Well, our outing to see The Little Mermaid yesterday turned into quite the adventure.
First, there was a cold front and a massive line of thunderstorms coming through right when we needed to leave. We tried to wait it out, but eventually we had to just make a run for it with umbrellas and pile into the car as quickly as possible. (This is when I regret that we don’t park a car in our garage!) We managed to do this without anyone getting completely soaked, and Jose carefully picked his way through the water-logged surface streets to the highway. The storm finally slacked off about halfway downtown and we successfully arrived at the Hobby Center about 20 minutes before showtime.
WHEW. It was quite the nerve-wracking drive, with both Jose and I putting on a cheerful face so they girls didn’t freak out. Ah, parenting.
We got inside the theater, bought a few concessions, and settled into our seats. The theater required that everyone show either proof of vaccination or a negative covid test, and additionally required masks. Omicron is starting to spike in the Houston area, but honestly I felt ok about our theater plans. Like I said in my post yesterday, at some point we just have to take the precautions we can and go ahead with life.
The girls were SO excited for the show. We’ve never gone to a big show in a big theater like this, and they’d been anticipating it all week. The show was scheduled to start at 2:00, but seemed to be running late. A few minutes didn’t seem like a big deal, and we assumed they may have decided on a 10 minute delay or something because of the weather — it definitely affected traffic and thus everyone’s ability to get downtown on time.
But the minutes kept passing with no sign of action. Jose and I started wondering why no one was making any sort of announcement about the delay, or giving an updated start time. And then at 2:30 the speaker finally crackled to life with a generic announcement that the show had been cancelled. No reason given. No information about credits or refunds or getting tickets to another show.
The girls — and quite a few other kids in the audience — were SO upset. There were tears. It was awful, and I felt awful knowing there was nothing I could do. We sat for a while to let the rest of the audience leave, and then walked down to the first floor so they could see the stage and orchestra pit up close.
We drove home in the rain and ended up going to the mall for crepes to salvage an otherwise rotten afternoon. That actually turned out to be pretty nice! Because of the weather, we had the restaurant almost entirely to ourselves and it was the first time we’d been there, so it still felt like a special treat.
Several hours later, the theater finally put out an announcement that the cancellation was due to a “potential” covid case in the cast/crew, and they cancelled their evening show as well. Yesterday, they said the Sunday shows would go on — but this morning they confirmed the covid case and cancelled today’s shows as well.
I have so many mixed feelings about the whole thing. On the one hand, I get it. I do. I’m not a covid denier, I know it’s still out there, and I know it can and is still killing people and/or leaving long-lasting effects. But on the other hand…they required vaccinations or negative tests. They required masks. They took precautions.
And yes, I know that even with vaccinations and negative tests and masks, in a theater of 3,000 people there is absolutely 100% going to be some covid floating around. But we’re closing in on 2 years now. We are never going to eradicate covid — it is with us forever. We HAVE to figure out how to move forward without cancelling everything again. (I mean, don’t we? Am I off base with this??)
If you’ll permit me a moment of selfishness — I had several moments yesterday of just feeling really pissed off that I’ve done everything I can for myself and my family, and yet we are still mired in this stupid pandemic.
But mainly I’m just feeling really disappointed that we didn’t get to see the show, and wallowing in the depressing notion that the next few months are going to be full of more cancelled activities.
Sigh.
p.s. I’m doing a 31 day blogging challenge.
Yes, it was lousy that the show didn’t go on, but I figured covid in the cast was the problem, as I had just read an article about cancellations and closing on Broadway. I don’t think the cancellation was for the audience, but for the cast, who can’t wear masks, and the crew. (Although isn’t this what they have understudies for?)
Happy Christmas!
Oh yeah, I definitely agree the cancellation was to avoid spreading it among the cast more so than the audience. But I also was like “but what about using the understudy?” Who knows. I’m sure they were doing what they felt was best and I don’t begrudge them that, despite my frustration.
You are correct that this is going on two years and really, something has to give. I was just at a doctor’s appointment and asked “will I likely get afib if I get COVID?” and he answered yes that is a possibility so don’t get COVID but I answered, I think we are all going to get COVID ultimately to which he answered “yes, but just try not to get it”. Isn’t that sort of head in the sand medicine? I am also not a covid denier but, I think we’ve gotten to the point that we cannot control it so we need to be able to plan for it. In sports, so many second stringers have to step up to take the place of people out for a week or two. Ultimately, I think especially with omicron, we are all going to experience it. It’s not like it was a year ago before the vaccines when we had little idea what would end up happening. I hope the community realizes that we now have ways to lessen the severity of the illness, and we need to be looking to how to get through the actual illness, as though it was a severe flu or other virus. I’m not an immunologist, so perhaps my views are naive, but I think we’ve lived through the “we know nothing about this illness” period and now we need the next step. It would certainly help if people who have been unwilling to get vaccinated due to the unknown would take the plunge to vaccination as more is now understood about the effects. That would help reduce hospitalizations and hopefully allow us all to move on. This is a virus, not a political position.
Sadly I think a good chunk of the people who are still not vaccinated at this point will likely never get vaccinated. Thanks for your thoughtful comment. I agree that it’s a virus, not politics, but it’s become hard to separate the two unfortunately.
Well, you know I’m jealous of you for living in Houston from a Covid perspective. The Covid stuff here is just ridiculous.
But as far as the show, it’s probably completely unrelated to the audience. I would imagine the theater group has agreements around Covid with the unions associated with the performers and crew. I’ve been reading about this a bit for NYC groups (eg Broadway).
But I’m sorry that happened. It definitely sucks. My kids are so used to having their lives upended because Covid they just expect it. And that makes me really sad.
Also, Houston weather is truly insane.
Yeah, I never thought it had anything to do with the audience at all. I hadn’t thought about unions, etc but I’m sure you’re right that they have protocols in place. I definitely recognize that one case quickly becomes multiple cases when the cast is all together and singing.
Are live performances just not happening in your area due to restrictions?
And ha, are you watching marathon weekend weather or something? It’s supposed to be 80 degrees on Christmas, which is warm even for here. I wouldn’t put too much stock in mid-January predictions yet. Could be anything from 40s to 80s.
We have live performances here – same rules as you – proof of vaccination required and masks. But Isla’s winter dance performance was canceled. And Seattle schools just sent out a notice to prepare for possible remote learning in January (and UW has already gone remote for the first week of January). And it’s supposed to snow next week, but if I go to the gym, I’d have to wear a mask WHILE RUNNING. Which just does not work for me.
I registered for the Houston marathon a bit impulsively when I realized I wouldn’t be able to do CIM. But seriously, the weather is nuts! 80s or even 70s will not work for me. I just did not realize how hot it is in Houston in winter sometimes. I have probably been watching the Houston weather more than you. I think the hot weather in winter would bother me more than the hot weather in summer. Maybe.
To be fair, this winter has been warm even for Houston — I read yesterday that we are well on track to break the record for warmest average temp for December. I would welcome a good long string of days in the 50s-60s, which is more the norm!!
It’s sort of like having a rainy summer in seattle. We suffer through the winter but get a break in summer. You guys deserve some decent weather now! Though Jonathan is actually loving the warm sunny weather.
Ha, yeah my sister and family are coming here next week and looking forward to some sun!