Opening Morning

Another Op'nin', Another Show! Our very first show was at Crescent Elementary School in Iberville Parish. We woke up at 5:30 am in order to arrive at the school by 6:30 am and start our first show at 9 am. Josh’s high school dream was fulfilled when he was instructed to drive the truck over the football field in order to get to the gymnasium. Craig was the lucky guy who got to ride shotgun this morning. The first load in went well and I must admit that I am using muscles that I never knew existed. I truly appreciate the fact that Zach, Craig and Mike always cheer me on when I try to lift the heavier equipment and are always quick to lend a helping hand. Here is what the gym looked like at 6:30 am:
And magically, by 8:30 am, the gym was transformed!
The boys took the opportunity to shoot some hoops before the 11 am show.

The energy of the children was infectious! It was so thrilling to finally hear hundreds of little kids laughing at our corny jokes. The show opens with Merlin performing two magic tricks. I couldn't help but giggle backstage when I heard a little boy tell his neighbor, "I can't believe he did that!"

Another highlight of the show was the very first appearance of the Black Knight. The kids let out a collective "wow" and they were thrilled by the sword fight between the Black Knight and Arthur.
Here is the Evil Knight and his prisoners.


The Lady of the Lake scene was the most exciting for me. Since we are playing for elementary school children, the little ones tend to squirm in their seats. When the music for the Lady of the Lake scene began, a hush fell over the audience and the kids were extremely attentive. Perhaps they were astounded by how much I grew since the last scene? (For those of you who heard about the shoe debacle, you will be pleased to hear that I am standing on a stool!)




After the second show, Zach, Mike and I went to the cafeteria to eat lunch. The moment we entered the cafeteria, heads whipped around and jaws dropped. The kids basically lost their minds! Within seconds, we were each offered a seat at a different lunch table. I felt like the coolest girl in school! I was bombarded with questions from about a dozen little girls. All of the kids addressed me as "Miss Eva" and were eager to tell me that they liked my costumes. One little boy shook my hand and said "that was a good play!" My favorite question was from a little girl who wanted to know, "Miss Eva, how do you become famous?"



As you can see here, Zach was really trying to blend with the kids by wearing red.


Look closely to see how the eight year old boys responded to Zach's impressive stature!


All of the girls had a crush on King Arthur.


Now, do not let their cute little faces fool you - these kids were sassy! While I was hanging out by the truck a little blond boy with a mohawk said "hey there, pretty lady!" Not knowing how to respond, I pretended not to hear him.

I leave you with a "silly one" which was taken moments before the bell rang and the kids were whisked away.