The musical came and went in a blur - all day and into the night rehearsals, nerves, tiredness, expectation, angst, sore throats, thieves oil, excitement, trepidation, adrenalin, litres and litres of pineapple juice and 300 trips to and from town.
I had minimal involvement due to several things - the big party, my job and probably the biggest reason - I didn't want to be a stage mother or put too much pressure on Drew. He had all day rehearsals the weekend of the party so he was hardly around; I was in and out of town like a yo-yo all weekend and especially in the week of the show. Rehearsals went until 8pm and I managed to catch the last half of the second act on the Tuesday night. I came away feeling quite nervous about how it was going to go! I caught nearly the whole show on the Wednesday at the matinee and thought it was a bit better. Then on opening night, I needn't have worried - the entire cast lifted and really pulled off a fantastic performance. I held my breath through a couple of difficult songs but his charisma and character and confidence really shone through. His co-stars really shone too, especially Zoe - she was a sensation with a strong, sweet voice. Aaron was funny and loveable as the sidekick and Lydia was an absolute scream in a part just perfect for her - in fact, they were all cast perfectly for the characters they were playing. After opening night, the plaudits came thick and fast. The teacher director said to me, "Did he HAVE to leave it to opening night to show us what he could do" - (which I thought contradicted the feedback I'd been getting all through the months of rehearsal). So many people in the audience commented to us on how good Drew was, how he was perfect for the part and how much they enjoyed his performance.
One of his teachers rang the next day and left a message to say how much she had enjoyed his performance and that she was looking forward to seeing it again. He was very touched by that because it came from a lady that he really admires.
One of his friends sent this text message:
Hey man its XXXX. i cant believe that im about to say this about a musical
but....it was pretty good lol and your (sic) a sweet actor.
i didnt think it would be that good. So yeah i just thought i
would let you know that it was a good act. Omg I sound like a girl ha.
Ok Im gonna shut up! night.
And this is the critique from another lady whose opinion we strongly respect:
I'm sure you've had lots of positive feedback from the musical.
I also thought it was great. I really enjoyed the evening.
Drew, forget about "All Shook Up"..What about "All Grown Up"!!!
You really have the confidence and charisma. You moved very well and with confidence.
You understood what you were saying and so the subtext of your lines was clear and often very funny.
Yes you were a little flat some times, but you didn't let that affect you , so as an audience we had full confidence in you too! I was very impressed!
Its all about the SELL!
The Friday night show was a little flat but Saturday night was an absolute sensation. The entire cast lifted again and gave a really entertaining, enjoyable and polished performance. People came back a second time to see it. Overall, it was a very successful production and I'm so impressed by all the kids that got up on the stage.
Nanna and Viv came out on the Thursday night; Megan, Ken and Des, Mandy, Nathan and Renee came on the Saturday night and of course, Mum came all three nights. She wasn't going to miss a minute of it.
Certainly, being the mother of a lead is a nerve-wracking experience. I'm not sure how Mrs. Jackman copes! There were moments where I held my breath (mostly singing moments) until the song was over and I thought "Phew, that one's over" and moments of sheer joy at watching him up on stage. I can't really put the feeling into words; I just stared at him and smiled and smiled! I couldn't take my eyes off him. From where I was sitting (second row) he looked so big in the tight t-shirt with the slicked back hair. It sounds strange but it was incredible to believe that the young man up on stage, playing the part so well, was my son, my Drew. He has come so far and grown into his body and become a person in his own right - he's not the little boy he used to be - he's embracing life and taking opportunities and enjoying himself along the way.
I don't have many photos - Drew took a lot back stage, mostly of other people and in the few he took of himself he's either kissing or hugging somebody. I have some prints coming from the local paper and another journalist. Also, the school made a DVD of the show so that will be wonderful to have.
Drew was quite sad when it was all over. It had taken up so much of his time, enery and mental space. On the Saturday morning he said he was feeling sad because "
it's like we're all one big family and now it's nearly all over. I'm going to miss it". There was an after party at the house of one of the cast members. Drew went for a while; Megs and I waited in town for him. When we got home there was a poker game in progress. We finally went to bed about 3am. Next morning, Drew woke up with a heavy head cold - lucky it wasn't 24 hours earlier!!!
AND I LET THESE PEOPLE TEACH MY CHILD!!??!!??........................
Gibbo went to Brisbane on the Wednesday and picked up Megan and the alcohol; too much as it turned out. Way too much.
Drew took the Friday off school and helped by getting up a tree and cutting branches. The musical is pretty well all consuming so he had a mental health day at home. He had rehearsals all weekend - I was in and out of town like a yo-yo, dropping him off and picking him up.
Mum was a huge help; it was good to get her opinion and hear her thoughts on a lot of things and she was a big help with the dress as she confirmed or otherwise the direction I headed with it (no instructions). 
I sanded and varnished the walls on the western side of the house, where the bore water from the sprinklers and the sun damage the wood. Megan finished off the last coat of three varnishes.
There was more experimenting with icings - I think we finally found the right one!
Megan likes to compartmentalise the food on her plate - she doesn't like it touching. Hmmm.
I repotted some beautiful bright yellow chrysanthemums into glossy black glazed pots.
