“MEMORIES MONDAY”

DURING THIS LOVELY, RAINY MONDAY MORNING I AM REMINDED OF A SONG I SANG CALLED, “RAINING IN MY HEART”. (THE PHOTO ..ME IN PINK SINGING WITH THE UMBRELLAS CHORUS ABOVE)

THIS WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PLAYS THAT TERRY AND I DID AFTER MOVING TO CALGARY FROM ONTARIO MANY YEARS AGO. IT WAS CALLED, ‘DAMES AT SEA’ AND IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!

CRAZY TO THINK OF IT BUT WE ARE STILL FRIENDS TO THIS DAY WITH EVERYONE IN THAT CAST! 

KATHY (WITH THE BALLOONS) TOLD ME THIS WAS HER FIRST PLAY EVER AND NOW SHE GRACES THE BOARDS AT THEATRE CALGARY!  OUR DEAR FRIEND, CLAUDIA,(SOLOING WITH THE ‘HOOP SKIRT GIRLS’) TAUGHT THEATRE FOR MANY YEARS IN ENGLAND AND HAS ONLY RECENTLY RELOCATED TO CALGARY. I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE HER AGAIN! 

BOTH THE FELLAS (BESIDE KATHY WITH THE BALLOONS) MURRAY AND STAN ARE STILL ACTORS TO THIS DAY IN CALGARY. WHILE ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE CAST ,SUSAN FOREST, JUST PUBLISHED ANOTHER NOVEL CALLED ‘BURSTS OF FIRE’. 

TERRY AND I HAD THE LEAD ROLLS IN THIS TAP DANCING HEAVY MUSICAL. I HAD SOME MINOR TAP EXPERIENCE ONLY SO I HAD TO PRACTICE WITH THE CAST FOR MANY HOURS. WE DIDN’T HAVE A PROPER FLOOR FOR THIS ACTIVITY AND I’LL NEVER FORGET DOING THE ‘ROLL OVER THE LOG’ MOVE ON THE SMOOTH, CONCRETE FLOOR WHEN MY TAP SLIPPED AND MY LEG WENT ONE WAY…AND MY KNEE WENT THE OTHER.  I THINK TERRY SNAPPED MY JOINT BACK INTO PLACE BUT I HAVE ACTUALLY HAD KNEE ISSUES EVER SINCE THIS SHOW.  SHEESH! 

THAT SAID, IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST FUN SHOWS I HAVE EVER BEEN IN.  HILARIOUSLY, I WAS IN A CAST (NOT JUST THE TROUPE!) FOR THE REST OF THE REHEARSALS AND IT WAS ON THE NIGHT OF THE PERFORMANCE THAT IT WAS REMOVED . THE AUDIENCE THOUGHT IT WAS SUCH A FUNNY IDEA THAT MY CHARACTER’S BIG TAP DANCING BREAK WAS ACTUALLY JUST MARCHING AROUND CARRYING A GIANT FLAG. I GOT TO DO SOME LIGHT TAP WORK BUT NO MORE SHOW STOPPING STUFF IN THE DANCE DEPARTMENT.  I DID GET TO ENJOY THE ACTING, THE SINGING, AND ESPECIALLY MEETING THESE FRIENDS …FOR LIFE!