MWAH X 3

Rockapella at Montalvo

Saratoga, CA

Carriage House Theatre

Sunday, December 12, 2010

7:00 p.m.

We, the George-proclaimed Sandwich Crew, walked to our cars to obtain our dinner.  Jeff was nice enough to share half of his sandwich with our new crew member, Nick.  While we were looking for a place with light, we found a picnic table next to the parking lot, so we decided to eat our dinner there while signing the Santa pictures for the guys.  I wrote "Ho!" above my picture because I giggle during "Jingle Bell Rock" when they sing "ho".  It's kind of a double-meaning thing that, for some reason, I had no problem conveying to the guys.  On George's, though, I made it special and also wrote "Mwah!"  

We walked back up the hill to the theater, and I had the same seat as the previous show.  The others had moved over a bit.  I wondered as I watched the people sit near me: "which lucky lady would Geo sing to for this show?"  There were 4 seats to my left, and 4 MEN sat down.  Then to my right, 2 females sat down, one of them cute and young.  So I figured that she'd be the lucky one.

I Heard the Bells

Someone yelled, "I love you, Scott!"  He said, "I love you, too...  I do *not* love you, sir."  

Hope We Hold

People that had front row seats were tardy.  When they arrived, Scott asked why they were so late.  He then asked who in the audience had seen Rockapella before.  The tardy folks did not raise their hands or clap.  He said to them, "That's why you're late.  You missed all of the good parts.  It's all already done."  But, of course, as we all know, there was much more awesomeness to come.

He then asked who had been at the 4:00 show.  Whoo HOOO!  He called us "Doublelicious".  Mmmm, yummy!

Dreidel

Silver Bells

There's the song that we didn't get last show.

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

Glow Worm

Cool!  John did some different steps!  That's a performer for you, folks, never making every show the same.

Little Mary Snowflake

Scott said that the next song is new for them.  "Be kind to us and good luck to us!"

Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time

Oh, wow!  It's "Nutcracker"!!!  It only took me 3 shows to finally figure it out.  I totally get it, and that is a difficult piece, especially to sing.  Scott is ruthless and amazing.

Scott talked about how back in the old days, they would only play "Rudolph" on TV once a year, and he would savor every moment, every commercial with Santa in the Norelco shaver.  He got much applause from our generation.  He said that when it came on, "you had to watch it.  It was a joint/communal experience of all of America watching at the same time."  It's totally true.  When I watched it a couple of weeks ago, I thought of Scott watching it, too.  I heart that Scott loves Rudolph.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

John told everyone in the office to connect with someone, if not someone in the audience, then someone on the cell phone for the next song.  He gave us all time to turn on our phones.  I thought of calling Cindy, but (sorry, Cindy!), I was too busy taking notes at the time.

John told the guys to get their phones, too, and that he was serious about it.  So the guys all left the stage to get their phones.  Well, everyone but JT.  Why?

JT:  "I have AT&T."

George dialed a number, then said, "That's disconnected."

John's wife kept saying "Hello?"

Scott just kept looking at his phone.

Merry Christmas, Darling

Scott had, APPARENTLY, been looking at football scores.  He said, "We should do that *every* Sunday."

Scott talked about the old days.  He said that during one morning show in NYC, a lady from the building above where they were filming spilled coffee on them.  Steven:  "I hope that it was at least Folger's."

This Christmas Day

Don't Be Late

Jingle Bell Rock

When they sing "don't be a square", they make a shape of a square with their fingers.

Please Come Home for Christmas

OK, so did you read the second paragraph of this blog entry?  How I wondered who George would sing to, and figured it would be the young gal next to me?  NOPE.

George walked to the front of the stage, looking at ME.  He motioned to me to come forward.  I got up and walked to the stage.  He took my hand.  He kissed it.  I swooned.  He kissed it again.  I used my other hand to cover my mouth in disbelief.  He kissed it AGAIN!!!  I could not stop giggling.  Then Scott rudely interrupted our lovefest.  I gave him a short wave hello and went back to my seat.  Scott then flirted with me, so I flirted back by making kissing motions at him.  Darn right I played it up!  Two gorgeous men flirting with me from the stage?  Eat it up, Sher!!!  By this time, I had lost my ever-loving mind.  Swooonerama!!!

Happy Kwanzaa

Steven talked about the fact that the Montalvo used to be the California Governor's mansion.

He said that someone in the audience named Eliza was on Santa's list.  She is a 10 year-old from Los Gatos.  She wants a new leotard for Christmas, because she's a gymnast.  Steven said that Santa told him that Eliza was a singer, also.  Eliza shook her head.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

Nice little scat, John!  George walked onto the stage dressed as Santa, and hid behind the huge peppermint stick.

George said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, yes, it's true.  When I put this costume on, it makes me want to sing...like a woman.  How about you guys join me in a song?"  A little kid in the audience yelled out, "No way!"  George kept going anyway, asking what style he should sing in:  Whitney Houston?  Aretha Franklin?  Cyndi Lauper?"  We all sang "Silent Night", with Geo singing the part of Whitney Houston.

Grinch

Scott said, "He seemed very stoic, that Grinch."  Dude, y'all were verbally abusing him!  

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

Angels We Have Heard on High

Feel the thunder in my heart!!!

ENCORE

Carmen

A red strobe light flashed.  Then the music turned into Billie Jean, with George getting down on the Remix.

Hold Out for Christmas (off mic)

Aw, it's the last song of our Rockapella Holiday shows for the year.  Sadness.

I somehow got out of the theater unscathed by my friends, who probably wanted to scratch my eyes out even more than before.  I didn't want to wash my hand again, ever.

We got in the Meet and Greet line, and conversed with Robin for awhile.  We gave the guys our pictures with Santa.  

I asked Scott to help me with the lyrics of "We Are Santa's Elves" from Rudolph, because I couldn't remember the second line.  He sang:

"We are Santa's elves.

We are Santa's elves.

Do do do do, do dodododo, 

We are Santa's elves."

I laughed, and said to him, "That's how *I* sing it, that's not how *you're* supposed to sing it!"  (Seriously.  That's exactly how I was singing it earlier that day).  He couldn't remember how it went.  (Karla looked it up for me later on, just to shut me up).  

John asked where we had been after the first show.  George informed him that we had been eating sandwiches.  I love that. 

Sigh.  Geo.  I said to him very loudly, "I LOVE YOU!!!  Thank you!"  He said that he was looking around during the show and saw the 4 men sitting near me.  He decided at that moment, "I'm gonna freak her out."  Well, you did, sir!  He saw what I had written on the Santa picture, and wrote the same thing on my "Bang!" CD (except for the Ho! and the name he signed).  I said that we needed to take a picture together, and he said, "Definitely, we will."  I was still swooning.

I asked Steven if he wrote any of Simply Having... and he said that no, it was All Scott.  I told him, "He's amazing.  Amazing, and MEAN!"  He laughed.

Jeff said to me, "You are a STAR!"  He was clearly entertained by the whole exchange between George, Scott and me.  I said to him and Steven  that this was also the venue where I was selected to be "Pretty Woman".  He said, "Really?"  I said, "Yeah, the Montalvo is MAGICAL!" and my voice went into only-dogs-can-hear-me mode.  JT mocked me.  I would have hit him if he had been closer to me.

I said hi to Nick's dad, who had returned to pick up Nick.  I also said hi to Fred, who thanked me for the goodies.  Karla introduced me to Light Guy Tim, and Fred gave him a tip to tell me his favorite cookie so that I'd make it for him next Christmas.  Fred is now giving people instructions so that they can receive the PellaPusher love.  Nice!  

We tried to get a picture with as many of the guys as possible with our group.  JT was next to me and said to everyone, "OK, everyone put your arms around each other, hands down to their butts, and SQUEEZE!"  I giggled, then wondered to myself why he didn't follow his own advice.  I mean, hello, I wouldn't mind a squeeze from him, you know.  ;)  Like I hadn't received enough Pella Love that night.  ;)

George and I took our picture together, and as we were posing, he told me that he had to be kissing my hand in the picture.  Now, you know that I was hoping that this would happen, but I never asked him to do it.  Ergo, this was ALL his idea.  As Wendy was taking the picture and Geo was kissing my hand for the 5th time of the evening, JT walked right in front of my camera.  So, oh, DARN.  Geo just HAD to kiss my hand again.  

For those of you keeping track, that's SIX times.  SIX!   Sigh.  Here is that glorious moment.

Swoonworthy

At one point, none of the guys was available to talk to us, but the signing table was empty.  So we took this picture.

Scott talked to Karla some more, and as I talked to him, too, I babbled something about him not liking me any more.  He said, "Why wouldn't I like you anymore?"  So sweet.  I was still reliving the whole moment where I was flirting with George and ignoring him, which almost never happens.  I didn't tell him that, so I said, "I don't know."  Scott made a point of hugging Karla goodbye, and hugged me because I was standing there, too (I tell you, I was feeling like I had cheated on him that day -- because I'm insane -- and it felt weird, so this is what I felt at that moment, which is totally baseless, and now this is a really long parenthetical statement).

We wished them all a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Safe Travels as we said goodbye.  My very supportive friends did not kill me on the way to the car, which I probably wouldn't have blamed them for, what with all my happiness.  They're so good to me.


We were hungry again, so we looked for the Baker's Square that runs out of pie and soup.  Yes, we looked for it.  It was not there anymore, and has been replaced by a Hobee's.  I was fine with having Hobee's, since it was my goal to go to one sometime during the trip.  It had closed by the time we got there, though.  So Karla checked her phone and found us a Denny's.   Mmmmm.....Gingerbread French Toast.  We all had some kind of Slam breakfast, mostly so that we could have Gingerbread something or other, because they did not come as separate items.  The guys on the side of me at the other table tried to mock me through the glass, but I would have none of that.  I was in too good of a mood.

With our tummies satiated, we went back to our hotel, and Karla got ready for her early morning flight as I went to bed.

Good night, San Jose!  Mwah mwah mwah mwah mwah mwah!!!!!!