I won't grow up!
July 26th, 2006 05:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shiredancerAh, it's a little bit, and blessedly, cooler today. We're recovering from many things just now, so first in order is...
Peter Pan. I wasn't really excited about the show during the weeks leading up to it. I've seen every film version, I think, and have always enjoyed the story, from Disney to "Hook" to the recent film and the Johnny Depp one portraying Barrie. And I've seen it on stage once locally, when Cathy Rigby starred -- I believe she's still making a career of playing Peter Pan in local productions! But this time, I wasn't into it much. Maybe because Kidlet's part was pretty small, and perhaps I harbor more mommyish resentments than I like to realize. *She*, by the way, was fine with it and made the most of being a pirate -- she and her piratical crew had a blast. *Proud* Of course I wouldn't let on that I was disappointed -- I've taught her well to be grateful for any part she's given and make it hers. But I did my usual volunteer duties (this summer camp relies heavily on parent participation, and I oblige as best I can) -- helped with the ice cream social the first week, brought snacks, helped during set construction weekends, and of course volunteered in the sewing room. But still, it was all a bit ho-hum, yeah yeah, probably going to be a very long and poky show...
And oh, was I wrong! I forgot -- no matter how jaded I am with a show, or if it's not a favorite, when Kidlet is in it, I see it all again with brand-new eyes. It's one of the most magical things about having a stage-struck kid. And once again, it was as if it was all new to me. Oh my goodness, they had the *best* Peter Pan in Kidlet's cast! A young girl (*not* an adult woman, for once, as is stage convention) with just the most perfect attitude of swagger, spunk, and cockiness mixed in with the most innocent, childish air. She delivered her lines perfectly, and I believed in her wholeheartedly. And they had Tinkerbell as a real person -- in the actual play, she's just portrayed by a beam of light onstage. This one was costumed with bells everywhere, so that she could convey her emotions (usually jealousy and petty anger, of course -- that's Tink all over, when she's not nobly sacrifing herself drinking the poison meant for Peter) by flitting about and, well, tinkling her bells. *All* the kids were great, no, they were fabulous. Entirely believable. Little Michael with his teddy bear, and Nana the dog -- oh, the dog was wonderful! Blustery Mr. Darling, fatuous old Hook -- all wonderful.
That crocodile costume I helped sew was worn by the girl who also portrayed the maid in the Darling house. What a good sport! We had just about the hottest weekend so far during the production, and she wore this heavy, all-enclosed costume made of *felt* (which doesn't breathe at all), and the beaded stomach I sewed on was stuffed with puffy fabric so she was waddling about. Her head was covered by a hood, and she wore an ingenious backpack that supported a huge papier-mache crocodile head with huge eyes and wide-open jaws filled with very LARGE glow-in-the-dark teeth, and then a spine and tail of raised ridges all the way down her back to the ground and halfway across the stage. And she smiled and chased pirates the whole time! One of the things they added was the opening to the second act, when Neverland is introduced. They had the mermaids singing and dancing to a rock or hiphop song along the lines of "Do You Want to Come Inside?" or something, and they open the curtain to reveal the blacklighted Neverland I mentioned in an earlier post. The Amazons with their swinging poi balls brought the house down, and the croc enters. And at the end of the same act, guess what song they gave the croc to sing as a solo?? The old Blondie standard, "I'm Gonna Get Ya"! Perfection! She had a great voice for it, too. And still had the widest smile, though she must have been melting by then.
But what really got to me about this production, partly because it drew me in so completely and made me believe (and not just when we have to clap to keep Tinkerbell alive, which I *always* do...), was the extremely touching bittersweetness of it all. There are wonderful messages in the story, when you pay attention. The bittersweetness of having to accept that we all grow up -- I had tears in my eyes at the end, when Peter returns to find Wendy a real grown-up lady, and takes her daughter to Neverland instead. God, I actually felt like I'd made a *huge* mistake in my life -- I'd grown up! It was an awful realization! But see, that's the good part too -- the hope, and the joy, because we come away knowing that there is *one* who will never grow up and will take each new generation on his adventures. That's how the book opens (the book I've never actually read): "All children, except one, grow up..." It's like a hope that maybe someday, more and more of us will learn to retain the goodness and fun and purity of childhood (well, okay, the idealized childhood represented by the fantasy of Neverland). Less of the "A little less noise, there!" and more of the "I am Youth, and I am Joy!" And another famous quote, though it wasn't used in this script, is Peter Pan saying "Death would be an awfully big adventure." I've never heard it put quite so positively before, and though I may have heard it in movie versions, I'd forgotten. I'd forgotten so much, but I was reminded this weekend. Oh, it did my heart good, as the old-fashioned saying goes.
Despite the terrible heat in the not-air-conditioned theater, the play soared by -- it lifted me with it, and I flew. I flew!
Peter Pan. I wasn't really excited about the show during the weeks leading up to it. I've seen every film version, I think, and have always enjoyed the story, from Disney to "Hook" to the recent film and the Johnny Depp one portraying Barrie. And I've seen it on stage once locally, when Cathy Rigby starred -- I believe she's still making a career of playing Peter Pan in local productions! But this time, I wasn't into it much. Maybe because Kidlet's part was pretty small, and perhaps I harbor more mommyish resentments than I like to realize. *She*, by the way, was fine with it and made the most of being a pirate -- she and her piratical crew had a blast. *Proud* Of course I wouldn't let on that I was disappointed -- I've taught her well to be grateful for any part she's given and make it hers. But I did my usual volunteer duties (this summer camp relies heavily on parent participation, and I oblige as best I can) -- helped with the ice cream social the first week, brought snacks, helped during set construction weekends, and of course volunteered in the sewing room. But still, it was all a bit ho-hum, yeah yeah, probably going to be a very long and poky show...
And oh, was I wrong! I forgot -- no matter how jaded I am with a show, or if it's not a favorite, when Kidlet is in it, I see it all again with brand-new eyes. It's one of the most magical things about having a stage-struck kid. And once again, it was as if it was all new to me. Oh my goodness, they had the *best* Peter Pan in Kidlet's cast! A young girl (*not* an adult woman, for once, as is stage convention) with just the most perfect attitude of swagger, spunk, and cockiness mixed in with the most innocent, childish air. She delivered her lines perfectly, and I believed in her wholeheartedly. And they had Tinkerbell as a real person -- in the actual play, she's just portrayed by a beam of light onstage. This one was costumed with bells everywhere, so that she could convey her emotions (usually jealousy and petty anger, of course -- that's Tink all over, when she's not nobly sacrifing herself drinking the poison meant for Peter) by flitting about and, well, tinkling her bells. *All* the kids were great, no, they were fabulous. Entirely believable. Little Michael with his teddy bear, and Nana the dog -- oh, the dog was wonderful! Blustery Mr. Darling, fatuous old Hook -- all wonderful.
That crocodile costume I helped sew was worn by the girl who also portrayed the maid in the Darling house. What a good sport! We had just about the hottest weekend so far during the production, and she wore this heavy, all-enclosed costume made of *felt* (which doesn't breathe at all), and the beaded stomach I sewed on was stuffed with puffy fabric so she was waddling about. Her head was covered by a hood, and she wore an ingenious backpack that supported a huge papier-mache crocodile head with huge eyes and wide-open jaws filled with very LARGE glow-in-the-dark teeth, and then a spine and tail of raised ridges all the way down her back to the ground and halfway across the stage. And she smiled and chased pirates the whole time! One of the things they added was the opening to the second act, when Neverland is introduced. They had the mermaids singing and dancing to a rock or hiphop song along the lines of "Do You Want to Come Inside?" or something, and they open the curtain to reveal the blacklighted Neverland I mentioned in an earlier post. The Amazons with their swinging poi balls brought the house down, and the croc enters. And at the end of the same act, guess what song they gave the croc to sing as a solo?? The old Blondie standard, "I'm Gonna Get Ya"! Perfection! She had a great voice for it, too. And still had the widest smile, though she must have been melting by then.
But what really got to me about this production, partly because it drew me in so completely and made me believe (and not just when we have to clap to keep Tinkerbell alive, which I *always* do...), was the extremely touching bittersweetness of it all. There are wonderful messages in the story, when you pay attention. The bittersweetness of having to accept that we all grow up -- I had tears in my eyes at the end, when Peter returns to find Wendy a real grown-up lady, and takes her daughter to Neverland instead. God, I actually felt like I'd made a *huge* mistake in my life -- I'd grown up! It was an awful realization! But see, that's the good part too -- the hope, and the joy, because we come away knowing that there is *one* who will never grow up and will take each new generation on his adventures. That's how the book opens (the book I've never actually read): "All children, except one, grow up..." It's like a hope that maybe someday, more and more of us will learn to retain the goodness and fun and purity of childhood (well, okay, the idealized childhood represented by the fantasy of Neverland). Less of the "A little less noise, there!" and more of the "I am Youth, and I am Joy!" And another famous quote, though it wasn't used in this script, is Peter Pan saying "Death would be an awfully big adventure." I've never heard it put quite so positively before, and though I may have heard it in movie versions, I'd forgotten. I'd forgotten so much, but I was reminded this weekend. Oh, it did my heart good, as the old-fashioned saying goes.
Despite the terrible heat in the not-air-conditioned theater, the play soared by -- it lifted me with it, and I flew. I flew!
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Date: July 27th, 2006 02:33 am (UTC)I put up my Princess Sparky icon in honor of kidlet, as I have no pirate icon. Arrr. Hope she had a great experience with it too. Honestly, I am going to do my best to remain *childlike* without being *childish* as long as I can, prolly 'til I pass on. Glad you flew. Cool gentle breezes are wished your way, and soon.
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Date: July 27th, 2006 04:12 am (UTC)I too try to keep that childlike (as opposed to childish) quality going. Sometimes it's easy; sometimes not so much. But then, the recent generations (starting with the Boomers, I think) have been dubbed the Peter Pan generations, right? We definitely won't grow up! Well, not in the bad way. *Smile*
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Date: July 27th, 2006 02:49 pm (UTC)Hope your baby had a great time, even if the part wasn't that good. Certainly sounds like she made the best of it and had a blast - which is the whole point of the thing anyway, bless her *g*
Glad you remembered how to fly... :~D
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Date: July 27th, 2006 05:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: July 27th, 2006 05:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: July 27th, 2006 09:37 pm (UTC)And we don't have to totally grow up. I spend time taking the joy in little moments when I can find them. It's fun. Of course, I also get to play make believe every time I write. :oD
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Date: July 28th, 2006 12:51 am (UTC)Oh, I'm with you completely on that one, Sarah! The weekend served as an excellent reminder.
LOL, maybe that's why I've eaten mostly ice cream ever since! (Well, that and the heat.)