Put on a Happy Face

Whenever I'm feeling a bit stressed or depressed nothing cheers me up like a musical!

The other night I needed a little musical therapy. At first I thought about popping in Mama Mia!

It's happy, and silly, and energetic.

When you're feeling down and low you don't want to watch something like Les Miserables. It's a great show don't get me wrong, but it's kind of depressing.

Scanning through my DVD's I found just what I needed.

Something with dancing, and singing and a bit of drama, through in some silliness and viola:

A Chorus Line!

Some of you may not be a fan, but I loved that show.

The first time I saw it was with Mom and Dad again at the Walnut Street Theatre in Philly.

I don't know what I was expecting, but I was nearly jumping in my seat with the music and the dancing and the singing.

Then they started singing about growing up: "Hello 12, hello 13, hello Love" I was about 13 at the time I think, so I could relate.

But then they started talking about "getting hard" and "Tits'!!!

When you are 13 sitting in with your Mom and Dad and someone starts talking about hard on's and tits - it's really embarrassing!

My Mom and Dad tried their very best not to laugh and treat me like an adult.

But then came the song: Dance 10, Looks 3

If you don't know it, check it out:



I nearly crawled under my seat with embarrassment!

Somehow though I managed to make it through the rest of the show trying to play it cool like I was all grown up. That is until my Dad started teasing me about it!

Ugh...parents.

I bought the album and memorized the lyrics (especially the dirty words) and I think at that phase in my life I wanted to be a Broadway dancer.

I did take ballet when I was around 6 or 7 years old, but I had a very embarrassing moment which haunts me til this day.

Our dance instructor with a very severe woman whose name I can't remember because I've blocked it out of my mind. She used to make us sit facing a wall with our legs apart and push our butt towards the wall.

Oy! The pain! I was never a flexible person so I thought I was being split in two!

That wasn't the embarrassing part though.

She wouldn't let us talk during our lesson.

I had to pee.

Really bad.

I raised my hand to ask for permission and she purposely ignored me. I tried and tried to hold it but when your 6 or 7 and your jumping around in a cold room...it's hard.

Really hard.

SO...I pee'd on the floor in front of all my friends.

To this day I have "shy kidneys".

Anyway - I digress.

The movie version is not nearly as good as the state production but it still makes me smile and I still know most of the lyrics to the songs.

So I sat and watched the movie and sang along and drank a little wine and when it got to final chorus I belted it out:

ONE - singular sensation every little steps she takes
ONE - thrilling combination, every move that she makes

One smile and suddenly nobody else will do
You know you'll never be lonely
With you-know-who
One moment in her presence
And you can forget the rest,
For the girl is second best to none, son.
Ooooh!
Sigh!
Give her your attention
Do
I
really have to mention,
she's the one?


I feel a little better now!