Our Big Night Out: Beauty and the Beast

If there is one area that Matt and I have totally and utterly failed in the parents department it is carving out time for us. I can probably count on one hand the number of times the two of us have gone out alone in the last three years. This is one of those things we swore we would never let happen once we were parents, but as I constantly learn: Never say never when it comes to parenting.

Two parents working out of the house means that your time at home with your kids or just relaxing on your couch becomes much more precious. On top of that, we tend to have a packed calendar for every weekend and do things with friends. Then there is the whole babysitter thing... It's complicated. We luckily have my very willing family surrounding us, but we get tired of asking and had limited success with babysitters. It was hard to fork over at least $60 on top of what you're paying to eat out or see a movie. However, we both have come to the point that we realize this has to change.

So, when I was invited to see Disney's Beauty and the Beast a couple weeks ago, I thought it would be a nice way for the two of us to have a night out. The last time I'd been in a theater was to see Wicked (and I love plays, musicals, etc.), so I was so excited to have the opportunity. But, nothing is ever that easy... With breastfeeding at the last minute and still not fitting into my clothes, I was running late. We grabbed appetizers and a couple of glasses of wine on the sidewalk patio of Atwood Cafe and then hightailed it to the Oriental Theater so I could try to pump a bit before the show started. I stood in a stall with my hand pump listening to the ten minute, then five minute, then one minute warning, making it to my seat just in time.

During intermission, I again made a dash for the bathroom. The old theater has beautiful bathrooms, but not nearly enough to serve the crowd, so I imagine plenty of people were wondering what I was doing in there as they could hear me furiously working the hand pump. At the five minute warning, I stepped out and checked my phone. My poor mom was having a rough go with B, who is either colicky or cranky, and likes to scream for a few hours every night. It must have been bad if she was even texting me to begin with, so I called to check in. With him screaming in the background, my mom tried to assure me that everything was fine, to stay and enjoy the show. So, of course I went back to our seats and told Matt we should go home. He refused. I needed some time away from the baby and he was right, but when you're breastfeeding it's so hard not to drop everything when you know the easiest way to console a baby is to feed him.

I spent the second half of the show distractedly checking my phone, willing time to speed up, and worrying about what was happening at home. We had been invited to a Q & A with some of the cast afterward, but instead hurried home to relieve my mom from a baby I imagined had spent the last three hours screaming.

We walked through the door to silence. Go figure. Apparently, he calmed down not long after we spoke. Happy Night Out to us!

As for the show... I liked it, but would have LOVED it if I were a 10 year old girl. Seeing some mom and daughters there together made me really want a daughter. (Otherwise, one of these boys better get ready for some theater outings.) The costumes and set was awesome and the actor who played Gaston (Logan Denninghoff) absolutely stole the show. I would love to see him in something again. He was absolutely perfect in every way, I could go on and on about him.

I'm not sure that it was the most romantic thing we could have done for our first night out since B was born, but one thing that I love about Matt is his willingness to do just about anything. When I asked if he wanted to go see a musical, mentioning I knew it wasn't the most exciting thing for him, his response was: "Of course I'll go. I own Singing in the Rain and it's one of my favorite movies. How many heterosexual males liked to watch Gene Kelly in high school?" He had a point.

If you loved the movie, you'll enjoy the show, especially if you're looking to do something with your mom, sisters, friends, or any young lady (or theater-digging male) in your life. It's worth checking out at the Oriental Theatre through August 7th. Tickets available here.
Disclosure: I received complimentary tickets to Disney's Beauty and the Beast, but was not compensated in any other way. The opinions in this post are mine.