Sunday, November 14, 2010

Family History Photo Monday: Show Offs

At the end of this week, Jen and her sons, Taylor and Ethan, will be participating in "Bye Bye Birdie" at Taylor's high school.  Brian and I were able to watch a rehearsal of a couple of the numbers and I wish we could be there to see the show.  There are several members of my family who are performers.  When I was a kid I got to see my Dad as Cornelius Hackle, Captain Von Trapp, and Buffalo Bill Frank Butler.  Fun and a little weird.  Jen and Melissa (two of the redheads, very interesting) are both amazing on the stage - singing and acting.  When I came across these photos cleaning out my storage room Saturday, I thought they were extremely appropriate for today.

That is Dad on the left as Captain Von Trapp in Oakley's production of "The Sound of Music."  I'm wondering why two of the girls (Jana Miller and Amylee Severe) are exactly the same age and size.  Also, Amylee's sideburns?!  I know it's the 80s, but I don't think that's OK.
That's Jennie third from the left.  Look at all those spazzes!  (Not Jen - she looks very sweet.)  I think those boys are wearing their normal clothes.  I cannot imagine trying to wrangle a bunch of kids into singing and dancing.  My hat is off to the people who do it.  This is a production of "Oliver!" in Oakley in the early 1980s.
Here is Dad as Buffalo Bill Frank Butler in "Annie Get Your (Yer?) Gun" in Pocatello in the late 1980s.  Those of you who know my Dad know that he pulled that costume from his own closet and probably wore it to work teaching seminary the next day.  Not.  I wonder when I'm going to see this and not laugh?  Probably never.

6 comments:

melissa said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
melissa said...

Jen is super cute in that picture! I think Dad played Frank Butler, not Buffalo Bill, in Annie Get Your Gun. (Musical Nerd Alert.) I remember because I went to see that show for my 7th birthday and was mesmerized by the whole thing until my friend sitting next to me pointed out that Dad was kissing some lady that wasn't Mom. Suddenly the theater world seemed seedy and wrong. And that's why I wanted to be a part of it. :)

Mom said...

Melissa is right - Dad was Frank Butler, not Buffalo Bill. That was his favorite part because it had so much great music for Frank to sing. Seedy and wrong is why Dad got out of the biz (except for one more round of Sound of Music where Maria's husband was against the kissing).

Nicole said...

Thanks for the corrections, nerds. I need to study up on my musical theater! :)

Jen said...

Oh...so much here....first of all, THANK YOU for finding that picture of the SoM set. I was trying to describe it to Ben when he was designing a set for that show and I clearly did not do it justice. It is truly hideous. And the '80's hair on the Von Trapp children. WHY!?! Don't get me started on the Jana/AmyLee thing. Thanks for pouring lemon juice on THAT old wound.
I popped my kneecap off (literally) during that performance of Oliver. Fagin was a doctor and he snapped it back in place for me- in full costume. A very funny memory.

I think Dad looks dashing. But, yeah I was also traumatized by the kissing. What a filthy stage! Must have been some real cowboy boot stompin' in that show.

Looking forward to some great photo op's in Bye Bye Birdie- the extravaganza has begun!

allyn said...

these are classic photos. is dad wearing jeans? or are those just chaps? i remember mom intentionally making dinners high in garlic content during the run of the show and dad noticing her intentions.