365 Project - Days 282, 283

"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10

I was honored to have the opportunity to photograph the dress rehearsal for one of this year's 12.14 Foundation New Arts The Lion King performances. I was back the next day to photograph the second cast because we needed photos for our final leadership series montage. Both of the performances were outstanding. During the dress rehearsal, I nearly lost track of my responsibility to capture the moment, because the kids were so adorable. And during the actual performance that evening, I kept tapping my husband saying, "isn't that just the cutest thing?" It was not that they were just cute - they were cute and awesome. The performances were exceptional and powerful.

The entire experience was special for me since I had worked with many of the primary cast members during our leadership workshops. I confess that I was assigned to the younger kids under duress - well, "protest" might be a more accurate term. I was vocal about my preference for working with the older teens. These 11-13 year olds, I argued are way outside my comfort zone. I also know that these things happen for a reason. So I capitulated. Despite my own personal preferences, I found myself delighted by my time with the middle schoolers.

As I congratulated one of the cast members after the opening night performance, all he could say was how much the leadership training had helped his performance. It made all the difference for him, he shared. I was beaming. They were brilliant. Whatever small part we played in helping the youth become stronger, more confident performers, was well worth setting aside my own anxieties about working with them. As usual, when I trusted that God knew where he wanted me to be, everything was better.

Blessings.

Today's Photos: Powerful Performances

"People tend to play in their comfort zone, so the best things are achieved in a state of surprise, actually." Brian Eno

365 Project - Days 270, 271

"Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise." Les Misérables

There is a strange feeling watching your stoic son stand straight and tall before a near sell-out crowd with tears streaming down his face. I know they were tears sourced from a mixture of joy, love and sadness. I love that he loves so deeply and has found a group of friends with whom he shares and enjoys so much.

Sunday's final performance of Les Misérables by Sabrina's Encore Productions was as beautifully performed as every other. Such tremendous joy. The kids offered a wonderful gift to each other, the audience and Sabrina by giving all they had left to give. And, as the Les Misérables song goes, "to love another person is to see the face of God."

The way these kids embrace, love, and support each other has propelled them to extraordinary heights and fueled talent in our small community that surpasses talent found in much larger towns. After witnessing this, I am now more convinced than ever of the importance of nurturing in developing talent. Training and practice are essential, but without nurturing, talent grows on a singular plane, depth is impossible.

My son sang more brilliantly than ever this weekend. I wanted to jump to my feet at the end of his solos and cheer. He was just that good. It was the perfect way to finish - surrounded and buoyed by his friends and peers.

As I watched the tears streak his cheeks, I thought "And now, we move on."

Blessings.

Today's Photos: Do you hear the people sing?

"Another day, another destiny." Les Misérables

365 Project - Day 240

"Stars
In your multitudes
Scarce to be counted
Filling the darkness
With order and light
You are the sentinels
Silent and sure
Keeping watch in the night"
From Les Miserables, "Stars"

We are very excited for the Sabrina's Encore Productions Summer Series show, Les Miserables coming to our local stage in July. This week the cast had the opportunity to preview a few of their Act 1 songs at a carnival. The kids were fantastic and there is still a month remaining before the actual production.

The work they accomplish during the remaining month will be a testament to the value of practice, commitment, order and focus. While they sounded wonderful, this was a vocal review, rather than the full production. The latter will require much more of each of them.

This week, my mother mentioned a former professor of hers who had told students that setting a goal they could achieve was simply not good enough. If we think about this, once we can execute the basics well, if we continue to learn and grow and push ourselves exceptionally hard we can achieve something far beyond what we believed was possible. And then, “Maybe everyone can live beyond what they're capable of.” Marcus Zusak

This cast is capable of producing an amazing show. They are phenomenally talented and with another month to go, they will achieve far beyond what they imagine. It's unlikely a more talented group of seniors has gathered together on stage. This is their moment.

We are each given these remarkable moments, some more legendary than others, but all are opportunities to push ourselves to achieve far more than we believed metaphysically possible. It is up to us to ... Shoot for the stars!

Today's Photo: Stars

“All that is important is this one moment in movement. Make the moment important, vital, and worth living. Do not let it slip away unnoticed and unused.” Martha Graham






EXIF: Nikon D7100
ISO 400
50mm
f2
1/250s

365 Project - Day 228

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee has to be one of the funniest shows I have seen. I had no idea. Shortly before leaving for call time opening night, my son asked for help pulling together the costume he needed to portray Jesus. I had no forewarning so it took a moment to sink in. My son also played Mitch Mahoney, ex-convict grief counselor performing community service by comforting the losers of the spelling bee.

This was a student produced and directed show done by one of my son's best friends as his Senior Capstone project. It was a delightful evening with a terrific cast. The show was beautifully directed event.

The scene below is one of my favorites. This is when Marcy, an extreme overachiever who is tired of always winning, calls on Jesus for the okay to not do her best. Jesus meets her on her terms, speaking to her in one of the 6 languages she speaks and telling her that winning the spelling bee is not the kind of thing he really cares about.

This is important stuff. Are our areas of focus aligned with His? When we get all knotted up, frustrated and Type A are we sure our energies and anxieties are in the right places? For me, the answer is not always or the more complete response is, not often enough. If He doesn't really care about it, then why should we? Now, there's something to think about.

Best wishes.

Oh - the line I consider the most brilliant: "if you took the W in answer, the H in what, the extra A in aardvark, and the T in listen, you could keep saying, "WHAT?" and no one would hear you because the whole word would be silent." Olive Ostrovsky

I am still thinking about that one.

Today's Photo: Focus on the right things

EXIF: Nikon D7100
ISO 800
70mm
f2.8
1/90s

365 Project - Day 216

"To send light into the darkness of men's hearts - such is the duty of an artist." Robert Schumann

This week is flanked by the Connecticut High School Musical Theater Awards (CTHSMTA) and The Tony Awards on Sunday. It is difficult to think of a more idealistic way to start and end the week. We had a wonderful time at the CTHSMTA black tie gala earlier this week. And though we did not win nearly enough awards for our fantastic show, the evening was filled with music, dance and laughter. It was a joy to see our children on stage giving perfect performances, delighting the audiences.

We will soon gather in our Family Room for a casual and quiet but equally entertaining evening to watch the Tony Awards. We watch all award events and even discuss what it will be like when we all go to the Academy Awards together, but we secretly enjoy the Tony's the most. The evening is akin to watching a condensed version of the best of Broadway and the West End in under 3 hours. What's not to love about that?

We look forward to the entertainment of these events more than the recognition. Seeing incredible young CT talent come alive on stage fills the soul with beauty and hope. Watching the professionals during the Tony's ignites dreams and excites passions.

When we settled into our seats at the Palace Theatre for the awards this week, the organ pipes caught my attention. These are captivating - so majestic and grand. They elegantly represent the dreams of the artists on stage. It would seem only the very best music could exude from here, opening up the hearts and minds of the audience. A graceful reminder of the juxtaposition of our dreams and responsibility to affect others.

Best wishes!

Today's Photo: Musical Dreams

“If you were born with the ability to change someone’s perspective or emotions, never waste that gift. It is one of the most powerful gifts God can give—the ability to influence.” Shannon L. Alder







EXIF: Nikon D7100
ISO 640
70mm
f4
1/45s

365 Project - Day 186

"Give, but give until it hurts." Mother Theresa

Today is Give Local America - National Giving Day! A few days ago, one of the nonprofit organizations with whom I work asked for my assistance in final marketing preparations for today's events. It was a terrific opportunity for me to learn more about Give Local America and to set aside dedicated time to pull together 7-8 ideas for an organization I am devoted to helping. While they are not active on social media, the Give Local teams are and I promised I would do my part to drum up support with my small circle of friends on Facebook and Twitter. Watching the excitement around today's giving has been exhilarating. Giving feels great!

During dinner this evening, I asked my teen boys to join me in participating by each giving $10 to a charitable organization of their choosing. They looked up Give Local Greater Waterbury & Litchfield Hills, our local organization on their individual computers, immediately went to the Arts & Culture category and both chose to give to the Waterbury Palace Theatre. Later this month, my older son will walk his first red carpet at the Palace Theatre as a finalist in the Connecticut Student Film Festival. For the past few years, we have been to the Palace Theatre to celebrate our Newtown High School (NHS) Drama Group's participation in the CT High School Musical Theatre Awards (CTHSMTA) and my son joined his NHS colleagues and Broadway stars at the Palace Theatre in 2013 for From Broadway with Love - A Benefit Concert for Sandy Hook. The Palace Theatre has and continues to play a central role in our artistic lives. It is a beautiful theatre and we are fortunate to enjoy it so often.

I took the photo below during the Regional Center for the Arts (RCA) production of Titanic. We had several friends performing in the show. RCA is always one of the favorites for the upcoming CTHSMTA. This was my first time seeing one of their shows. Their theatre is small and intimate, allowing me to use just my "nifty fifty" lens. And, the kids were fantastic.

Today's Photo: The Gift of the Arts

"No one has ever become poor by giving." Anne Frank





EXIF: Nikon D7100
ISO 400
50mm
f2.4
1/90

365 Project - Day 144

I have just completed editing Act One. Okay so I admit to being a bit over-ambitious in the number of photos taken during the 3 performances. Right now I'm thinking it is a really great thing that we did not have a 4th performance. Wait - there is a silver lining in a snow day!

I am mostly pleased with the results. I missed one key scene. So that's a drag, but the rest of the major scenes are included. My son will do the final culling to get down from 200 photos to something more reasonable. I want to ensure every child appears somewhere and then after that, we can start to be more critical.

This photo below is one of my faves from the final performance of Act One. I still cannot get over the fact that this is the last high school musical performance for this son. The good news is that it was fantastic. I will just miss seeing him grace the stage. Such unexpected and overwhelming joy! I am immensely proud of this young man for so many reasons. He is truly special.

Best wishes!

Today's photo: This is not to be believed!

"Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked." Psalm 84:10

365 Project - Day 141

"When we lose one blessing, another is often most unexpectedly given in its place." C.S. Lewis

It is done ... the final on stage musical performance of my son's high school career. For many reasons a difficult day and for many reasons, a day to celebrate.

I have not yet looked at the photos from today's performance. I imagine that will be challenging tomorrow. City of Angels is a difficult show for crew and pit as well as the cast and all 3 were outstanding. The photo below is from Friday's performance. One of the reasons why I like this shot is that you can see the pit, The Angel City Orchestra, on stage behind the actors. However, perhaps the best thing about this photo is that both of my sons are in it. A rare moment, centerstage, with both Aidan and Brooks. I loved seeing them together in the former's last show and the latter's first. Such a fantastic blessing!


Blessings!


Today's Photo: Wait!

"The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none." Deuteronomy 28:12




EXIF: Nikon D7100
ISO 400
85mm
f5.6
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365 Project - Day 120

We are on the brink of another musical. Such fun! I am anxious to see Newtown High School's production of City of Angels. Two years ago, my sons' first duet together featured a song from this show. This will be a bittersweet moment. The final high school performance for my oldest son and the inaugural high school performance for my younger son.

I had the opportunity this week to take publicity photos during rehearsal. My kids absolutely never allow me to see their performances before opening night. So I was over the moon and did not behave properly, I'm sure! I was so excited to be there that I was less a fly on the wall than I should have been. Ah well, if I am allowed back again, the novelty will have worn off ;-)

This performance will be produced in both color and black and white. This will be an outstanding production. I can't wait! Below are two photos from the rehearsal. It is wonderful to see my children living their passions. I hope you are living yours. Enjoy!

Today's Photo: Passions' Play

"There is no passion to be found in playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living." Nelson Mandela

365 Project - Day 96

"Keep me away from the wisdom that does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children." Khalil Gibran.

I have to repeat myself. These children are awesome. It is wonderful to witness them performing beyond their years, training and experience as they execute talent to their maximum potential. I wonder, perhaps, if music is the fuel that drives this push to overachieve. Music can flood our senses and sensibilities, intensifying feelings that exist or causing us to integrate new ones. And, it has the unique ability to give wings to an ambitious soul or refresh a broken one.

In this photo, I hope you'll agree, the former is at work. So much energy, such joy. I believe this is reflective of Bach's intention when he said, "Music is an agreeable harmony for the honor of God and the permissible delights of the soul." All I can say is, "Bravo!"

Best wishes!

Today's Photo: Children - The joy of music!

"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything." Plato




EXIF: Nikon D7100
ISO 1600
70mm
f2.8
1/125