Valentine's Day was awesome. Normally a somewhat stressful day of which flowers, restaurant, movie to pick to maximize romancification - instead Irene and I celebrated by doing a show together called "No Sweetheart Required" at Whistler's which ran for 4 days, including Feb. 14th.
A fun little cabaret show featuring monologues, music, dance, and theatre - NSR has been running for about 80 years - and is still a lot of fun to take part in. Irene was in a short play (a shplay) called "Marred Bliss" and I played goofy songs - one of which was written specifically for the show. Panicked on the way there, after realizing that Kim, one of the producers, had asked me to write a special valentine's day number - I quickly wrote this:
**
Grade three
My dad took me to the Shopper's Drug Mart
To get me a pack of Valentine's cards
And candy hearts
That night
My mom made me write out all my classmates
Be my valentine, the Garfield card said
From David H.
On the way to school
Out of the window of the school bus
I threw all the Valentines
And ate the candy hearts at recess
Forgive me if I - I get this wrong
In all this time, I've never got this right
Let's keep this simple, no cards, no songs
And there's no sweethearts required tonight
Grade nine
I shoved 50 Valentine cards into
Wendy Lawson's locker after school
Hoping she'd like me too
I didn't know
Wendy had just started dating Jason Bleem
The head quarterback of the football team
He beat the crap out of me
And ever since I healed that day
I learned to play my part
Telling someone how you feel
Can break more than just your heart
Forgive me if I - I get this wrong
In all this time, I've never got this right
Let's keep this simple, no cards, no songs
And there's no sweethearts required tonight
Can't I just tell you how I feel
By staring at you cross this bar
How come I have to say the words
How come I can't love you from afar
Forgive me if I - I get this wrong
In all this time, I've never got this right
Let's keep this simple, no cards, no songs
And there's no sweethearts required tonight
**
And everyone seemed to like it. I also played my I've got soul, but I'm not a soldier song, which I think is now called "David Hein is made for loving" - as well as My Mother's Lesbian Jewish-Wiccan Wedding (which went over especially well with a very nice lesbian-catholic married couple) and Guilt Trip Song - which I dedicated most nights to my new friend Kevin at the sound board, who had just been dumped for the 6th time... by the same girl. Kevin is an awesome guy - so single ladies, let me know.
All in all a pretty awesome evening. A fun show written & directed by Kathryn Malek, who also wrote and directed Death to Dating, my first foray into trying to write for musicals. Plus a monologue by our new friend Hannah, pretty freakin funny standup by June Morrow, and some incredible dance by Miranda Abbot and Libydo (check them out at http://www.eventhorizondance.ca). And a sweet two-hander by new friend Dave & Carol. Oh, and Irene's show was great as usual, but then I'm biased.
Happy Valentine's Day!
