At the end of their selections (viola and cello actually showed up and I'm so glad), the emcee came up to gently rag on the trio for being out of their caves. Viola and cello guys work together in IT, and Eli isn't what you'd call a stage person...usually. The other two said something about stretching their comfort zones and Eli, bless him, said his wife made him.
As the wife in question I will say I didn't MAKE him, I just bet him that he wouldn't and he took to needing to prove me wrong pretty well. So well that I kinda had to pull him into a corner backstage and moosh him. We were almost late for our very last minute rendition of "The 12 Days of Christmas" (the couple who was going to do it came down with positive COVID tests the day before)...and I'm very proud that I made it through most of it, and would have made it through all of it without busting up if Eli had not had so many birds in his pockets. On the second round, bereft of any more leaping lords, he handed me a whale and said "fresh out of lords, but look at him, lord of the seas" and that's when I became mostly non-functional.
We did finish though (and after two songs and being accosted by birds I was glad that was the closer) and I'm a little impressed at how much shit we can cram into our brains at such short notice...though the techs were notified of the COVID problem the day before, we weren't asked to do the additional song until two hours before we opened and that's a thing I did NOT miss about live theater.
All in all, pretty fun. Eli surprised us all with a number even I didn't know about, an original tune carrying the theme of charity...shocked as fuck when he took the mic from our emcee and just so sweetly sang about how how he knows everyone still has cash on them and he wants it. "Cash for Christmas" did lead to several hundred dollars in additional donations (collected by Eli personally as he sang and rounded tables, a full hundo by one exuberant woman who stuffed it into the waistband of his pants) and fuck me I'll admire his brand of chutzpah for the rest of my life.
They already want us all back for next year but that's a year and a baby away so who knows. All I know is if Eli puts his violin back in the closet and forgets about it again I'm going to be hella disappointed...at the very least, he could play for me because holyyyy shit, I could watch him all day. 😍
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The 2022 writing Advent calendar: Day 2
2. Christmas concert/competition
“I am so excited!” Francesca said to Diego who was sitting on the driver’s seat. It was early march and they were driving towards the studio to a super secret meeting that Pablo had called their whole class for. “What do you think this will be about?”
“I don’t know,” Diego answered, “Must be something important since I hear that the guys canceled an interview for this.”
Not that getting called to the studio for a meeting would have been that odd, if it would have been the past three years… but it was not. They had all graduated now, so even if the Studio was always gonna be their home, it was not their school anymore. SO this meeting had come out from little bit out of the blue.
“I guess we will find out ince we get there.” Fran continued.
***
“Fran!” Vilu ran up to hug her best friend as she and Diego appeared at the studio. She had been singing with Leon on the piano just a moment before with Ludmila and Federico.
“Vilu! It is so great to see you! Do you know what this is about?”
“No I don’t.” Vilu lamented, “I think Angie does, but she refuses to tell me anything. But it is so nice to be here again with everyone.”
Maybe ten minutes later everyone had gathered on the stage of the studio after Maxi and Naty had arrived with Camila as the last ones.
“Where is Pablo?” Diego questioned after greetings had died down.
“I hope this was not a joke,” Leon remarked before getting a smack on the arm from Violetta.
“I heard that!” Pablo suddenly emerged through the sliding doors with Angie. “No, this was not a jokeeeee…” he continued saying as everyone swarmed them into a huge group hug. “...Well guys, I am glad to see you too.”
“Pablo, why did you ask us here today?” Violetta asked after the commotion had died down.
“Well, we have a proposal to run past you,” Pablo started explaining, “You as the class of 2015 are undoubtedly the most-known class that has graduated from Studio OnBeat in ten years, and we are so proud of you.”
“And, we have been talking with our students about this year’s end-of-the-year showcase,” Angie took over the explaining, “And we actually are going to do a big Christmas sing-along. After YouMix, Pablo was originally bit hesitant about finding new partners, but now we have partnered with a new streaming company called Vidia, and they have agreed to sponsor the concert.”
“Angie that sounds amazing!” Francesca gasped
“And super good opportunity for the students,” Camila agreed.
“As long as they won’t go around putting cameras everywhere, like when during the talent thing Gregorio did.” Ludmila remarked sarcastically.
“No, they won’t do that.” Angie laughed. “But they will stream the concert, and with their sponsorship, we have been able to secure Gran Rex as our venue.”
“Why, what do you need us for?” Andres piped up. “Will we be the lightning assistants or waiters?”
“No Andres,” Pablo laughed, “We were just getting to that. You know that even with all of your big efforts last year, we are still working on getting our attendance back to what they were in Antonio’s time. So all the faculty have agreed that we should have guest performers. It would help with the promotion and recruitment next year. The students actually suggested that it would be you guys.”
“So, would you be willing to perform and host our Christmas showcase?” Angie completed the proposal.
“WHAT? Of course!” Violetta was the first one to react, “You agree guys, right?”
“Of course!” Federico answered
“Anything for the studio,” Ludmila nodded.
“So what kind of thing are we supposed to perform?” Naty had already her notebook open?
“Yes, we already talked about it with Pablo,” Angie continued. “The concert will be a full-length performance with an intermission. At least three hours long. We would want all of you to do about six numbers, a classic group number, then a solo by someone, and the students especially asked that All Four You would do a number and Leon and Violetta duet. We are also working on an original song in my class that will be the closing number and we want you to perform that with the students. All the songs are supposed to be Christmas songs, but you don’t need to start working on the originals, especially since we gave you so little time. Does anyone have any ideas?”
“There is this song that I remember my mother used to sing: White Christmas.” Vilu started speaking, “That could be our duet with Leon.”
“Good,” Pablo wrote something down in his notepad.
“We have been working on a new version of an old Italian Christmas song with Diego,” Fran piped up next.
“That can be the solo,” Pablo responded.
“It is actually going to be on my next album,” Fran continued, “but I am sure my label won’t mind this being a preview.”
“I actually have been working on a new Christmas song as well,” Naty said, changing a page in her notebook. “It can be worked into a tercet. We can do it with Ludmila and Camila.”
“I love that idea!” Cami jumped to hug Naty.
“I can work a new arrangement for the group song,” Maxi said.
“And the band is of course on board!” Leon nodded.
“I can take care of the choreo,” Broduey said jumping to his feet.
“You all know I’ll be in charge of the costumes,” Ludmila crossed her arms, “Otherwise half of you are going to end up on that stage looking like an absolute mess.”
“The students will be so happy to hear that you are on board.”
“Of course!” Vilu exclaimed. “For On Beat”
“On Beat!” Everyone yelled
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“Ex-Service Men To Have Dinner,” Ottawa Journal. December 23, 1930. Page 13.
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Unemployed Single Veterans to Dine at Trafalgar House Christmas Night.
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All single unemployed ex-service men are assured of a dinner Christmas night as a result of the work of the Canadian Legion. They will dine at Trafalgar House at 6 o'clock and the repast to be served is to be followed by an entertainment, full details of which are not yet available.
Tickets for the dinner are obtainable at "The Shelter,” Wellington and Lyon streets at 7 o'clock this evening. Through the courtesy of three uptown theatres, tickets are to be provided to ex-service men enabling them to view one show this week and a local miniature golf course is placing its course at their disposal for a round of the Royal and Ancient.
At a meeting of the executive of the Canadian Legion held last night it was announced that the hospital committee under the chairmanship of W. T. Barnes would visit every hospital in the district Christmas Day.
On New Year's Day, the ex-service men are due to fare equally well as they are being given a dinner at "The Shelter" at 6 o'clock by The Salvation Army.
That the ex-service men are imbued with a desire to play the game was strikingly illustrated yesterday when the Legion received $10 from a veteran who came to Ottawa a short time ago to get his pension adjusted. He was absolutely without means or work and was taken under the wing of the Legion at "The Shelter." Happily his pension was speedily adjusted and he secured a position. He lost little time in giving tangible expression to his gratitude in the form of a cheque to help his less fortunate comrades.
Another veteran who also has been a guest at “The Shelter," and who has secured work which promises to develop into a permanent position in a letter to officials of the Canadian Legion states that he attributes his present fortunate position to the kindness shown by the organization over a difficult period.
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