Parade Specifics

A few parade specifics (FULL DAY kids only):

WHAT TO WEAR

You will receive your Alice in Wonderland show shirts to wear in the parade, but you will not receive them until the morning of the parade.  This means you will need to arrive wearing something else and change into your show shirt before the parade starts.  I'd love to say you'll have a dressing room... but you won't.  I can, however, offer to let you take turns changing in the truck.

In order to have everyone look as similar as possible, please wear denim pants, capris, or shorts (finger-tip length so you don't stick to the chairs).

If you're into accessories, your shirts will be green and purple.

Of course, make certain you wear shoes/socks appropriate for walking/dancing the whole parade route.

WHERE (and when) TO GO

We will meet at 10:00 a.m. at the LDS Stake House at 8400 W and 3100 S.  You WILL NOT be allowed to actually drive into the parking lot, nor is there parking particularly nearby.  Arrange to have someone drop you off along 8400 W in front of the parking lot or on 3100 S across the street from the Stake House.

WHAT TO BRING

You're probably going to want to eat a sack lunch before the parade actually starts at noon.

You'll also want a nice big water bottle.  We will have additional water coolers in the back of the truck, but you'll need something to hold your water in.

AT THE END

The parade ends just around the corner from The Empress.  We'll walk back down to the theatre afterward, so arrange to meet your rides there.

THANK YOU

Thanks for your voluntary participation.  The parade is going to be a huge success this year.  Some might even say a PARTY ON A TRAILER!

Half Day Lunch Party

The best part about having a party committee = MORE PARTIES!

Half-Day kids, you are officially invited to the FIRST EVER

HALF DAY LUNCH PARTY

Who: Half day kids, half day leaders, EYT Youth Council, (optional: parents)

Date: July 2nd (Sorry for the late notice!)

Time: 11:30 am to 1:30 pm

Place: Magna Copper Park 

What: Food * Friends * Fun

• FREE LUNCH at the park until noon OR bring your own sack lunch
• Treats and activities (and a bit of supervision) provided by the Party Committee

RSVP: Facebook invite or to Party Committee Leader Amy Sikalis

And just in case the awesome half day crowd isn't excited enough for EYT:

Announcing this year's official half day groups:

Find out which group you are in after auditions!

Parade Choreography

For the full-day kids participating in the parade, here's a video of yesterday's choreography.  (Thanks, Zac's mom!)  It would be pretty awesome if you all practiced and came to rehearsal tomorrow ready to kill it.

Also, please download the song here:

http://www.thewrightz.net/brms/music/index.htm

And work on being able to sing it.  :)  It is Track 43: Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Bows.


Thanks, and see you tomorrow!

Supporting Our Own...

A note from Tyler Rowe's mom:

Just wanted you to know in case you have the chance to see it, or in case you think other EYTers might like to know:

Tyler is playing the part of the Little Boy (Edgar) in Ragtime at Hale Centre Theatre. It is a fantastic show, very inspiring, fabulous music, and amazing talent, and Tyler is doing a wonderful job! You're probably familiar with this musical, but I wasn't before Tyler got into this, but we have fallen in love with it, and Tyler LOVES performing in it! 

The show runs through July 27th, and Tyler is in the Monday/Wednesday/Friday cast, so he does those evening performances plus the 12:30pm matinee on Saturdays. I know the tickets are pricey, but this one is truly worth seeing! I just thought you should know, so feel free to pass it along if you think other EYT kids would like to know.

I attached a picture of him with his double.

Tyler is looking forward to EYT! 

And a note from me:

I haven't seen Ragtime during this production, but I have seen it twice before (once at Hale and once at a touring Broadway production in California).  It is one of my favorite musicals of all time with incredible themes and great music.  If you have been on the fence about attending this musical, I'd recommend it in a heartbeat.  Just make sure you catch Tyler's cast!

And the Scholarship Goes To...

Each year EYT awards a tuition scholarship based on the submission of an essay.  This year's scholarship goes to:

Melina Wrathall

I hope she won't mind too much that I've decided to share her essay here on the blog.  It is very well written and really describes what EYT is all about.  Thanks and congratulations, Melina!

The Show Must Go On

by Melina Wrathall

        Last year I was involved in Beauty and the Beast and it was an amazing experience, even though there were some costume malfunctions. It is amazing what you can learn, when in a production, even if it is not what you expect. For example, last year during one of the performances I entered onto the stage and unknowingly presented the audience with a different kind of show. The front of my dress was completely tucked up into my tights, and I was on the stage for 5 minutes before I realized what was going on. I glanced into the audience and wondered why my mother was unsuccessfully trying to conceal her obvious laughter. Later she informed me that she could ether cry or laugh; she chose the latter. Even though I was embarrassed at the time, and would not have chosen this situation, it was still a good learning experience. It provided me with a funny story to tell others, and make them laugh. I also learned that as long as you try your best, making mistakes is okay. In fact, it is quite entertaining to laugh at yourself. There are many mishaps that happen in theater that relate to life. The show must go on. Some unexpected adventures will occur in life, but you still have to keep on going because life does not have an intermission. 

        When in a production there are many lessons we can learn. A very crucial lesson one discovers in theater and life, is that when the unexpected happens, improvise! There are limitless unpredictable possibilities that can happen around us. Using improvisation fills in the awkward space when problems present themselves. Whatever obstacles happen, make the audience believe that it was meant to happen. For example, when I was playing Annie in the radio scene, I never imagined that the fake fight behind me would result in a real broken nose. All the actors were improvising as they slyly cleaned blood off of the floor. Another example is if you break your toe on stage and still keep the biggest smile on your face that the audience has ever seen. Backstage there is excruciating pain. On stage there is a perfectly happy character. I am a witness of these experiences.

        It is a good skill to learn how to deal with disappointment and success. In situations such as auditioning for a specific role to portray, or interviewing for a job it is quite useful to have this skill. A rule in theater is to audition and forget about it. Somehow it is absolutely impossible for me to comprehend how people do it. I try to forget about it, but not for the life of me can I succeed. How many times in life has someone attained something that you wanted? When this happens, contention and competitiveness can build up and stir inside of people. The best thing to do is to be a friend to everyone and to be happy for other people’s successes as well as your own. Be prepared emotionally for any results, good or bad.

       I was fortunate to be a part of EYT’s Beauty and the Beast last summer. It was a great experience filled with adventure, fun and friends. I was very pleased to find that the lessons I learned last year applied to my everyday life as well, whether the lessons I learned applied at home with family or at school with friends. This year I expect to have more experiences that can help me and relate to my life. I learned so much while in the production Beauty and the Beast, and I hope to learn much more this year as we go for a new adventure in Wonderland.

How to use the CAR WASH to earn your tuition

Each of you currently fall into one of two categories:

1. Your parents have already paid your tuition in full.

2. You still need to pay some money toward your tuition.

Whichever category you are in, the FUNDRAISER CAR WASH can help you raise your own tuition money.  Here's how:

First: you need to understand the difference between the PRE-SELL tickets and car washes purchased on site.

The ONLY way to earn money toward your own tuition is to PRE-SELL car wash tickets.  This means that you personally collect money and give people a car wash ticket.  We will certainly let people pay for ON-SITE tickets at the car wash, but any money collected at the car wash will go into the general EYT budget to be used for all the various program expenses.  Even if your own mother comes through the car wash, the money goes into the general fund.  Get it?  

So if you're hoping to use the car wash to pay for your tuition, you will need to PRINT the car wash tickets, and SELL them.  That's pretty much it.  PRINT, SELL.  Done.

The only other question, then, is what to do with the money.  And that depends on which category you are in.

1. If your parents paid your tuition in full, then you owe them, not the Empress.  Take the money, hand it straight to mom and dad, and make certain to tell them "thank you" for all they do for you.

2. If your tuition has not been paid in full, then:

• Put the money in an envelope marked with 1) YOUR FULL NAME and 2) THE AMOUNT ENCLOSED.
• Hand it straight to Andrea (at parade rehearsals, at organized socials, at the car wash, or at your scheduled audition)
• Wait for a confirmation email (within one or two days) indicating your new tuition balance

OTHER THINGS YOU MIGHT WANT TO KNOW:

1. Full day kids need to sell 17 tickets (at $6 each) to pay for all of the required tuition.

2. Half day kids need to sell 13 tickets (at $6 each) to pay for all of the required tuition.

3. Money should be collected in CASH only.  If someone wants to pay with a check, you will need to cash it and turn in CASH to Andrea.

4. Students can only sell the 17 tickets available on the download sheet.  

5. Tickets ARE NOT VALID unless they have the name of the student who sold them on the EYT __________________ # section.  

6. ASK QUESTIONS if there is any part of the process you don't understand.

7. Remember, you only get to apply the money from PRE-SELL tickets to your tuition!!!

Off Season

What does the EYT production staff do in the off-season?  (Or at least the pre-season...)

Preliminary Costume Sketches... (illustrations by assistant director Michelle Davis)

Preliminary Set Design... (illustration by assistant director Logan Gifford)

Now aren't you excited?!!