Little Girls, Little Girls...

Looking at my daughters vegged out in front of the television probably isn't supposed to bring tears of joy to my eyes. In fact, the glazed eyes glued to the screen is generally something I should feel guilty about. However, when Gracie and Annelie sat down to watch the 1999 version of Annie, I couldn't help but snap a picture of this momentous occasion.

You see, I have been trying to foster a love for musical theatre in my "little girls, little girls" -- as Miss Hannigan sings-- since they were born. And it will never fail to make me proud when they just can't get enough of the singing and dancing. Even Annelie, who never tolerates TV for more than a minute, sat down and watched four music numbers from Annie in a row.

My love for musicals goes back before I can even remember. My mom used to put my big brother and I in front of The Sound of Music, back when I was in preschool. When I was five, I was finally old enough to see a live production. Sitting in the huge theatre, with the stage decked out like a street alley, I got chills which I can still remember over twenty years later. And once the stage was filled with fabulously dressed felines, and they broke out into their first song and dance number, I was completely enchanted. To this day, when it comes to musicals, Cats will always hold the biggest spot in my heart.

That was only the tip of the ice burg that is my passion for musicals. By the time I was seven, I had seen Peter Pan (starring Cathy Rigby-- wow!!) and The Secret Garden. Soon after, I saw Brigadoon, The Sound of Music, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and The Phantom of the Opera. Flying to NYC to see Les Miserables and Beauty and the Beast on Broadway was my high school graduation present. And the first thing I did when I arrived in the UK for my study abroad in college, was to book tickets to see The Lion King and Les Miserables (what can I say... its a classic!) in London.

Gracie was only two when I played a live recording of Cats for her. And "The Lonely Goatherd" from The Sound of Music was on special request from my darling, and oh so cultured, daughter for the longest time. Annie, however, is a different story altogether. Gracie wants to hear the music at all times. And when the orphans get up and dance, she dances too. She wants to wear her tiny tap shoes so she can tap along during, "You're Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile," and she always has to wear a flowing dress that she can shimmy and shake in during "Easy Street." Of course, "Its the Hard Knock Life," entrances us all.

I look forward to finding other musicals which will one day capture my daughter's hearts. And of course, I look forward to the day Gracie and Annelie can sit still in a theatre long enough to be entranced when the lights go down and the curtain goes up and a magical, musical world begins.

In the meantime, I'm just so proud of my little girls, little girls as they veg out in front of a musical classic.





For those interested in showing Annie to your own young children, I strongly recommend the 1999 version, as Miss Hannigan isn't as frightening or drunk during the entire movie as the 1982 version. While I do admit that Carol Burnett is the best Miss Hannigan, her angry drunken moments are not exactly what I want my kids to experience!!