A Trip Into the Woods

Into the Woods is one of Marina’s favorite musicals. She was interested in seeing a university production this year. Marina decided she wanted to dress like a wolf. That meant she wore black, grey and white with her wolf hat.

We arrived in Boulder with plenty of time to park and walk to the university theater. We picked up snacks and went to our seats. While we were waiting for the show to start, the fire alarm went off. An usher told us a child had pulled an alarm but we still had to evacuate. A bit later the fire department showed up. While we waited outside we talked to the spotlight operator for a while.

When we were finally allowed back inside, it took a while to get everything ready, so the show started about 20 minutes late. Once it got started, Marina was completely involved. At intermission we were both hungry, but when we went to the concession stand they were out of snacks. That made us a bit grumpy.

Fortunately the second act went faster than the first. When the show was over, we waited in the lobby to meet the performer who played Little Red. After our brief conversation, Marina and I headed for the car. We picked up burgers and fries on the ride home then took it easy for the rest of the night.

Cosi For Kids

We had tickets to see Cosi Fan Tutti. The performance we were seeing was specially created for families.

The theater is about an hour drive from our house. None of us were hungry when it was time to leave, so we bought sandwiches to eat along the way. Fortunately the snow that fell last night was plowed this morning and the streets were clear.

We arrived a bit early for the show so we relaxed in our seats for a while. The performance featured scenes of the opera with narration in between. It was colorful and fun to watch. The third scene was particularly funny.

After the performance was over, we got to meet the performer playing Despina, whose boyfriend we were sitting by. After talking with her, we were ready for the long drive home.

The Art of Dior

We had tickets to see the Christian Dior exhibit at the art museum this evening. Marina and her friend got all dressed up but then ultimately decided to wear the clothes they wore to school.

We decided to leave early to deal with rush hour traffic. It also had started to snow. As we drove the snow got heavier and it took us twice as long to get there as usual. Fortunately we arrived just in time to go into the exhibit.

Both girls loved the fancy dresses in the Dior exhibit. They agreed on some but also had their own favorites. We spent the most time in the last room that had dresses inspired by countries around the world.

After we finished seeing the Dior exhibit, we went into the interactive area. They had activities for print art. Both tried each types. They seemed to enjoy the activities and were happy with their finished products.

Once their artwork was finished, we decided to leave. It was late. Unfortunately, due to the snow, the drive home was worse than the drive there. It took nearly 90 minutes for us to get back the house. Both girls were dozing off the entire time. When we finally arrived at home, we had about eight inches of snow to walk through!

Princess Pizza Party

Marina still likes to dress up and attend princess events, however now she prefers to do it when a younger child is with us. So I when I saw the Moana and Ariel party at a pizzeria I invited a friend and her niece to join us. Marina wore her Ariel costume and added jewelry and a tiara with pearls.

When we arrived it was a bit chaotic. We were happy to sit down. Our server took great care of us. Marina and I ordered a large pizza so we would have leftovers later in the week. While we were waiting, a huge plate of breadsticks were brought to our table, Marina loved those.

Right before our pizza arrived Moana and Ariel came by our table. Both girls got a necklace from Ariel and a heart of Tifiti from Moana.

After we ate, Moana and Ariel each sang a song. After that we waited to pay our bill. But before we left we signed up for the party next month. We’d had a fun evening.

A Little Night Music

Ever since Marina learned she has the same birthday as Stephen Sondheim, she’s been interested in his shows. A Little Night Music is one that is not performed very often, so I was excited to take Marina to see it at a local theater. She dressed up in a cat sweater and sparkly skirt.

I bought her a cream soda to drink and we went to our seat at the theater. The show was a bout relationships and while Marina did find some humor in the dialogue, she was a bit bored at the show. She did enjoy the cookies I got her at intermission.

We did know a couple of actors in the cast but Marina didn’t want to stay afterwards to talk with them. It was late and she had school the next day.

Wizard of Oz Ballet

Marina and I have been fans of the ballet for a long time. We were very interested when they announced they were presenting a new work – The Wizard of Oz. The downtown area was still very crowded so we gave ourselves plenty of time. Despite that, we still ran into terrible traffic and it took us quite a while to park. Once inside the theatre, we picked up drinks and snacks and waited to sit down. There was a technical issue and we waited for a long time.

 While we were waiting to be seated, a friend of ours joined us. Once the technical issues were settled, the doors to the theater opened and we made our way to our seats. The show started shortly afterwards. The ballet was a good one. It combined traditional ballet with modern twists and took a humorous tone throughout. The special effect were impressive.

 After intermission when the lights were going down, Marina shushed us because she didn’t want to miss anything! After the show we lingered in the theater and took some photos in front of a fun backdrop. That allowed traffic to ease up so we weren’t stuck in traffic when we left.

Musical Theater Showcase

Marina shares her birthday with Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Over the years, she has become a fan the musicals they have written. The symphony had a concert featuring the music of both of these composers. We were both excited to go.

There were quite a few events going on downtown this weekend so we left early to avoid parking issues. It took a bit longer than usual, but we managed to get a good spot and arrive early at the concert hall. We bought drinks – Marina got a chai latte.

We went to our seats about half an hour before the concert started. Marina had brought her Nintendo DS with her, so she played on it until the show began.

We were a bit disappointed that our favorite conductor was not conducting the concert as scheduled, but we still enjoyed it. The concert featured three soloists. One of the women was a character actress who brought lots of character to each song she performed. The first half was all Sondheim songs. Marina has seen a few of those shows, but she didn’t seem to remember many of them.

After intermission was all the Andrew Lloyd Webber music. Most of those songs she recognized. She especially liked the selections from The Phantom of the Opera. The male soloist gave an amazing performance. After the concert was over one of the singers was in the lobby to sell and sign her merchandise. Marina had wanted to meet her, but the line was very long, so we decided to go home.