For Mary Kate, the months of October, November, December, and January are all about the school musical.
In October there is nervousness. Although her confidence has improved by leaps and bounds since even just last year, auditions are still terribly nerve racking. I played the piano for her and I thought she knocked it out of the park singing
I Can’t Say No from the musical Oklahoma.
Sadly I must report that after auditions there were some (actually lots) of mascara stained tears. The elation of getting call-backs for the very part she wanted was quickly followed by crushing disappointment when the part went to a friend instead. In a school with lots of talented kids there is bound to be disappointment all over the place, as the competition is quite stiff. There followed some deep discussions about how to handle disappointment (life is never free of a good portion of it) and how to make the best of a difficult situation.
I was so proud of MK. She brushed it off, worked through the urge to quit, and made the best of things. She made a firm decision to be positive and to be the best member of the ensemble that she could be.
All through November, December and January that cast worked hard!
They performed this last weekend. I may be her mother, so a bit biased, but I thought she was marvelous! As I sorted through the all photographs I couldn’t get over her face. At all times she was in character, giving it everything she had.
Check out a few of her many faces…
I love this one. That’s pure joy on her face there. That kind of joy comes from throwing yourself fully into something you love and from the satisfaction of a job well done. Who knew that trying out for a Jr. High musical could end up providing such great life lessons? I asked MK after her last performance if she was glad she didn’t quit when she felt so inclined. Of course she said yes! She loved the whole experience.
It just goes to show that you don’t have to get exactly what you want to find satisfaction in something. All you need is a little tweak in attitude, a healthy dose of perspective and all can turn out well.
Looks like everyone found some satisfaction doing what they love. These kids were really fantastic. Doesn’t hurt that they have fantastic teachers.
*A sincere thanks to everyone who made the trip to support this girl. She reported feeling very loved. Thank you, thank you all!
*The play was called “Once On This Island.” The story is very similar to the original version of Hans Christen Anderson’s “Little Mermaid.” (In case you were wondering).
2 comments:
I loved watching her throw herself into it. She was marvelous as always.
She's always been a terrific actor. I remember when she was 2 or 3 and pulled off a completely convincing kitten. Also, she knew every part from Cinderella cold.
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