APRIL 2 0 0 9  
  The gals attended the Celebration of life for their dear friend "Mom" who passed away at the end of last month. She was such an influential musical force in the valley, her memorial was attended by hundreds, and packed a local theatre. Ana was blessed to be asked to say a few words, and "their kids" from Island were asked to perform Mom's favorite song from the show.
 		  
  The next show at "their" theatre was Kiss Me Kate. At first Ana was going to only arrange for the ushers for the show and house manage a few nights, but they needed more tech crew backstage so she was enlisted to help back there on her "off" nights. So much for a break between shows!

As one of their perks for being season ticket holders, Joyce and a friend got to go to the huge draft day party at the convention center, and watch when Crabtree was drafted to their favorite team.

 
 

 
She had such a great time, and was sad when she had to leave early to go to her Saturday afternoon job.

Speaking of jobs, Joyce got hired at the end of the month at a local smoothie shop; she gave up hope on the restaurant that closed before Christmas, even though they said they'd be opening in May.
 

  
  Shows they saw with or starring friends: Cats, which had a number of their friends in it, at a local theatre; Ana's 42nd Street and How to Succeed director directed his high schoolers (about 70 of them!) in a production of South Pacific, and Ana went to watch and support their efforts.  
       
  MAY    
  The First Saturday in May found Ana at Nana's, watching the Kentucky Derby, where all were surprised that the long shot won - Wow!! Ana and Joyce worked the lobby and backstage on Kate more, and Mothers Day found them, as usual now, there to help strike the set after the closing performance. This year Ana enlisted Nana to help hand out programs, so she could see the show for free. That's a great Mothers Day treat!! They didn't catch opening weekend (they were busy with Kate), but the gals did get to see the new Star Trek movie the week after with some of the Kate cast - again, Wow! What an awesome movie!!  
 

 
Their season football tickets earned them the special privilege of going to a taping for a certain famous #80's homecoming show which will be shown on a certain sports network (starting with E) on July 9th. Yes, the gals were two of the 1000 screaming fans who got to see (and at one point were 10 feet away from!) Jerry!!
 

 
  Shows they saw with or starring friends: Moonlight and Magnolias with their Tevye from Fiddler; funny story - Ana went backstage to meet the performers and the actor playing the Victor Fleming role was so good at playing the Clark Gable impression that Ana congratulated him on that - to which he replied that she looked a lot like Vivien Leigh - - can we say "swoon!" She caught another performance of Moonlight at another theatre across the peninsula (where she performed Mockingbird) but didn't know any of the cast members - she just loves the show! Both gals caught several of their friends in a performance of the drama Stop Kiss, which was very moving and powerful.  
       
  JUNE    
  Ana auditioned - first audition since Mockingbird, first musical audition since Birdie - and won the role she really wanted, that of Mae Peterson in a local church production of (again) Bye Bye Birdie. Performances begin the end of August.   
  Joyce finally heard about the reopening of the restaurant where she worked before Christmas; and she will be wait-staff when they open on July 13! Yay!! So many of their theatre friends were so happy that their favorite after-show hang-out is finally reopening.
 		  
  Ana gave Janet back her vanity license plate and got her very own - flamingo-themed of course! Ana also got an opportunity from her connections at work for the two of them to attend a preview of the movie Disney's Christmas Carol and stroll through several train cars filled with memorabilia and "how they did that" displays about the CGI.  Joyce seemed bored, but Ana thoroughly enjoyed it. See the pictures.  
  Shows they saw with or starring friends: Ana had to catch a performance of Great American Trailer Park Musical (yes, there were flamingos as set pieces!), and How to Succeed with her Assassins John Wilkes - he was hysterical as Bud!! And on the closing weekend of Chicago, the gals ushered, so they could see many of their friends perform in this blockbuster production; Ana caught the "preview" of My Fair Lady the night before opening, and then joined several friends at their fave pizza joint after; after purchasing their tickets last October, they finally got to see a performance of Wicked in San Francisco. It was a weeknight, but it was a fine performance, with all the lead performers - even Patty Duke, whom Ana remembered from TV in her youth.  
       
 

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