Valentine's Day

February 14, 2026

We celebrated our Valentine's Day with a delicious dinner at DiCicco's, followed by Beetlejuice at the theater. It was nice to get a little dressed up and have a little more of a formal date-not that we don't love our every day dates too!

The Show Must Go On

January 23, 2026

I didn't go to school on Friday because of my CAT scan appointment, but our school's production of Mamma Mia was in its run, and several of my students had principal roles in it. I had committed to going, and I really didn't want to go back on my word. Both Lisa and Bree were supposed to go with me, and both ended up feeling under the weather and bowed out. Rafe was a good sport and didn't want me to go on my own, so he (somewhat reluctantly) went with me. It was a really well-done production, and I loved getting to see the talent of my students being showcased. I don't think it was great for my concussion, but still worth it! Also, thank goodness for makeup-I did not look like I had just been in a bar brawl!

Riverdance at the Kennedy Center

March 20, 2022

Riverdance at the Kennedy Center

For sure, one of the highlights of the trip was getting to see Riverdance at the Kennedy Center. Historic venue, mesmerizing performance. What an amazing night to share with Bree!

Anastasia

February 22, 2022

Tonight I got to head out to the theater once again to see a production of Anastasia.  This used to be one of Brianna's very favorite movies when she was young.  Weirdly, although she watched it a hundred times with me, I didn't remember much about the plotline.  I remembered, of course, that it was about the Romanovs and the daughter who survived the attack on her family, but beyond that I hadn't held onto the details of the story.  I think Bree and I watched it so often that I got bored by it and blocked it out.  The show has some pretty dark moments, but lots of comedy, too.  I thought the actors were all very strong, especially their singing voices.  Unlike when I went to see Waitress last month, I didn't have any trouble understanding the lyrics during the musical numbers.  What was really incredible, though, was the digital sets.  I don't think I've ever seen a show that relied so heavily on projected scenes, but the detail and quality were so beautiful and intricate that it definitely enhanced the production in a very different way than a traditional set might have.  I would imagine that a traditional stage set for a production like this would be incredibly expensive and difficult to transport, but the projected screens allowed for a lot more flexibility.  Done poorly, it would have detracted from the experience, but the quality here was stunning.  Couple that with a charming date, and it all made for a very lovely evening indeed!

More Theater: Wicked

February 20, 2022

Since we didn't end up going to dance classes yesterday, we wanted to make sure we got to some today.  On today's docket were definitely some dance styles I had not tried before:  60's Go-Go dancing and Burlesque.  They were both taught by the same young woman with a great, sassy style and a fun attitude.  I loved her as an instructor.  The Go-Go class was a lot of fun and though the dance routine wasn't difficult, it was a good aerobic workout that didn't feel like work.  That's a plus in my book.  The second class took us both significantly out of our comfort zones.  I'm not so sure how sexy or sensual either of us looked or felt, but I still have to say I was pretty proud of us for branching out.  I'm pretty sure that in order for me dancing in Burlesque style to have the intended effect, I would need A LOT of practice (and even then, maybe still not so much of the intended effect).

Not long after we made plans for me to stay at Lisa's this weekend, she noticed that Wicked would be in town not too far from her.  I had also seen this musical before, but I was definitely up for seeing it again.  Lisa hadn't seen it yet.  After our dance classes, we headed to the theater-a much more regal and sophisticated one than yesterday's. The two leads in the musical really had phenomenal voices and definitely were able to make those iconic parts their own.  Such an incredible performance!  Of the three times I've seen this show, this was definitely my favorite.

Next to Normal

February 19, 2022

After yesterday's concert, Danielle and I stayed in a cute little hotel room and then made our way back to Riverside.  I dropped her off and then continued on to Lisa's house.  Lisa just bought a new house, so this would be my first time getting to stay there.  Our goal was for me to help her do some setting up and decorating at the house, but as usual we tried to pack way too much into our weekend.  We did go and pick up a bunch of household stuff that we'd won at an online auction to help add to her new household.  Then we went to see a production of Next to Normal.  It's a play that I had seen before, but Lisa hadn't, nor had Phil, who joined us.  It's a powerful but pretty heavy and dramatic play with some difficult mental health subject matter.  I'm not sure how much Phil enjoyed it--he had no idea what the play was about--but Lisa and I really liked it.  They were some talented actors, and the venue itself was intimate and comfortable.  I'm really glad we were able to go. I have really missed concerts and live theater in the time of the pandemic.

Afterward we considered going to some dance classes, but we opted instead to grab some sushi for dinner.  We found an excellent little hole-in-the-wall place that was well worth it.  Then we just decided to get back home and start putting away the auction finds.  Even though we didn't make it to the dance classes, we still felt like we had a pretty productive day.

Hello Dolly

July 31, 2011


Bree decided to audition for a role in the ensemble of the local community theater's production of Hello Dolly this summer. It's her last hurrah in theater in this town, since she's headed for San Diego for college in August. The rehearsal schedule was grueling, and the dance numbers were intricate and difficult, but the cast pulled off a show they could really be proud of.

Rehearsal for Dolly



Bree with some of her friends from the cast
The very impressive waiters' scene.Bree is the middle chef in all white. The leaps in the the waiters' scene, especially at the tempo they had to dance, were pretty amazing. I was tired just watching them all!

Wizard of Oz--Girls' Night Out

July 28, 2010

Our local community theater group put on a production of Wizard of Oz, and Bree thought it would be fun to have a girls' night out with just her sister and her cousin. They got all dressed up and had a fantastic time!

After Happily Ever After

March 20, 2010
What happens when After Happily Ever After isn't so happily ever after for everyone? Why, you bring the whole enchanted family on a talk show to work out your issues, naturally, and if the mood strikes you, burst into a song or two while you're at it. If you're really prepared, you'll bring along choreographed back-up dancers to sashay and shimmy to your up-tempo showcase numbers. I've often thought it would be nice to have back up dancers of my own to make life a little more interesting, but so far they haven't shown up yet.


Anyway, that's the premise of the play Danielle just wrapped up. The Ever After--A Musical, featured Snow White and the Evil Queen, Cinderella and her 'beauty impaired' step-sisters, the Frog Prince, and Jiminy Cricket as a panel expert. We went to see the show last Thursday night. Once again I was amazed at how much fun I could have watching an elementary stage production. There was humor, both intended and unintended, and some very well-played roles. Danielle was in the chorus again this year, but got to be in one of the featured small group dance numbers. She also got a line this year, playing a small role in one of the 'commercials' in between segments of the play's talk show. One line or a hundred, it made no difference to me; I was the misty-eyed mama in the audience cheering her on.

The kids also performed during the school day on Friday for the student body. My sister Lisa was able to make a quick one day trip up from the L.A. area to see both of the girls' plays, so I got to see the show a second time when I brought Lisa to the student show. Lisa scored some serious Super Star Aunt points, by the way, for making the turn-around trip just so she could see the girls up on the stage. That's about ten hours worth of driving in twenty-four hours for a little under three hours' worth of theater. (We saw Bree's play that evening.) My sister rocks!