Last night, I participated in possibly the coolest* and most joyful thing I've ever done in D.C.
I went to a Sound of Music Sing-a-Long at Wolftrap, an outdoor Tanglewood-esqe performing arts venue just outside the city. A singalong, you say? Yes. A sing-a-long, just like that Disney series we all had as kids with the little bouncing ball and that owl that introduced each video.
I had no idea that the grown-up sing-a-long was an actual phenomenon. But apparently, it's all the rage in England (research credits: Meredith Rosenberg) where Elton John had a Sound of Music sing-a-long for his most recent birthday party. Other movies that get the honor include The Wizard of Oz and Grease.
So here's how it works: You arrive to the movie, and set up your picnic on the lawn. We brought a spread of wine, cheese, chicken kabobs, dips and chips, brownies and other tasty delights! If you're an expert, you know that you're supposed to dress up for this, because the night starts out with a costume contest. Ushers pick the best Sound of Music look-alikes and invite them to the stage. People were so creative! There were herds of kids in hand-sewn curtain playclothes, plenty of nuns (some in drag!) and every variety of "favorite things". Of course, the cutest little Gretel walks away with the prize, but it's awesome to see what everyone is wearing.
Next, you look at the little baggie of props you were given at the door, and the host for the evening proceeds to tell you what to do with each of them. My favorite prop was a firecracker that you had to pop the moment Maria and the Captain kiss for the first time. Seeing thousands of firecrackers go off at the same moment of the kiss was hilarious! The kit had edelweiss for you to wave, cue cards, pieces of curtain fabric- it was adorable.
It was about more than the kit though. There were very specific instructions for how to best interact with the movie: For example, every time the Baroness enters the screen, you're supposed to let out a mean "hissssssss," and every time Rolf came on, you're supposed to bark like a dog "ROLF, ROLF!" We learned hand motions for every song, and the audience obeyed this without question.
And of course, the singing! The movie played from beginning to end with the words on the screen so everyone could sing along. And I have to confess something: I got all choked up! It was like being in a chorus of thousands of people, and it sounded so beautiful! More than that, it was a special night because it was just so simple and fun and pure. Grandmas and grand-kids, men and women, all ages were there, just enjoying being together, eating a nice picnic, and watching a joyful and beautiful movie. There's not too many events like that out there, and much like my trip to the fair a few weeks ago, I find the simple things make me the most happy.
If you get a chance to attend one of these sing-a-longs in your city, I can't recommend it enough. You will walk out of there on cloud 9 !
Watch the video of the experience here: http://www.wolftrap.org/Find_Performances_and_Events/Performance/11Filene/0910show11.aspx
Peace and Love.
* Cool is what YOU think is cool. - Dad Hornstein
(wonderful)
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