Mamma Mia!

When I entered the seventh grade I joined the band. At first I started with the drums, but every time I hit the sticks on the drum head I blinked my eyes. That made it difficult to read the music. And those drum rolls, yikes, I couldn’t keep my eyes open. So, I switched to the bassoon. (Exactly why I chose the bassoon is a story for another day. Let’s just say that even back then my inability to actually make a choice was prominent).

I didn’t even really know what a bassoon was when I started. I soon learned that it wasn’t exactly the easiest instrument to play. It also was not a very popular instrument. Both of those worked in my favor. It didn’t take much to be considered a half way decent bassoonist. Just a little practice and not much competition.

Because I was one of the two or three bassoonists in the county, I had a few opportunities that I don’t think would have otherwise been afforded to me if I had chosen a more popular instrument like the clarinet or the trumpet.

One of those opportunities was the summer musical productions presented by the county school music department. There were about 15 or 20 high schools in the county. Band, orchestra, and choral students from all of them would audition for parts. We would practice all summer long and would close out the months with a weekend of performances.

I always made the cut. Like I said, not much competition in the bassoon section.

It was during the rehearsals and electric performances that a love of mine of solidified. My love for THE MUSICAL. My first exposure to musicals was actually in movie format. As a little girl, I used to love it when the Sunday night movie on TV was something like Oklahoma or The King and I. I loved them long before I ever even knew they were based on an actual live performance. Once I discovered what Broadway was I felt like my love had found a home.

Funny thing, though. Even though music is his life, a Broadway musical is Scott’s least favorite form of music production. I guess maybe because they are not exactly “serious” music. And, I have to admit, they are not really true to life. No one in real life ever has a full chorus of back-up singers when they need to emphasize a point.

Anyway, since we had to forfeit our beach trip this past weekend and stay home, we took one afternoon and went to the movies. Scott humored me and took me to see Mama Mia! He was able to tolerate it because it was at least 70’s music, which is one of his favorites.

Really, overall I think it is more of a wait-for-the DVD kind of movie. However, there were a couple of scenes that made it worth the trip for me.

One is the scene with the Dancing Queen song. Oh, how I wanted to be in that dance line. I wanted to drop everything that was weighing me down and skip through the alley ways of some Greek island singing “having the time of my life...” See for yourself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuHJ_u-kSoE&feature=related

(Sorry, I tried to embed the videos, had a little trouble. Just follow the links instead. Go ahead. You'll be glad you did)

Scott had a significant moment too. He got a big kick out of watching me snort and laugh until I cried at Pierce Brosnan singing S O S. In Scott’s words, “it was a stretch.” It wasn’t so much Pierce’s singing; it was just the way he looked doing it. It’s just not natural. See for yourself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7jZ7AdFSKo&feature=related

Those, my friends, are two reasons why I love musicals. Real people finding a song in everyday situations, and still singing it even when you’re not good at it.

Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence. Psalm 100:2