listen to the music of the moment people dance & sing, we're just one big family <3

Tonight was The Performing Arts Connection's Open Studio, beautifully planned by Cara and featured a 30 minute FOB concert to top off the night. The girls were in excellent form - high energy, excited to be back after four days off, and their usual silly, supportive, and enthusiastic selves. I was particularly stoked about the turn out of the whole event, and thrilled to have a packed house for the girls!

After the show, Charlotte, Shelley, Tarr, Tori, Lexi, and the FOB Moms of those gals and I headed over to Sky for dinner. It was a fun, small gathering where the talk of the night was the Cruise tour circa February amidst games of Hang Man! More on the cruise/Disney stuff later, but I'm sure there will be MUCH to report (;

As I reflect on the night, I'm filled with the kind of joy and pride that only comes with the FOB spirit. It's been an incredible season so far and I couldn't be happier spending my time with the FOB cast and watching their hard work come to life in a truly spectacular show!!!

Loves it,
Sam(m)

Oh, what a night . . .

Another amazing FOB experience tonight!! First off, it was our official opening night at Curtis and we had an enthusiastic crowd - including past FOB sisters Dow, Gina, Baer, Wall, and Jamie! Very cool to reconnect with them! The show went off without a hitch - the girls sang amazingly well and the dancing was on fiyyya....among the highlights were "The Climb" and "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" that the girls sang to the NEWLY ENGAGED COUPLE!!! Cara's boyfriend, Kayleigh's Uncle Jon, proposed to Cara on stage before Act 2. It was a sight to see and everybody was cheering and crying. Very cool. After the show, we had our usual Oriental Delite-fest where the cast gave me a TREE (full out) and some excellent duffle bags for easier transportation/storage of the sound equipment. Oh yeah, we raised the most money EVER on the raffle (over $400) thanks to Joel and Cara!

Now it is time for some MUCH needed sleep.

xoxo.

And I think to myself...what a wonderful world <3

Today we returned to the Natick Collection with our brand new tour, ROOTS. The cast features 23 girls ages 9 to 19, all full of energy, life, and love for the stage. I am blessed to have found such a fantastic cast and can't wait to see what the season holds.

The past week was hard on everyone - long hours, family and school commitments to juggle, and the "FOB flu" circulating throughout the girls. It was certainly a "climb" getting through the week, and those girls who had to miss out on rehearsals or shows were dearly missed! However, as is the FOB way, all involved rallied and worked it and pulled off two awesome performances today!

It started off with an early arrival at the "Collection" where I met up with the ever exuberant Tori and her mom, Heidi. It was their turn to help load in the equipment and did so with a smile on their faces! That stuff is SO heavy and they showed up 2 hours early to help me get it all organized. Thank you, Heinlein's! There was the usual glitch here and there at set up, but we got it figured out just in time (phew). Tori had fun helping with sound check and even got a little pre-show solo action (;

The girls arrived in stages (one of these days they'll all make it to call together! haha) and since we were missing 4 girls, call was a flurry of flailing...working quick swing and understudy changes and making sure everyone knew what was going on.

The first show went off well - the audience was mild but genuinely enjoyed the entertainment. The girls are still getting their feet wet with the new show, but definitely gave it their all for the first full show.

Inbetween performances, Stephanie, her mom, sister Julia, and grandmother, Bodner, Tori, Heidi, and I went to American Girl Doll store. It's Julia's sixth birthday today (woo!) and she was all smiles in her Princess outfit going to pick out her very first American Girl doll!! She had her heart set on Elizabeth, although we all tried to convince her to get the newest doll, Rebecca, who litrrrallly just came out today! Rebecca looks like Julia and was super cute, but alas, Julia knew what she wanted! Then it was lunch time, where Tori and Heidi and I headed over to the food court for some delicious salads and smoothies. We met up with Tarr and MK and headed back to the staging area. Break time finally began when Tarr, MK, Kayleigh, Lily, Tori, me, and a bunch of other FOB kiddos just lounged on the giant couches taking pictures and talking. These are the moments where FOB feels like family - everyone getting along, acting silly, doing nothing...makes you appreciate the time you have together!

Soon enough it was time for show #2, but not before catching little Miss Julia with her newly pierced ears!!! Having babysat Julia since she was a baby, I had to stop and remind myself she is actually six years old!! Time goes by so fast...

Show #2 was on fire. The girls were running on empty after 25 hours of rehearsal and two performances, but they mustered up all their energy and gave the best performance of the weekend!!

We now have 5 days off and I'm hoping everyone will regain her strength for next Saturday's opening night performance...I know I will!!! It's going to be a GOOD ONE!!!

xoxo,

Samm

Evening of Giving @ Burlington Mall

Sunday, November 23 we performed at Burlington Mall's annual Evening of Giving. This event helps local non profits raise money by donating a percentage of sales between 7-10pm. FOB has performed at this event before (in fact, one of our first concerts ever was at the North Shore Mall's EOG) and we've always had a blast.

The day started with a 3 hour rehearsal at the studio to learn holiday repertoire (Frosty the Snowman, White Christmas, Jingle Bells, etc.) I was very late getting the girls their scripts and music, so was impressed at how well they knew the music at rehearsal. We started with warm ups as the girls (all 25 of them!) trickled in. Everyone was a great sport as we learned simple blocking (to ten songs!) in just one hour. Sammi (Kid 2) helped top off the fun with candy canes for all, really getting us into the holiday spirit!

After rehearsal my brother, Jason, and I loaded up the FOB Mobile and headed off to the mall. I was stoked that all the mics were working well and there were no problems. Greg (Limetraub's bro) showed up a little early, donned an elf hat, and started flailing the programs. Big help!! The girls arrived shortly thereafter and it was photos galore! There was even a fan or two who jumped in on some of the pics (:

Showtime...our first show started promptly at 7 and we had a huge crowd! They were loving it - and the girls sounded great! Very cool to see a huge crowd on the floor and surrounding the upper level. The girls lit up and put on a great show. Sound went off without a hitch and everyone seemed to really enjoy the new material. We had a 15 minute break inbetween shows and I couldn't tell if the girls preferred performing or riding the escalator more!

All in all, another FOB-ULOUS day and I can't wait for the next round of holiday concerts!

Newton Harvest Fair!

Another terrific show filled with lots of laughs, great music and dancing, and good friends!

The girls started with a rehearsal at the studio followed by a FOB-ulous brunch at Paley's house.

We loved hanging out with Paley's dogs and all the FOB kids and families. Brunch was served in their Sukkah (temporary harvest "hut") that they put up in honor of the Jewish holiday Succoth. Very fun!

After brunch we all piled into our cars and drove to the Harvest fair. It was packed, so Kayleigh (Kid 8) and Haley (Kid 1) and their moms and I parked fairly far away but really enjoyed the walk to the fair. It was a beautiful day and Fall in New England is unreal!

When we got to the fair it was in full swing with rides, games, and lots of cool little stands selling things like jewerly and dog collars! There was an even an all-male a cappella group performing. All in all, it was busy and cold but fun!

Show time came and went quickly and the girls did VERY well adjusting to a stage the size of my thumb (: Everyone was in high spirits and the crowd seemed to enjoy the performance. Lots of people coming up to me afterwards to get more information - and the girls sounded particularly pretty on "For Good" - so I'm glad it went well!

Afterwards, Whitney (Kid 10) and I, along with her mom, Brooke, sampled some of the junk food. Turns out Honey Pot Hill really DOES have the best candy apples as these were rock hard.

It was a beautiful day and another great show!

Gala Rehearsal!

Tonight's rehearsal was a whirlwind. FOB Moms left and right flailed in my office getting things ready for the gala. Thank God for Leslie Weintraub who single handedly got my act together on a daily basis and delegated the fancifying of the event.

The girls were in high spirits today as we rehearsed both old and new material and muddled through the challenge of singing sans dancing! They aren't used to limited gestures and no choreography when singing in a full group. These brush up rehearsals always have a laid back vibe but when it's time to buckle down this group generally brings it. We worked on two new numbers, both which will be nice additions to our rep.

Anywho, it was a fun night and I can't wait to see the girls in their Gala outfits!

xo,
Samm

Children's Museum

Today was FOB-ULOUS! The girls were back in action after a month long hiatus and everyone was totally pumped to perform at Boston's Children's Museum.

It all started with a gorgeous 5 mile bike ride from my flat in Allston to the museum. If you've never taken a bike ride around the city, I highly recommend it. I drove down Commonwealth, through Newbury Street (exxxcelllent shopping), and came out smack dab in the center of the Boston Public Garden. I didn't have time to stop, but will definitely have to make a trip there before the summer is over. I rode through Boylston Street, out of the Back Bay and into the financial district. It got a little hairy through the construction, but I've gotten used to city biking so it wasn't so bad.

When I arrived at the museum I locked up my bike and went inside to check out the stage. The Children's Museum has gone through some extensive changes and the Kidstage was no exception! Now on the first floor and accessible to many more people than before, I was getting excited for the girls to perform. I was still early so I headed to Au Bon Pain, which is conveniently adjacent. I ordered a grape cup, organic green tea, and some veggie chili and took my power lunch to the dock outside the museum. I have to say, there's something to be said about eating good food outside on a spectacular Boston summer day. (:

Soon enough, the first troop arrived (FOB Moms Kelly Jo and Brooke with FOB kids MK, Kayleigh, and Whitney). Cara, Tori, and Haley came up next, and we had fun just enjoying the weather and the city view.

When it was time to head inside, the girls were eagerly eyeing the exhibits, especially the Bubbles. MK was particularly jazzed up about the Carpet Maze, but we had a 12pm call so we promised we'd explore the museum after the shows.

Performing in Boston is always a bit tricky since most of the FOB kids don't get into the city that much and traffic/city driving often are a big challenge. Needless to say, there's always an adrenaline rush at half hour when half the cast is still missing! Luckily, Tori brought her script so the girls who were there got busy dishing out solo lines in case some of the kids missed the show. Thaaaankfully, everyone arrived just in time and show #1 began as scheduled.

One of the cool things about doing a show in Boston is the audience is much different than what we experience out in the suburbs. We are able to hit a really diverse crowd from all over the map and it's exciting to see the girls in this kind of venue. The crowd really seemed to enjoy all the numbers, particularly "Walkin on Sunshine" where the girls really let loose and their performances are so natural and fun.

Inbetween shows a bunch of us made a quick stop at the Bubble Room, where everyone managed to stay dry for the second show (:

Our second show ran a bit smoother than the first and the audience was again completely different. We had an enthusiastic group from Roxbury who were on a field trip who seemed star struck when the girls went out and sang in the audience. I love those little moments where we break the fourth wall and jazz up the crowd. Also, we had a surprise visit from FOB alumni Madeleine who arrived fresh from her summer camp in NY with mom and little sis Olivia in tow. "Revival Tour" cast members were thrilled to see her & it was a nice little reunion!

After the second show, it was time to say goodbye and hit the museum exhibits. It was a wonderful day and I was so happy to have the girls back in action. We have a few fall shows lined up, plus finishing our LP, and then a bunch of holiday shows to look forward to. Hope to see you soon!!

xoxo,
Samm
the Director