Monday, January 3, 2011

I am sixteen, going on seventeen...

Ok that's a lie, I am most definitely not sixteen - but this is one of my favorite songs in one of my favorite movies! 
The Sound of Music 
Released in 1965 with an amazing score mostly courtesy of Rodgers and Hammerstein. IMDB's description of the movie, "A woman leaves an Austrian convent to become a governess to the children of a Naval officer widower." 

My description? "A beautiful love story of a widowed naval officer and a almost-nun. Before falling in love with him, Maria, the candidate the local abbey sent to Captain Vontrapp to be his children's governess, falls in love with the seven relentless children." 

This movie was set in the hills of the most gorgeous Salzberg, Austria in the late 1930's as the Nazi's are trying to take over. This movie absolutely captured my heart and makes me want to run up meadowy hills singing at the top of my lungs :) If you love musicals and you haven't seen this? I don't know what you're still doing here, you should probably go out and buy it right now so it can become a staple of your DVD collection :) In the mean time, I'll go ahead and re-cap my day full of this awesome movie! :)

Every year on new years weekend, we make the journey into downtown Seattle for The Sound of Music sing-a-long at the 5th Avenue Theater. If you can imagine, it's part concert, part PG rated Rocky Horror Picture Show and fully awesome! My mom dragged me to it for the first time sometime a couple years ago, and all I could think was, "This is going to be SO dumb." I couldn't have been more wrong. It has become a favorite family tradition that we look forward to every year now. 



Let me give you a run down -

They are very big on audience participation, when you enter the theater you are handed a yellow party bag with:
-a party popper
-a square piece of fabric (to wave at the screen when Maria is flustered at how she's going to make the children's play clothes, "Maria! The curtains! Use the curtains!!!")
-a fake little piece of edelweiss
-a couple note cards with pictures on them

You're instructed to:
-hiss when the baroness comes on screen
-boo when the Nazi's come on screen
-clap when Maria comes on screen
-Say "Awwww" when Gretl, the youngest Vontrapp daughter, comes on screen

you get the jist...

The notecards contain the following, when "How do you solve a problem like Maria" is playing you hold up each card accordingly: (PS sorry all the photos are of me, Hanna is in the, "I don't want to take pictures unless I have to" stage lol)
 "How do you solve a problem like
 Maria?
How do you catch a cloud and pin it down?
How do you solve a problem like Maria?
a flibbertigibbet
 a whil of a wisp 
a clown honk-honk (insert me honking my nose here)

Now, all of this may sound absolutely nuts to you, because it looked absolutely nuts to be too the first year we went. However, if you can get past all the crazy things and learn to laugh at the situation and yourself a little bit, I think you'd find you have a lot of fun :)

And to top it all off? They also have a costume contest before the movie starts. There are quite a few of 
Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
quite a few nuns
and of course, Fraulein Maria's

Do you think I'm totally insane? I'd be surprised if you didn't. All I know, is that it's a whole day I get to spend with my mom and sister, generally laughing the entire time. That's time I wouldn't trade for anything.

PS - Happy Monday friends! :) I hope your New Years weekend was unforgettable! We spent our evening in the bowling alley with Bryan's family :) I got 120 on my third game?! Watch out Grandma Jean!

7 comments:

  1. That obviously sounds amazing and not crazy in the least! I've been wanting to go to that for awhile but I never seem to be able to get it together in time to actually get tickets. Maybe I'll drag Ricky next year! Glad you had a happy New Year!

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  2. I used to wear this movie OUT(!) when I was a kid! Julie Andrews is just the best. So jealous you got to venture down to Seattle for the sing-a-long! How fun. Take me next time, yes?!

    I just wanted to say also how much I appreciate you and am soooo beyond blessed to call you my blogging buddy! You are truly a little ray of sunshine in my life and your comments lift my spirits daily! You are just the best and such a beautiful person. Just the best :)

    Much love my dear!

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  3. Hello sweetheart, you and your cat are too cute! I'm your newest follower x

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  4. Kate - I'm pretty if anyone would enjoy it MORE than me, it would be you :) And Ricky :) AND I'm pretty sure you would have the cajones to dress up :)

    Sam - Stop it right now! You are so stinkin sweet! AH! I wish we could be in person friends!!! I appreciate you and your blog so much! It's such a breath of fresh air :) Keep being awesome!

    Lauren - good morning! Thank you so much, I'm heading over to check out your blog right now! :) It's so nice to meet you :)

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  5. It sounds like you had a great time!! :)

    Have a fabulous week!

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  6. So not crazy! I love me some Sound of Music! "God bless Kurt!" :)

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  7. "PG rated Rocky Horror Picture Show" is how the PR director or whoever he was described it when promoting this thing before "A Christmas Story: the Musical." I've never been to a showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, but I guess it's just as interactive? Anyway, looks like you ladies had a blast! Part of me wanted to go but with school starting for me the following Tuesday, I knew it was a long shot. Not to mention expensive after the tickets for our annual musical at the 5th. Oh well; maybe one day...

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