Ana auditioned for yet another "bucket list" role, that of Miss Hannigan in Annie. Again, she was not selected - it's so hard to face that kind of rejection - even though she got many compliments from her fellow auditionees, and even the producer and her parents!
Jim had tickets available again, so Ana caught another concert at Jazz on the Plazz [picture]. Ana took her mom to a fun activity she received free tickets to attend (after her unsuccessful audition for Elvis Has Left The Building last month). She dressed in blue suede shoes, combed her hair into a pompadore, and embellished a black jacket with the "Elvis lights" from the "If I Can Dream" segment of the '68 Comeback Special. [pictures] She sang 2 songs - Blue Hawaii, as well as Blue Suede Shoes accompanied by Jerry Lee Lewis! (well, a really good impersonator) - and she participated in a costume contest. They even drank cocktails for the occasion - vodka drinks with blue curacao. They both had a very memorable time at this one of a kind event called an "Elvis Wiggle."
On the last day of July, their precious Spectre had to be put down; his lungs were now full of cancer which had not been on a chest x-ray within the last year. We loved him for twelve and a half years, and will miss him terribly.
Shows they've seen: Ana went to see Bells Are Ringing, with her "son" Aaron as one of the leads; she also saw How to Succeed twice - once as an usher - which had several of their friends in it.
Ana attended yet another Jazz on the Plazz concert, this time with Jim, who was actually available to attend this time himself! While Joyce went on a camping trip, Ana got to attend the concert of a musician she has admired for 40 years - Neil Diamond came to San Jose's HP Pavilion!! His tickets always sell out in less than 30 minutes, and this time, she succeeded in getting two tickets when they went on sale more than 8 months ago. She took her dear friend Jim (yes, that one, from Grand Hotel) who luckily was available when Joyce wasn't. [pictures] They had such a great time, first having dinner together, then enjoying really amazing music and showmanship.
At Temple, Ana read in Hebrew from the Torah again, having had just 5 weeks to practice.
Ana's sister Janet joined her (in Joyce's place) for the first game of the season - pre-season, granted - of their football team against the Minnesota team (so Janet would win either way ;-D ). [pictures]
And while Nana's roommate was away for two weeks taking care of a sibling who needed post-surgery care, Ana took care of her. One of their adventures was a trip to the USS Potomac, berthed at Jack London Square in Oakland. Ana took lots of pictures, and Nana got lots of exercise!
Funny how things happen sometimes ... Ana wanted to be in the Elvis play (see July) as Col. Tom's secretary; but one month later she was called upon to play The King himself! One of the actors whose character gets hypnotized and he believes he's Elvis can't play all the dates, so the producer and director asked her to play that role. That's right, the part written for a man, to play a very famous man! .... Ana will be playing it - as a lady before hypnosis, and then doing her best impersonation. She is SO excited!!
Movies & plays they've seen with or starring friends: Expendables 2, which was better than the original; Bourne Legacy, which was really good, but we missed Matt; before going to see a performance of Henry IV, Part 2 at Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Ana took her camera to the shore and snapped a few photos of the beautiful scenery; it was a great day along the California coast.
At their Theatre , it was tech week for Legally Blonde and Ana was called upon to do some work on furniture for the show. When opening night rolled around, she was there again to house manage the ushers and to host the gala. And of course Ana had rehearsals for her play, Elvis Has Left The Building, which opened for her at the end of the month.
Nana and Gwen wanted to celebrate their birthdays in Hawaii - perhaps for the last time - so Ana went along again to carry luggage and drive. Here are the pictures she took. Then, as soon as she was home from vacation, she had only one rehearsal with her cast before she performed on stage in Elvis. Between the matinee and the evening show the producer asked her to put on the Elvis jumpsuit once again and hand out flyers trying to get more customers in. Ana had a ball doing that!
Shows they've seen with or starring friends; Ana saw Ragtime with a number of their friends in it. [NEXT]