in curtains?

Our business with BTV began in December. Rob works with an FSN who was familiar with my recordings. She was working with BTV to find foreign singers, musicians, etc residing in Beijing who might be able to take part in the BTV Chinese New Year Global Gala, a televised variety show that happens every year. BTV brings in performers from all around the world, but they look locally as well. When she suggested that they listen to my recordings the asked if I would participate in the event. And since China is fascinated with big families, and in love with the movie The Sound of Music, the directors wanted us to perform Do-Re-Mi.

When we talked with the kids about it, they were all fairly open to the idea. We were concerned about the time commitment, and of course, the unpredictable nature of three, five, and six year-olds, but we decided to give it a try. I think we all felt a huge relief Saturday night when we finished our final performance and recording. The kids had been good about an intense week of rehearsal. I was grateful that most of our commitment consisted of that short time period.

The show will be aired on the fifteenth of February for Chinese New Year. After the fifteenth, I'll add the recording of our song to the play list. Here are some pictures that Mary wanted to take backstage.

the dress rehearsal

Friday, January 15, Michael Jackson's back up guys ate next to us in the cafeteria. The buffet was especially delicious. Sam and I enjoyed the fried cod. Bethany and Olivia particularly liked the little white cakes. They were good, with blueberry topping. We were a bit rushed. I think Jane was more nervous than all of us combined.

Friday was a filmed dress rehearsal with an audience. As soon as we finished eating we changed into our costumes and went to the make-up room.

I was pretty excited when Michael Jackson sat down next to me in the make-up room. Who knew he spoke Mandarin like a native?

After the make-up room Jane led us to the second floor to a hallway of broadcast waiting rooms, like green rooms. Fortunately, we had our own, or the kids would have driven someone other than me and Rob crazy, spinning around on wheelie stools.
We practiced a bit, argued a bit, played a bit of poison handshake, then it was time to go downstairs to wait backstage.

It was exciting to see the performers gathered in groups backstage. There were the Russian dancers, with their dramatic eye make-up and sparkling red sequined dresses, the Mongolians in long white, gowns and mysterious hoods, the two Canadian Eskimos, who surely belonged to the igloo from the night before. The kids did their best to jockey for a good view of the show, while I tried, in vain, to gather them back around me. Jane said "Please don't let your kids run wild." I think she was remembering Grant and the igloo.


















This man is Japanese African-American. He sang a gorgeous, soulful ballad about his mother. Take note of the bubbles.

When the Japanese man started to sing Mina told us we were next. Now I would see if I could really get all the little girls to go on stage. Mary started to protest. I told her the spirit of Miss Mary would go with us. When they announced our group everyone went on happily.

We got off to a great start and I was feeling relieved to be half way through, with everyone having a good time on stage, when the music stopped. Okay. We all just sat there. Then I saw the bubbles on the floor at the front of the stage. A crew of men ran out with mops and we watched, relieved that we hadn't tried to march through the slippery bubbles.
The director came out and asked us to start again.

I was glad to see the kids still had enthusiasm. As we marched forward in the last verse, the audience clapped to see all the kids lined up in a row. I was relieved that they enjoyed our act. The kids ran off the stage, excited about their performance. Just one more night to go.

shunyi trees

Thursday, January 14 Rob came home early so he could drive us to BTV. We gathered the kids up at ISB, grabbed some bagels from Tasty's and headed in to Beijing.

When we were on the third ring road I asked "Who can be the first one to see the pants building?"

Olivia said "What's so great about the pants building?"

The pants building is the CCTV tower. Here is the hotel built next to it that caught fire last Chinese New Year. People are not sure what to do with it because it is on the same foundation as the CCTV building, so it cannot be razed. The fire was caused by CCTV's fireworks display. The hotel was empty, but at least one firefighter died.

Here is the BTV building. BTV is the second largest TV station in China, Rob believes, perhaps tied with Shanghai TV.

Our schedule was supposed to be rehearse, dinner, talk show. The talk show people wanted us to bring Grant and William. They were impressed with Grant when they met him at our house because he is "very active." Exactly why we wouldn't like to bring him to the station, but we did anyway. Jane escorted our group of big feet, little feet and strollers through the cold hallways and up and down stairs to the auditorium.

We sat down and and she told us that the schedule was "too tight" to practice on the stage that night. Maybe it was because we had arrived late and she didn't want to appear critical. But nevertheless, I told her if we couldn't practice on the stage then we couldn't perform in the show at all. Our blocking involved the stairs and we needed to feel more confident moving on them before we performed in front of an audience Friday night. We told her that we could skip the talk show, but not the rehearsing. I didn't want to go on TV talking about an act I didn't feel good about.

We reassembled our group, met up with a beat box/ cello group and moved again to the cafeteria, still not sure that we would be able to practice. The cafeteria was already packed. Kyle reported that there was one table available, "until Michael Jackson took it."

We ate at some tables in the hallway. After dinner Jane took us to the backstage in the auditorium. We hoped that was a promise that we'd be practicing next, but soon Jane returned and said, "Okay why don't we go upstairs now?"

"No," we said. "We'll wait here until we can practice."

Aside from my needing to manage Grant's interest in an igloo backstage, the kids were good about entertaining themselves while we waited. Sam found this Chinglish sampling.

Here is the American cellist that we met. The man in front with the microphone is a famous Peking Opera singer. He sounds just like a high soprano. I really enjoyed their cello, beat box, Peking opera fusion. Caitlin was dancing along backstage. William listened from his stroller.

We were glad that we insisted on practicing. After the fusion group, no one else was waiting. We took our turn. We all felt better about the act and we still had time to make an appearance on a studio audience talk show that was being filmed on the second floor.