Mulan Has Opened!

The show is officially running. :) We opened tonight, and the day leading up to it was full of activities. We had two family shows as part of the Family Centerstage Festival that the Alliance puts on. They had the lobby tricked out in Chinese decorations, and there was even a Chinese lion dance and other things too. I didn't get to watch any of this, but I did get a glance at the decorations while I was signing autographs between the two afternoon shows. There were so many cute little girls in qi paos and other Mulan-type outfits! So adorable! They had a line of tables set up for the cast to sit at, and people just formed a big line and we signed programs, posters, etc. A lot of pictures were taken too.

Then we had a fantastic opening at 7:00 with a huge house. It was so neat to see a lot of the audience dressed up to see us! Afterwards, I took a shower in my dressing room (I know, right?!?) and got dressed in my own qi pao as quickly as I could to go to the lobby and then the after-party. Apparently I was not quick enough - my husband told me that there were a lot of little girls and their families waiting to see me in the lobby. Some of them stuck around long enough and I signed some more autographs and took some pictures with them. People clapped for me when I came out! That was kinda surreal and very exciting.

Next was the after-party, which was upstairs in our old rehearsal hall. When I arrived, people clapped again! I just waved, smiled, and blushed with my sisters and relatives standing there with me for an awkward second. :) The staff did a beautiful job with the Chinese decorations and there were lots of fruits and veggies (did they hear that I'm vegan?!?). My sister complained that there was no meat. :) My husband was gracious enough to get me a sprite and a plate of fruit since I was pretty much talking to people the whole time. Luckily, he had one of his friends there to keep him entertained while I schmoozed. It is quite a feeling to have complete strangers come up to you and tell you how much they enjoyed the show. I am so thankful for this role and this production! I look forward to the remaining 30-something shows we have left! ;)