Mulan Jr: It's Showtime!

Today was the day everyone was waiting for. After five months of rehearsals, it was time to present, MULAN, JR.

My son was excited. If he was nervous, it didn't show. Their last rehearsal was Thursday, and yesterday, they presented at the school, minus make-up and props. He seemed confident. He was singing in the shower. Everything looked normal. And that's good. I have faith in my son.

Days before, he had been bugging me to have his hair cut. He wanted it in a certain style. And the only available time was today. I also wanted to make sure he had a heavy, filling breakfast because he might not have a chance to eat before the show, either because they didn't have time to do so, or he's nervous and anxious. Their call time was 12:45pm.

He had breakfast of "tocilog" (cured sweet pork with eggs and garlic fried rice) at our regular Filipino place, then off our 10am appointment with our favorite hairdresser, Wendy, in Milpitas. Since I was there, I had my hair done, too. In a little over half an hour, we were done and on our way home.

His classmate, Devin, rode with us to Moreau so he was dropped off at noon, make-up on. James had his, too. By 12:15pm, we were out the door. We made it to Moreau with a couple of minutes to spare. There were volleyball games being played at the main gym so the parking lot was full. I pulled over to one side close to the theater, dropped off the boys and the 3 packs of diet soda I brought for the concession stand at the show tonight.

I drove back home and picked up the wife. On the way to Moreau, we grabbed a quick bite before the 3pm first show. When we got there, a line was already formed. There were no seat assignments, so it was first come, first serve. The theater was huge, with a capacity of over 500. I didn't think we would fill it. We had Preferred tickets, which meant we would be seated in the first 10 rows of the middle section. Once it, everyone was scrambling to be close to the state. Then, they realized that the best seats were those farther from the stage so you didn't have to look up and strain your neck.

At exactly 3pm, the show started.

At the opening number, when all the cast members performed, I was already choked up. It was just amazing to see all these kids perform so well. Being a musical, I was really impressed with the singing. Obviously, not everyone was born with a microphone in their hand, but I was just fascinated at how well they did. And when my son came out, I was even prouder. I wanted to get up and shout, "THAT'S MY SON !!!" He's a sociable boy, but not really the artsy type. So acting and singing in front of a large audience was a big revelation. He did well. Really well. And so did everyone else.

The show ran for almost 2 hours, with about 20-30 minutes of intermission. During the break, the audience had a chance to claim their tam tams (a little paddle-like instrument with 2 small balls at the end of strings that were attached to the paddle), to buy some snacks and refreshments, or simple to stretch their legs. The tam tams were later used in the play to make "noise" during a brief audience participation in one of the scenes.

Tam tam

The production ended with a standing ovation from a very appreciative crowd of family members and friends. At the lobby just outside the theater entrance, the cast milled around to greet their guests. Photographs were taken, autographs were signed, and flowers were offered -- typical of a performance on Broadway and Las Vegas. What a sight !!!

There was a second performance last night, at 7pm. In between, the cast and crew had a bite to eat. For the parent volunteers, it was also time to rest and to eat as well. And for us parents who bought tickets to all three shows, we did the same. As the time for the second performance drew near, it was the same atmosphere all over again.

During the second show, I noticed that the kids were more comfortable and more relaxed. Their deliveries were more crisp, and their singing was livelier. There were more people who watched the evening show, and a little rowdier. But it was all good. Being the "primetime" performance, I thought it was the better show.

The evening was capped with a dinner and a few drinks with some 8th grade families, at probably the only restaurant open after 9pm, La Pinata, in Fremont. Great show. Great kids. Great food. Great drinks. Everyone had a wonderful time. And tomorrow is the final show.

Bravo !!!