Fireflies

I've been trying to figure out how to post about Wizard of Oz Strike from Sunday night for about a day now. On a totally unrelated note, I also sign onto iTunes every week and download the free Single of the Week, usually without listening to it. It's free, to why not?

Last week was "Fireflies" by Owl City. I listened to it on the pilates today, and I immediately knew that it would be the perfect basis for a post. Naturally, I've listened to it about twenty times now.



"You would not believe your eyes
if ten million fireflies
lit up the world as I fell asleep.
Cause they fill the open air
and leave teardrops everywhere."

One thing that was true at this Strike as well as the one for Beauty and the Beast was that the Marsee's yard, which is where we have the Strike Party (The Marsees are the presidents of YTHC) is filled with fireflies during the summer. Seriously---there's tons of them, and when it becomes dark and hugging circle starts, people sometimes try and catch them. It'll be completely dark and then, suddenly, a spark of light will briefly appear before fading to black again. Fireflies always remind me of Youth Theatre.

"Cause I'd get a thousand hugs
from ten-thousand lightening bugs
as they try to teach me how to dance."

Hugging circle. With fireflies. And I can't really dance, thanks to my turned-in ankles. Add one and two together and we'll come up with song meaning.

"To ten million fireflies
I'm weird cause I hate goodbyes.
I got misty eyes
as they said farewell."

The end of Strike was, as expected, fairly traumatic, since it does mark the end of that particular season of YTHC. The seniors will move onto college, people will move, and new people come in, but no particular season will be exactly like the one before it or the one afterward. This seems to be the case with most people, though, so I doubt that I'm "weird cause I hate goodbyes." This particular year was hard, having not been in the show and therefore not only not being able to meet some of the new seniors (and non-seniors!) but also not seeing some of my best friends every day like last summer.

It was raining after giving out the Nerd awards, so several people (particularly newbies) went up to the center of the tent we were all sitting under and gave their sort of "Thank the Academy" speeches. I actually went up myself, explaining to the people who didn't know why I had to duck out why I did and thanking everyone for keeping me as part of the YTHC family despite my absence onstage. And yes, I was half-crying at that point.

I'm trying not to look at this as the end of Season 38, but rather the beginning of Season 39 (much as our director would say). It sounds like this will be my last year at Fort Knox and Kentucky, so I'm hoping to make this year the best out of any of what will be the five here. I plan on joining SALUTE!, which is YTHC's touring group during the school year, start taking dance lessons, survive AP, become more social, finish my book, among other things. It's kind of inspired by Chris Crutcher's Deadline, which I haven't read but know the plot of. Look it up---it's a fairly long explanation.

Just to wrap things up, I'd like to say a final thank you to YTHC and everyone involved in it. I love you all so much!

Back to Oz

Though Mom and I had already seen Wizard of Oz last week, we decided to go again with my friend Janelle tonight. It was just as wonderful as last time, and our seats were really good---middle, few rows behind the crossover aisle. I ran into numerous YTHC alumni (and other people I hadn't seen in a year) that I was friends with, and they were more than happy to sign my "Shirt of Love". The shirt is the T-shirt I got for going to the Wizard of Oz workshops. It's largely white, and since I didn't have a signed poster like last time, I decided to get all my friends, YTHC or not (anyone at the show, really) to sign it. After tomorrow night, which is closing night (I'm going again) the shirt will be my new pajama top.

Over the Rainbow

I'm seeing Wizard of Oz with my friend Janelle on the 17th. However, we weren't doing anything tonight, so I appealed to my mom to take me to see it tonight as well.

It was absolutely incredible. Toto was an actual dog, and he was completely adorable and terribly well trained. I tried to imagine Ginger doing that and couldn't (Sorry, Ginger). In the scene where Toto escapes and Dorothy cries, "Run Toto, run!" Toto ran off Stage Right. If Ginger did that, I suppose she'd also have a nice dose of FRAP and run around the entire stage.

I didn't FaceBook that I was coming, so at the Meet-n-Greet I took my friends by surprise. I hadn't seen most of them in two months, some six, some a year. Mom took pictures, though they're still on her camera. I'll post them tomorrow.

My friend James pulled his typical Poor Young Lad to ask my mom if I could join the cast at Shoneys for their tradition post-show dinner. On the condition that I vacuum the entire house tomorrow, I was allowed. I accepted.

Words can not describe how I felt tonight. I haven't felt that loved and immersed in people like that in so long. Granted, I haven't been miserable at all, but to be part of the YTHC family again and go out at the late hours of night, all the bright lights of the street and theatre against the black sky was just great. Best of all was seeing all my friends again, some of the greatest people I've ever met.

I'll end my poetic and sappy interlude there. I'm really tired (contacts are killing me) and I got four hours of sleep last night. If I'm to vacuum the house, I'm going to bed.

Never thought I'd be saying it

But I ducked out of YTHC this season. It's been an insane year, and I haven't exactly had a break from anything. With Dad deploying and Jamaica and everything, I don't think I could have balanced everything out.

I might be working backstage in July, though. I really just need to take June off and breathe.

Bullet statements

• Mom let me sleep in late today because I knew I wasn't doing anything in first through third period (and it turns out I wasn't). It was nice to actually sleep for the first time in several days.
  
  
• The piano player for "Sorcerer's Apprentice" didn't show up today...again. I'm getting a little anxious about it.
  
  
• I'm not entirely sure what to do for an upcoming school talent show.
  
  
• The first rehearsal for Wizard of Oz was tonight, and despite being in a rather nasty mood about it beforehand, I'm really excited now.
  
  
• Maya sent me this:
  
  
  
  
• The high school band concert is tomorrow, so I practiced some of my music for that (and Sorcerer's Apprentice). Looks like I'm a beast on Apprentice and somewhat adequate for high school music.
  
  
• I really wish I didn't have to go to school tomorrow. We're not doing anything as far as I know. Hopefully, we'll finish Sound of Music in German.
  

Auditions

I'm in my typical post-audition pessimistic mood. For anything serious, best wait until tomorrow.

Over the rainbow

Today was the first YTHC workshop. It was really fun seeing my friends again (And debating who is better---Haldir or Legolas) and trying the different readings out. For instance, I read for Uncle Henry, and I think I did pretty well.

However, I've had "Over the Rainbow" in my head all day. Therefore, here's my favorite version:

Blog365: Day 3

I just got back from the YTHC new year's pizza party! I'd normally post pictures, but I'm not sure how well any of mine turned out, so I'll do them tomorrow. Nothing's happening tomorrow.