We Got Us Some Them There CULTURE!

Last week brought two wonderful opportunities to get a little more culture back into life! On Monday Camille invited me to use one of the FREE tickets she WON from here to go and see CATS the musical. Micah couldn't go so she decided to make it a "girls night out". We had a fabulous time. We got to eat at the Cheesecake Factory (yummy, yummy, yum, yum) and then enjoy the musical. It was just what the doctor ordered! An entertaining, wonderful show with some of my favorite friends!

Christine, Camille, Me and Callie after enjoying an amazing show.


AND THEN....Jeff asked me if I wanted to go with him and our good friends Mike and Genevieve Beck to the annual O.C. Tanner Gift of Music concert. Of course I said YES! One of my favorite things is to experience art of any kind with Jeff. He is not naturally excited about this kind of stuff in the beginning but usually is very excited about what he has seen, heard and felt after. I love to see him experience those feelings...it is one of my greatest joys. Anyway, the concert featured the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Utah Symphony with guest conductor Erich Kunzel from the Cincinatti Pop Orchestra, and solo artists Denyce Graves and him:

Brian Stokes Mitchell. What a guy! We both enjoyed his part of the show so much. He was so sincere in expressing how honored he felt to be singing with the choir. He talked about growing up listening to them every year at Christmastime.

His voice was so clear and clean but the best part was his interaction with us, the audience. I would have to say the highlight of the whole night for me was when he sang "Dream the Impossible Dream" from the musical "The Man of LaMancha" (which by the way, he just won a Tony Award for his role as Don Quixote). That song always gets me anyway (if you've never heard it or at least read the words to this song...you can do so now) but the spirit and voice that he brought to it was simply stirring and the choir in the background didn't hurt. They say the best things in life are free...and "they" are right! Thanks Camille and O.C. Tanner for two amazing nights of culture!

I forgot to mention that the choir was amazing as well...the whole night was based on the songs of America. I feel so privileged to be a member of this church!