la la land: a lovely musical

it's been forever since i've blogged and i have been feeling guilty about it.
not because i've let down my handful of followers (all of 5), but because
so much has happened in my life and in the lives of my boys that i've missed
documenting.  blogging/journaling is truly is a beautiful way to feel time as i
write about my life, my children and the people who make our world. 



i typically don't post out of order but over the next few weeks,
i will be back posting about some of the bigger events in our lives - vacations, holidays,
new babies in our families, school events, family get togethers and of course my thoughts
and observations on our children and parenting them and all that comes with that.


until then, i'll start with sharing that i had the wonderful experience of seeing
a new movie musical la la land, with my sister-in-law shannon. the boys and i
took a short roadtrip just after christmas to visit the lovely utah gerbers and
one morning us ladies swooned over ryan gosling and smiled as we watched
the lovely emma stone sing and dance.


the boys had been waiting for months to see rogue one: a star wars story, i had
been waiting for months for la la land. it was everything i was hoping it would be -
fun, lighthearted with lots of dancing, singing and some lovely piano playing.
i've downloaded the sheet music for two of my favorite songs from the movie and
have been playing them every chance i get. {my boys might say too much}


i'll say no more. if you are a fan of singing in the rain and movie musicals, this is
a must. it will be part of my home library eventually, and it will be the feature
movie at my next Girls Night...date yet to be determined.



for those of you who haven't yet had the pleasure of seeing the movie,
here's the trailer teaser:

~ and for those non-cali's who might know this, los angeles is often referred to as la la land.

billy elliot

a few months back, i saw rent with my theater loving girlfriend aleyda.
on the program, i saw billy elliot would be the next show and i was SO excited!
i had heard this  musical was phenomenal and with elton john having composed
the music, i knew i had to see it.


aleyda too wanted to see it, so tickets were purchased for us mom and our boys.
we made a day of it, meeting for a delicious lunch and then seeing the show
at the lyceum downtown.

the young boy that played billy elliot was 12 and had an amazing voice.
he's still refining his ballet and tap skills. my favorite song in the show is
electricity. it simply won't leave my head. {and that's not a bad thing}.


here's sir elton john performing electricity with professional dancers
in the background.  ahhh...i get goose bumps every time i watch this.

~ one of the MANY things on my bucket list is to see this show on stage in
london someday.

the pianist of willesden lane

c celebrated a birthday last week.

also celebrating was my mum and my oldest sister.

july 10th is a very special day.

 

with all the craziness of summer - visitors,

getaways,  the endless shuttling of the boys and work,

i knew that c could use some r and r.    

 

my sweet friend, also c's chiropractor, came over with her

3 kiddos to watch the boys so we could get an evening together. 

my friend says its a little vacation for them, and it's free babysitting for us,

so it's a win-win. 

 

while they swam, ate pizza and watched one of the

harry potter movies, c and i headed downtown for a quiet dinner.

since there are literally hundreds of restaurants and bars downtown,

i didn't bother with a reservation.  we just walked until we found a place that

caught our eye. i don't even recall the name of the restaurant, but i could lead
you there if you asked me. *wink*

 

we enjoyed a lite dinner and a drink together before walking over to the lyceum theater 

to see the pianist of willesden lane. we hadn't been to a play together in over a
year and after having read a description of the story and the all the glowing reviews,
i knew it would be a great experience.

 

the play was unlike anything we'd ever seen. it was unique in that it

there were just two thing on stage - one actress and a piano. through her music

and her words, mona golabek, a concert pianist, told the story of her mother.

 

her mother was an aspiring pianist, and at age 14, was one of the thousands

of jewish children throughout europe, who was sent by train to england during wwII.
this mass migration was called the kinder transport. the woman's mother was one of
the lucky children who had an opportunity to leave. a more thorough description can
be found here.

 

the play was phenomenal - in both the story told and the music. somehow we had

front row seats in an already small theater so i found myself glued to mona's

hands on the piano. in all my years of taking piano lessons and having some

wonderfully talented teachers, and in seeing musicians perform, i've never seen
anyone so accomplished as this woman at the piano. it sat there in awe...of her talent
and her tragic and beautiful story.   

 

c and i left the theater with tears in our eyes, understanding one piece of history and

it's people we knew nothing about, and a deeper appreciation for music and it's

transformative power.

if this one woman masterpiece comes to your city, don't miss out.
it will be worth every penny you paid and every minute of your time.
simply amazing.

 

 

guys and dolls





google





our family had a jam packed weekend but the thing that will stick
with me forever will be our family outing to the avo playhouse to see
guys and dolls on stage.  though I've gone to theater with c since we
were newlyweds, and i've taken the boys, this was our first theater
experience together and all of our first times at this little playhouse.

oh how i LOVE this play!

of all the 'older' stage productions i've seen to date, and i'll define 'older' as plays written
prior to 1950, guys and dolls is at the very top of my list.  it's not flashy, but it's really fun.
it's got gambling, two love stories, lots of humor, and finally, great music by frank loesser.

I am sure I had a cheesy grin on my face the entire show.  i was thoroughly enjoying it,
and couldn't help thinking about my whole experience performing in guys and dolls at
city college  all those years ago {2003}.  those months of rehearsals after work with my
sister leslie were amazing...truly unforgettable. we grew so close during those months -
bonding over our love of music and dance.  we met so many talented folks, and we even
had a little fun flirting with the cutest actors. *grin*

seeing the show for my first time as part of the audience was a whole different experience. 
i was able to enjoy it in a relaxed way, and all with my favorite peeps by my side!    

when adelaide and the dolls' bushel and a peck number came up,
finn and scout's face lite up as they recognized the song.
i've been singing this to them since birth.  though I shared with them
where it came from, hearing it sung in context and where it originated
made it more meaningful.

a fellow theater goer was kind enough to snap a family
photo of us on my phone before we went in.























including this photo for the signage!

~ on the way home i shared with finn that he was actually with me during
my final performances at city college.  he looked confused and i explained that
i was just a few weeks pregnant with him towards the end of the show.  i remember
being so glad we timed it perfectly, so i would feel ok and still fit into my costumes.
it was difficult but i kept mum for 12 weeks not even telling my sister, my mom and
my aunt donna who flew out to san diego from florida to see a performance.
{i can hardly believe it's been 11 years}

goodnight

i'm SO glad tomorrow is friday.

it's been a wild work week -
lots of deadlines, long days and late nights.
i. am. tired.

like the von trapp children, i should be heading to bed
{you remember the song they sing in the sound of music}




so why the reference?
well the music has been in my head all week because
last weekend i saw the play at the north park birch theater
{finn, auntie jen, my coworker and some others}

it was a night of firsts for finn and me.
it was the first time we had been to this gorgeous restored theater.
{it was built in 1928, small and tucked away in the cute neighborhood of north park}.
we had dinner before the show and it was our first time eating here,
it was the first time we had ever seen the sound of music on stage!

the show started at 8pm {late for a child with an 8pm bedtime}
finn managed to stay awake and alert for the entire show and i think
it was only because he knew the story and every song so well.
we've been watching it together as a family for years.
{it helped that the cast was spectacular too}

we all walked out of the theater with huge smiles on our face
and humming the music that will forever be etched into our memories.
my swedish coworker told me its tradition in her country for
families to watch the movie every christmas eve.
it's just as loved there as it is here.

so long, farewell friends. i need to say goodnight.

~ i hope you have a wonderful weekend and i hope to post again soon.
there is lots to share - babies on the way, memorial weekend visitors,
and my two gerblets performed at their first talent show today.
stay tuned.

our journey

this past sunday c and i had an anniversary - 22 years!
when i've been still, i've been reflecting on our  journey together -
on all the things we've done together before children
and what our life is like now as parents to two sweet boys.

our journey over the years has taken us to so many places,
and the ride hasn't always been smooth, but it's been an adventure
and one i wouldn't trade for anything. i love the life we've created together.

ok, enough sappy stuff.

so how did we spend our anniversary day?
we spent the day scraping popcorn from ceilings and demo-ing various
things in the new {old} home.  it was all very romantic.

we decided to celebrate this past tuesday night.
we got a sitter and had a nice dinner at jai.
from there, we walked to the ljpl and saw a musical.
it was called yoshimi battles the pink robots - and was a collaboration
between the director and the lead singer from the band, the flaming lips.
the entire musical is music from the same titled album.

it was wonderful!!  i haven't seen anything quite like that show.
the lighting and set design had me eyes bugging out of my head,
and the music was pretty cool too. i'm now a fan of the flaming lips.
{two ladies in my bookclub will be happy to hear it - they are HUGE fans}.

~ tonight jen and finn went to see it.  they got a sweet deal and a free ticket
{using a gift card}.  i was SO excited for them to see it,
and look forward to hearing their feedback.  jen discovered the flaming lips
during her college days and should enjoy the music.  finn will enjoy the uber
cool ROBOTS in it.  that kid still has robot fever... it hasn't faded since his 5th bday.

broadway bound

yesterday i learned hands on a hard body is going to broadway!!
i wasn't surprised at all because it has such a broad appeal.

i got to thinking about the one musical that i love even more
{and measure every other musical against it seems}.
it's behind the limelight: the story behind charlie chaplin

i posted on it last year.

i was thinking about it and tried googling it to see

if it was still premiering in smaller theaters around the country.
i really wanted to know whether or not this one made it to Broadway.  

eventually i landed on christopher curtis' website.

christopher was the composer and lyrist for the musical.  

i clicked here and this is what came up:

i was so excited, i hollered up stairs to c{something i ask the boys not to do}
i said "it's happening, the charlie chaplin play is going to Broadway"!!

then i did something i've never done before.

i emailed the composer, christopher curtis right then and there
congratulating him on his upcoming broadway premier and
letting him know how much his music moved me.

he actually wrote me back.

he thanked me and told me how excited he was
and suggested i sign up for his mailing list so i could
be notified when the dates are announced.
oh how i'm tempted to see it again on broadway when it shows
{it's been years since i've been to nyc}

for you out there who haven't seen this show and can't make it to nyc to see it, 
sit tight and be patient.  most broadway shows eventually travel and make their
way to your city.

the house hunt... 
~ we are still waiting to hear on one of the homes we put an offer on. {we were outbid on the other}.
there were 11 bids on it and the final offer was higher than the listing price. *whew*.
we aren't holding our breath on this other home, but we do love the street and location.

it's located in pacific beach, specifically in the crown point area,
which is a peninsula surrounded by a body of water called mission bay.
mission bay has water, sand, playgrounds, restrooms, and miles of bike/running paths
which lead directly to the beach. there is even a local owned coffee shop just around the corner.
it's a fixer, so we are hoping that it will make it less attractive to other potential buyers.

hands on a hardbody

my post title caught your attention didn't it?

it's the title of a musical that opened at the la jolla playhouse this week.

this picture was on the advertisement that arrived in my mailbox.

what's unique about the LJPH is that every

play performed here is an original and new work.

you won't find les miserables, cats, or mama mia showing here.

so my first thought after seeing this picture was

the production was going to be some type of footloose musical -
full of young studly cowboys dancing and singing on stage. 

as i sat reading the program before the show started,

i learned it was anything but. 

the story is based on a documentary about real people

who enter a contest put on by a car dealership as a way
to gain publicity and sell cars.

in a small town of texas,
24 contestants {whose names are pulled from a hat}

have to keep their hands on a truck, the hardbody.
whomever does it the longest, drives home with it.

typically this contest can last up to 4 days,.
it's a crazy concept to most {me included}
wanting a truck so badly to endure sleep deprivation.

a group of creative talents found the story so interesting,

they brought it to life again on a stage.

i experienced a whirlwind of emotions - sadness, shock, laughter,

awe, anger, and happiness as i learned of each character's motivations
for entering the contest.  the audience learns their story through music.  

and not just typical broadway showtune music.
this production had such a variety: rock, bluegrass, gospel, r and b,
ballads, and yes, a few showtune-like songs. 

the la jolla playhouse did it again - Fresh and Fantastic theater!

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

~ been a busy week at the gerber casa.
i met with my book girlies on monday night,
and i've been doing tons of kid shuttling because c's been busy with tennis.
HTH's season ends next week and the boys have had matches every night
this week.  wed pm was the first time he's been free in 2 weeks which is
why we were able to have a date night. he's enjoying every minute of it.

tomorrow our dear friends jen and michael and their 2 little boys will

be visiting for the weekend. since my pack n play days are over, 

i borrowed one from a coworker and c set it up in the invention room

for their one year old, george. 

let the weekend begin!

scout's first play

today my youngest got his first introduction to theater.

he joined auntie jen, finn and i to see you're a good man charlie brown 

at san diego city college's saville theater.

i'm happy to report that it was a success. 

scoutie sat still thanks to the music and dancing
{and the m and m's that we purchased before the show}

it was a nice surprise when they recognized two of the songs.

i check out the broadway kids cd series from our our local library

sometimes so they are familiar with all types of showtunes.   

{happiness is was the finale song, their favorite and mine too}

tonight as i put them to bed, i hummed this song 

{because i couldn't remember the words}

and then i asked them to tell me what happiness was to them.

scoutie said reading, his sock dog 'patches' and playing.

finn said learning about science and his family.

next it was my turn. 

i told them SO many things make me happy.

music, going to the theater, beach days with the family
and doing exactly what i was doing,

putting them to bed every night.

that's what happiness is to this mom.

a powerful play

c and i had a date night last night,
it was much needed.
we were long over due.

we enjoyed a delicious dinner at jai
and afterwards, walked next door to
to see american night: the ballad of juan jose,
the final play of the season at the la jolla playhouse.

oh and what a way to end the season. 
i'm still on a bit of a high from it.

of all the performances this season, last night's was my favorite!
actually it was both our favorites, a rarity when it comes to theater.
{i usually prefer the musical of the season and c an edgy drama}.

i'm tired and fear i can't give this show justice by trying to describe it,
so here is a recent article that discusses the show the and the talented
{and san diego native} rene millan, who plays the main character, juan jose.

there are so many elements within the play that i loved,
but one pops into my mind right now that i'll share.

it's the opening scene of the show.
the audience sees juan jose walking at sunset with a beautiful desert image in the background.
in the foreground, a man and woman are playing guitars and singing a beautiful mexican song.

the set design is simple - but it has enough.
there is nothing to distract.
all we see is a handsome young man walking
and these words scroll across the screen:

my hope is that when you see a man,
you don't see a man who walked over the line,
but simply see a man.

this show will stay with me a very long time.

if you live in san diego and have been wanting to see a play for a long
time and just didn't know what to see or simply haven't gotten around to it,
this is one that is worth seeing before it leaves. 

i found it worth every penny.

~ as for that house we looked at the other morning here in point loma.
it was priced right at $525K,  fair for coastal san diego, but it too needed
a good $100K worth of work and it was too close to the flight path.
{we are already in the flight path and learned we don't want our next home to be.}
somewhere out there....

my date with finn

among many things fun going on this past weekend,
i squeezed in a date with my sweet first born, finn.

i've been really trying to set aside time every month to
do something with each of the boys individually,
so when i stumbled on an advertisement for the show,
smokey joe's cafe being performed at city college this weekend,
i just had to take finn!

now he doesn't get to the theater much {yet},
but i knew he'd enjoy the music in this one
i'd seen the show before and have all the music.

i think i won some 'cool points' with him today
when i told him mom was in two shows at this very theater -
the wiz back in 1999 and guys and dolls in 2003.
{it's funny kids have difficulty seeing their moms being anything
other than a mom sometimes}

anyway, we both enjoyed it, and as we were leaving
finn said his favorite song of all was the classic yakety yak song.
he was definitely familiar with that one!

we finished our date with a quick stop at chuck e cheese
{a place i try to avoid at all costs} BUT
since we never go here and it was a special afternoon,
we popped in for a half an hour and played a couples of video games.

we spent the rest of the evening,
preparing for class parties and setting out costumes
{the boys have 2 costumes each: one for school and one for halloween night}.
i even made turkey chili and a cake as we will have friends joining us
tomorrow night for dinner and then trick or treating.

the boys are so excited...
could hardly settle down for bed tonight.

have a Happy Halloween!

beatles love

i saw this amazing show in vegas this past weekend! 

i think back to it and it feels almost surreal  -
probably because the show was so over the top and
also because it happened so fast. i was only in vegas for 2 nights!

my lil' sharks had their team pictures early saturday morning
and a game right after that, and i didn't want to miss it.
{i take my coaching job seriously} *wink*

scoutie was sick and wasn't able to play in the game,
but he did agree to pose for the team and individual photo.
{i'm hoping he doesn't look too sullen in the photos}
finn had a game an hour later, and right after that was over,
i jumped on a plane and headed to las vegas.

i took this very quick trip with my girlfriend maia
{she may be the biggest beatles fan our there}.
we both have been wanting to see the show forever but neither of us are vegas girls.
even in my 20s, i didn't care for vegas {the strip is the epitome of cheesy}
but this is where the show was and i didn't want to miss it before it goes away. 

i'm so glad because it was nothing short of spectacular -
the theatrics, acrobatics, lights, props, costumes and the dancing!
the show had some of the best entertainers i've ever seen -
and all this was themed around amazing beatles songs/compiliations.
{and who can ever get enough of their music} *wink*

though i'm exhausted and hoarse from all the las vegas smoke
{i probably cut my life short by 5 years from having to breath it all}
i'm glad to have experienced this show.  i wish i had photos or video to share,
but photography and videography of any type were not allowed.

~ cool tidbit: my s-i-l shannon's 10 year old nephew, david, is in this show.
he lives in las vegas with his family, auditioned to be one of the young beatles, and was cast!
he is on a year contract, gets paid a salary and goes to school on set with the other young actors.
how cool is that? {i got to see him in the show - he was so cute}

art appreciation

art is when you hear a knocking from your soul - and you answer.
- terri guillemets

grandma is gone now and i already miss her.
she may well be the only person that we can have stay in our home for weeks on end
and not be burdened in the least.  it's just easy with her. i hope she feels the same. *grin*

i will post later on some of the things we all did together but before i forget,
i wanted to be sure i posted about a play i saw last week with my girlfriend charlotte.

we met for dinner at at rock bottom and spent an hour plus catching up one each other's lives.
it had been some time and she shared so many exciting things on the horizon for her.
from there we drove across the street to the la jolla playhouse to see the play, milk like sugar.

 

the play was inspired by the true story of the glaucester high school 'pregnancy pact'

of 2008 where 17 high school girls got pregnant.  somehow i had missed this story even
though it made national news.

it was shocking and disturbing, yet it was sprinkled with humor throughout
(for example, there was a half hour dialogue between the teenage girls discussing their cell phones -
the colors, what they had, what their guys had, etc.) it was ridiculous but believable.

it was an emotional whirlwind - causing char and i to both laugh and cry.
i came away more sympathetic to what life is like for some inner city kids,
how prospects can be so dim that for some, becoming a mother at 15 or 16 actually
sounds pretty exciting.  *yikes*  the cycle these kids are in pulled at my heart strings.

we walked out of the theater almost speechless for a few minutes,
trying to digest everything we had seen and heard.  the acting was superb and we
commented that our husbands would have really enjoyed seeing this.
oh how we wish it had been a double date.

i later told christopher that the season tickets to the la jolla playhouse he
has so generously gives to me as a gift over the last 12 years is SO appreciated.

i come away from every play i see, enriched in some way.
it may be through the music, a visual, the story, or a lesson learned
but i leave with a deeper appreciation of something after each one. 

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

i stayed home from work today with my little finney. 
he was running a low-grade fever and felt miserable.
when i put him down tonight, he still had a slight fever. 
if it's there in the morning, he will stay home with c tomorrow.
i never like seeing my boys sick, but finn sure was a cuddle bug today. 
i thoroughly enjoyed it.

scout on the otherhand, is healthy and thrilled to be back at the rock preschool.
he came home today talking up a storm - telling me all about his new teacher miss heidi,
and that he got to see ALL of his friends. he sure has missed them over the summer.
 

loving the limelight

i included the play limelight in a recent 'things i love thursdays' post
because i am obsessed with this play that recently ran at the la jolla playhouse.
it wasn't enough to just include it, i have to devote an entire post to it.

i saw it with christopher first a few months ago. we are season ticket holders at the ljph
and this was one of the 6 shows in the season. i was looking forward to it as i'm a big fan of
musical theater and this was one of the 2 musicals in the series.

admittingly, i knew nothing about charlie chaplin other than his character in his black and white
silent films was known as 'the tramp'. that's really all i knew about him. i don't recall even
watching an entire movie of his.

after having seen limelight, which is based on charlie's life,
i am fasinated with his rags to riches story.
his story is both interesting and inspiring.

it helped that there was a PHENOMENAL actor playing charlie, robert mcclure,
a talented cast, amazing dancing and music that i still can't get out of my head.
of the hundreds of plays (musicals and non) i have seen in my lifetime,
limelight is one of my top 3, maybe even my #1.

i can't think of a single thing to improve in the performances i saw.
it was perfection to me. i can't remember the last time i was so excited over a play.

after i saw it, i instantly wanted my sister jen to see it because i just knew she would love it too.
she had a birthday coming up, so i bought her a ticket the next day and
a few weeks later, we enjoyed it together.  i think she loved it almost as much as me.
so here's how obsessed i am with this play.

c and i went to see notes from the underground  a week or two after seeing limelight.
it was playing at one of the other theaters at the la jolla playhouse,
limelight was still running and playing right next door to the theater we were in.

after watching a very dark and disturbing play by dostoevsky, i was feeling pretty down.
(i'll share that several folks walked right out of the theater during the show because of graphics/violence). it was extremely difficult to watch.  c and i walked out of the theater without speaking a word to each other -we were both just drained emotionally.

as we walked by the theater where limelight was being having it's final performance,
i heard the music being played on the outdoor speakers. i stopped and couldn't help but smile.
limelight is a complete contrast from what i had just seen.
there are some melancholy and reflective songs,but most are upbeat and hopeful.
i needed to hear that music again so i insisted we just stand and listen.

as i was listening, i peeked inside the lobby.
i saw the live performance was being shown on a screen in the lobby. i was ecstatic!
i asked c if he'd be willing to go sit in the lobby and just sit and watch the show.
he had an 8am meeting the next day and it was already 9:30pm with yet another hour left of limelight.

he refused.
i begged him.
he still refused.
i told him it might be my last time EVER to hear the songs -
especially if the show doesn't make it to broadway. 
he thought i was being a bit dramatic and reminded me he had to get some sleep.
he said i was being unfair and unreasonable. how dare he!

here's the embarrassing part, but i'm going to share anyway.
i started to tear up in frustration and anger (i wasn't kidding when i said i am crazy about this play).
i briefly and very seriously considered telling c to go home without me and i would take a taxi home AFTER
i listened to the rest of the play, but in the end, i decided i should end our 'date night' with my husband.

but there you have it, a glimpse into my passion for live theater and music that moves me.
limelight did this - in a BIG way. i am hoping the show goes on to broadway.
with the cast we saw perform, it's hard to imagine it won't. it's so deserving of it.
my fingers are crossed and i am hopeful...

HERE is a clip interviewing the amazing christopher curtis, the composer for limelight.
i learned from his website that he has been working on the musical score for 16 years!
if this play comes to a theater near you, you MUST see it. i can't say it enough.
limelight is a musical you don't want to miss!!

unusual acts of devotion

this was the title of the theater production that christopher and i saw tonight at the la jolla playhouse.
it was one of the most interesting plays i've seen in a long time and since i'm wide awake thinking of it,
i wanted to write about it.
 
written by terrence mcnally, the story takes place entirely on a rooftop of a highrise.
its a peek into the lives a few greenwich village residents who gathered there to celebrate a wedding anniversary. during the evening, they confront some uncomfortable truths about their lives and their relationships. the play looks at things done - and not done - all in the name of love.
 
every one of the actors was amazing!

from the first scene, c and i recognized the voice of the older woman who played mrs. darnell.
we knew the voice, but couldn't place her, and since we didn't get a chance to read the program before the play, we opened it right after and learned it was doris roberts. she plays marie, the mother of raymond, on the television show everyone love's raymond. she was amazing!
 
the other actors had impressive bios - veteran stage actors but they had all been in major tv/films as well. some were joe manganiello, the villian who starred opposite tobey mcguire, in spider man 1 & 3, a woman (i can't remember her name) who was in rachael getting married, and richard thomas from the waltons.
 
this was a wonderful and memorable evening for me and i thank christopher for the chance to experience it as he was the provider of the ticket(s). they were a surprise birthday gift to me as he knows i LOVE theater.

he got tickets for the entire season so we will be enjoying an additional date night every month through november. he told me i don't have to take him, but who's he kidding? he enjoys theater as much as i do, and we can always use more date nights.
 
and a HUGE thanks to madison (maddy) for watching the peanuts.
it was her *first* time watching them and it was a success. the boys adore her.
we will certainly be seeing lots more of her this summer. we've been missing her.



scout (23 months), maddy (14) and finn (5)