Taking it up a notch, or two or three

The amount of activities Ian is involved in this Fall has skyrocketed to proportions we have never experienced before.  Ian has decided that he very much wants to try to make a go of acting professionally. While he is a very talented actor, he is just as untalented with dancing and singing.  Ian took a few voice lessons last year and has vastly improved his singing, but his ability to handle any kind of dance number in a show is less than stellar. 

Ian was up for taking a musical theatre class this year. Every 12 weeks, the teacher picks a number from a Broadway musical and the kids learn the dance and corresponding song.  The style of dance will change with each new session.  It's a really cool class and I love how they work on one singular song for the entire 12 weeks.  Ian is currently working on "It's too darn hot" from Kiss Me Kate.  After the first and second weeks, Ian gets in the car when I pick him up and tells me how he is the worst dancer in the whole class.   Yes, I have to agree he must be.  He hasn't had any dance instruction before and I've seen what he was capable of in other shows he's done.  It's pretty entertaining, and not in a good way.  I told Ian that I am sure all of these kids have taken other dance classes before.  I told Ian he needs to work at this more than he is, if he is truly serious about wanting to make it.  Heck, at this point, he needs to take some dance classes just to be able to audition and have a chance to even get a role in the high school musical.  There are a lot of very talented kids in Ian's school.

Ian finally agrees that taking more dance classes is a necessity.  We were able to register him for a Boys Ballet Class (all kids are 12+ in age) and a Broadway Tap 1 Class.  With the addition of the Musical Theatre Class, Ian is taking 4.5 hours of dance a week.  I adore this dance studio we found.  It's close to the house and everything Ian is taken is filled with students who are there to improve their theatre skills.  In a nice surprise, Ian knows almost everyone in each of his dance classes.  Ian went from having no dance shoes to now owning a pair of Jazz, Tap and Ballet shoes.  :)

Additionally, Ian is performing in two different plays this Fall.  A dramatic play with his high school and a musical with the acting program he does thru George Mason University, AFYP.

Here is Ian's current schedule:

Monday:
rehearsal at school from 3 to 6pm
tap class from 7:30 to 8:30pm

Tuesday:
rehearsal at school from 3 to 6 pm
boys ballet from 7:30 to 9pm

Wednesday:
rehearsal at school from 3 to 6pm

Thursday:
every other week Ian stays at school for Improv

Friday:
rehearsal at school from 3 to 6pm

Saturday:
musical theatre from 8:30 to 10:30am
AFYP (acting for young people) from 1:30 to 5pm

Sunday:
religious school from 9 to 12pm

It is weird that the most I see Ian each week is in the car as I pick him up from one place or drive him to another.  I think I could easily moonlight as an UBER driver at this rate.  I am pretty much already acting like one, minus the paycheck.

It is so wonderful as a parent to see your child find something they are passionate about and want to work as hard as they can to excel. I absolutely love that Ian is a full-fledged theatre kid.  He has found his people and they are such a great group of kids.  They spend many hours together each week and it's comforting to know that Ian is with kids who are similarly minded and are a good influence on each other.

The icing on the cake is going to the theatre and knowing I have a built-in partner-in-crime to join me in seeing anything on the stage.

This was a really BIG deal!

Ian filmed the short film on Monday and Tuesday, 6/17 & 6/18.   The timing was absolutely perfect as school had just finished for the year the week before and we still had 2 weeks before Ian was headed down to Orlando to visit family.

Upon arriving at the set on Monday, Ian and I were impressed with how large the crew was.  There was a director, assistant director, the executive producer, the regular producer, cameramen, people in charge of sound and lighting, make-up/clothing stylist, the writer, the casting director, and a few others.   It was a much bigger deal than either of us was expecting.

The parents were told to hang out in the "green room", which was basically a nice basement in the director's house, where the filming was to take place on day 1.  I had a great conversation with 2 of the other parents who also had kids in the film.  These kids were also 14 years old and already very accomplished performing in professional theatre, voiceovers, movies, and more.  Ian and I were definitely in uncharted waters. This was all so new to us.

I learned so much during day 1.  The mom of Vivian and the dad of Talia were so helpful and provided lots of advice and tips on how to navigate this new world for us that Ian wants to explore further and see where it can take him.

At some point during different times in the day, a few of the crew each came up to me and asked if Ian had done film before...um, no!  Hello, this is our first professional ANYTHING!!   They were impressed with Ian, said he was doing a great job, and then let me know that he is really great at improv. Apparently, he was making them laugh A LOT during takes.  They weren't sure I knew just how funny Ian was.  Yep, all you need to do is let him go and he will do his thing for any kind of audience.  Each conversation would end with, this movie will give you great footage to add to his reel.  I guess that means we have to start a reel!

Talia's dad said to make sure we add this movie listing as an entry on his IMDB page.  Ha!  I guess that means we need to start an IMDB page for Ian.

So the big kissing scene turned in to a peck on the cheek.  It just worked out better for the scene for Abby to lean over and kiss Elliott on the cheek rather than turn his head and kiss him on the lips.  But this still counts as Ian's first kiss!  And it is still captured on film.

Day 2 of filming found us at a synagogue in NW D.C.   I was a pro at this 'Momager' thing by now.  :)    I barely spied on the kids during filming and instead hung out at the synagogue's library or the room with all the food and just enjoyed being a part of it all.   At the end of the shoot, we made our way to the National Cathedral just up the street and took a bunch of photos for publicity.  (and maybe a movie poster?  -- do they do those for short films??).  We will find out!

The film is going to be entered into film festivals all over.  It seems to me, it would be a perfect fit for our local Northern Virginia Jewish film festival that I've gone to a few screenings over the years.  Between being about Jewish kids, having a local writer and being filmed in NoVa, it has to make it in!   I can't wait to see what happens next!

Update on short film

Ian was emailed the script for the short film.  It is really, really short.  Like all of 7 pages short.  When he went for the audition and had a few pages sent to him to do the audition with, it turns out that was half the script!

In one of the scenes Ian's character will have his first kiss with the girl who likes him. And now it will be recorded forever.  We've been having lots of fun making jokes about this.

I guess my plans to have a screening party is no longer necessary.  This short film can't possibly be longer than 5 minutes in length.  My new plan is to post it on YouTube and send it to friends and family.   Don't get me wrong, we are all so excited that Ian got picked to star in the movie, but it could be a while before he is getting recognized out in public.

Best blog post update EVER!

I needed a day or two to let myself calm down a bit before I could write this next line.....

IAN GOT THE ROLE!!!  Yes, THE role!  OMG!!!

Here is the official description of what the movie is about:

"Tell Me About Orange" tells the story of Elliot, a gay, blind middle school student, who has been keeping his crush on a boy a secret-even from himself.

Ian is going to play Elliott! 

It was about 7:20pm on Sunday evening when the call came on Ian's cell phone.  Martha, the casting director, was on the phone.  We weren't sure yet who Ian was talking to until we hear him say, "You want me to play Elliot?"

It was at that point we knew and the excitement went thru the roof at Casa del Toppall.  Holy Moly!  This was happening!!  Who knows the reaction you will experience when something like this occurs?  For me, it was instant racing of the heart rate and a mix between an emotional cry/laugh.  WOW!  Once Ian got off the phone, the jumping up and down and screaming in excitement hit the roof.  It was so awesome that we were all home for this moment.

Going into this we kept our expectations realistic and hoped at the most Ian was going to be asked to be an extra.  But this turn of events was simply crazy.    

I'm thinking ahead and got the screening party plans forming.

Making the cut

Ian went on his very first real audition on Monday.  It was for a short film and the part he was auditioning for, was a blind, gay, Jewish boy who is preparing for his Bar Mitzvah.  And no, I am not kidding.

Ian heard about this opportunity from his theatre teacher who knew someone who knew someone who had a friend looking for local talent to cast in this movie.  They were planning to use union and non-union actors and the acting job is paid.  This is all so very exciting and each step Ian got closer to showing up in person for the audition had him (and all of us!) in awe and dreaming of what it would be like to have Ian starring in a movie at this young age.  And if you are going to dream, why not dream big?   Doesn't the role of a blind, gay, Jewish boy scream academy award nomination?  :)

The first step was to send in an email that he was interested in auditioning.  After hearing back from the point person, Ian had to send in a headshot and a very recent picture.  After successfully getting thru this step, Ian was sent information on sending in a taped audition using pages of the actual script.  About 2 weeks after that, Ian was asked to come in for an in-person audition.

Auditions were scheduled from 5:00pm to 8:00pm in Bethesda.  Ian was given the 6:50pm time slot.  When we arrived and took our seats, you can't help but notice all the moms and kids around you waiting for their audition too.  They called Ian back. I was not able to accompany him, but let me tell you, my heart started pumping wildly waiting for Ian to return.  I have no idea why I got as nervous as I did.  It was crazy.  Ian came back out about 10 minutes later and whispered to me that he thinks it went really well.  He was asked to stay longer.  So we wait it out for the next set of boys to go for their audition and then Ian is asked to read with one of the girls that were asked to stay too.  Meanwhile, Ian had a friend from school who was auditioning too and he was dismissed and told to go home.

After Ian had read with one of the 2 girls who has stayed behind, the girl comes out and says to her mom she can now go home.  Ian comes out a few minutes later and is told to stay even longer.  Seriously, can this get more exciting waiting to see what is going to happen?!?!

I asked Ian what happened when it was just him and they had sent the girl out before him, he said he heard them talking and asking if there was enough time for Ian to read with the boy they had cast Harry.

After a few more minutes, the point person stuck her head back in the hallway and said Ian can now go home too and they would be in touch.  Either they ran out of time to do all they wanted to do, or Ian was just cut.  The strange thing was, the woman who told Ian he could go, was about to say something else, but held her tongue.  She had all this energy about her and it was like she was tripping over herself to keep it in.

We are patiently waiting for an email to come letting us know what was decided.  In any event, Ian is very proud of the audition he gave and feels he did the best job he was capable of.  This was a great experience for him and will help prepare him for future auditions.

My actor aficinado

We always knew that Ian enjoyed acting and was currently involved in a youth drama program through a local university for several years.  Ian participated in musicals twice a year and was enjoying it.  It was an extracurricular activity and kept him busy on the weekends.  Each role Ian was given he did a good job, but nothing extraordinary.

This past Fall, Ian decided to audition for his middle school play, "Rock of Ages".  He was given the role of Lonny Barnett and it turned out to be the best thing ever.  This role gave Ian the opportunity to really show the world what he was capable of.  He improvised with each show and interacted with the audience.  He took command of the stage and seriously, he took his role in the play to a whole new level.  He blew us all away with his enthusiasm, energy, and natural ability to entertain.

Opening night was on Friday, February 8th. Jeff, Samantha and I were appropriately blown away by what we saw on the stage.  Ian was so much fun to watch.  He did an amazing job.  It was the kind of performance you had to see to believe.  That was my son up there!!  He was larger than life. At the end of the show I teared up. I knew how much Ian gave of himself up on the stage and it completely paid off.  I was so excited that the family was coming to town the next day and was able to see the show, that I couldn't sleep at all on Friday night.  Not for one minute.  The adrenaline rush I was feeling from seeing the show couldn't come down enough to fall asleep.  It was crazy and insane that all I could think about all night long was how great my son (MY SON!!) was during the show.  At one point, it was 3:00am and I said to Jeff, "I still can't fall asleep. All I am thinking about is Ian on that stage".  Jeff replied with "Well, I can sleep, so let me."

With each show, the feedback on Ian's performance by people we knew and those we didn't was incredible.  Everyone said "he stole the show"; "he made it what it was", or "wow, did you know he had that in him?"  They couldn't believe the amount of energy he brought to Lonny and how it was sustained through the whole show.    The best comment was by his math teacher who saw the show one night and then said to Ian, "I knew you were in the show, but I didn't know you WERE THE SHOW!   Please take all the time you need to turn in homework.  You've had a lot going on."

Each teacher who saw Ian in action, the next time in class, made it a point to tell the whole class how amazing he was and they should see the show. In Spanish class, the teacher made the students give Ian and the other boy in his class who is also in his play, a round of applause.

At the end of each show, the actors came out in the lobby and Ian would be swarmed with members of the audience fawning over him and his performance.  Parents who had their child part of cast would come up to Ian, with their child standing next to them, and tell Ian he was the best thing about the show.  Really, this happened again and again.  Watching this made me feel like the mother of a rockstar.  Even people I didn't know, sought me out, asked if I was Ian's mom and gushed about how well Ian did.

Almost every show had its little quirks and inevitably things went wrong.  These kids were true professionals and quickly covered up whatever was happening on stage and went with it. In one show, Ian fell off his stool, not once, but twice!  As it was happening, he did not miss a beat and just kept talking.  In another show, the mic stand was missing the microphone.  Ian quickly improvised and handed Stacee Jax his drum stick to sing into. And yet, in another show, Stacee Jax lost his huge wig of hair and it had the potential to completely ruin the scene.  But Jack kept performing and didn't flinch when the wig fell off.  Nothing threw these kids.  This was very impressive to watch.

These two weeks of show performances is one of those moments in time I will never forget.  This was the time that Ian showed the world what he was made of.  It's not just the fantastic performance he gave (but it was fantastic!) but the fact he put himself out there and gave it his all. I could not be more proud of him than if he had opened on Broadway.

Ian has decided to get more serious about his interest in acting.  We will now be exploring taking vocal lessons and signing up to do community theatre if the timing is right with his schedule.

We all know becoming an actor is a very tough field to stand out in and be able to support yourself.  For these two weeks in February, it seemed like even the near impossible will be possible for Ian.

Here are some amazing pictures of Ian, taken by a Robinson parent, Rich Condit.

It looks like Ian is flying!!   This is without the aid of a trampoline or springy floor.  WOW!

I think this is the coolest picture ever!

Ian very rarely had two feet on the ground.

Best fan club ever!!!

It doesn't get much better than this.

Ian had such an insanely amazing day on Friday, October 19th that you couldn't help but smile being around him.  It was definitely one for the record books.

Ian's middle school is doing a production of "Rock of Ages".  Competition is fierce to not only get a role, but to perform in the play at all, even as a minor player.  There's auditions on acting, singing and if you manage to get a call back, dancing.  Approx. 225 students try out and only 50 or so get a part.

Just a side note:  Ian tried to get a part in last year's play, "Little Mermaid", but didn't make the cut.  He made lemonade out of lemons and volunteered to do lighting.  However, he quickly found out that lighting wasn't all it was cracked up to be.  And he still had 6 more shows to work after this realization.  :)

Ian worked hard on his audition and made it very known to us that he really wanted this part.  It's the part of Lonny, who is the narrator of the show.  Lonny is described as the guy who commands the audience and owns the stage.  He is friends with the best people and everyone wants to be friends with him.  Everyone loves him.  Ian's drama teacher said, we want this to be the most likeable character of the show.

Ian finally heard back on Friday afternoon the results.

How's that for an awesome result?   Top line billing!  OMG!   Ian came home and couldn't stop jumping up and down.  To see this level of excitement was contagious and soon, I was jumping up and down with him.   Way to go Ian!  He is going to make an awesome Lonny!

But wait, there's more!

The previous week Ian asked a girl out for the first time.  Ever. !!!!   His date was Friday evening, going to their school's high school football game.  He said the date went really well and he was excited to report that he held her hand -- in front of the whole school to see.  How's that for making an announcement to everyone that you are together?!?!  He also said she looked cold and he offered her his hoodie to put on.  She had a coat on and now Ian's hoodie too.  Ian is in 57 degree weather with just a short sleeve shirt.  He is silently thanking his parents that we made him put jeans on and not wear the shorts he was planning.    So Ian had everyone coming up to him (even high schoolers who he didn't even know) congratulating him on getting the part of Lonny (it's a really BIG deal!) and then seeing him with a girl he likes.   He couldn't have been happier than if we told him we were putting a go-kart track in our back yard.

First date ever!   And it landed on the same day as Ian getting the role in the play.  Talk about an awesome day.

I am so happy for Ian. He has come far from just one year ago at this time, he'd come home every day from school and announce that he was dying.  Every time he walked into another class he'd either get nauseas, his back would hurt, he'd have a headache and lots more other ailments.  His transition to middle school was a rough one. It was touch and go there for a while on if he was going to survive 7th grade. ;)  

With 8th grade, it appears Ian has found his groove.  He has a great group of friends and being a theatre nerd is not such a bad thing.   Between now and President's Day Weekend in February, Ian will be spending almost every day working on either his school play or the musical he is in with his AFYP (acting for young people) group.  I love that he has the confidence to do this and getting up in front a whole theatre full of people is not intimidating.

This girl he is interested in is a very lucky young lady.  I hear from those in the know (ok, Ian), that he will be getting date #2 in the works.  Now, I just need to figure out a way to meet her.

Where will we put the Oscar?

I know now what Sam will be when she grows up.  An actress!  Just as we end one stage (withholding poop), we smoothly sail in to the next stage that I can't wait to get out of.  In the last 2 weeks, Sam has demonstrated performances worthy of Meryl Streep and Sally Fields. 

When we are in public and Sam is not getting her way, she has been known to scream and throw a fit in the hopes she will wear me down and hope I will do whatever it takes to get her to be quiet.  My plan of action since day 1, has been to pay no attention to the temper tantrum or screaming that ensues when I tell her "No" and give her a reason why.  Eventually she gets the screaming, stomping, and arm flailing out of her system when I fail to reward her horrific behavior.  I will not cave or let her get away with it.

Not to be outdone, Sam has stepped it up a notch and came up with a different tactic when she doesn't get her way.  She will wrap her arms around the front part of her stomach, bend over slightly and start gagging.  Meanwhile, she is yelling loudly, "I'M GOING TO BE SICK!  I AM GOING TO THROW-UP!!" 

It's real fun when we are in public and everyone around us thinks she really is going to be sick.  It's even more fun when they see my lack of reaction to this and get appalled that I am not taking my 4 year old seriously.  And, the fun gets really out of control when I keep walking to wherever we were going and she adds in her yelling, "YOUR GOING TOO FAST!! I CAN'T KEEP UP!!!  I'M GOING TO THROW-UP!!"  And then for added measure, Sam will make the coughing/gagging sound like something resembling bile is about to emerge from her mouth.

So in the last 2 weeks, I've been lucky (said very sarcastically) enough to be witness this on three separate occasions.  The best was when we were at the grocery store, running in for one quick item.  Sam wanted more cheezits and I told her no, that we no longer had anymore.  So, she dialed it up a notch and gave the performance of a lifetime.  Everyone around us quickly sprung into action and looked at me with panic in their eyes.  One woman offered to run get a bag from produce for her to throw-up in.  Another woman offered to go get paper towels.  I just looked at these women and said, "No need to do anything.  Just enjoy the show" and kept walking.  The horror in their faces and those of the other strangers around us told me that I was being judged and about to win the "Worst Mom in the world" award. 

The best reaction came from my friend who saw Sam give one of these performances after an issue she had with her dress, once gymnastics class was over.  She knows Sam quite well and just started laughing.  It was very funny and a very appropriate reaction. 

I have to give some props to Sam.  Her bending over ever-so-slightly and holding her tummy with both arms is genius on her part.  It really adds flavor and authenticity to her claims she is about to be sick and throw-up.

I wonder what I will wear to the Academy Awards?