An Evening with The Haze

The Haze: (thee hayz) Divorced mother of three; Zina, Chris and Shakes. AKA Hazel

 

 

This past Saturday the Haze and I went on a mother/daughter date, we began by eating dinner at a local seafood restaurant and then getting dessert at a bakery down the road. We then went to our hometown theatre to see the musical The 25^th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee, we arrived a bit early so we took a seat in the lobby when all of a sudden my friend Matt (the director) walked in to talk to us.

Matt: I am so happy you came!

Shakes: Oh I wouldn’t miss your directing debut for the world.

Matt: Well thanks so much, hey I hate to ask but will you be an audience participant?

Shakes: what do I have to do?

Matt: Just wait for your name to be called then you will sit onstage and the cast will sing and dance for you … you will also participate in the spelling bee, just do as good as you can and be sure you ask the following questions: Can I get the definition please and Can you use the word in a sentence?

Shakes: *thinking really hard about it* I guess so what’s the worst that could happen?

Matt then writes my name down and we walk into the theatre to get our seat, we sit on the 5^th row first 2 chairs, but Matt then comes in a little later to ask us to please move one row up? The Haze was wondering fine, but I just told her they were probably saving that row for a school group or something. The play starts and they introduce the cast, it is a spelling bee so they are all “students” after they are announced, one of the announcers introduce some “other contestants” in the spelling bee —-the audience participants AKA ME. I walk on stage when my name is called and take my seat on stage. This is where the fun begins, they call us up one by one and make us spell two of the other audience members got out on the first round, but I stuck in there with my

Character: Miss McFly, can you please spell Mexican

Shakes: Can I get the definition please?

Character: of course, people who are from Mexico, Puerto Rico, and East Port Arthur.

Shakes: Can I get the word in a sentence?

Character: Jessica was not Mexican, just very tan.

Shakes: Mexican, M-E-X-I-C-A-N, Mexican

Character: that is right …take your seat

The play then continued right around me, the actual characters helped me with “dance moves” or movements I needed to know so I didn’t look like a complete turd. Then my turn comes up again:

Character: Shakes please spell Mustache

Shakes: Definition

Character: yes, a type of facial hair

Shakes: Sentence please

Character: I had the money but I must stash it so my brother doesn’t find it.

Shakes: Mustache, M-U-S-T-A-C-H-E

Character: that is correct

This time there is a HUGE dance song that made me spin around on these set bleachers on wheels and involved us ringing around the rosy AND strobe lights…. I was dizzy, blind and slightly out of breath but loved every minute of it. After that song there was a slower song, where one of the characters went into the audience and sang to a person ….the person in the 4^th row AKA the Haze (that is why he wanted us to move)

Finally I was out of the Bee once the first act ended —- Thank goodness, because I was not wearing the proper shoes to running and dancing on stage.

After the show we went home and couldn’t stop talking about our crazy night at the show…definitely one for the memory books, and if you ever get to see The 25^th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee, anywhere by any theater company DO IT …it is a super funny show!!!