One of my childhood goals was to live in a musical.  Some people dream of useful things like curing cancer or taking over the world.  I just wanted to learn a few dance moves and start singing on a whim.

A happy side-effect of having reasonable goals is that you can actually make them happen.  I used to make up songs and sing them pretty much non-stop.  My parents were saints to put up with that.  And when I wasn’t making up my own songs, I ran around pretending I was Belle from Beauty and the Beast.  Belle was smart, pretty, and not afraid of a pack of hungry wolves (well, only sort of afraid).  She even spent a freakish amount of time reading and lived in a musical.

Anyway, back to the real story.  Musicals always seemed like such a great way of life.  You’re trudging along, dealing with whatever happens, and you suddenly burst into song.  You can sing through anything–extreme happiness (which usually includes dancing and skipping), extreme tragedy, and everything in between.  You don’t have to worry about people knowing your deepest darkest secrets that you just sang in the public square, because it’s like everyone knows that you have musical Tourette’s and can’t help blurting out whatever you’re thinking.

So that was the dream.  Then yesterday, I sat down to watch Oklahoma! and realized that you would definitely need a fast forward option if you lived in a musical.  Sometimes you don’t need to say the same thing over and over again in different keys.  Okay, so you wish the cute prairie girl would go to the social with you.  I get it.  Moving on.  And how is it that I never feel that way about The Sound of Music?  What’s-her-name can sing about being 16 going on 17 as long as she wants to, and I don’t mind.  And those brown paper packages tied up with string?  Please sing some more about that!

Maybe the moral of the story is that Oklahoma! isn’t my favorite musical.  Or it could be that I don’t really like surreys with fringe on top.  Or (and this is the only option that’s remotely sad) maybe I got a taste of how guys feel when they watch chick flicks.  “Would you get to the point and make something happen already?!”

Part 2 of the Oklahoma! viewing is tonight.  Fingers crossed that I make it through the end and feel differently about it by then.