So I took a chance and ordered Legally Blonde musical tickets for the family. It was time for the boys to be indoctrinated into the musical religion known as ‘theatre’. I thought they would be fine. I can confirm I was completely wrong.
I was remembering watching Beau’s face when he was tiny watching his first feature film at the cinema. He was delighted and happily giggled at the flickering screen. Four years on and he and his brother used breaks in music to whisper ‘is it done yet?’ into my ear.
‘Is it done yet?’ I kept going over those words in my mind – could they be serious? Are they really not enjoying this ridiculously camp, fluffy, glittery, sing-showy show of fun?
I looked over. Beau’s head was resting in his cupped hands and Chick was performing restless yoga on the chair, his eyes pleading with me each time I looked to check on him. During the interval, the boys mopped about, dragging their bottom lips all over the reception floor.
I leant down to their eye level. ‘Look guys, it’s half way, it’s Mums Christmas present, so suck it up and get back in there…oh and let’s get a choc top too eh?’
They survived gracefully. Chick even applauded the curtain call – perhaps not for the quality of the performance, but the ‘thank god it’s finished’ element.
I asked Beau at home what he didn’t like the most.
‘It scared me. The girl at the beginning opened the door and sang too loudly’.
I laughed. He was so right. Musical theatre is always about the element of bursting into song and the opening sequence is reasonably loud to get the blood moving. Clearly it spooked the boys.
I decided the boys should be more used to bursting into song, they have me for their father after all.
