December 5-7, 2011 - Aladdin Panto & More

December 5:

Tonight is opening night for the Aladdin Panto.  Brooke is so excited!

Here are some of the beautiful costumes hanging in the girls dressing room.  The fabrics here are just amazing!

Here is the girls' make up counter before it's swarming with actresses.

Here are some of the signs that will be put up tonight before the show.

Here is the genie's lamp!

This is the work shop where Bruce worked to put wheels on some of the set pieces.

Here I am at home making one of Aladdin's scarves.

Reese and I are making gingerbread men to give to the cast tonight.

Here I'm helping with make up before the first show.  This is Fang.  She will eventually be a Chinese man with a long mustache and braid.

Here's Brooke's amazing Genie costume!  She loves it!  She'll have to wait until she has her microphone on before she can get her make up and hair done.

The girls' dressing room is starting to fill up.

Nicola is putting Brooke's make up on.

Make up is complete.

Now for the hair.

Genie is ready for the show!

Nicola is now working on Princess Lotus Blossom.

Here are some pictures of the cast before the show.  This is Jasmine.

This is Jeff, the Dame.  A panto is well-known in Britain, but I understand that there is always a man who dresses as a woman, and always a Wishy and a Washy.

Here is Brooke and Aladdin.

This is the Dame and Wishy.

This is the Dame and the Emperor.

Here's Brooke sitting in her lamp.

Isn't that the coolest lamp ever?

Here's Fang and Abanazeer, the two evil characters.

Here is the cast getting their last pep talk before the show from the director, Paul, who is an amazing man.

Here is the stage crew man who operates the genie's lamp while Brooke sits in it.  He will be behind the gold cloth, moving it around the stage while Brooke sings Firework, by Katy Perry.

Getting ready to open the theater.

This is how the lamp looks when the curtain opens, and then the crew man turns it around and the audience will see Brooke sitting in it.  So cool!  After Brooke's monologue, she will sing a solo of Firework by Katy Perry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MllK-C3t2vQ

Here is a picture of the entire cast.

Here is the program.  There will be five performances and then a cast party afterwards with pizza for all of the families.

  

Brooke is waiting in her lamp for the curtain to open.

These are some of my favorite pictures that were taken during the show by the actual photographer.  It was so cute to see all the little girls talk to Brooke after the show and ask for her autograph.  She is having the time of her life!

At the end the genie turns Fang into a dog.

December 6:
This morning I went to the annual ladies' Christmas Tea with my neighbor, Shelly.

Here is our table in the Ad Diwan building.

This long table was FULL of food!

I was surprised at how many ladies were here.

Here are the men serving drinks.

The Bell Choir is performing now.

And now everyone is getting their breakfast.

These two ladies were sitting at my table.  They are from Eritrea (in Africa.)  Rachel lives on camp, but her friend told me that she lives on a British Aerospace compound.  I think it's fun when I meet someone to find out where they are from.

Here the lights were turned down as we lit our advent candles and sang Silent Night.  The tea ended before 11 so all the moms can get home before the lunch bus drops off their kids.  It was a nice event and I enjoyed getting out without the kids.

Tonight Brooke had another performance and I worked back stage.  Brooke's solo is a difficult one, but she hit all of her high notes tonight - I was so proud of her.

This evening Jordan did homework and Reese went to swim practice.  She said it was freezing tonight.

December 7:

Today Brooke, Reese, and I went to a garage sale where we found this dress and these shoes for Brooke.  Jordan went to Danielle's house to watch a movie while I helped with quick costume changes at the theater, and Reese played at a friend's house.

We can't wait to go as a family and see the Panto all the way through tomorrow!

- Pattie -