Tag Archives: Girls Night Out

Girls’ Night Out 2013: Phantom of the Opera

Posted in Uncategorized by

Phantom_300x365

For the past few years, I’ve tried to organize a fun girls’ night out that usually includes a show and some kind of food, preferably chocolate. So here’s my proposal for January 2013, to any ladies interested here in Utah (or from afar who are feeling ambitious). This invitation is open to real-life friends and blog friends–even if we haven’t met in real life yet. Just don’t bring any weapons. Feel free to bring your own girlfriend if you’re scared of the rest of us.

DATE:  Saturday, January 19th, 7:30 p.m. @Brigham Young University, DeJong Concert Hall

[We’ll do a dinner before, and/or dessert after. I’ll have to poll the interested parties, and will communicate all details.]

Performance Information:

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics by Charles Hart

Additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe
Book by Richard Stilgoe and Andrew Lloyd Webber

Originally directed on Broadway by Harold Prince
Original Broadway production by Cameron Mackintosh and the Really Useful Group
Based on the novel Le Fantôme de l’Opéra by Gaston Leroux
Orchestrations by David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber

Directed by Tim Threlfall
Music Direction by Gayle Lockwood
Choreography by Lisa Stoddard and Shani Robison

Jan. 16-Feb. 2, 2013 (view performance schedule)
de Jong Concert Hall–Harris Fine Arts Center

ASL Interpreted Performance: Th/Jan. 24, 7:30 PM

Featuring Andrew Lloyd Webber’s lush, romantic melodies, Broadway’s longest-running musical evokes the passion and drama of love lost and love found in nineteenth-century Paris. A masked figure lurks beneath the opera house–striking fear in the hearts of all who inhabit it. When his love for an innocent, young soprano forces the girl to make an impossible choice, she sets in motion a series of events that will change their lives forever.

PRICES
Previews (Jan. 16 & 17)–All seats $15
Matinees (Jan. 19, 26, Feb. 2)–All seats $15
Family Special (Jan. 22)–All seats $15
All other evening performances–$25 ($6 off weeknights/$5 off weekends with BYU or student ID; $2 off for senior citizens/BYU alumni)

Bringing a group? Save money on many performances of Phantom when you purchase 15 tickets or more. [We’ll see how much interest we have.]

Learn more about this production HERE.

Okay, so here’s the deal: If you are interested, I need to order tickets soon. I need a written commitment (comment/email) that says how many tickets you want by this Friday 12/7. I will then purchase a bulk number of tickets based on interest and you will need to pay me within one week of ordering the tickets. If you ask for a ticket, you agree to pay for it; if you don’t end up going, please make arrangements to sell or give your ticket to someone else, but I won’t be able to refund it.

In past girls’ nights, we’ve had some groups as large as 30, and other times, there have just been a few of us. I’m up for anything. I’ll make Matt go with me if none of you want to come. 🙂

So, who’s game?

[Note: I changed the date after the initial publish: It is January 19th]

Advertisement

Announcements. (Good stuff.)

Posted in About Blogs by

Some exciting business, folks. Three exciting items of business.  I know, this place is just a party.

First of all, there’s still time to enter the contest for the free, autographed copy of Melanie’s book, Not My Type.  All you have to do is send anyone a thank-you note, and you’re in the drawing.  Go to this post to enter.  The drawing for the winner will be Wednesday night and I’ll pick up the book at the release party on Thursday.

Second, there are only TEN MORE DAYS until General Conference.  It’s no secret how I feel about conference.  (It’s my second favorite holiday after Christmas. Truly.)  Anyway, I’ll be teaming up with Lesa from Notes about Music to create some kind of General Conference meme that you can all participate in on your own blogs.  It will be a questionnaire about your experience with both the “music and the spoken word” that is conference. You’ll have it ahead of time so you can watch for answers during conference. Then we’ll have a big link-up thing where we can read all about everyone’s favorite moments and lessons.  So, basically, just get ready for that– it’s coming soon.  And as a personal side note, I can’t emphasize enough how much more you’ll get out of conference if you start now to think about questions you’d like answers to and pray about them in anticipation of hearing the Lord’s servants speak.  You’ll be amazed how many personalized answers you will receive.  Need something to get you in the mood?  Watch this video.  It’s fantastic.  And amen to its message.

Finally, I’m thinking it’s time for another Girls’ Night Out.  Mostly because I saw this and wanted some girlfriends to go with me.

LITTLE WOMEN: The Musical SCERA Showhouse II Friday, 10/7/11 7:30PM MDT

So it’s at the Scera theater in Orem, and I thought we could all meet there for the show, then go across the street (kind of) to The Chocolate, eat desserts and visit the night away.  Tickets would be just under $15 (a little cheaper if you have student I.D.). What do you think?  I’d love to have you come whether you’re a longtime blog friend or a quiet blog stalker.  It’s a great way to take a break, make new friendships, and well, you know, eat chocolate.  If it sounds fun to you and you’re available on 10/7, let me know in the comments, and I’ll send you more details.  Feel free to invite a wing[woman], daughter, girlfriend, whatever.  P.S. This invitation is null and void if you are a strange, predatory creep.  Just to be clear.  (Insert passive-aggressive smile here.)

Happy Valentine’s Day. Wanna go on a date? I’m serious.

Posted in Uncategorized by

I have a plan full of love and friendship and all things Valentiney.  (And if we’re going to be honest, I also have a fear that this will turn into that party I tried to host where no one RSVP’d and I felt like a total dork.)  How would you feel about a Girls’ Night Out of monumental proportions (based solely on the criteria of cool and classy and hopefully that more than 3 of you will come)??  I’m also going to try really hard not to put parenthesis at the end of every sentence I write (Really.).

Here’s the thing.  I am a big Jane Austen fan.  I think some of you are too.  About a month ago, I received an email from BYU Arts — it was just a newsletter mailing; I don’t mean to make it sound like I got some exclusive invitation–, and my eyes focused on the bottom of the page where they announced their upcoming play:  Persuasion.  Eeeek!  I love Persuasion.  It is my very favorite Jane Austen novel, and was actually my first introduction to her work when I saw the movie production of Persuasion at BYU’s International Cinema forever a few years ago. And I love plays!  And they’re doing a play of it!  You’re probably starting to get the idea . . .

Tickets go on sale today.  I asked Matt if he would go with me, and he painfully consented, kind of like I would have if he asked me to go see a play of Star Trek or Ghost Hunters.  I thought to myself, “This is more of a girlfriend thing.”  Then I remembered that despite living here for six months, I don’t really have any girlfriends yet.  I posted an open invitation on my neighborhood’s blog, but only one person expressed any interest. (By the way, if you see this Yolanda, you’re totally invited.)  So then I started thinking, “why not invite some blog friends?  I bet some of them would be interested.”  (This whole thing is starting to sound a lot more pathetic and desperate than I intended it to be.  Oh good grief. It’s not.  I promise.)

So.  Here’s what I’m thinking:

Saturday, March 19.  7:30 show. (If tickets are not available, then I’d shoot for the following Saturday.)

Maybe preceded by a fun, chatty dinner, like at 5:30. . . either a restaurant or a potluck (Preference?)

Leave your husbands in charge of the kids or get a sitter.

Come have FUN.

This invitation is open to anyone who can travel to the BYU area.  (Unless, of course, you are a 50-year-old creepy guy named Guido who poses as a Mormon mommy blogger just so you can meet the faces behind all these glamorous stories.  In that case, you are most certainly NOT invited.) Here are a few reasons that you might be thinking of that could keep you from coming, which I will now immediately debunk with my crafted rebuttals:

“That sounds really fun, but …”

1.  “… I’ve never even met Stephanie and it would feel really awkward to just show up as a stranger.”  Two things:  First of all, who cares?  Chances are that there will be several other people in the same boat and we can use this as an excuse to meet each other.  Second, I’m sure that the small handful of people who actually have met me in person can testify to this:  I am not worth getting intimidated over.  I’m pretty normal, and down-to-earth, and I promise I will make you feel welcome, even if you are a “stranger.”

2.  “… I feel really self-conscious around people I don’t know very well.” Come anyway.  I will wear sweatpants and no make up if that makes you feel better.  I’ve done several bloggy get-togethers, usually small-group lunches, etc., and I’m always surprised at how quickly we connect and how easy the conversation is, even though we’ve never stepped into the same room together in our lives.  The fact is, we have a lot in common.  Besides, half the evening will be spent in a dark theater and you don’t have to talk to anyone if you don’t want to. Oh!  And one more idea: bring a friend.  🙂

3. “… This sounds stupid and I have no interest in meeting Stephanie anyway.” Well, in that case, you may want to stay home.

Now that I have alleviated all your fears, let’s talk business.  Let me know in the comments if you think you’d be interested.  I’ll respond with an email that has more details about ticket prices, how to pay (yes, you will have to pay for your own ticket), etc.  I think I’d like to buy the tickets by this Thursday so that I can reserve a large chunk of seats together.

Is there anyway to say “please come so I don’t look like an idiot when my first attempt at girls’ night out turns out to be only me and my grumpy husband” without sounding desperate?  If there is, then insert that here.