But it didn't start that way.
Audrey has a fear of theaters. We once had to pull the plug on a show at the planetarium moments after it began and when she and Suzanne went to see the movie "Up" she took one look into the dark void and refused to go in. Naturally we expected the same when we took her to the dinner theater but did so anyway because of the one thing that keeps us trying: hope.
The Sun Will Come Out
Weeks of build-up led to this evening. Occasionally we'd drive by the theater where a massive sign advertised that "Annie" had come to town. We'd point out the sign and Audrey would want to go, and when we didn't go we'd have to go home and watch the movie instead. And then for days afterward we'd all have "The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow" running through our heads.
This continued for some time, until my wife realized there was only one week left before the show ended for good. So we sat down with Audrey and asked her if she really, really, really wanted to go. "Yes!" she said.
That afternoon we called Grammy to tell her the news and Grammy wasn't about to miss this. She arrived at our house within two hours and off to the show we went.
Ms. Hannigan
Dinner precedes the show, it being a dinner theater and all, but Audrey was already very wary of Ms. Hannigan lurking about. So for the first 15 minutes of our evening Audrey and I loitered in the lobby, with me pointing out pictures of the casts from "Little Shop of Horrors," "The King and I," "The Producers" and others to try to take her mind off the here and now.
By happenstance we met a little girl in the lobby named Grace (the same name as Audrey's sister) who was 4 and helped make Audrey feel more comfortable. And by the time the food was being served we were able to go back and enjoy dinner. And as luck would have it Grace's table was right next to ours.
But questions about Ms. Hannigan dominated the conversation. In a dinner theater the servers are the performers and our server happened to be Daddy Warbucks - he assured Audrey that Ms. Hannigan was just another actor like he was. Warbucks even asked her to come by our table, dressed in server attire, to say hello. Audrey crouched in my lap.
Preview
The lights went down in the midst of dinner for a preview of a different performance. Audrey panicked when it went dark and screamed. "Here we go," I thought. But when the cast for a show called "The Spelling Bee" appeared and the stage lit up she calmed down.
We thought we had avoided attention, but no. When the main event was announced the speaker ended by saying, "... and if you have little ones who get scared during the performance, please take them to the lobby until they calm down so that others can hear in the meantime. Enjoy the show!"
That comment was aimed squarely at us.
We had to develop a plan, otherwise we were pinched for sure. "The lights are going to go down again just like they did for the preview," we told Audrey. "When they do, just sit in Daddy's lap and cover your head with your blanket. And when Ms. Hannigan comes out, do the same." She seemed to be okay with the plan.
Annie
The intro ran and all Audrey could do was anticipate Ms. Hannigan's first appearance. When she showed up the blanket went immediately over Audrey's head. After a few moments she peered out to see. Suzanne, Grammy and I looked at each other, still unsure of how this would proceed.
But we were reassured each time Annie came on. Audrey would scoot to the edge of her seat and hold out a small hair band she had brought to give to Annie. "When can I give this to Annie???" she asked over and over. "We'll find her in the lobby at the end of the show," we told her.
Each time Ms. Hannigan showed up Audrey would retract from the front of her seat to my lap but eventually the blanket remained in the chair instead of over her head. She was too enthralled with Annie.
We were out of the woods and so proud of Audrey. Her comments from there were things like, "That scene isn't in the movie!"
From the looks of the lobby after the show you'd have thought Madonna was there. But it was Annie, with excited little kids fawning all over her. When it was Audrey's turn she shyly handed Annie the hair band and posed for a photo.
Post mortem
One might expect the acting quality at a dinner theater to be sub-par but if you do I'd suggest you think again. This performance met all but the highest of expectations and Annie belted out her songs in a powerful (but kind of quirky) way.
Since the show we've been amazed by one thing. Not only does Audrey sing the songs she heard (loudly), she hits the same notes and reproduces the same quirkiness in Annie's delivery. It's really quite amazing coming from a 3-year-old.
We are excited for Audrey's next foray into theater. Somewhere inside of me is an inkling that she may eventually be the one on stage.
