My Niece with the Golden Voice

Several years ago my annual escape to Utah happened to coincide with my niece’s jr. high musical, “Honk.” I love plays and musicals and so I was delighted to be able to go and see it. What I didn’t expect was how excited my niece was that I had come to see her play. Later that year we were talking about rumors she had heard about what musicals her high school was going to do. She told me that one of the things she had heard was that the high school might do “Beauty and the Beast” her senior year, and that she hoped if that happened she would get to be Mrs. Potts. I agreed with her that that would be excellent, and told her that if that ever happened, I was coming to see it.

Last summer we found out that Alli had gotten the part of Mrs. Potts. I was so excited for her, but at the same time not sure if I was going to be able to keep my long-ago promise. I wasn’t sure she even remembered my promise—but I did, and it was important to me. At the same time plane tickets were becoming increasingly expensive, the musical was going to be in February, and Russ & I had just used our frequent flier stash to procure tickets to Maui in February. Things did not look good for seeing Alli in the musical.

After Christmas I was talking to Alli’s mom, my incredible sister-in-law Marilyn. I asked exactly when the play was, and she told me it was all of the weekends in February. Later Russ found a really reasonably priced ticket. But I still couldn’t decide if I should go. It seemed like such a selfish extravagance in this time of economic instability, especially since some of that instability is affecting Russ’s job. I waffled back & forth about going until my friend Katie got sick, and then I decided that I was going to go.

I went to see the play both Friday and Saturday nights. I figured if I had come this far to see it I might as well see it as much as possible! On Friday night we had a big Ray dinner before hand and everyone went together to see it. On Saturday I brought Abigail (Katie’s 11 year old) with me to see it and we had dinner before hand with Cindy Lynn and Mahon and had a good soak in Marilyn’s hot tub.

Cindy Lynn adoring Mahon/Gaston and Abigail as Belle

The musical was incredible. I really can’t explain how good it was. Marilyn had told me over the years that this drama teacher is kind of out-of-control, and after seeing this I can believe it. These kids have been practicing after school since the beginning of the school year, as well as having to take one theater class, and the leads (which included Alli) had to take two theater classes! But the end result is an amazing experience. I sat and watched it both night just enthralled. (I was less happy with the experience the 2nd night due to the baby 3 row in front of us who cried for fully half of the performance—from the 5th row. So here’s my rant—if you take your baby somewhere like that, please have sympathy for the people who have flown 2,500 miles to see the performance, and take your baby out or at least to the back when they cry!!!!! End of rant…) But other than the crying baby it was amazing and incredible. I was all choked up and teary every time Alli sang--I was that proud of her. I have to explain--the Rays are all wonderful people, they are just not really musical people. So a voice like this is a delight to us.

The first night I forgot my camera, but the second night I brought it and took video of Alli in all of her singing parts. I’ve uploaded them here in case you’re curious, and so all of the proud relatives can see/hear her. Her best song is definitely the last one--the title song. (Even with the baby fussing through half of it.)

I am so glad I went--I would do it over again in a heartbeat!

PS--the video clips are quite loud, so you might want to turn your volume down before you start them!

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