musical theatre – As Far As The Eye Can See

Move Over Stompin’ Tom – Another Week at the BAR MW

There has been alot of hugging this week, alot of familiar faces, some new ones, alot of music and visiting for the people of the Bar MW. There has been some normal stuff too. The pictures tell the tale, the 1st one holds clues to the big deal events of the week.

On Monday Russell and Morgan rode with our new friends from Estevan and checked several pastures. That means assessing grass conditions, looking at all the animals and scouting out any problems, the most common ones are footrot, pink eye or a bull that appears to be keeping separate from the herd. This was unexpectedly a really long day, supper was at 10pm. Russ kept trying to give the newbies a chance to quit sooner than later, they always chose later and proved to manage hungers and weariness very well.

Tuesday morning had Morgan and Coffee dog heading to a field of green feed oats to start cutting. Before they left Morg and Coffee had a little play time, I totally enjoyed this moment when I overheard Morgan say to Coffee, “Well I don’t usually bring MY toys to the field but I guess you could.” Morgan is special in the way that he is the only guy in the house who can translate the dogs barks and noises into the english language, he does it fairly regularly. It tickles my fancy.

Russ spent much of the day dealing with cow problems that were emerging. We had Marcel out to do a minor procedure on a bull and help us with a cow that has eye cancer. I had a few small jobs to do to help Russ out in his day, including this moment where having brought the final calf of the year home in the trailer we cornered it, tagged it and castrated it. Russ had invited me to make named tag for these late calves, as we will have them around for a whole year. I opened my address book and found names in it for our tags. This calf is Aunt D in honor of my Aunt Danna.

Wednesday morning saw Morgan heading back to the field and Russ heading to the public pasture to help the pasture manager with herds there. He brought our friend Marisol with him and together they helped tackle some big jobs. You can see by this picture Russell took that the pastures are large and hilly, and quite beautiful. Russ would like it noted that next to the pasture manager he was the best roper there that day and that is not saying much. They roped and treated alot of cows.

Wednesday night at 7:38pm I was talking with Gina when I stopped her in midsentence to say “Gina! Jill’s play is starting right now as we speak, oh my goodness!” It felt so weird to be in my kitchen, so far away from this momentous moment for Jill, but I didn’t need to feel disconnected for long. My sister-friend Deb, from Saskatoon, had traveled to Regina with her daughter to see the play that night. At intermission she sent me the above texts.

Following the show this dialogue happened on Facebook. Karla is a super supportive friend of Russell’s from highschool. Donalene is one of my people from my earliest days in the Carievale area, she now is in Regina. We have big soft spots for both of them and our hearts were warmed at the thought of them cheering on our girl.

Thursday morning had us going at top speed to be ready to get to Regina. We had a new dog sitter coming to stay and that meant cleaning the house before leaving. We also had a peculiar problem. A stuffed animal (monkey) that had been in storage for years was pulled out last week. The day before we left it all of a sudden started doing its monkey skreeching at random times. It sounded rather horrrifying. Once we figured out the source we tried different things to silence it. We put it in the fridge overnight and that kept it silent. Once warmed up it started again. We couldn’t leave this random skreeching for our dog sitter to deal with. Morgan tucked it in bed (this picture) and it stopped. But I wasn’t sure for how long. I put it in the deep freeze and that is where it currently can be found.

Thursday afternoon there was a matinee performance of Seussical the Musical and at intermission we got this picture from cousin Laurie. He and ten family members had met in Regina to attend the show. Jill loved these moments. We were so touched to know that Jill had fans at every performance.

From north and south many family and friends came to see Jill’s show. We rented a large Air bnb and hosted folks for before and/or after show drinks and snacks. We were running behind getting to Regina, our friend Gina jumped into the kitchen with me and helped to get everything laid out. I was so very grateful to be basically ready as people arrived, because of her.

One of our Saskatoon family manages the Crumbl Cookie location there, my sister Linda brought this delectable box of cookies.

We were thrilled to have my sister-cousin and her family join us for the pre show party and the show. Afterwards Jimmy said, “I would definitely see that again.” I think thats a solid review. Also in this picture is my niece Brodie. Jodi started something hilarious after the show when lingering in the lobby she exclaimed “alright, talking about projects, when are we going to do a family musical?!?” We were all feeling a bit giddy and her question really took off, although none of our answers were serious. The security guard was just coming to kick us out when we came to our senses and realized everyone was out of the bath room and we could leave. They locked the doors behind us!

My sister grabbed this picture of Russ and I heading to our seats, I think you can definitely tell that we were excited. The title for this blog is a quote from Russ as we pulled into the parking lot at the Conexus Arts Centre, he said, “move over Stompin’ Tom – Jilly’s here!!” I absolutely loved that. When Russell first learned that Jill got the part and would be performing at Conexus he said, “my girl is going to be on the same stage as Stompin’ Tom Connors!!!” It was over 24 years ago that Russ attended a Stompin’ Tom concert there.

At intermission the characters were allowed to come out and mingle with the crowd but they had to stay in character. So we hugged Yertle the Turtle and Russ and Jimmy got her autograph. In these moments we caught sight of David and Linda Powell, they had raced to Regina from Carnduff after managing everything their afternoon held at home. We didn’t take a picture but definitely took comfort from their presence.

I am lucky to have a husband that values my family immensely. Here he is with my brother in law Stu and my cousin Jimmy in the parking lot afterwards.

After the show Jill came to the Air bnb and visited. We were glad to have that time with her. Something special…..she is wearing the blue shirt that Russ was wearing in the delivery room when she was born. We don’t let go of things easily in this family!

Grandma Shirley came with us for our Regina adventure. She really enjoyed time with members of my family, in this case Stu and my sister Margie. Margie often compliments me by calling me a Rockstar. I love that. It takes one to know one.

Jilly loves her Grandma Shirley almost as much as I do.

Friday morning my sisters and I visited our uncle and aunt. Their home behind us is a holder of many memories and they will be moving from it soon. This was a tough but beautiful visit as we were invited into their aging journey for a bit of time. This picture is not complete. Our sister Janet has a passion for music, performance and family. She lives in Vancouver. If she lived nearer she would have been with us and this visit would have been even more special.

I wasn’t shopping for an air bnb with a pool table but it was an excellent thing, it got lots of use. It looks like Linda and I were enjoying watching.

Russ and I visited a friend at Wascana Centre, there was lots more time with Jill, shopping and then another pre show gathering with Mark and Linda.

Friday night Russ and I saw the show again, this time Morgan, Jordanna and Grandma Shirley crowded into our little Bronco and headed to the theatre with us. In this picture my cousin Lisa is to Shirley’s side.

Intermission time….we caught up with the Mayor of Who-ville and his wife.

Yertle the Turtle with her fans…….Mark, Linda and Shirley.

About 5 years ago Jill and Gina did a special 4H project in drama. The woman beside Jill was their project leader. We loved knowing Jody and Marlee were coming to celebrate this musical theatre experience with Jill.

There are some fun inside jokes between Morgan and Jill. I sense there was something in the works here. Although Jordanna confessed to not being a real fan of musical theatre, she says she enjoyed the show.

Beside me are my cousin Lisa and her husband Brent. My Nanny and Lisa’s Grandma were sisters. It is really nice to have these extended family connections and with Lisa being in Regina we have the chance to nurture that. We had a good visit back at the Air bnb after the show.

Saturday morning Russ got up at 5am, got Morgan and Jordanna awake and going and they headed back to the ranch. They had a trailride to get to. In this picture Russ is modelling his new chaps. They were made especially for him in Nova Scotia and came in the mail this week. The pockets are large; his pocket knife, Copenhagen and phone are now safely accessible. They are alot lighter than his bulletproof other pair.

This is Sunday morning on our way to the Hubbards for the 2nd day of the trail ride. Coffee is helping drive. By the end of this day there was no way that we would happily sit that close to the dogs. They had come across a dead skunk towards the end of the trail and each wanted to make sure that Russ didn’t miss out on the experience. They each had a roll in it. As of now, 24 hours and three trips through a dug out later, they still have a slight smell to them.

Our donkey “Elton John” was part of the action. Morgan rode him up to the breakfast buffet and then back to the pasture. I wonder how Sharon felt about this? She and Bill work so hard hosting people in their yard all weekend. I often wonder if Sharon says to herself, “when are these people going to go home?!?!?!?” She never gives off that vibe, but I think in her shoes I would feel that way. She said to me yesterday, “if we stopped doing this (this was the 24th annual ride), when would we all get together?” She values human connection so much. Bill takes care of trail life and it is all very, very good.

I rode Dick and felt pretty darn relaxed on him.

When we are trail-riding random conversations often happen as horses cross paths over the miles we are on the trail. I had a few really good moments of visiting with Laurie, he told me his Dad (pictured here in the foyer at the Conexus centre with his great grand-daughter) really enjoyed Jill’s show. He reflected that his Dad had never been to a musical before so he just wasn’t sure what he would think. He was happy to hear that his Dad really did enjoy it. I found myself pondering with Laurie just how awesome it is that an 86 year old man can try something new and be open hearted. The show was crazy, non stop color and loud beautiful orchestrations, a typical Seuss storyline full of odd but deeply meaningful words and ideas ….. all of that was a good experience for Uncle George. Thats cool.

Russ brought “Elton John” our donkey to the trailride figuring we could pay this girl to ride him and get a start on training him. I thought this was a terrible idea. It turns out I was wrong. Clara, who turned 14 this day, rode our donkey with great success for two full days and said it was fun. Clara is Jordanna’s little sister.

As we were getting ready for bed last night Russ asked me, “who was the coolest person you visited with today?” He has never asked me that before. After a minute I said, “Braylee.” This three year old girl and I have connected. Here we are using Elton John’s ear as a microphone and singing “Crocodile Rock”. She seems to appreciate all the goofy stuff I come up with. (This is a 18 second video, click on the arrow for it to play if you are not already totally maxed out by this blog.)

When the ride was over it took me a bit to get off my mule. I stopped mid-way and decided to channel my inner trick rider, I tried to smile like Jordanna does and fling my arms wide like she does. Laurie was there and told me to hold the pose. It was fun. (Full disclosure….while Jordanna does this at about 50 miles per hour, my friend Dick the mule was standing stock still!)

Meanwhile in Toronto, Gina is living a combination of all of this, working with those beautiful medieval times horses amid the rigors of a show and like the trail ride, in the midst of a real heatwave. We love the pictures she sends us.

That was the week. Thank you for hanging in. It has lots of details that not everyone would give a hoot about but it is a record for us of a very important set of days. We have so much to say thank you for.

A 20 YEAR STORY

There are some landmark days going on in our lives. Among them is that Gina is turning 20 soon. The echo of that fact in terms of my own story is that I am coming up on the 20th anniversary of being a hands on Mom. This anniversary and all that the last month has held means my heart is full and my brain is churning.

20 years is a big marker. I am thinking quite a bit about what was happening 20 years ago at this time. I was more than 8 months pregnant. I was a different person. When I say that I am just trying to put into words that I had no idea what was about to unfold. I couldn’t imagine what labor would be like, we didn’t know the sex of our child, I didn’t know how to use diapers, soothe gas pains or get stains out of laundry. I had no idea if I would become a good mother and how Russell and I would do together. It was a place of great unknowns and looking back I think it took alot of courage.

This is us the morning we left the manse in Gainborough to head to Estevan hospital. I was 13 days overdue, labor was induced later this day. Gina was born at 2:19 the next morning.

In March Russell and I were in Victoria to attend a show at Gina’s school. We saw a walking tour of Victoria advertised that included photos at iconic spots. We signed up and asked Gina to join us. We got some very excellent pictures out of it. The similiarity between the 2002 picture above and the 2022 picture is striking. Russ, Gina and I all in the same places, Gina squashed in both, clothing colors almost the same.

This more dignified pose is a good one too. Notice the boots Gina is wearing. They will make an appearance again in this post.

For sheer cuteness I am popping this picture in. We could play a game like Uno or Crazy 8s at this point. What color, or number or suit connects the pictures? White shirts and jean/hat choices match this picture to the last ones. We don’t always wear white shirts it just seems like it for the moment.

I have been thinking alot about something, even right in the middle of recent performances of Shrek, I found myself thinking, “what led this girl to this place with these abilities?” I am really excited and happy to think about the place that Gina has found herself in. I want to write about it on the blog because quite simply its a big part of our story right now and I process things by “talking”, and sometimes I repeat myself, sorry if you are done with this topic before I am. The thing is maybe there is a universal question at play here. Looking at who we are, or who our kids are, or the dynamics of life that we find ourselves in we can ask the question “how did this come to be?” In our families case, what is it that brings a girl from a small town of 1100 people to a very real comfort level with city life and the confidence to step out on a stage and share what she’s got?

I can tell you what it wasn’t. It wasn’t Russell or I pushing her down this path. Just the opposite. Gina often asks me, “Mom how did you not catch on that I was going to love this stuff?” I just didn’t. It didn’t cross my mind that I had a musical theatre loving kid in the making. Ideally pictures like the one below might have tweaked my head in that direction, but that didn’t happen.

It also wasn’t a result of rich arts opportunities. We were mostly always on a tight budget and our life unfolded 8 miles from the small town in this picture.

So what happened to bring her to this point?

Maybe very partly this……

One of the things I observed sitting in the audience at Shrek was that Gina had the ability to use her speaking voice to communicate a wide range of feelings and meanings. She went from the feisty red head we know well, to a tone of tenderness and caring very quickly and very effectively. She had mastery of her voice and its impact. So here is what I was thinking about sitting there…….besides the training at CCPA, is this partly about reading books together for years and years? My method was a bit unusual. I got bored reading the same children’s books over and over again. There was variety in our library of course, but you know how kids like certain books and ask for them repeatedly? The kissing Elmo goodnight book just about did me in. So….to keep myself interested I just started experimenting with my voice, it was like I was asking myself “how can I phrase these words or sentences, how can I change volumes, how can I change tones so that different meanings or feelings come across?” It was actually kind’ve fascinating for me, good research for the public speaking that I do. Gina was exposed to all these shenanigans from a very young age. So I found myself sitting in the theatre wondering…..is this a reflection of book time? Maybe. Likely in some way.

And maybe this……

Gina started piano lessons in grade 2. She was not a natural but through the “Music for Young Children” program and the attention of her teachers Kari and Sharlene, she achieved a solid base of music theory and the beginning of performance skills. As dance took on a bigger role in Gina’s life piano receded however Gina recently told me how mindful she is of the theory she learned in those early days.

Then there is this…..Gina says she was in grade four when she started watching “Glee” the TV show. She credits this show (which I have to say was a little edgy for her to be watching, parental misstep there…) as the thing that really woke up her desire to take music and performance farther in her life.

And then there was this……

Gina joined the cadet program when she was in grade 7. This called her to stretch herself. Her first weekend camp was terribly uncomfortable for her, only because she liked home. The teamwork, discipline and endurance which are now part of her reputation were deeply nurtured at cadets. The part she talks about though is her “cadet voice”. She had a little bit of experience being parade leader at the point she decided to quit cadets (she was discerning that she just wanted to get dancing). Those parade experiences made their mark.

Here she is center stage in “Shrek”, at one point she gets all these dancing rats in order by calling out “ten-hut”, she asked me after, “Mom! did you hear my cadet voice?” Yes Gina, it was definitely there!

A breakthrough happened when Melita (a Manitoba town 80km from us) started a youth drama day camp. Gina attended for three summers. In this picture she had the role of Miss Hannigan in “Annie.”

Gina has always had fans. Family and friends have been great. Support and encouragement must play some part in the recipe for growth and success. Gina’s biggest fan was her Nana. Russ and I strive to live up to her example.

The obvious deciding factor in Gina’s journey was the opening of a dance school, 16 minutes from our driveway, when Gina was almost finished grade 9. Stephanie her teacher gave her a foundation in all forms of dance, a complete and total opportunity! This is proof positive of the difference one person can make in the life of another, simply by sharing our gifts. Gina was later asked to join the teaching team. I am certain this helped Gina root her own skills.

After grade 10 Gina did something she had never done with any joy before. She went to a residential camp. She studied dance at the International Music Camp. She loved it.

Gina also had the benefit of singing lessons for one year in grade 11 and performed in our local music festival. Her passions and skill were getting kindled. The screenshot below is from Facebook. I included it because the captions for both pictures highlight the fans and are a bit funny.

When Gina was in grade 7 or so our local school started offering an annual one week intensive drama experience facilitated by Missoula Children’s Theater. She was in grade 11 and was Captain Hook in this picture. Looks like some “stage combat” could break out at any time!

The two pictures below were taken by Liz Griffin. Here are Gina’s boots in their natural habitat. We believe the close-up work with our herd, with the courage and conviction it requires, something that was a part of Gina’s life for so many years, is connected to Gina’s presence on stage.

A helpful part off Gina’s unfolding story is that it finally dawned on me how important all this was to Gina. It happened at the Carol Burnett show at the start of grade 11.

The picture above is Gina standing up in the Centre of the Arts in Regina. In this picture she was talking to Carol Burnett. She had sat through 30+ minutes of the show with her hand up waiting for Carol to see her and take her question (it was the format of much of the show, akin to her TV show). When an usher pointed Gina out, (the shadows meant she was not easy for Carol to see) Carol received her question. They had both played Miss Hannigan in Annie and they sang a chorus of “Little Girls” together. After witnessing that hand up for that long I finally caught on…..my girl means business about this business.

Yes she meant business! After two years of hard work and persistence, through milking the opportunity for all it was worth, Gina graduated from the Canadian College of Performing Arts on May 15th. There she is on the left, graduating in her cowboy boots. Russell and I feel so moved by these moments.

There are 3 very significant parts of this picture. Most obviously, Gina had just been presented with “The Founders Award for Musical Theatre” it recognized outstanding achievement in musical theatre. Gina says that after two years of questioning whether she belonged at CCPA, based on her limited experiences, the award has helped her know she did and does belong in the arts community. That’s major. The presenter is the founder of the college and happens to be Gina’s mentor, Jacques Lemay. He is the instructor who brought to life Gina’s love for stage combat. That is another big piece of this picture. And finally, Jacques is known in our family, through Gina’s stories, as a wise and kind gentleman. We all value that very much.

I am closing this blog with this picture on purpose. All these students are from Saskatchewan, except for one from rural Alberta. This group comprises most of the lead role actors from Shrek. (Shrek and his understudy (who did 3 of the shows as Shrek), Fiona, Donkey, and Dragon are all here. Saskatchewan sent students to CCPA they can be very proud of. This makes me think, while we perceive that not much happens in smaller places, in truth, looking at the big picture, anything is possible. When the schools, community organizations, music teachers, dance instructors, families and fans each do what they can, soil is made rich for dreams to sprout and grow. The lesson I am taking away from creating this blog is that all the pieces, even pieces that may seem small, they all add up. So it’s important to do the bits we are called and gifted to do, to nurture the soil of our shared lives, to keep possibilities possible for others.

Gina, thanks for listening to what was stirring within. Thanks for these first 20 years.