Ella and I went to her very first play in downtown Houston last night. It was Main Street Theatre's play adaption of the book "Goodnight Moon."
I was so excited to see this play advertised, as it is one of Ella's favorite books. I was even more excited to open her up the world of live theatre, one that I have loved so dearly for so long.
I almost got misty-eyed as we took our seats and I explained to my very own daughter what a playbill was. "This is your ticket for your seat, and here is your playbill." As I showed her the head shots of the actors, she looked with wonder at the stage and pointed out the moon. Then she looked down at her seat. "I can't sit here Momma, this chair is too brown." I told her that all the seats were brown, so this one would have to do. She asked to hold her "invitation" and I reminded her it was a ticket, not an invitation. When I was a young girl, and dreamed of having kids of my own, this was the kind of moment I dreamed about.
The play was great! It was intimate, so she could see everything really close up. There was music and dancing and they made the story line about a little bunny who kept trying to stay awake in the 'great green room.' Much like children do when doing everything to NOT go to bed. "I'm hungry, I'm sleepy, I'm not tired..." The stage was set just like the book. Ella had an amazing time. It was more fun watching her face light up during the show -- laughing and dancing in her seat, patting her lap for drum rolls with the rest of the audience. At intermission she didn't want to leave for a potty break. I had to drag her to the restroom. At the end of the show the actors came out and Ella got to meet the "bunny" and the "young mouse." But, as you can see, she doesn't look so happy. As we were leaving, she began INSISTING we go back and watch the bunnies. It took a lot of persuasion to get her to the car.
As we got buckled in, she realized she really was LEAVING the bunnies and she got mad. Probably the most mad I have ever seen her in her 3 years of life. She was crying and screaming, "I want to go see the bunnies!" I was laughing to myself at first. It was probably Karma paying me back for doing something similar to my Mimi when I was the same age. She took me to see "Annie" at the movie theatre, and I cried so much when it was over, she bought tickets again, and we sat through it a second time. I guess I should have thought about that, but the idea of taking her to a play was too tempting.
For the 45 minute ride home, Ella never stopped crying for the bunnies. It was more sad than funny when we got into Conroe and she was tearfully pleading for the bunny. I couldn't explain to her that we couldn't go back to the bunnies. "They are napping," I told her. But, that's what happens when you have a DVR and your child can watch DORA whenever she wants. She didn't understand that we couldn't just REWIND the play and watch it all over again.
In the end, I don't regret taking her. She loved it. I do regret not taking her earlier in the play's run so we could go see it again. Sadly, the show we went to was the very last show. So, now I am scoping out for more children's theatre. I might even have to make a comeback and get myself in a show, just so my kid can see some more theatre!
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