Seeing their first show

My two oldest children had their first theatre experience this weekend at "Mary Poppins." And it was their first time seeing me act, ever. It was a pretty big day in our house and especially for me, The Acting Mom. 

Enjoy my re-telling of their visit to the theatre as told to me by my husband.

They arrived just as the lights were dimming, having just missed the curtain speech of the man who has kept this theatre alive for 45 years. The air was ripe with anticipation of this beloved story. My oldest child was on the edge of his seat, while my only daughter cautiously held on to Daddy as the lights slowly warmed onto Bert, sitting on a chimney.

As soon as the first note was heard, the show took of at a break neck speed allowing the audience only enough time to grasp what story they were apart of, but not enough to get comfortable as the cast, crew, and orchestra flew seamlessly from one scene to the next.

With a wig, exaggerated make-up and larger than life costumes, my children didn't even recognize me on the stage, traipsing the role of Winifred Banks. My husband would often remind them of my presence with a whisper, only to hear back, "Oh yeah! There IS Mommy!"

The entirety of the show Asher spent on the edge of his seat, buzzing with electric energy, every new scene and dance number fueling the zeal for this art form. When the chimney sweeps stood on audience member's seats and sang, the light in my son's eyes danced with delight. And when they shook his hand for good luck, it was as if he was meeting the president of the United States.


PERKS OF BEING AN ACTRESS: You can tell the chimney sweeps were your kids are sitting in hopes of an interaction. (Thank you, Derek and Jeremy!)

When asked what was surprising about seeing the show, Alethea said all the yelling, which, humorously, was every scene I was in. Mr. Banks is not as kind in the stage version as the film and even Mrs. Banks yells at the children. My timid little lady kept her hands covering her ears for the majority of the production, apprehensive as to what would come next. But even she couldn't contain herself as the taping and flying and singing was in full swing during "Step In Time." She was so caught up in it that she spontaneously clapped and waved her arms in excitement.

Their favorite numbers were, logically, "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" and "Step In Time." But aren't they everyone's? How can you not love these iconic numbers from the film?

The kids weren't only swept away by the spectacle of it all, but truly bought into the story. The restoration of the Banks family plot line was not lost on them. Alethea remarked that she loved how Mr. Banks MADE a new colorful kite for Michael so they could fly it together. This story of fixing what is broken is what resonates with us all, and part of why we audiences have loved Mary Poppins for years.

And who were their favorite characters? Jane and Michael Banks, of course! The four of them talking about the production was the most precious thing to witness. My stage children and real children having a conversation about the wonder of Mary Poppins was purely magical for this mom on and off stage.

Asher is excited to see other productions and when asked by our stage manager if he wanted to operate a spot light, after a 24 hour consideration, he said yes. Alethea said she would not like to see any more shows, but she did ask when she could do a show with me. So maybe I have another actress in the family...

Craig's wrap up of the entire event was: "You can't put a price on making memories like that." And I couldn't have said it better myself.


P.S. Photos are worth a thousand words, but for Mary Poppins, it's only one.