Thursday, January 3, 2013

The Road To Eldorado: Natalie in Aladdin!

 
I've said it before and I'll say it again...Ms. Kia and Ms. JoAnna of Fascinating Rhythm School of Performing Arts are magic-makers! They gave our family, especially Natalie, moments of pure joy this holiday season.
 
 
Kia and JoAnna were instrumental in helping Natalie make the most of an unexpected opportunity to audition for a part in the Eldorado's family musical, "Aladdin," put on by a theater company from the UK.

 
Below are a few fun shots of Natalie performing in the school's Star Struck Dance Camp end-of-camp show last summer, where this story began. After the performance, she was invited by one of the judges in attendance to audition for Aladdin the next day!


This was unexpected since Natalie is 7 and auditions were for children 8 and up. Simply put, Natalie walked into her two-week dance camp as a fun-loving student and walked out with an audition to a professional show!
 

As Ms. Kia wrote in a later email, "You just never know when you're auditioning in life."


Methinks her turn below as a dalmation pup in "Cruella DeVille" helped her snag that invitation!


 

The official audition went well and a week later, Natalie received an email. Doug and I shook our heads in surprise...at age 7, she had made it, and would be the youngest performer in the cast.


Rehearsals began in September where we met the other children on the kids cast - an amazing group of talented, funny, enthusiastic kids!


The kids worked hard for several weeks. In mid-November, they headed down the escalator at the Eldorado to perform their first rehearsal on the showroom stage. Excitement was in the air!


Ms. Haley from the UK, who choreographed the finale and many of show's dances for the adult cast, was so much fun to watch. The kids loved her.


And Ms. JoAnna was key in helping the kids know exactly where they were supposed to be on the big stage.


At one point, I snuck onstage to get an idea of Natalie's perspective. Wow! It was exciting to imagine all those seats filled with people.


Before we knew it, opening night was here, and those same seats began filling up!


The kids quickly changed into their opening scene costumes, the girls put their hair up, and the group gathered together to warm up.


This is endearing. Natalie's cast...the Blue Cast...made up a cheer to do before every show. It included the phrase "Chuck Norris" and was really quite effective at pumping them up.





Oh my, it's showtime. Let's do it, kids! It was time to perform for the first time in front of a live audience!


The kids' dressing room is located below the stage. As the opening music began, up the stairs they went to position themselves for their first cue. And before mom knew it, Natalie and her friends were onstage singing and dancing in their first number!

Full Disclosure: I am NOT supposed to take pictures while in the audience. I will confess here and now, I broke the rules the first time I had a chance to sit down and watch the show from the seats. I snapped this shot silently with the flash OFF, and then put my camera away like an almost-but-not-quite good girl. Natalie is on the right, on the back of one of her castmates.


They did it! Down the stairs the kids came after their opening number, chatting, hopping, and buzzing with excitement. It was a great scene to watch.


I gave Natalie a big hug, and she said, "Mom, it's a thousand times more fun to have all those people in the audience!" Did I mention that when I was her age, I was a tomboy and had stage fright? It's true!


Time to get ready for the next number. My job as one of the (first time!) stage moms was to set out/hang up the kids' costumes for their four different numbers, make sure the kids remembered all their accessories (hats, necklaces, gold shoes), take them upstairs to be ready to go onstage on cue, and generally just keep them well-behaved and in high spirits throughout the show. It was a great group of kids who have made the job especially easy.


Here are a few of us stage moms, alongside Quintin, the show's executive producer. He and the other moms are what elevated the title of stage mom from being "casual job" to "oh-so-much fun."


I looked forward to working backstage because of the kids, Q and these amazing women...and the occasional shared margarita at Tivoli's afterwards also adds to the fun!


And here are the kids, dressed and ready for their second scene and biggest moment in the show...a high-energy dance number to the song "Pricetag," choreographed by our own local superstars, Ms. Kia and Ms. JoAnna!


What I love about Kia and JoAnna is that they instinctively know how to make everything....a dance class, summer camps, recitals and even professional show numbers...really FUN for the kids. "Pricetag" - along with the kids' big smiles - reflects that.



"It's not about the money...money...money..."


"Pricetag" was my favorite part of the whole show. There's Natalie in the front, being lifted in the air... The crowd clapped to the beat, people cheered, and I had to exercise extreme self-control backstage to not shout out loud and dance along.


It was a crowd-pleaser!


As they exited the stage, back down the stairs the kids went. Next, they dressed up as zombies who danced to the song "Thriller." "Thriller?" you say. Yes, Thriller. These zombies were quite a hit!



Once the kiddos went onstage, I usually took a seat behind TJay and watched the show on the screens overhead. This was my view from stage right.



And a peek at one of the onstage dressing rooms with props...


The time always flew by for me. Just like that, the evening show was almost over. One scene left for the kiddos, the finale!
 
This is a good time for me to mention why Doug and I wholeheartedly supported Natalie working with this professional company; they emphasized that this is a "family-friendly" show...no makeup necessary for the kids, nude leotards under all costumes. They wanted the kids to look like kids. I love it.


There they go!


The kids at the end of the finale, waving to their fans. And as they like to say in showbiz, that's a wrap!


By the time the show's run ended on January 13th, Natalie performed in about 40 shows in all. What an experience!
 

Many thanks to all who came to see her perform, she smiled wider and danced harder every time she knew friends were in the audience! You know I'm a proud mama, thanks for coming to support her!


Before I sign off, a huge thank you to our two most-beloved dance teachers, Ms. Kia and Ms. Joanna, at Fascinating Rhythm School of Performing Arts. Thank you for the opportunity you gave Natalie...it was an experience we'll always remember.


And last but not least, many thanks to Quintin, the man behind the curtin, who gave Natalie (and her mom, too!) a holiday season filled with backstage fun, new songs, new friends, and a photo album overflowing with Aladdin memories. Thank you, Quintin.


Happy New Year to all, and thanks for sharing in our fun!

Your friends,
Chris...and Natalie, too.
 
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *    
 
A few other fun shots:

Natalie with the magic-makers behind the scenes...the backstage crew. These guys and gals are amazing - super cool personalities and incredibly talented. The show couldn't happen without them!


Natalie rockin' out with Ali Baba onstage...
 

One of Natalie's castmates trying to figure out how to braid hair.

Natalie, conversing with the adult cast one day in the employee cafeteria. They were very patient and kind and asked her lots of questions. She walked out of the cafeteria as if she were a whole inch taller that day.


The kids cast coming down the escalator from Grapevine, the employee cafeteria...
 

A pic I took from stage right. It was the time between two weekend shows when the stage was quiet.


A fun local sighting around town!

 
Posing with fans in the lobby after the afternoon matinee...


The Blue Cast, hamming it up...
 
 
 
Mom trying to do Natalie's hair in between shows. Background info: Natalie had eaten a New Year's Eve celebratory donut from Quintin AND drank an ice-cold bottled root beer AND was blowing up a balloon. Don't try this at home!
 

In honor of Quintin's homeland, the kids opened English Crackers on New Year's Eve. We moms received a lesson on proper English terminology. Do NOT call them English "Poppers" or English "Bangers"...or face the consequences. Duly noted!

One, two, three...


...pull!
 

A New Year's Eve they're sure to remember!
 
 
These kiddos gave a fantastic New Year's Eve show. Happy New Year to all...


...and keep on dancin'!



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
 

One last thing: a fun article about the show from the Reno Gazette-Journal:

Jan 4, 2013

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Thanks for sharing in the fun!