Spelling Bee last night and my students.

[jasonf]

Posted: 11/18/05 at 10:10pm

So I took my students (45 of them) to see Spelling Bee last night. Traffic into the city was some of the worst I've ever seen - the trip that should take maybe 75-90 minutes tops (and THAT is on a bad day) took over two and a half hours.

None of my kids got picked, unfortunately, to be in it, but apparently my 49 person group wasn't big enough - there were a bunch of other huge groups, and they chose 4 adults instead. Oh well.

Regardless of that, the kids LOVED it. They couldn't stop talking about it all day today. I had kids doing the Magic Foot down the hall, and kids imitating Leaf's spelling style in class (he was their favorite character generally, though I had several votes for Mitch Mahoney as well). They kept quoting the sentences and words - their favorite was caddyjune (I'm ironically probably spelling it very incorrectly). It was the first word they tried to get the last audience member out on. I think the word was made up because last time I saw it they gave another word with no real definition, and the person got it right as well. Anyone confirm this? Anyway, the sentence was: "Well,there's only one citation of it, and it's in a whaling journal, so 'ahoy, landlubbers. I see a whale. CADDYJUNE!" Panche did a little arm movement like an "aw shucks" air punch across his chest that the kids were imitating all day long.

A couple of my kids who are Rent obsessed got very excited when they made the BCEFA announcement and said "FIGHT AIDS."

So when we went to the lobby, and Jose Llana was there, they gave him some money. As I was gathering the kids, Llana clapped me on the back and said "Thanks for bringing the kids, they made such a great audience." So not only did I feel pride in my kids there, but was happy I got to exchange a few words with the star of a Broadway show. :)
So despite the traffic, great show, great time at the theater. Everyone, go see Spelling Bee - and if you have kids, TAKE THEM!

[BwayfanMom]

Posted: 11/18/05 at 10:17pm

What a treat! Only the best teachers take their students to see live theater. Only Pedagogical GODS take them to Broadway!

[liotte]

Posted: 11/18/05 at 10:50pm

Glad you had fun! I hope someone in my group gets picked when we go, but that's not til March. (I will go before then multiple times, I'm sure!!)

It's such a fun show, I'm so happy that your students enjoyed it!

[jasonf]

Posted: 11/18/05 at 10:54pm

Thanks BwayFanMom -- I don't know about god, but I do OK. :)

And Liotte -- I wish I could tell you how they choose who gets picked -- I thought for sure they'd put one of my kids in.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 11/18/05 at 10:57pm

I thought they did like to put at least one kid in to do "cow."

[liotte]

Posted: 11/18/05 at 11:03pm

Nah, I've seen plenty of adults only audience spellers. They still give the adults 'cow'.

And catterjunes- "The neap tide is upon us. The Leviathan nears. Catterjunes" is the sentence used...

[jasonf]

Posted: 11/18/05 at 11:13pm

HAHA -- my kids have really distorted my memory of that sentence. That's so funny. Exactly what kids would do with it - though I thought I heard "landlubbers" in there somewhere also.