What I’ve Been Looking For
Last year, when our church announced that there was going to be a talent show, Bart signed us up. Unfortunately, he didn’t actually have anything in mind to perform and I didn’t have any brilliant ideas either (also, I usually don’t really love talent shows).
In my family, you do not perform unless you really have something worth performing. I remember my dad and a few of his friends doing a Beatles song when I was about 12 or 13. They rolled their suit pants up, cut their ties to look really skinny, wore these hilarious wigs, and made guitars out of cardboard and various nuts and bolts. It was very awesome.
A day or two before the talent show, we realized it might easily be the most hilarious thing in the world to do one of the song and dance numbers from “High School Musical.” The main reason we thought it would be so great is because our church has about fifty bazillion children (last year, I heard we had 70 ages 3 and under). We also knew that practically every child there would know “High School Musical” backwards and forwards.
But at that point, it was too late to pull it off. Next year.
About a month ago, the sign-up sheet for this year’s talent show was passed around and this time we signed up, knowing exactly what we were going to do.
We rented HSM from the library and spent several evenings in front of the TV, with all the furniture pushed out of the way, learning the choreography.
After the first evening, it seemed like maybe we’d bitten off more than we could chew. Was there any way we could learn this whole thing before the show?
Then, on Monday, we tried running through the whole thing. Imagine our surprise when we discovered that we knew it all. All of it! Hoorah!
Last night was the big performance. I wore a brightly colored sequined skirt, with big flashy earrings and sparkly high heels (rubberbanded around my feet so they wouldn’t fall off mid-jazz square) and Bart wore a bright shirt. We’d made amazingly good-looking microphones out of toilet paper tubes (covered in white paper) and frosted silver Christmas balls. We had our CD with the song on it and a friend all prepped to cue the music.
As we got closer to our turn, I started getting a little nervous – was this really going to be as hilariously awesome as I hoped?
We did the whole number and got quite a bit of laughing and cheering, but frankly, I was in such a fog of concentration that I hardly noticed. I was too worried about forgetting a vital step or falling off of my high heels.
The show went on and we went back to our seats, where my hands continued shaking for a good ten minutes.
Afterwards, though, we were mobbed by people telling us how hilarious it was and asking how long it had taken to learn it. And when we went to B and Ralphie’s later on and watched the video, I was amazed by how loud the cheering was and what a ridiculous amount of laughter we generated.
And by “we,” I clearly mean “Bart,” because that man stole the show.
That was hilarious! And very brave can I say! I didn’t know you guys were so talented!!!!
Excellent work. Bart can dance? Who knew?
FANTASTIC!! We all gathered around the screen and cheered and clapped along with the crowd. All those years of drama and family reunion songs have prepared you for this fine moment!
That’s awesome! Wow. That made my day. 🙂 Great job! (I watched the video first and then read the post, and I’d totally thought the mikes were real…)
Bart really did ham it up. That was great!
That was AWESOME!! I laughed out loud and clapped and cheered for you from my little couch in Blanding, Utah. Rock on. Thank you for putting a huge smile on my face!
That’s awesome. Even more impressive than amusing, to my mind.
I’m so proud. I feel so famous because you can hear my “I LOVE you Sharpay!”
Wow.
(this is your amazing friend Ralphie)
I have not seen HSM, but ya’ll are so cute! and seriously, when you turn sideways you all but disappear you’re so TINY!
Very funny! I’d never have the guts to do that.
Bwahahahaha I demand an encore presentation when we get to Vegas. That was awesome and I haven’t even seen HSM.
You were all cute and I was like, “aww” and Bart was all hammy and I was like “HAHA” and the whole thing was awesome. Way to be.
Talent shows terrify me.
very very cute
Haha! I love it! That’s hilarious! My husband would never do that in a million years! 🙂
That was so awesome! Wish we could have been there to cheer along…
Very cool! My husband and I are both waaaaay too awkward and shy for that, but you all really rocked it!
it was absolutely fabulous and entertaining! my kids loved it. 🙂 best talent of the night!!
Oh my GOSH, Janssen! I LOVE IT! You are just so darling, as is Bart. I can’t decide if I liked your performance more or the excitement of the little girl down front who almost joined you on stage!
That was so stinkin funny…I LOVED IT! My favorite was clearly the cartwheel. Bah Hah Ha!
Awesome! I bet the kids, along with the adults, in your ward just loved it! I possibly could get up in front of everyone and do that sort of thing, but we definitely wouldn’t be as coordinated as you and Bart were!
Loved it. Can you do it at our next family reunion?
You guys are so cute, I can hardly stand it. My husband would NEVER do something like that with me, which is probably for the best since he is dangerous on a dance floor.
Very cute! Great job.
My dream is for me and my friends to do a HSM or Moulin Rouge number at the wedding. You guys are the coolest people I’ve ever seen. That video made my day!
Loved it. And I totally appreciate how much work it was to learn all the choreography because Rick and I did that same number for a family reunion talent show two summers ago. Bart’s jazz square was my favorite. No, the cartwheel. No, the jazz square. Way to be brave guys. The teens and preteens must’ve been eating out of your hand.
yep. that was awesome!
I love you for this. I’m going to need to start some sort of talent program at my church so that I can perform a cheer from Bring it On that I may or may not already have memorized.
Two words:
MORMONS ROCK!
(I love how that little boy and girl get up at the start of your jazz solo. They are clearly loving YOU!)
Awesome! I would have been so intimidated to preform in the talent show, but you did an awesome job!
I love that you posted the video. Thank you so much for letting us see it!!! I wish I had the guts to do something like that!
And hello Bart! You rock!
Fantastic – I am speechless at the talent that is in your family! 😀
THAT WAS TOTALLY WICKED!! my kids are HSM nuts (admittedly…. I am too) and that was just great!!
PS- thank Kayla for sending me over 🙂
Oh wow,that was definitely a highlight of my week, maybe my month. I aspire to be as cool as you two.
I’m very impressed you two! I was at work when I watched it, so no sound, but even without, you guys rock!
*Standing Ovation*
That was AWESOME!! I love HSM, and I must say, you gave them a run for their money 😉
That was such a cute idea and it looked like so much fun!
Oh my gosh, you guys are so cute! And, yeah, so much braver than I! I love Bart’s leg kicks…too funny 🙂
It is weird that I’ve watched this like five times? Mostly for the jazz square. Everyone loves a good jazz square…
Oh man, that was worthy of second viewing. Sherry had told me about this, but hearsay does not serve you nearly as well as a page visit! So great.
Comin here from your insta story…. LOVE this! So so funny. You guys killed it. Even though I’m probably WAY too old, I too am still a High School Musical fan. 🙂
This is ****the best**** thing I’ve seen this year!!!! 💖💖💖
YES!!! I love this!!