Over the Prairie and Down Memory Lane to the Paper Mill Playhouse

I took the kids to New Jersey for the long weekend. My mom treated Summer and me to Little House on the Prairie: The Musical, with Melissa Gilbert as Ma. The night before the play I dreamed that my friend Maggie and I met Melissa Gilbert outside the theater and got her autograph. Clearly I was getting in touch with my inner second-grader.

At the play, I saw a high school friend with her seven-year-old daughter, and while our girls enjoyed the show, I think it's safe to say we moms were vibrating at a slightly higher frequency. If we were football fans, we would have painted our faces and put foam cheese wedges on our heads. This was the Superbowl of girlhood!

I enjoyed taking Summer to the theater where I went with my mom so many times. I told her about how they used to have a cappuccino machine, and my mom and I would run as fast as we could at intermission, and even if we were first in line, the cappuccino would still be too hot when they flickered the lights to signal Act II, so I'd chug the cappuccino and burn my tongue. Every time.

No cappuccino machine anymore, but at least I got to spend $7.50 for a bag of Skittles and a tiny box of Junior Mints. That was really fun.

Everyone in the cast did a good job but Nellie was exceptional. Turns out she was Amber in Hairspray on Broadway--you could tell she is a pro. Almanzo was good too--very un-Almanzo looking, but then acquitted himself with a nice performance. Thanks again, Mom! Or should I say, "Ma."

Comments

[Michele]

Super jealous! I would love to see that.

[cate]

jealous here too.

did you read her book? trashy but fun.

(Melissa Gilbert's book, that is. Laura Ingalls Wilder wasn't trashy!)

[Jeff Z.]

Who was the HS friend?

[Joyce]

Glad to start Summer on her theater journey.
Next stop Broadway. Love from Ma

[Jill]

Jeff, it was Julie Steinberg. She's coming to the reunion.

[Maggie]

So jealous! And what a great dream -- I still sneak an episode when I can!