Annie

Mom and I just got back from our trip to Cleveland and watching Annie just made every bit of the effort worth it.

I usually don't write reviews of anything, more like never. As a matter of fact this isn't, just a chronicle of sorts. If there was such a thing as the book of milestones in our family, Dhiksha's Annie could most certainly be an episode.

So here goes the rant.

The Before:

Just before the play, Dhiksha was getting ready to leave to school to get dressed - just about everyone of us were fussing around Dhiksha, bustling with hyper-activity- which did not include charging the camera of course, running around her doing nothing useful mostly, but Dhiksha sat there poised, contained and unaffected by the chaotic surrounding.

After she left, the rest of us spruced ourselves up, carefully so though, keeping in mind, the subtle instructions from Dhiksha to not look overdone.

We reached her school just in time and may I say the school building said a lot by itself. It was a beautiful campus, and if school buildings could have a character, this one had one of the finest.

We stood outside the auditorium, waiting in line, grinning ear-to-ear, which I believe could only be attributed to the anticipation pent up in the last two days from all the rave reviews we had heard from Deepa akka, Kavin Kavya, Dhiksha’s piano teacher and the trailer I caught from Deepa akka’s video camera. We caught some pictures in the bulletin outside from the Friday screening of Annie and needless to say, Dhiksha was in most of them. I almost wanted to tell all the people standing there that we were the proud family of the lead character, but wanted to save much embarrassment for Dhiksha.

We got in 30 minutes prior to the show and managed to get some decent seats, second row, very close to the stage. It was good in a way and few lines down, you will know why.

The During:

The auditorium was full, seats about 300 people I think. Manju, Suji, Navi, and Uma also came by to partake in the pleasure. At precisely half past two, there was absolute silence and the play started. The very first scene, I was searching for Dhiksha but realized shortly after, she was yet to make an entrance. The wait was worth it. She entered as Annie and from that point on I was all eyes and ears. When she broke out into her first song "Maybe" I could not stop wishing each and every one of you were there. If it was ever possible for 300 people to be enraptured in disbelief, then this had to be it. 10 minutes into the play and I was already swelling with pride. Each scene, each song just kept getting better, mind you, no exaggeration, after every scene my arms were all up in the air, clapping like a giant monkey. Mom had to almost shush me and this is why I was happy I wasn’t in the very first row distracting the actors and the audience.

Intermission came and I almost felt like I came out of a trance. Adjectives were already beginning to fail me, when Gowri akka asked “how do you like it so far". Really, there is no telling how the play was, how she performed or how she simply blew your socks off. You just had to be there, witness and feel it for yourself.

I turned towards the other side and Amma had almost the same feeling, just the reaction was different. She was so caught up in the story, and Dhiksha's acting was so real, it really made her feel the pain of Annie, she got teary-eyed. In attempting to translate this in English, I might lose the essence, so here I quote her "Papava paaka pavama irukku. Appa Amma irunthum anathai mathiri nadikuthu". She had a hard time telling the reality apart from the play. I chuckled but secretly, I was very touched too, by her acting. The random lady behind echoed the same emotion.

I walked out to get some fresh air prepare myself for act -II. As I was walking out, some old man, looking about 60, was asking another less older man, wide eyed, full of admiration "WHO IS this Annie? She is unbelievable and mind-blowing" , I was walking few steps ahead of them and cheaply overheard the conversation, but even more shamlessly so, slowed down, turned around and told them" Oh ,She's my niece. Her name is Dhiksha Balaji". How cheap of me I kept thinking, stealing the shadow of her glory, but who cares :)

Gowri akka was walking ahead of me and the other man pointed out," it's HER daughter" and they went on, while I walked ahead scoping for more admirers whom I had to duly enlighten about who Annie was.

Act-II resumed and I realized it was not only Dhiksha but the whole cast that was putting up such an unbelievable class act. It was hard to imagine that them- the otherwise jolly, eight-graders sitting at the cafeteria sharing a silly joke, prancing around randomly were there up on the stage as full-blown actors playing a vile warden, a middle aged billionaire, a funny Roosevelt, a stern steward and ofcourse our very own 11 year old chirpy, kind, childlike-and-mature-at-the-same time Annie.

The songs were so good and you don't even have to listen to them over and over again to acquire the liking. It immediately strikes a chord with you, imagine even amma singing "Tomorrow, Tomorrow” moving her arm like Dhiksha did. Alas, the play ended, with a happy note of course and all the characters came out on the stage; the orphans together, the hoovervillites, the newyork city dancers, servants at the warbucks mansion, the steward, daddy warbucks, his pretty assistant, president roosevelt, senators, the mean warden and her vile accomplices, and finally Dhiksha made a grand entrance as Annie much to a roaring applause. Just to be there at that moment, made me feel like a million bucks. I was thinking, I am glad I made it.

And the After:

Full of adoration for her singing and acting, the mind refused to work with me. We all met her at the cast party, hugged and congratulated her and that's when words failed me. I couldn't appreciate her with anything more than a mere 'awesome', 'amazing'. There were a bunch of girls walking through the corridor yelling " Dhiksha Dhiksha ..." . Mama and Akka got referred to as ‘Annie’s Dad’ and ‘Annie’s Mom’. I believe they were at a loss of words too.

On the way back, I was imagining how dad would have been smiling his way back home, his mouth full of teeth, swelling with pride had he watched the play.

I tried my best to bring out in words the whole scene and all our intangible feelings. It is very difficult but a sincere attempt at that. The least I could do to capture the moments, not the least of which can undo the damage of an undercharged camera that failed to capture it visually.

Each one of us should not only be happy and proud but must also congratulate her on this stellar job.

To you Dhiksha- the only thing that makes you bigger beyond this wonderful achievement is accepting the praise, admiration and compliments without letting any of that affect your natural humbleness.

Finally to Kavin, Kaavya, Pranav, Tharoon and Niyatti - This is just a beginning to one of the many such memorable events where each of you shine, while the rest of us sit back and enjoy being proud of each one of you.

a toast to the Tomorrows !