chairs at the little table.  But it has a range, so I am happy.  And we have the most incredible selection of movies for rent (or possibly free, we can't quite figure it out) on our TVs.

8) I have a VHS player in my room.  Not a combination with DVD.  Just VHS.  Retro goodness.