Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Tonight and tomorrow night are the last two showings of Uintah High's musical, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. As usual, they have done an outstanding job; they really put on a great production!

Yes, that car really is "flying" about six feet above the stage floor!

I spent the three weeks after I got home from having my elbow surgery sewing costumes for the play. Now, compared to the 225 costumes that were all sewn and fitted by Pat and Linda, my eight might not seem like much. In fact, Pat sewed two more of my designs, and designed and made another one for me (bringing their number up to 228). But do consider that, in the end, they only needed me to make eleven, and I had only finished one shirt before I broke my elbow! Everything else I made for the show was done after my fall, with my right arm in a splint or a brace. ;-)

The very first piece I made for the show—before I broke my elbow.

I got to design and sew the Fun Fair costumes, which were seen on the stage for maybe six minutes each night of the production. And I don't have the most fabulous pictures of them, but  here are some photos, anyway:

I made this one during the week before I went in for surgery.
(I had some help with the pom-pons.)

Working, working. Making a hat without my brace (naughty!), sewing with my brace on, and making a tutu with my naked arm (it must have been hot that day). And the mess that goes with any of my big projects.

This is one of the last things I made, and one of my favorite.
I draped and built these shoes on a pair of flip-flops.

Kaylie took these next pictures for me, between acts:

He must be telling someone's fortune, there on the left.
And on the right you can see his marvelous shoes.
(Actually, I really like the turban, too.)

one of my clowns—and some photo-bombers

another one of my clowns

and another clown

the stilt-walker

And there he is on the stage. At first I was going to make his
striped pants go all the way to the floor, but then I thought, "Wouldn't it be fun to put boots on the stilts and tuck the pants into the boot-tops?" Jeni Taylor made the boots for me.
(The cotton-candy vendor is wearing one of Pat and Linda's creations. Pretty fantastic, huh?)

Ooh! There's a pretty girl!
Kaylie, a baton-twirler. I think I would have liked her costume
better if I'd left the bottom ruffle off.

the pointe-shoe "tightrope walker"
Sara is always fun to work with.

the acrobat
She did front-handsprings across the stage.

Aren't all these kids cute? They were fun to work with, too; there's a lot of excitement and an amazing, positive energy buzzing around the school during rehearsals and performances.

And now, for your viewing pleasure, here are a few pictures of the play, each one featuring Kaylie doing her acting thing:

the children hiding in the sewers under the castle of Vulgaria

spectators watching their car at the Grand Prix
(opening act)

in the Fun Fair
The unicyclist, next to Kaylie, is wearing
one of my designs, sewn by Pat.

at the Grand Prix
Kaylie held that pose—and that smile—for several minutes while other things were happening on the stage.

Uintah High School really puts on a fantastic production each year! If you can, you should go see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang tonight or tomorrow night. You can get tickets at Uintah.net.