Working with E during his Musical career in high school really turned me on to the power of the artform. I have several cast recordings I adore: Spring Awakening, Wicked, Book of Mormon and Legally Blonde. The thing about cast recordings though, is you kinda need to know the story, or have seen the musical, to really enjoy them – which is why I think I was late to the Hamilton game: I’m shit for American History.

I listened to the cast recording once or twice, mostly all the way through. I thought it was good, great hip-hop but it just didn’t suck me in. But, it’s just been getting more and MORE attention lately so I gave it another try about 2 weeks ago but did so while keeping this page accessible so I could read what was happening in the story coinciding with each song and this did two things:

1) Provided me the story that supplied the emotion behind the music which had me actually sobbing this time through in some parts
2) Made me completely obsessed with the story of Alexander Hamilton.

Most of the music is just excellent examples of great hip-hop – wonderful beats you really want to dance to or sing along with. I’ve started learning it by heart now and I’m the whitest middle-aged woman in the all the land so you KNOW that is the most hilarious image in the planet. BUT I DO NOT CARE.

But some of the songs, like after (Is this a spoiler when it’s a 200+ year old story everyone probably knew but me?) his wife learns of his affair, or after his son dies, or when his wife sings her final number…those songs just simply tear at my heart and I somehow actually feel as though I’m watching it on stage, even though I’m driving in my car on the way to buy bread for lunches. SOBBING, I tell you, SOBBING.

I’m telling you all of this to encourage you to do what I did. Buy the cast recording (It’s like 40 tracks, it’s worth the money) and listen to it along with the wiki if you don’t know Hamilton’s life story. (I actually asked myself at one point, “Did he ever become president?” because I am TERRIBLE at American History. Spoiler Alert: HE DID NOT.) Listen to it once while learning the story, then listen to it again and again because you’ll pick up more each time and you’ll just be in awe of the lyrics and the call-backs and the general awesomeness of the musical.

And do all of this before next week because the cast will be performing at the Grammy’s one week from tonight and I am SO EXCITED. It’s very frustrating to fall in love with a cast recording and not have the means to see the show. I’ve seen photos from the show and I try to piece together what I think certain numbers look like, but it’s still hard to really grasp the whole picture in just audio and written form. I need a visual so bad it HURTS so I can not WAIT until Monday and I want you to become obsessed so you can be right there with me.

This is what 4’ish hours of sleep looks like.

West Side Story opens tomorrow. This means that I have only gone to bed ONE NIGHT in the last week before 9pm. And 9pm is my late bedtime since I get up at 4am. Last night? I heard the alarm on my watch go off at midnight. Which I didn’t know it did.

YET I AM STILL UP AT 4:30 WITHOUT AN ALARM.

I do not exaggerate when I tell you that my body is weirdly scheduled for a morning wakeup call no matter WHAT the circumstances are.

I should get to bed a little earlier tonight as the kids have an early call in the morning (that’s theatre talk for “they have to be there early” – I like to throw out the theatre lingo every chance I get) so the will have a quick dress rehearsal tonight and get to bed early.

The Producer in these type of parent-volunteer shows is mainly The Person Who Organizes And Emails. I have no actual skills like our parents who sew or paint. However, I’m certain I have the weirdest assortment of tasks and experiences of all of the volunteers. To demonstrate?

• I have two mannequins in pieces in the back of my van.
• I ordered a top hat from a local tux show yesterday.
• Today I have to get 20 pairs of tan socks.
• Last night I was discussing stinky bandanas and possible solutions.
• I referred to a friend of mine as the “Tattoo Lady” yesterday.
• I found myself discussing the difference in candy buying that will occur between the West Side Story audience and last month’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory audience.
• At one point in time I found myself thinking yesterday during the dress rehearsal: I can’t pin this strap to this bra because my hands are sticky from hair gel.

Basically? The producer organizes, emails, and fills in wherever they need to since they are at most of the rehearsals. And my “fill-in” capabilities are limited due to the aforementioned lack of real skills.

But what I’m awesome at? Is still getting up at 4am and dragging myself to boot camp after going to bed at midnight. Which is what I’m doing today. I’m behind on blogging and tumbling and tweeting and facebooking, but god forbid I miss one day of bootcamp!

All in all? It’s still so much fun and I wish this was an actual skill and they’d ask me to come back again next year. But it’s time to pass the torch on to another soon-to-be sleep-deprived parent.

(P.S. I’m tired. Please excuse any and all spelling/grammar/language errors. You’re lucky I’m even making it out the door wearing anything other than my jammies, my brain is that fried.)

I know I’m running on a little sleep and a lot of exhaustion. I know my emotions are heightened and my nerves are frayed from the excitement of show week. I know that every night I go from choking back tears to dancing in the aisles watching some amazing high school kids perform during a phenomenal production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”. I know all of these things might make me a little crazy.

But when I saw this tweet from my kid this morning I thought: THIS. This is what the internet can add to parenting. This is what allowing your teens the freedom to use the tools with guidance from you…this is how it can enrich BOTH of your lives. The perfect example of what can happen if we embrace the tools our teens use. They’re smart enough – when we give them credit – to use them wisely. And sometimes, that wisdom can make our hearts swell in just 140 characters.

I’ve taught E that with the power of posting all of his thoughts online, comes the responsibility of owning those thoughts and knowing that anyone can read them. I’m proud of how he has established himself a respectable and fun online presence. He jokes about his favorite show being Toddlers in Tiaras and he vents about complications in Math. And sometimes he does crap like that tweet above and makes me sob in my car.

Everyone worries about what their kid will think of their blog when they get old enough to understand it or read it. E was 9 when I started my blog. He’s 17 now. He knows about it and has never flinched, no matter how much I talked about boob sweat back in the Pregnant With No A/C In My Car days. I know not all kids would be as forgiving, but because he is, our online lives can mix and we can add another facet to our relationship.

So, I thank him. I thank him for not being so embarrassed by me that he shuns my online presence. I thank him even more for using these avenues we share to pass along messages that I’ll carry in my heart forever. I am the crazy audience member screaming at every show, and the fact that he used Twitter to thank me for being that crazy person? Shows all blogging Moms out there that – while there is plenty to worry about as your kid gets old enough to understand your blog – there’s also tons of potential for awesome.