Last year we had quite the crazy month of May surrounding LTYM:OKC. We had work things, big events that we were producing for work, or involved with in our real lives that needed time. We had SO MUCH GOING ON…
We, in our infinite wisdom, in our exhausted brains, in some grasp for sanity, decided to SWITCH WEEKENDS NEXT YEAR! Let’s move it UP a weekend, to the first weekend of the production window! LET’S MOVE IT UP!
YES!
We would give ourselves a break from the MAY hell that was upon us! We would allow for a little breathing room in all of our lives and be able to really get the show up and running and have less stress! We would even allow for the possibility for representatives of the National LTYM team to get to our show in real life since it didn’t overlap one of their own shows!
YES!!!
This was the perfect plan.
Until April 2015 turned into the month from hell.
Coming off of the Clan McClellan Wedding, diving right into super heavy work loads that included a 6 day trip to NY, a super compressed LTYM schedule and then realizing that EVERYTHING IS HAPPENING on the same weekend we picked!
The Memorial Marathon, which is a really big deal here, is tomorrow morning. This weekend is also Norman Music Fest. The OKC Arts Festival is also happening in downtown OKC. And to boot, the national team is focused on the LTYM book, and budgets have shifted to that so they aren’t coming. (to be fair, they never said they *were but we held out such high hopes for our 3rd year)
SERIOUSLY!?!?!?!
But here’s the kicker.
We have an amazing cast who are sharing such GORGEOUS stories. This cast is knee deep in the intention of telling their story. Yes, being part of a national movement and community is great, yes helping our local cause is an honor but this cast? They have a story to tell and that is the root of their motivation. They are ready. They have their words and are ready to shout them from the rooftop.
These words? The pain and the glory and the tenderness and the joy and the laughter and the honor…they tell stories of loved ones so dear, of hardships so raw, of grace so deep we all gasp for air as we are steeped in it all. It is gorgeous. This cast is gorgeous. Their hearts are open wide and they are ready.
We have a full audience of well over 250 people who will come share in this tomorrow. We have the programs and we have the show book and we have the videographer and photographer, both alumni of our show, who are giving us their talent. We have the program inserts from the cause and photo fundraiser and the cast gifts and the post-show-party-place standing at the ready with extra waitstaff. We have endless threads on FB and in our text messages between the production staff with crazy Power Rangers stickers and emoji conversations. We have built a community of alumni that are ready to attend and watch as their family opens their arms to welcome a whole other group into the fold. We have generous sponsors who have stepped up time and time again to say TAKE THIS MONEY AND PUT ON A SHOW! We truly couldn’t do this without them.
It has been a ride on the StruggleBus this year with the calendar, with PR/Sponsorship stuff, with staying within all of the guidelines of producing this show. There have been true struggles and days when there was not one more ounce of energy to give to anything, much less a volunteer gig that is in it’s own right, a full time job.
Yet…tomorrow at 2:30 pm as we all walk out onto that stage and feel the love of our audience, these people who have said THIS SHOW IS IMPORTANT AND I WILL BUY A TICKET…all of this will wash away.
And we will speak.
And it will be transformative.
And the audience will be right there with us.
And we will know that the best laid plans can sometimes kick you right in the arse, but that all is exactly as it should be.
I can’t wait.
*Tickets available at www.ticketstorm.com
**The Day of Show Book Drive (bring a children’s book) and a portion of our ticket sales go to support Reach Out and Read: Oklahoma
Misti Ridiculous 