I had mentioned in my previous post that Staley had 3 shows this summer. The first of her 3 shows to perform was the NTA Stage Teens performance of "Mean Girls."
Staley auditioned for this show back in February and was cast as a member of the ensemble. The show was just for Jr. High and Sr. High students. She was so excited to be cast, and she LOVED being a part of this older group of performers.
Staley enjoyed the challenge of learning harder songs, harder choreography, and being a part of this very talented cast.
Although she didn't have any lines, Staley was a part of the small group tap-dancing number in "Stop" that she was very excited about.
There were plenty of memorable moments for Staley in this process. There was the audition process, which was much more in-depth than her typical auditions with NTA. There were the months of practicing, the lengthy tech rehearsals, the night that the electricity at the theater went out before the show so the show had to be pushed back, the after-show ice cream outing, striking the set with the cast, and attending her first after-party. So many new aspects of being a part of an older-kids production that Staley got to experience...and enjoy.
Zach and I were initially hesitant about Staley doing this show based on the PG-13 nature of the show. We ended up agreeing to it with the thought that the high school edition would be toned down enough to make us more comfortable with it. Unfortunately, it was not toned down and there were definitely cringe-worthy moments during the show that made us question our decision. However, Staley LOVED this cast, made great friends with some of the other kids, and named it one of her favorite shows that she has ever done. Her enjoyment of the experience was validation that we had made the right choice.
Staley was also excited that she got to be a part of McKinley's last show with NTA. McKinley has been such a good mentor and friend to Staley through all her years with NTA, and she will be sorely miseed!
Because of the PG-13 nature of the show, we chose not to bring Adelie and Briggs. But Staley was still pleased that both sets of grandparents came to see her...
although Grammie and Grandpa ended up coming on separate days.
Grandpa ended up coming on the black-out night, so he had the not-so-fun privilege of waiting an extra hour to see the show.
Elliott came one night with Grandpa,...
and Staley's friend, Emily, from dance team came.
Staley made lots of new friends and grew closer with some of her other NTA friends. Emma, who is Staley's same age and one of the few other Jr. High kids in the cast, became one of Staley's favorite NTA friends through doing this show together.
Watching Staley grow up and do more mature shows might take some getting used to, but Mean Girls was a great experience for Staley.
There were lots of tears after the show, which was a testament to how much the kids poured into this show and how much they enjoyed each other.
Mean Girls was a great experience for Staley. I'm glad she got to be a part of it!
