WOW. So you know how people think musicals are so unrealistic? Obviously nobody looks around knowingly and suddenly bursts into a profound song with lyrics about their current situation in life. Obviously nobody around them also knows the words and harmonies. Obviously nobody invents pretty descants and nobody slowly starts to hold hands with those around them, and obviously not everyone can sing.
Regardless, my ultimate dream has always been to live in a musical. And for about twenty minutes just now, I did.
We had auditions in my show choir today of small acapella groups (Except for the showoffs with the electric guitar! So not fair.) to perform famous TV theme songs in the middle of our big pops concert. My group did the theme to Nickelodeon's All That, swaying like morons and trying to inflect our voices to sound like we don't live in rural-suburban Ohio. The other two choirs have about six times as many singers as mine, so our director allotted the entire class period for auditioning, and we got done in fifteen minutes. Afterwards we sat around for a bit and the studious did their homework while the rest of us quoted Hannah Montana. We were all in our separate corners of the room, doing our separate corners of the room things, when one kid sat down at the piano and struck a chord.
I swear, it was hilarious-- exactly like High School Musical, everyone slowly turns their heads, and although in reality we were under unchanging florescent lights, I swear I felt the atmosphere dim. Yes. All of us-- my whole, entire choir-- spontaneously broke into "Seasons of Love." We sang it all the way through flawlessly, not a lyric missed, not a part unheard. I sang tenor at one point because it was underrepresented, but the gap was immediately filled in and I moved up. My friend Dina took the female solo and rocked that bitch, and I sang for Collins. It was ridiculous.
Oh, and if you think that's the whole story? No, um, as soon as it finished, our director sat down and sequed into Rent's "Finale B," which we've actually been rehearsing, but we somehow ended up wordlessly giving each other solos and taking the other parts. A couple of us did Roger's half of "Another Day" in the middle, which, like, has never been done in the show or recording, but just felt right.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I realize Rent isn't the most important thing in most people's lives, but it's so hugely responsible for raising me and teaching me about music and and and. I shall now proceed to less musical topics for the rest of you.
Tonight is the overnight training session for Royal Family Kids' Camp, a camp for children in the foster care system, at which I work every summer. RFKC is arguably the most valuable week of my year. It changes me so thoroughly every single time. I hardly ever cry-- and I mean, like, EVER-- and camp can make me bawl at the snap of a finger if I think about it enough. Buuuuuuut I've been through training a million times, and this really, really creepy/illiterate English teacher from my school is volunteering this year, so I'm basically about to have a slumber party with him. I'm not really looking forward to tonight. Bah, humbug.
In youtubely news, I posted a video on fiveawesomegirls yesterday and was really pleased by how many viewers are fans of "Le Petit Prince," and by how many of them have read it in French. It was rather difficult for me to read at some points my junior year, but yeah, I'm definitely glad I had the experience in its original language. Also, I have a new annoyance video written for yooooou guuuuys. :)
The other day I found a poem I wrote that I don't hate. I started cutting letters out of magazines to make it into a useless pretty collage thing yesterday, and wondered if you would hate me if I made it into a video? It would probably be about thirty seconds, which you'd be willing to forgive, but I'm worried it's too emo for hayleyghoover. Maybe I'll make it and post it on this blog exclusively, and if you like it, I'll put it on ze tubez. Speaking of ze tubez:
Sexy: Old, beat up cars in more than one piece, that are probably older than you are. They have character, and they show that you're not a snob and that you work for things.
Unsexy: Wifebeaters on the beach. Both wearing a wifebeater on the beach, and being a wife-beater... on a beach.
Weight: 137
Chipotle burritos this year: 10
Subscribers: 14, 708
Days left of high school: 33
Bye, guys! See you tomorrow. <3
That spontaneous singing sounds amazing, Hayley. Oh how i wish it could happen to me. Keep the great posts coming!
ReplyDeleteYou'll never guess what happened today.
ReplyDeleteI gave birth to a pterodactyl.
I may or may not have spontaneously sang the entirety of Seasons of Love by myself this morning while I was getting ready to go to class.
ReplyDeleteIt was practically the most fun I've had all week.
ADAM'S COMMENT WINS BUT YOU DON'T WATCH BUFFY SO YOU CAN'T KNOW THAT. MAN. Ask him to explain that joke to you; worth it.
ReplyDeleteHOW DID YOU NOT TELL ME THE MUSICAL STORY? GOD.
"Chipotle burritos this year: 10" I'm jealous! I've only had four or six, I don't know, bean burritos the other day. I seriously need my Taco Bell fix!!!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was at camp, spontaneous group singing was a near daily occurrence. Somehow we all know the words to 500 Miles, and You've Got A Friend, and Every Rose Has It's Thorn (once).
ReplyDeleteNow what I think the world needs is spontaneous magically choreographed dance numbers.
Camp is a generally life-changing thing. So are musicals, in their own way.
(fear of getting too long, so briefly) I have a copy of Le Petit Prince, in french, I read it in english in fifth grade, you inspired me to give it a go.
Corey from Chicago, again.
I savor moments like that. At a musical theater camp I went to last summer we'd gather around the piano and someone would have a fake book and we'd sing La Vie Boheme to each other or see who could belt Defying Gravity best...its so cool when you can relate so well to people you don't even know over geeky little things. And its so fun.
ReplyDeleteOh man, I would give my right... um... PINKY TOE to be able to spontaneously burst out in song and have people follow my lead like in high school. I miss that kind of stuff so much that it actually pains me.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog today :D
That moment of community sounds like the kind of thing that could get you through a shitty week. Or at least through an overnight training session with at least one person you can't stand. So look back on that and you'll be ok.
ReplyDeleteDid you steal - uh, borrow - that list idea at the end from Justine Larbalestier's new book?
That is amaaaaazing that you spontaneously broke into Rentness. I'm a little jealous. I go to a Christian College, and get interesting looks from my hallmates for blaring it and singing along when I clean my room. Its amazing. And I love it.
ReplyDeleteHave a great night!
<3
I LOVE RENT! ur dream is my dream. congrats on livin it 4 20 minutes. My bff and I break out into Rent songs CONSTANTLY. We're obsessive. Our parents surprised us by letting us see it live in San Diego w/ Adam and Anthony. It rocked !
ReplyDeleteP.S. I<3 haleyghoover :P
Honestly, that sounds like heaven. I love Rent. I wish I could sing well/without getting self-conscious.
ReplyDeleteThat's so funny about the musical. I wish I could sing.
ReplyDeleteI'm excited to read Le Petit Prince. I just love the French language.
Speaking of Rent, did you see the april folls joke the tour cast played? It's on the channel "EverythingisRENT".
ReplyDelete:) <3 the whole idea of this! it makes up for the kind of erratic vids from you all not like everyday. i guess its an antidote for 5ag.in a way. :)
ReplyDeleteAhh! My chorus buddies have burst into sychronized singing randomly. And a few of my friends and I have performed the same dance moves spontaneously. We are eerily on the same wavelength. One of the few things I will miss about high school. :)
ReplyDeleterent = my life.
ReplyDeletenot the story line, but more in the sense that it completes my life.
I watched the final performance of RENT on DVD with some friends last night... I don't think I've ever cried so much in my life.
it is AMAZING.
Okay...so I watched your 5AG video and as soon as you said "Le Petit Prince" I thought to myself "HOLY CRAP!!! I freakin' LOVE that book!!!" I have read it original French, but I also have read it about 15 times in English as well...it makes my heart smile!
ReplyDelete~Chelle
man i miss my high school choir so much. it hasn't even been a year since i finished.
ReplyDeleteand i'd like to hear/read your poem! please share:)
I'm jealous when your buririto count goes up, I'm a Chipotle virgin.
ReplyDeleteAnd Hayley, I have a quick question. I've been wanting to sign up to volunteer at a RFKC (actually because I saw your video on it) but when I click around the site it asks me to login and no place to sign up.
Help?
I LOVE WHEN THAT HAPPENS.
ReplyDeleteGah, it's the best ever when you have spontaneous group sing-alongs. I wish life were a musical too.
Oh. And I have a Blogger now. I love youu.
Musicals aren't always unrealistic! :)
ReplyDeleteI loved All That! It was so fun to watch!
That whole story about Rent sounds like the most fun ever! I've have experiences like that, and I just love it. And I love Rent too.
Le petit prince is amazing. My mother is Belgian so I'm fluent in french and it was my favourite childhood book. The translation just isn't the same.
ReplyDelete"I realize Rent isn't the most important thing in most people's lives."
ReplyDeletei COMPLETELY disagree Rent sometimes takes hold of my life and becomes my center of attention for days. Although i probably shouldn't be ignoring my biology project due tomorrow and singing rent the entire night, somehow it always seems to be there. I most likely know every word to every song in that musical. I just yesterday saw Rent in Chicago with Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp and i literally cried because it's such a powerful musical and i definitely agree that it would be the most amazing thing to live in a musical. Well i guess i'll just keep on dreaming hopefully it will soon come true. by the way your blogs are incredibly inspiring and you are NOT ugly or fat, your gorgeous. Keep making videos and blogging!!
Stefani
I am a complete RENTHEAD as well, have you seen the final performance DVD??? it is amazing a lot of the original cast was there and it was just an amazing experience, You are an awesome young woman miss Hayley and this new information just confirms it.
ReplyDeleteI feel like that "breaking out into song and dance" thing happened a lot at Leakycon. Lol Thats why i love it everyone is so crazy in sync, on the same brain wave all the time at these things. Just like the circle&
ReplyDeleteAhh omg we were in the room after& i dot actually know her name but the girl from house of black wanted to sing but she couldn't because apparently her music is not the acoustic type so Toby starts beat boxing, one of the girls from Bella and the strangers picks up a guitar and lays out a ticking beat and tyler starts making a sound into an empty bottle and she started rapping it was so awesome and everyone just went along withit without saying anything they all just did it and it was fantastic.
Like randomly in the halls someone would break out into song and we'd all go into what looked like a pre-choreographed dance. Oh yea fun stuff.
I wish my life was a highschool musical. That would be neat xD