"The Lion King (Junior)"

On Friday, May 8, Fun Aunt and Uncle traveled to West Bountiful Elementary School to see our 11-year-old niece Katy perform in their production of The Lion King (Junior). Katy played one of the lionesses and did a wonderful job. (We might be a little biased, but so be it.)

Given that this was a Disney production, I am legally required to state that this was the greatest elementary school production of any musical of theirs, ever.

But seriously, though, this was my first time seeing any version of The Lion King musical on any stage, and I found it to be one of the better (Junior) productions I've seen carried out. The costumes, assuming they were made on an elementary school budget, were phenomenal. Much of the dialogue and music were familiar, but it also featured additional tunes previously unfamiliar to me, including the beautiful "Shadowland," which stays in your head afterward (in a good way).

Hakuna matata!

"The Pirates of Penzance"

Last Wednesday night, JB and I ventured over to nearby Woods Cross High School to see our 17-year-old niece Kira perform in WXHS's production of The Pirates of Penzance. And I think it is honestly the most fun I have had seeing that particular classic Gilbert and Sullivan operetta. (I think this was the fourth time? Including once at Deer Valley.) This wonderful performance was also directed by my Improvables colleague and WXHS drama instructor Liz Christensen, with whom I had performed improv five nights previously in the reunion show. (See my previous post. ... I know you will stop and now look it up.)

Anyhow, the kids were obviously having a blast, as you could see by the looks on their faces and in their acting and singing, and the audience had a ball right along with them.

The narrator for "Music and the Spoken Word" was there, and he'll vouch for me.

Kira played one of the Major-General's daughters, and can I just say that this girl has pipes? Meaning, she can sing—and I didn't know just how well until this show. She had been holding out on us before this night. She had not one but multiple solos, and she blew us away. Meaning, not like TNT, but figuratively. She also had a few lines of dialogue.

"Finding Nemo (Junior)"

On Thursday night, we traveled over to Legacy Preparatory Academy here in North Salt Lake to see our 10-year-old nephew Danny perform in their production of Finding Nemo Jr. I didn't even know that Finding Nemo was a musical ... but now I stand corrected.

Danny played Bruce, the shark, and by all appearances had a great time doing so. It wasn't bad at all for a performance starring only third- and fourth-graders.

"Alice in Wonderland (Junior)"

On Saturday night, I traveled to Reading Elementary in Centerville to see my nine-year-old nephew Graham perform in his school's production of Alice in Wonderland (Junior). Graham obviously had a blast in the role of the Jack of Diamonds/drummer/ensemble.

I was joined in the audience by Graham's dad, Ben; Graham's brother, Christian; and a couple of of the Centerville Plowmans' neighbors. Though it was his fourth time seeing the show that week, Christian still had a good attitude about sitting through it once more.

"Big Fish"

Our acting bug-bitten niece Kira recently appeared in CenterPoint Academy's production of Big Fish, which we saw in the black box theater on March 25 (yes, I am a bit behind; both of my followers have sent emails wondering when I was going to update the blog). And I may be a bit biased, but she did great. It was also one of the better CenterPoint shows we have seen in the past few years.

There was a very funny and accidental blooper when the lights came up too early in one of the scenes and the man supposed to be on his deathbed was still scrambling to climb into it. But the kids handled it well and improvised to cover the error. (It was still pretty funny, and I don't blame those who busted up laughing on stage.) I guess you had to be there.

"Beauty and the Beast (Junior)"

Fun Aunt and Uncle were present on Friday night for our 14-year-old niece Kira's performance in Beauty and the Beast (Junior) at South Davis Junior High School. (I had never been inside the building before!) Kira played one of the narrators and was also part of the "Be Our Guest" ensemble.

We had decent seats for a junior high gymnasium, plus we also got to see part of the show with four-month-old Sam to boot:

The headline "School Play Enjoyed by All" just wouldn't suffice. But at any rate, we had a good time.

"The Little Mermaid (Junior)" 2022

For the second time in the past few years, one of our nephews performed in his elementary school's production of The Little Mermaid Jr. (Apparently, it was originally supposed to be run two years ago but was delayed—like many other things—due to the pandemic.) Eight-year-old Christian played two roles: a sailor and one of the fish (fishes?) under the sea.

It was a fun evening out. I'll be darned if elementary school productions aren't just as entertaining as junior high or high school ones. Christian had a blast, which is probably the most important thing.

"The Scarlet Pimpernel"

Last night, we went to CenterPoint Legacy Theatre to see my brother Ben perform in their production of The Scarlet Pimpernel. This is JB's favorite musical, so expectations were high; fortunately, the cast delivered a great performance. My former Improvables castmate Ben Lowell knocked it out of the park in the title role.

"Let's Go to the Movies"

On Tuesday night, we were back at CenterPoint Legacy Theatre in Centerville (remember that place? I used to perform improv there) among a mostly maskless crowd. The main attraction: our 12-year-old niece Kira's show "Let's Go to the Movies," featuring the CPLT Middles. She did a great job on her solo, which was a High School Musical song I didn't recognize.

 

We saw a talented group of kids perform. My sister-in-law Jana also produced the show and is obviously doing great work.

Jafar-ckson

On Saturday night, JB and I joined a number of other family members (including Jana, Kylee, Ben and Adi and their boys, and Biz and Kate) in the audience at Morgan Elementary School in Kaysville to watch 11-year-old Jackson perform in their production of Disney's Aladdin Jr.

Jack landed the role of the villain Jafar, and he once again did a great job and had a wonderful time playing the bad guy. The show was everything you'd expect for an elementary school version, and I may be a bit biased (but 100 percent accurate) when I say that Jackson was the best one up there on the stage.

"Forever Plaid," Again

My brother Ben recently completed his second time playing the role of Sparky in the musical Forever Plaid (the first time around was five years ago). JB and I caught the show Monday night along with Mom, Dave and Jessica, and Steve and Summer.

As an added bonus to that evening's performance, Ben pulled some strings and arranged for Steve to get called up onto the stage as the audience volunteer during the "Heart and Soul" number, which led to hearty chuckles all around. For his trouble, he got this cool certificate:

Arbuckle Family Dinner/March 2019

Today, it was monthly family dinner for March out in Grantsville. Fortunately, the weather cooperated this time, and we were able to make the drive out and back with  relatively few problems (unless you ask JB, and in that case, it was me singing along to songs from Saturday's Warrior, My Turn on Earth, and Sons of Provo to pass the time).

I got a chance to tour Nicole's and Spencer's home for the first time. While we were there, Alex showed off the new baby chicks that they are raising.

Here's a couple of hot chicks (get it? ha ha):

The menu was Navajo tacos. It had been far too long since I had eaten one of those. And for dessert, we enjoyed Nicole's chocolate peanut butter cake, which was delicious. So, it was a very enjoyable afternoon all together.

"Peter Pan (Junior)"

On Saturday evening, we traveled up to our 10-year-old nephew Jackson's elementary school in Kaysville to see him play the role of Captain Hook in their production of Peter Pan Jr.

I may be a bit biased when I type this, but Jackson was phenomenal in this role and put his little heart and soul into every moment. He both recited his lines and sang with stage presence and confidence you just can't teach many 10-year-olds.

This was the stage version of the Disney movie from the 1950s, so there were a lot of familiar songs and funny moments.

"Newsies"

Our niece McKenna, a sophomore at Davis High School in Kaysville, is currently appearing in her school's production of Disney's Newsies. We saw her perform in Saturday's matinee show.

It was obvious from her performance that she is acting her heart out and is having a wonderful time taking part in the musical.

"Mary Poppins"

Ben is currently playing the role of Bert, the chimney sweeper, in Disney's Mary Poppins musical at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center in West Valley City. JB and I and some of the other family members went to see the show Saturday night, and you can be sure that good times were had by all involved. The amphitheater provided a nice atmosphere for the performance.

I loved it. It was way better than Cats. I'm going to see it again and again.

"The Wizard of Oz"

My 18-year-old nephew Dallin, a senior at Layton High School (golly, they grow up so fast!), landed the role of the Tin Man in LHS's production of the classic musical The Wizard of Oz, which is playing through the end of the current week.

D-Money did a fantastic job, and so did a fantastic cast, when we went up to see them perform Friday night.

"9 to 5"

My sister-in-law Jana has been knocking it out of the park in CenterPoint Legacy Theatre's production of 9 to 5 over the last month. Tonight, in fact, is closing night. The other important Jana in my life and I went to see her perform last week, and we had a wonderful time.

I don't know at this point if there are any tickets still available for tonight's closing show, but if there are, and you haven't been yet, make sure you go and see it! K? You might also come back to CPLT for some improv on some Friday night cough soon if that doesn't cough quench your theater-going wants and desires.

"Give My Regards to Bad Guys"

Yet another member of the family has been bitten by the acting bug!

My 16-year-old nephew Dallin participated in CenterPoint Academy's Give My Regards to Bad Guys performance last week at CenterPoint Legacy Theatre, and he was phenomenal. (So what if I'm a bit biased?)

In addition to providing backup vocals and dancing to a host of numbers from The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Xanadu, and (of course, the one that everyone's talking about) Hamilton, Dallin sang solo on "Gaston" from Disney's Beauty and the Beast and hit it out of the park.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Family Karaoke Party

Fortunately, I belong to a family who, for the most part, enjoys karaoke as much as I do.

I recently purchased a karaoke machine, and Ben and Christian were good enough to perform a duet of "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music to be the first ones to break it in.

Dating: Impossible

Good evening, Paco. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to go on a date. Should you not completely botch that up, you might even someday attempt to get a second date or, heaven help us, the delusion you've had for decades now that even a relationship is possible. Let alone anything further than that.

As always, should you choose someone in your ward, or anyone else you might see on a regular basis, and any of your I.M. Force (also you) be caught saying something unintentionally stupid, thus forever putting you in the Friend or Stranger Zone, your date will disavow any knowledge of your actions and will ignore/avoid you, and possibly unfriend you on Facebook. This tape will self-destruct in five or ten minutes. Good luck, Paco.

First, though, let me rewind the tape a bit and explain where I'm coming from today.

Last weekend, as in two weekends ago now, we castaways on the Island of Misfit Toys, aka the mid-singles, the Left Behind, or the Leper Colony, took part in an annual mid-singles conference, which involved people from all over Utah, as well as folks from out of state, and even people out of the country. Those who organized it did a phenomenal job of putting things together and delivered an excellent product.

The event concluded Sunday night with a fireside at the Ute 'tute, at which I'm told 2,500 attended. The featured speakers were Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Kristen. I was seated in the overflow, about a half-mile back from the pulpit, but technically I was in the same room as a dedicated servant of the Lord and his wonderful, insightful spouse, and we received some very helpful, very meaningful counsel.

To make a long story even longer, and I promise I'm going somewhere with this, Elder Oaks read as part of his presentation a number of letters from current and former mid-singles who, like many of us, struggle(d) with the dating scene. All but one of the letters Elder Oaks read were from the female point-of-view, I believe. One of the letters touched on what Elder Oaks called the "Peter Pan syndrome," which means that the whole dating thing largely isn't happening, and hanging out is the norm, because many men are selfish, immature individuals who instead of growing up and taking on adult responsibilities are far more concerned with "the accumulation of money, property, car, home, travel, graduation before marriage, etc." than in building a lifetime with someone else. For the first time in our country's history, he said, there are more single adults than married adults, and this concerns the Brethren.

When conversations like these arise about why dating isn't happening, single guys like myself often see the finger of blame (and not always of encouragement) pointed at us, in this and many other settings. And this is because many years ago, sometime after Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden, men lost a Rock-Paper-Scissors game to women and got stuck with the responsibility of being the gender that has to make that move and shoulders that responsibility, and thus it has been ever since.

Elder Oaks is correct, of course. I see a lot of men doing the Peter Pan thing, and I can empathize with the frustration that many ladies must feel about priesthood inaction, so to speak. So, we should own that, collectively speaking, guys. This counsel and message are intentionally given, and should be.

Nevertheless, there are always two sides to a story—are there not? Believe it or not, there are those of us who are actually trying to break out of the mold, who are trying not to be Peter Pans. We've been trying for years now, because we heard these same messages as young single adults and have been dating, or at least trying to date, for years—long before we washed up on the shore of the Island of Misfit Toys. And we are frustrated, too.

Why? Because we often feel like we are caught in a darned-if-you-don't, darned-if-you-do, no-win, catch-22 situation. We hear these calls to date, and we make an effort, and yet the end results of our attempts often leave us feeling even more disillusioned with the whole horrible, gut-wrenching process. We hear our fellow female singles wondering why they don't have dates, and after we've done what we think they asked for and have asked them out or gone on a date, we are often left feeling like asking you out was one of the most offensive things we could possibly do.

Let me stress: This particular message is largely given, I believe—and as a contrast to the intentionally given counsel from Elder Oaks—unintentionally. I'm not trying to offend or alienate anyone here, let alone my own dating pool. And I realize that I may be treading in shallow waters.

Let me give you a few examples of what I mean.

I have previously posted here on Paco Nation about the problems of approachability with some and in trying to get to know those who just don't come to activities or who appear to evacuate the building like it's on fire after church meetings conclude. We can't proceed to the dating stage if you just don't show up or if we otherwise don't get a chance to meet you first. Sometimes, even getting the privilege just to talk to some of you—and it is a privilege—can be very difficult.

In addition, we live with the conflicting messages. One side of society tells us to get busy and to get dating already, OK? The other side keeps reminding us that we're nincompoops, which can put us between a rock and hard place, self-esteem wise. As another single woman put it in a different letter Elder Oaks read: "All of the single men are like parking spots: either handicapped or far out." This is how society portrays us sometimes, and it isn't exactly inspiring once the laughter has died down.

Once we've passed the stage of getting to know you, getting to know at least a little bit about you, getting an actual date with you is not always a guarantee. A fellow single friend of mine recently lamented that he had gone on two dates the previous month, but that was after he had asked out 10 girls. To use a different Rodgers and Hammerstein reference: Sometimes, some of you can be a girl who cain't say yes.

After an actual date has taken place, getting a second date can often be as difficult, if not more difficult, than getting the first one. There are a handful female acquaintances in my ward who will no longer speak to me, for whatever reason. My offense, as far as I can gather, is my last previous social interaction with them, which was having taken them out on a date. Before going on a date, I got along swimmingly with these people. I daresay we were friends even. But now, these few go out of their way to avoid or ignore me.

So, you see, the message—once again, unitentionally—is that having taken you out is possibly the most offensive thing I could've done. The message can be: Ask for a date, lose a friend. Maybe it was a glance, a bad joke, paying with a coupon instead of forking out a whole $50 for dinner—something I've unintentionally done has disqualified me from future social interaction, and I don't know what it is or was.

For the life of me, I don't know why this phenomenon occurs or why this approach is considered more "kind" than taking perhaps 10 to 15 uncomfortable seconds to to tell me something akin to: "I just don't feel any chemistry with you"; "I had a good time with you, but I don't see a relationship going anywhere"; "I don't wanna kill you, but I will"; or some other message that leaves no possible room for misunderstanding. But instead, we play the avoid and ignore game. Society teaches us that this is "kind."  I saw the same thing occur in my YSA ward, and I see it now.

Well, that's all of the potentially-offensive-but-I-sincerely-don't-mean-it-that-way stuff I've got for now. If you have made it to this point, fellow Misfit Toys (and others), thank you for bearing with me, and I welcome your input/feedback. I realize that the bemoaning-your-singleness approach does not necessarily attract people, so I really don't intend to do this type of thing often.

I also urge you to consider that just because you may have read something that doesn't fit your experience doesn't mean that my experiences and frustrations aren't valid, just as your experiences and frustrations are plenty valid. I guarantee you that many other active LDS single men feel this way, because we have conversations about these frustrations frequently.

I cannot judge anyone else's motivations or intents, because they are known to only that person. I can, however, report on observed patterns of behavior and express how they have affected me, and I feel that's what I'm doing with this post. I'm not pointing fingers at any one person, let alone am I trying to malign the female gender. You confuse me sometimes, and I'm trying to understand why you do what you do sometimes.

Of course, if the real issue is you're just not getting asked out by the men you want to ask you out, rather than single men in general, you might try, I don't know, asking them out yourself and seeing where that leads. It is possible, and it's not viewed negatively by us gents. I recently got asked out on a lovely picnic prepared by a sister in my ward, and together we enjoyed a most pleasant afternoon together. It was thoughtfully done and was a wonderful gesture. And we have even had some conversations together after this social outing, too.

So, ladies, what I'm saying overall is: Please be kind to your active LDS single male friends who are trying not to be Peter Pans. According to conference attendance figures, we may even be an endangered species; I'm told that single women outnumbered single men at a 7-to-1 ratio.

With that plea for kindness, I remind you that we're trying (not always succeeding, but trying), per the Golden Rule, to be kind to you in return, because you are wonderful; and not to quote One Direction or anything, but sometimes you really don't know how amazing you truly are. Sometimes, you perplex the snot out of us, and trying to understand the feminine mystique remains one of life's greatest mysteries, but you really are wonderful. I look around me at the wonderful ladies in my ward each week and the recurring thought is that there are still so many of you I'd like to get to know if given the chance.

If any of you, with total recall abilities, bring up that certain Tuesday back in 2003 or 2007 when I said this or did that, and it left you feeling this way about me, well, I validate that. Our actions have consequences, whether intentional or unintentional. I'm not perfect, nor am I claiming perfection here, and neither are you. But together, with understanding and with effort, perhaps we can still somehow form a more perfect union.

*KABOOOOOM*