THE PARTY MAGIC ROLLER COASTER RIDE
I know that it’s been a long time since my last blog post (has it really been a month!), but I have the perfect explanation for it. You see, for the past few weeks I’ve been on what I call the “Party Magic roller coaster ride”. Sometimes the sheer hectic schedule of event styling makes time speed by! I hardly felt February (and March) pass by. Still, I am grateful for the many blessings (parties). Party on!
One of the things that I had been preoccupied with is something very special to me. While it’s all fine and dandy to be styling children’s parties, it’s certainly quite nice to have a change of scenery once in a while. I’m talking about the ICBB Moving Up Day:
THE ICBB EXPERIENCE
If there’s one thing that the ICBB teachers do well, it’s to put on a show. And I don’t mean the typical, kids-stand-stationary-on-a-stage kind of show, but I mean a real show. Like, on an actual theater, with lights, costumes, dance and music, the whole production. And here’s the catch: this show is performed by 3 year olds.
(For those of you less familiar, ICBB is a pre-school located in North Greenhills and Bonifacio Global City.)
Every March greets what preschools call the “Moving Up Day“. It’s essentially every kid’s graduation day, or when they complete a whole school year and thus get to move on to the “next level”. Pretty much standard, right?
Wrong.
What I’ve learned, being an ICBB parent for 2 years now, is that nothing is standard in ICBB. Quite the opposite, actually. It’s as if ICBB deliberately wants to standout, rather than be standard. (see what I did with the words there? :)
ADDING THE PARTY MAGIC TOUCH TO ICBB’S MOVING UP DAY
Here’s the thing: instead of the usual graduation show, every year, ICBB picks a play (mostly from Broadway), and creates a whole show out of that, with the students as the stars.
Before that though, ICBB also needed to make a photoshoot first:
For the shoot and the actual show, they of course needed someone to do the production. Guess who they commissioned? Yes you’re right, your very own event stylist next door, Party Magic!
For the Hairspray concept, the ever-awesome Teacher Bea and I decided to focus on the scene from the Corny Collins Show. I just love the entry scene from the movie, where they sing Nicest Kids in Town!
Here’s how the rest of the photoshoot scene worked out:
I did a solo-shot backdrop with a jukebox and a disco ball on top as the focal point. The jukebox is working by the way, and belting out Hairspray songs all the way during the shoot! Talk about the setting the mood!
A close-up of the Corny Collins signage, with some custom-designed Ultra Clutch Hairsprays! Super cute.
IT’S SHOW TIME!
I tell you, on the day of the show, I never felt more terrified in my entire life. I was literally scared out of my wits, and I wasn’t even on the show! My head was swirling with thoughts like, will my little girl dance? The lights might be too bright! She might freeze on stage! Wait, it’s cold in Teatrino, she should be wearing a cardigan!
To match the excitement of the parents, I really had to set the mood with some creative props:
A gigantic Ultra Clutch Hairspray beside the entrance.
Here’s a huge mockup of Tracy Turnblad’s hair that greets parents as they enter Teatrino!
The jukebox was blaring Hairspray songs in the hallway!
And last – at the entrance is my most favorite photo-op EVER:
I’m so proud of this as the Party Magic crew lost sleep the night before just finishing this LED-lighted backdrop!
Now, on to the good stuff. Here are some of my favorite scenes from the show:
Detention, anyone?
Hairspray girls kissing and waving goodbye as the scene transitions.
This kid is really feeling it!
Are these kids happy, surprised, or just showing off their cute faces?
Swing it!
Some kids are just born performers!
And the finale – Tracy Turnblad gets out of the gigantic hair spray! During the show, teachers hidden backstage were rotating the hair spray that slowly showed a girl hidden inside it. How cool is that! I actually had a hard time designing this specific prop, but it was well worth it!
Ever wonder how the kids remember their dance sequences? Here’s super-teacher Bea, directing them!
And this is just one of the shows ICBB did. The school actually organized and produced a total of 3 shows – with Grease and Wizard of Oz as the other two shows. (in the spirit of total honesty, I’m partial to Hairspray as it’s the musical that features my daughter!) Party Magic did the production for those two other shows, too.
The enormity of the task the ICBB teachers have placed upon themselves have no comparison. I tell you, it’s no joke to gather 80-plus 2-3 year old kids, dress them up, push them on stage, hit spotlights and blaring music on their faces in front of an adult crowd, and expect them to dance to the beat! I would have already considered it a success if they did not cry, let alone dance!
Here’s another thought: I can actually say that my own daughter has surpassed me: she’s starred in a play when she was 2 and 3 years old, while I’ve never set foot on a stage in my life, and I’m approaching thirty already!
The warmest of congratulations to the ICBB family for pulling off the impossible creating wonderful memories for us parents. ‘Til next year!
Love,
Michelle
