“Winnie the Pooh, willy, nilly, silly old bear…”
Congratulations on reaching opening night of Winnie the Pooh KIDS, performed by Artondale Elementary students — including you and Eliza! I bet the songs from your first musical will live rent-free in your head for the rest of your life.
This musical was one of your mom’s big ideas coming into her first year as PTA president. She’s been focused on bringing more programming and enrichment opportunities to students. It’s been incredible to see her vision come to life — and pay off — in front of a full audience and a stage full of bright lights and brave kids.
Now, let’s talk about your specific role: Piglet. You weren’t exactly thrilled when you got the part after tryouts. Piglet’s shy, and that’s not how most people would describe you. The pink costume also wasn’t a big selling point — though we worked around that with a pink Messi jersey (luckily in style) and some fashionable pink sweatpants. Eliza received the role of the rainbow color “Blue,” and she was even less excited, frustrated to have fewer lines and a smaller part. So, in that sense, consider yourself lucky.
For two weeks — a total of eight rehearsal days — you and Eliza stayed after school from 3:30 to 6 p.m. That’s a lot of concentrated practice time, especially for a half-hour musical. It was a big commitment for both of you, and of course for Mom, who worked side-by-side with the director she hired on behalf of the PTA. You missed soccer practices, and there were definitely some cranky days (and cranky rehearsals). Still, you stayed with it. Mom practiced lines with you and Eliza at night after rehearsals, helping you build confidence for showtime.
Finally, opening night arrived — a Thursday — kicking off your two-night run. I honestly didn’t know what to expect. The stage was modest, with a few backdrops to set the scene in the Hundred Acre Wood and props like honey pots scattered around. But once the curtain went up, I was blown away by what a couple dozen kids could pull off. You all had so many lines and carried the story forward between musical numbers. You were on stage a lot, had your lines down, and even helped other characters when they forgot theirs. Mom pitched in from the wings too, whispering cues when needed.
I’ll admit, I was a little nervous for you and Eliza to hit your marks — but you both commanded the stage with small voices and big courage. I sat there beside myself, enjoying every minute and marveling at how much you accomplished in such a short time.
The whole experience was too special not to buy the video recording for $30, so we can enjoy it for years to come. You might find it embarrassing someday to watch yourself as Piglet, but I promise that later in life you’ll appreciate seeing how you stepped up as Pooh’s loyal sidekick.
I don’t know if you’ll keep acting — especially once it’s optional and not the mandate of the PTA president who happens to be your mom — but I’m savoring this moment. As you head into your second and final performance tonight, I know you’ll be even more confident with those first-show jitters behind you. I hope you enjoy being on stage as much as the audience enjoys watching you.
There may be some collateral damage from this experience — from now on, it’ll be hard to see a pink Messi jersey without remembering your time under the bright lights.
Love, Dad