Beauty and Dax and the Beast

A few months back, the kids brought home a flyer from school telling about how their elementary was going to do a play this year.  It was going to be "Beauty and the Beast."  Unfortunately for Cora, it was only open to kids in 3rd-6th grade.  I asked Arden and Dax if they might be interested.  Arden decided she was pretty busy already with gymnastics, but Dax said he wanted to give it a try.  

All the kids had to do an "audition," which I thought might change Dax's mind, but he went for it.  He was kind of hoping he might get to be Gaston or Le Fou, but I told him that those parts would probably go to 5th or 6th graders, and since he was in 3rd grade, he would probably end up being a villager or something like that.  

I was kind of right.  In the end, Dax ended up being a Hunter AND a wolf AND an enchanted spoon. He was so excited!

Then the practices began.  They were mostly in the mornings, before school started.  At the first practice, the people in charge of the play mentioned that if any of the kids usually ate breakfast at school, they should be sure to grab it between play practice and when class started.  Now, Dax was blissfully unaware of the existence of "school breakfast."  He knew about school lunch, but due to the fact that I can barely get the kids to school before the tardy bell rings, he had no idea they offered such a thing.  He, of course, had already had breakfast at home, but as you know my boy is not one to turn down food when offered.  They were serving apple cinnamon french toast, and Dax was all over it and couldn't wait to see what they served the next day.  He came home and told me all about the "free" breakfast he had discovered.  I explained it wasn't free, but would come out of his account just like lunch.  He was so excited that I gave him permission to have second breakfast after morning practices if he had time.

The next morning's practice was about halfway over, when Dax decided he was hungry.  They were practicing in the cafeteria, and he noticed that there was no food yet.  He decided to take it upon himself to find out how much longer it would be.  He walked upstairs and found the assistant principal and asked her when breakfast started...haha.  She pointed him back to where he was supposed to be, but I heard the story later.  Preston and I reminded the boy that play practice had to be all the way OVER before he could start breakfast.  He said he'd try his best.

They only had a month for rehearsals, and so it was a pretty intense month.  Soon the novelty wore off, and Dax got pretty bored sometimes, especially when the directors were working with other actors.  Occasionally Dax and his friend A would start goofing off a little.  Luckily, Dax and A. were not in the same cast (they had two separate casts because so many kids wanted to be in the play), so once dress rehearsals started, Dax lost his goof-off buddy and did much better.  

Soon, the big opening night was here!  Dax said he wasn't nervous at all, but I will admit to a few butterflies.

Cora and I took in opening night (Friday), and then the whole family came Saturday night.  Here is Dax in the opening number.  Couldn't you just DIE?  He looked so adorable as a little hunter walking around the town singing about what a funny girl that Belle is.

After he was a hunter in this scene, Dax quickly changed into his wolf costume to chase Maurice around in the woods.  (On the Saturday, my dad was sitting on the aisle.  As Dax ran by in his wolf costume, he gave a special loud wolfy growl to Grandpa!) Unfortunately, it was too dark during this scene to get a good picture.

Quick as lighting, Dax was a hunter again, for the big "Gaston" song.  Later, once Belle was at the castle, Dax pulled off another costume change and became a giant fork.  Here he is singing "Be Our Guest!"

The enchanted forks and knives and spoons even came down the aisle and did a fancy "kick line" during that song.  I think Dax kind of liked that part too.

After the dancing fork part was over, Dax changed quickly back into a wolf and chased Belle and the Beast around the woods.  Unfortunately, all the wolf parts seemed to be all dark and scary and VERY hard to take pictures of.  I asked Dax later, and he said he liked being a wolf best.  He had a great time howling and swiping at people and being scary.

Soon, Dax (who is obviously an expert costume-changer) was back as a hunter for one of his favorite musical numbers, "Kill the Beast!"

Everyone seemed to think this was a great idea:

However, as you know, the Beast does not get killed.  Lo and behold, he turns into a prince!  Then it is time for everyone to come out and sing the finale, "Beauty and the Beast."  Here is my handsome hunter again:

 And then at the very end his little head ended up right because Belle and the prince.

 After the show, Dax was more than happy to put his wolf costume on to pose for a picture.  He was very method, and at first he would only pose while looking mean and wolfish:

 After some bribery, I finally got him to break character and give me a smile:

Dax really loved the actual performances, and decided that the rehearsals were worth it after all.  The play overall was pretty impressive, and I thought all the little actors and actresses were amazing.  Dax did awesome and didn't miss a step or a line. (I did have to laugh a little during the big romantic dance scene, where Belle and the Beast both looked like they would rather be dead than dancing together.  I am guessing the actors for Belle and the Beast either (1) hated each other's guts or (2) really liked each other),  

I was wondering if Dax would be sick of all of the songs by the time the play was over.  However, the opposite seems to have happened.  Dax and Cora both listen to the "Beauty and the Beast" Broadway CD that I got when I saw the play in high school each and every night as they go to sleep (yes, I made a copy).  Dax can often be found wandering around the house singing about how when he was a lad he ate four dozen eggs every morning to help him get large, or maybe about how life is so unnerving for a servant who's not serving.

I will admit...even if Dax isn't tired of the songs....I kind of am. :)