June Bride

I am in a Musical Revue of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers! My Stake is putting it on and I auditioned and got in. Lorretta watched this movie a thousand times when we were kids so a cold read and singing was easy thanks to her. I will be playing the part of Ruth, one of the brides.

So far I love being apart of a musical again. I haven't been involved in one since college. My last semester in college really burned Lars out on musicals. I had to stage manage a musical, be in one, and do costuming, make up and set design for a musical/play, all the while I worked a part time job and took 15 credits. So needless today after my last semester I decided to take a break for a while so Lars and I could be married again and not just roommates. Of course a while turned into a few years. I wanted to audition for a local musical while we lived in Sugarhouse, but I used work and laziness as an excuse. SO when I received a flyer advertising the revue in our stake I jumped at the chance. The rehearsal schedule isn't as demanding as a community theatre so I can still work, live, love and also be involved in something I love.

One thing I love about being involved in theatre is that I am always growing. Honestly I went in it with a big head and quickly got thrown off my high horse. I thought I was an awesome veteran because I graduated in theatre and know so much blah blah blah. Well I am very rusty with all my dance moves and acting because I haven't done it for so long. It has made me want to work harder and prove to myself that I am as good as I thought I was. All in a good way of course. It is a wonderful feeling of challenge and accomplishment.

Another thing I love about being involved in theatre is the camaraderie. These people are in my ward and stake. I am meeting new people and getting to know them better. I love that feeling of family and friendship growing together to put on a good show. It is a lot of fun. Plus the brides are awesome. Our song and dance are the best.

I hope you will come out and see it if you can. I will try to post pictures.

Start Time:	Friday, March 19, 2010 at 7:00pm
End Time:	Saturday, March 20, 2010 at 7:00pm
Location:	Anaheim Stake Center
Street:	440 N. Loara St.
City/Town:	Anaheim, CA The Anaheim Stake is putting on a production of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers! The performances are on March 19th and 20th at 7pm at the Anaheim Stake Center. No admittance fee will be charged however, we are asking for a donation of canned goods to go to the Halcyon food drive. Come out and donate for a good cause! With an amazingly talented cast there will be superb singing, exciting dancing, a live band, and action packed acting, and comedy! Based extremely loosely on the Stephen Vincent Benet story Sobbin' Women," Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is one of the best MGM musicals of the 1950s. Most of the story takes place on an Oregon ranch, maintained by Adam Pontabee (Royce Butterfieldl) and his six brothers, played by Jon-Michael Bradley, Jared Dahl, Isaac Schneider,Weston Jex,Ricky Mejia, and Aaron Christensen. When Adam brings home his new bride Milly (Andrea Pinkerton), she is appalled at the brothers' slovenliness and sets about turning these unwashed louts into immaculate gentlemen. During the boisterous barn-raising scene, the brothers get into a scuffle with a group of townsmen over the affection of six comely lasses: Angie Arellano,Stephanie Barlow,Devan Lenning,Kelly Christensen,Karen Peterson, and Angela Irving. Yearning to become husbands like their big brother, they ask Adam for advice. Alas, he has been reading a book about the abduction of the Sabine Women (or, as he puts it, the Sobbin' Women); and, in order to claim their gals, Adam explains, the boys must kidnap them--which they do, after blocking off all avenues of escape. Vowing to remain on their best behavior, the boys make no untoward advances towards their reluctant female guests--not even during one of the coldest winters on record. Comes the spring thaw, the angry townsfolk come charging up the mountain, demanding the return of the stolen girls (who, by this time, have "tamed" their men). A happy ending is ultimately had by all in this delightful concoction. So come bring the whole family out for a night of laughs, foot tappin' music, and a good cause!

Stars are pretty!

Nervousness,

dry mouth,

sweaty palms,

shaky hands,

brain on autopilot,

lack of eye contact,

and numbness,

followed by a jumping high that takes hours to simmer down.

These are symptoms of being starstruck.

(If you experience these symptoms don't call your doctor,

take two reese's butter cups then call me in the morning and tell me about it)

Saturday Lars took me to see a play in LA at the Stellar Adler Theatre on Hollywood Blvd. The play was Why Torture is Wrong, And The People Who Love Them, http://www.theblank.com/

It was a political satire. It had some funny parts, a few dark parts, and some slow parts. But it was good. I liked the characters and the actors did a really good job portraying them. I loved the leading lady, the narrator, and the reverend. It was so much fun to see a play and the theatre was small and intimate. But the best part of all and probably the highlight of my birthday was that I got to meet someone awesome...Nicholas Brendon. He is a wonderful film and stage actor, but many tv watchers know him as Xander from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He was a huge reason we went to the play. He did a fantastic job. I really enjoyed seeing him live. After the show was over we decided to wait around in the lobby to see if we couldn't get an autograph and maybe a picture. We were successful and here is the play by play.

As we waited we debated how to ask him and wondered if it was kosher to get a picture with him. Either way we wanted to be polite so I rehearsed in my head over and over to say, "Hi Nicholas, I am Stephanie and I love your work and am a fan. May I please have your autograph and a picture." Then we saw him walk out in a causal green shirt with a stylish jacket topped off with a hat and glasses and carrying a brown leather book back over his shoulder. My heart jumped and I froze a little. A few people beat us to him and got his picture with him and stuff. After they left he stood before the rest of the lobby scanning the room. This was about when my brain went on autopilot. I walked up to him and tapped him on the shoulder. The conversation went something like this;

Me: Hi

NB: Hi there!

ME: Great show!

NB: Thanks.

ME: Umn. My name is Stephanie and today is my birthday.

NB: Hi Stephanie, Happy Birthday

ME: This is my husband and he got me the tickets to this show as a surprise for my birthday.

NB: Nice (he shook Lars's hand)

ME: Can we please get a picture with you?

NB: Sure

We then handed off our camera to a stranger who thankfully knew how to use a camera and then we huddled in for a picture. During the huddling he apologized about how smelly his bag was. I don't remember if or how I responded to him, probably just a nervous laugh. He put is arm around me and I smiled big

Picture taken

ME: Umn. Can I please have you sign something?

NB: Sure, I'd be glad too.

(I begin to nervously pull out my Buffy the Vampire Slayer DVD episode guide. I flipped to a page with his picture and then handed him the book with a sharpie.

NB: Do you want me to just sign it or make a message out to you

ME: Umn. Wow, you can make it out to me....gee...thanks.

NB: Your name is spelled S-T-E-P-H-A-N-I-E, right?

ME: Yea...(then I think I babbled on for 2-5 seconds about how we love him and his work, not sure)

NB: There you go, he hands it back to me.

ME: Thank you.

NB: Thanks for coming you guys and Happy Birthday (He shakes my hand)

ME: Thanks you too. (YOU TOO, its not his birthday, silly me)

NB: (To Lars) You are a nice guy (He shakes his hand)

Both of us Thank you, have a good night.

I then skipped down the stairs and was on a cloud for a few more hours. It was awesome. We both kept replaying it out loud on the drive home and anytime I look at the autograph I get giggly. I didn't expect to be so star struck, but I was. And Nicholas was super nice. He was very humble and kind and I think he may have been a little nervous too. He was just so down to earth and nice. What a swell guy. I will remember this forever. I hope to see him in more plays in the future.

"I want people to say, 'Nicholas Brendon, he's supposedly the nicest guy in the world.' I want to do good work, but more than that, I want to stay a good human being. That's more important than any character I play."

~Nicholas Brendon

Yep, I can testify that he is the nicest guy in the world.