Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Once on This Island! and IWSG

I love Broadway musicals! Luckily, so does my husband and our three kids.  In fact you could say we're fanatics for Broadway. We love the big classics like Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, and Miss Saigon; the newer ones like Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, and Waitress, but one show stands out for us above all the rest.

It is Once on This Island by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty.

Why? I'll tell you our story.

Over 25 years ago, my husband and I were just two college kids who had just started dating. He was working a part time college job as an usher at our university's performing arts theater.  Once on This Island was touring and came to our school. He saw it and immediately bought tickets for us to see it the next night.

It was our very first show together.

The Romeo and Juliet-esque tale of a poor peasant girl, Ti Moune, falling for Daniel, the wealthy son of an aristocrat, touched our hearts especially deep because my parents didn't approve of our relationship.

But I chose love.

And when we were married two years later, we brought the soundtrack of Once on This Island along on our honeymoon and listened and sang to it wherever we went.

Fast forward 23 years of happy marriage to last Sunday December 3, 2017. Once on This Island reopened for the first time on Broadway and we were lucky enough to be there to see it!  I started crying the moment the first notes were sung.  It was 90 minutes of pure heartfelt emotion.

Even if you've never seen or heard the original musical, if you like musicals at all, you should find a way to New York to see this!  It is an experience like you've never had before.  Everything about this musical is phenomenal!  The staging, casting, and choreography, immerses you into the story of the storm ravaged island and its characters.      

The New York Times review said it was a "Ravishing Revival" and it surely is!

Watch the Official trailer!





IWSG

This is the last post of the year for the IWSG (Insecure Writer's Support Group) started by Alex J. Cavanaugh.  It is a place where we as writers release our fears, hopes, and dreams into the world and give encouragement to one another! We post on the first Wednesday of the month! If you'd like to join us, click the IWSG link and sign up!


This month's optional question is:  As you look back on 2017, with all its successes/failures, if you could backtrack, what would you do differently?

That's a tough question to answer!  2017 has been pretty great for me, but not because of anything I've really done. It has just been fabulous to see the opportunities that my three children have been presented with and to watch them shine in what they love doing.  So I wouldn't want anything to change. And I guess I've realized that while writing is a passion for me that comes just after my love of figure skating, more than anything I want to spend the last few moments I have with my kids before they are all totally gone. I'm okay that writing has taken a back seat.

But with that in mind, going forward to 2018, the quiet times when my kids aren't around, will be dedicated to writing!


Love, is why we tell our story!


Kathy

11 comments:

  1. I'm all right with it as well. Spend time with those growing kids!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Enjoy time with the kids. You still have many years left to write.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, all too soon the house will be totally quiet!

      Delete
  3. Your kids are more important than writing. They will remember that you took the time to be with them when you could've been writing. They'll love you all the more for it. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha thanks, I hope so! But I really do cherish my moments with them and watching them excel in their talents!

      Delete
  4. Loved your post on so many levels, Kathy! Love is why we do so many things in this life. Enjoy those too fleeting times with your children. They are truly a gift from God! Wishing you Happy Holidays and Happy Writing in December!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much! Yes, one of my favorite lines from Les Mis- "...to love another person is to see the face of God" gives me chills every time.
      Hope your holidays are filled with love and joy!

      Delete
  5. I love watching my son shine when he's doing something he loves. That's why we do this crazy parenting thing!
    That musical sounds amazing!
    Thank you for participating!
    Heather
    Co-host, IWSG

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi, Kathy! This is my first time here. I love your blog. I'll follow your blog and connect with you online.

    What a heartfelt story you told here. So beautiful. My husband and I attend the theatre as well. I'm lucky. I'm a theatre bug and convinced my husband that theatre was more interesting than football games. Have a wonderful holiday!
    http://victoriamarielees.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. Happy anniversary, late. What a sweet story and sweet memory. As strange as it sounds, our special music is Mannheim Steamrollers original Christmas album, because we were dating through the holiday season...and had to say goodbye for two years right before Christmas. It was the first thing we listened to together when he returned too. =) Ah, good times!

    ReplyDelete