The Servant's Quarters

Last Friday, Rita and I grudgingly allowed Olivia to audition for Ever After Productions' version of The Phantom Tollbooth. This is one of two "studio shows" that are presented each year. They are performed in one of the studios in the Village Theater instead of the main auditorium. The audiences are smaller and the setting is more intimate. We were hesitant because Liv has already been cast in EAP's big Spring musical, Disney's Beauty and the Beast. We did not like the idea of grappling with the difficult task of rehearsing two shows at once.

However, she really, really wanted to do it. She's been disappointed with the results of her last two auditions. After being given one of the lead parts in Peter Pan, she's been relegated to the chorus for both Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast. She did a great job in Aladdin, and I'm sure she'll do equally fine as a talking spoon or plate in the upcoming Beauty and the Beast. (We don't know yet which enchanted object she'll end up being.) But there's no denying that she's felt a huge letdown at not continuing to score lead roles.

Yesterday, the cast list for Phantom Tollbooth was announced via e-mail. Our girl is back on top. The lead character, Milo, will be played by one of the young men who auditioned. And his faithful companion during his fantasy journey through the Tollbooth will be Tock the Dog, as played by Olivia Butler. It was a real thrill to see her name at the very top of the cast list. It's a huge part, and last evening when I pulled up the e-mail to share the good news with her, she could barely contain her glee. She tried to hold back her enormous grin, and her face actually turned red with delight. When we last spoke of the show last evening, she was already heavily into planning her costume.

I've already made several jokes about the fact that she's a total dog. After laughing along with me for a while, she finally just rolled her eyes and said, "Dad, that is really getting old."