Saturday, November 07, 2009

But Should You Yell "Theater!" in a Crowded Firehouse?

The kiddo in a fireman's coat at the wildfire exhibit in
the Natural History Museum, San Diego, CA.

Tonight I took the kiddo to see Honk! in Escondido. My brother's girlfriend had directed about a gazillion kids of all ages into singing and dancing through a musical adaption of Hans Christian Andersen's The Ugly Duckling and it was wonderful, as her work always is.

Toward the end of the first act, the amazingly loud fire alarm sounded and the actors at first vamped, then froze. The kiddo proceeded to come a little unglued. The house manager instructed everyone to leave the theater (alarm still blaring) and we all poured outside. The kiddo grabbed my sleeve and tried to drag me toward the parking lot to go home, but I convinced him to stick around so we could see if it was a false alarm. Thank goodness I had his video game in my purse. Distractions are lifesavers!

Turned out the concessions folks had accidentally burned some cookies they were preparing for intermission sales, so after everyone regrouped, we went back into the building for intermission, then the actors resumed the show at the number that had been interrupted, and played into the second act. What troopers! Now we just have a funny story to tell, and I'm grateful for that.

Now...to bed!