"I don't know if the best things happen while you're dancing or if they just happen in Vermont..."

As you may (or may not) be able to tell from the title of this post, I went to see Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" last night, as performed by my alma mater (insert moment of high school pride here). Despite the various costuming errors and typos in the program (which were fodder for sarcastic comments from myself and Amanda), the show was very well done (especially the amazing tap number) and reminded me of how much I really love musicals, most especially seeing them performed live.

The excitement begins long before the show even starts. I love getting ready to go out to a cultural event, even one put on by a high school. It's just something out of the ordinary that reminds me that I'm not just a little girl living in a small-ish town. Going to stuff like this makes me feel classy, even if it's put on by a high school. I love entering the theatre and looking for my seat, then sitting down and looking through the program (even one riddled with errors, and I don't just mean ones published for high school productions) before the show starts.

Next, the orchestra in the pit. You hear them tune, see the director arrive and then...the overture. The overture is played and gets everyone, or at least me, excited for the show to begin with snippets of songs that will be performed during the course of the show. Then the curtain rises, and everything is pretty awesome for the next couple of hours (unless you go to see some crazy show...or a Rodgers and Hammerstein, because most of those shows have some dark moments).

Another thing I love about musicals: the romantic storyline. As an example, I give you one of my very favorite musicals: Meredith Willson's "The Music Man", the film version of which stars the incomparable Robert Preston and the absolutely fabulous Shirley Jones. As much as I love love love that movie, the reason that this musical holds a particularly special place in my heart because it was the very first musical I saw in person. Incidentally, it was also performed by my dear high school my freshman year. I so very much love the fact that Harold Hill spends so much time going after Marian Paroo (let's set aside the fact that his intentions were not so much romantic as they were devious...perhaps that makes me delusional, but this IS a musical. A little delusion goes a long way in enjoying a world where people burst out into song and dance). I've just always loved that fact that a good musical will throw together a man and a woman who have no business falling in love and fight it as hard as they can, but a few songs and a couple of revealing scenes later they're singing a duet of love (not to mention those great kisses!). I have to admit that I had a bit of crush on the guy that played Harold Hill for a little while. It's pretty much like falling for fictional movie characters, except they also sing!


Look how happy they are! Well, she's happy; he just looks like he's staring into the sun. I guess I just love musicals so much because they tend to be a conglomeration of so many things that I wish life could be. And how about that beautiful happy ending with a handsome man? The fantastic singing isn't too bad, either. I know that it's a bit much to ask for, and I'm really not expecting my life to turn into a musical, so there's no cause for concern. I just think it would be nice.

The marching band is optional, though.