Today we had a great show! The children came prepared and were very excited. The 140 people crowded into my backyard also brought a lot of energy and were such a wonderful audience. They clapped and laughed and cheered at all the right places. That helped the children give a very fun performance. It was our best show yet and we had NO TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES!!! YAY!
Our Friday Dress Rehearsal was pretty dismal. The change in winds brought smoke to our valley that made doing anything outside uncomfortable and downright dangerous. I sent the children home admonishing them to stay indoors and pray that another change in the winds might blow the smoke away for our show today. AND IT DID!!! Today we had a great show! The children came prepared and were very excited. The 140 people crowded into my backyard also brought a lot of energy and were such a wonderful audience. They clapped and laughed and cheered at all the right places. That helped the children give a very fun performance. It was our best show yet and we had NO TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES!!! YAY! Here are some of the pictures of this cute "The Tale of Chicken Licken" Summer Camp 2021 cast. We had a surprise guest artist in our show today. My little 4-year-old granddaughter just needed to be on stage. (She had been here all Camp because her mother was helping me.) So we dressed her in a yellow costume and told everyone she was a canary. See if you can pick her out on the front row. She did the whole show today and even followed a lot of the actions. (Pretty good for not really joining us for any rehearsing.)
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The Fourth of July fireworks can be so exciting --- especially for the very young or those very in love. I have witnessed firsthand some fantastic fireworks shows and what made them even more exciting was when I was there with the one I loved or I was at a new place experiencing the grandeur for the very first time. Okay, young lovers don't need a lot of help enjoying fireworks. They make their own! I will never forget being on the Mall in Washington D.C. between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument one 4th of July in the mid 1970's. I was there visiting a friend who left her baby with her husband just so she could take me to see this once in a lifetime experience. We took the mass transit from her apartment and then walked the rest of the way (I thought it must have been 3-4 miles!). We had to crowd ourselves in with the masses of people who had had the same idea. But it was worth it! Another memorable 4th of July was when I was performing in a children's trio on a show called "Panorama." My two aunts Janie and Dot Thompson were in charge of directing this huge community production held at the BYU stadium in about 1961. In those days, different Church Stakes were charged with making this show happen for the Provo City celebration. After the show, there were big fireworks. (That tradition is alive and well in today's Freedom Festival at Provo, UT and the Stadium of Fire.) I remember three parts of that show when I was six years old. The first was rehearsing with what seemed like hundreds of other children to make our entrance onto the stage. The band played "The March of the Siamese Children" as we came onto the stage and bowed to the audience. I think we were part of a panorama of recent hits from Broadway shows such as "The King and I." The second part was being in the big finale number and singing the the first verse with Tanya and Cory with the solo spotlight just on us. Then, the number grew bigger and bigger to the grand finish and the standing ovation --- my first Standing "O." Okay, I was just a small part of the number, but it gave me legitimate bragging rights. The third thing I remembered was that on the show just before our big finale number, a little known group called the Osmond Brothers performed. Later when they became famous, I still had the memory of upstaging them on that Panorama show. Of course, the best part of any of these shows was being almost directly under the fireworks. I love looking up at the fireworks. It is still exciting to me. Unfortunately, it is harder and harder to get that coveted front row seat for the fireworks. I guess the best way is to be in the show. Today is June 28th, my mother's birthday. She loved roses. I remember how she couldn't wait for June because that was when her roses bloomed. I watched how she lovingly tended her roses, made cuttings and arranged them for table decorations, and even sprayed rose scented perfume around the house. Pink roses were her favorites. Mom loved how roses were a symbol of how hopeless situations can change for the better. One of the first musicals I ever performed in was "Gypsy." This was at a tiny little community theater in Pasadena, Texas. It was our first summer in Texas and my mother decided we should get involved in the community somehow. She had 8-year-old me audition, and that's when the director discovered my mom's piano skills. She was hired to accompany the show on the spot. I didn't get a big part. I was just one of the many kids in the first scene. Yet, all of us extras had to stay until the curtain call at the end of the show. Because of questionable content in the second act, we were NOT allowed to watch the show. So we stayed outside in back playing board games at the picnic tables. We could hear the songs, though, and believe me, we learned them all! One song in particular has stuck with me because it still reminds me of my mother. In the show, the stage mother was always trying to build up her daughters' act. She tried to be upbeat and encouraging, saying, "Curtain up! Light the lights! You've got nothing to hit but the heights. Starting here, starting now, baby, everything's coming up roses!" My mother was great at encouraging people and building their talents. She certainly made sure I had songs prepared for any occasion and was right there to play for me any time I was asked to sing. And I wasn't the only one. She made herself available to help out anybody who needed her coaching help and accompanying support. She could make even those with slim talents look good. How I miss her positive energy and immense talents! Happy Birthday, Mom! When I joined my son's family last night to go see their daughter's high school musical, we didn't know if we would need MASKS or not. Our state has withdrawn the mask mandate, but not for all situations, especially not for indoor gatherings of more than 50. We fully expected the students in the show to be wearing masks as well. When we entered the auditorium, everyone was wearing their masks. But when the show started, lo and behold, the actors were mask-less! YAY! We had the hope of hearing their voices and watching their facial expressions! We could pick out my granddaughter in the crowd, too! The students gave wonderful, high energy performances. The sets and costumes were whimsical and so colorful, right out of the Dr. Seuss books. I was blown away by the calibre of the voices. The director, Mr. Brown, told the audience that "Seussical" had never been a show that he intended to ever do at the high school. But, he had seen a performance last year at a local community theater that changed his mind. After his hard work of studying to find the deeper concepts and cultures represented in the show, he was able to direct the kids in a very entertaining, meaningful show. The first time I saw "Seussical" was many years ago at a community college. It was presented by a cast of adults. I had always thought that this show was written for adult actors to perform for young audiences --- NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND! Unfortunately through the years, I have gone to see way too many elementary and middle school versions of this show and have been completely underwhelmed. And no wonder, the show is comprised almost entirely of singing and dancing. The young actors (10-13 year olds) just did not have the experience, stage presence, and maturity to carry off such demanding roles. Fortunately, the vocal and dancing talent of the Skyridge High School in Lehi, Utah was up to the challenge of these demanding roles. I was so glad not to have to just endure another trying performance. I was pleasantly surprised and so happy to ACTUALLY SEE THE KIDS FACES. That alone was worth the price of admission!
We are so happy to thank all of you who viewed our Christmas Music Video "On a Sacred, Still and Silent Night." Although it was not shown on the Temple Square virtual concerts, it has had over 1890 views so far on YouTube. Some of the viewers left wonderful comments. I just had to share a few. Elaine said: "That’s beautiful! Gives me chills." Susan said: "Thank you so much for sharing the beautiful song and video with us. How wonderful your family could do that together, share their talents and testimonies!" Tracy said: "Absolutely beautiful!!!" Nathan said: "Thanks so much for sharing! It's beautiful! And the kids playing in the Nativity scene are great." Chris said: "This is a touching performance, from the darling children, to the family members singing with all their hearts, the fine instrumentalists, and the perfectly peaceful "baby Jesus." Thank you for sharing! Making this video recording took a lot of effort and a lot of love." Kathleen said: "I cried - it was so beautiful! Wow! Thank you Betsy, Bonnie, family and friends for this treasured gift! ___ Perhaps we all sang together at the Savior's birth! I hope we will all sing together again when He comes again in Glory - to rule and reign upon the earth!" Bob said: "What a lovely piece, Betsy! And so professionally put together--you've definitely got some talented videographers and performers. I also enjoyed seeing quite a few people I know, including you! What a year we've had. Thanks for sharing this. (So, are you starting to work on composing next year's piece? )" ----- So in answer to Bob's last question, it seems that we will have to plan another video for next year. Perhaps Covid will be controlled by then and we won't have to do our recordings in a clandestined location breaking CDC rules! Sometimes we find ourselves doing things that come as a complete surprise. Just a month ago, I wouldn't have even contemplated the idea of doing a Music Video. Just before Halloween, my sister breezed into my house saying that I needed to make a music video of one of my Christmas songs for the Church's Virtual Christmas Concerts sponsored by Temple Square Performance Events. She had heard from friends about this opportunity and took it upon herself to talk me into making it happen. This posed several problems that I could see. 1. The submission was in three weeks. (Very quick timeline) 2. Even if we used just the part of our big our family who live nearby, where could we rehearse, record, and film in this time of restrictions due to COVID-19? 3. Where would we find a sound guy and a videographer on short notice who would brave the COVID-19 restrictions to help us? Well, amazingly, we pulled it off and got it turned by November 15th, 2020. "On a Sacred Still and Silent Night" - performed by the Bailey/Lee Family Singers conducted by Betsy Lee Bailey with Amy Gabbitas (piano), Bev Kellersberger (violin) and Matthew Bailey (guitar) Thanks to the efforts of daughter Cami and niece Amy, we were able to find the videographer and sound technician. And thanks to a large, talented family and a brother with a big living room with a Steinway grand piano, we were able to get a nice audio recording done.
After meeting with the videographer, we came up with a filming plan that included a lot of our youngest kids in a Nativity Pageant. We had also planned to film outside as a choir (25+) on a hillside, but decided against it due to a snowstorm. Plan B found us madly rearranging all the furniture in my house to create a warm, Christmasy venue for our video. (Plus, we had to make room for the massive lights the camera guys brought!) We decided that for the video, a cozy family gathering for Christmas Eve was all right, too. Yes, we pretty much ignored the restrictions of no gatherings of more than 10 people inside. It was wonderful to rehearse and prepare a performance in this time where hardly anyone is allowed to sing praises. We had a glorious few moments singing our testimonies of the Savior to pass on to you this Christmas season. Enjoy! Christmas Nativity Pageant - short script for families "On a Sacred, Still and Silent Night" - sheet music |
AuthorMy name is Betsy Bailey. I have sung, written and taught music all of my life. I enjoy writing and directing Children's Theater shows. This blog will be directed to topics on creating the magic of Children's Theater. I would love to hear your comments! Archives
March 2024
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