It happened at my orchestra concert. I didn't play in this session. Rebecca was born two weeks before rehearsals started and, knowing I tend to get sick during the first 2-3 months, I opted out. When I got the program flyer I wanted to cry. David Ogden Stiers was narrating Peter and the Wolf. Oh, that would have been wonderful to play! Of course, there's only one flute part so I wouldn't have been in it, but I still could have been there. And he conducted 2 encore pieces. I would have been in those. What fun it would have been! But it really was better that I chose not to be in this concert. I did end up sick and wouldn't have wanted to try to learn the crazy piccolo part on the Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody while feeling like I wanted to die.
Kip and I showed our support to the orchestra by attending the concert. During the intermission we went down to the stage so I could say hello to my subs, Marc and Adrian. Well, one was my sub, one was covering a third part. When we reached the stage, they were in the wings talking with Mr. Stiers. I hadn't intended to talk to him. What would I say that wouldn't leave me looking like an idiot? "Hey, you were great in MASH"? Everyone knows that. But there he was, so I introduced myself as the regular piccolo player, skipping out on that concert to recover from having a baby. He admired Rebecca (of course - she is adorable) and even gave her a kiss on her cute little head.
I'll admit, I was a little shaken by the experience. It's wasn't that he was a scary person to talk to; he seemed quite nice. But after years of watching MASH reruns, I see him and feel like I know him almost as wells as part of my own family. I see him and think of the years of watching MASH with my siblings late at night and the talks we had during commercials (back when we couldn't skip them), the quiet conversations we shared and how it brought us closer together. He was a part of that, but not really. And there he was in real life as a real person in front of me not aware he connected with all those things I remembered. It was an odd sensation.
The concert was really good and I enjoyed being able to watch it instead of playing in it. I was impressed with how the orchestra sounded. I feel very lucky to be a part of such a great group. And I look forward to starting rehearsals again in April.
4 comments:
cool! Did you decide to NOT wash Rebecca's forehead until she is old enough to appreciate just WHO kissed her?
I told the babysitter about it when I was taking her home. She had no clue who he was. I guess I'm getting old.
You aren't getting old. The youth now days don't appreciate good actors, and tv. :) btw-I'm completely jealous!
Wow!! that was a part of the blog that got my attention. Very cool and it makes me more impressed with your orchestra. I played in a more-or-less-Davis-county orchestra for Christmas and somehow (for the fact that I was playing in it and hadn't played my clarinet for 10 or more years) I don't think we would have any one famous ever conducting it.
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