I'm not a rabid WSS fan, but I'm a fan of the musical genre as well as the interactive genre. I recieved free passes for 4 from Martha's Minion (thanks!) and sent out the call. I found myself joined by Double-D and surprise guests August and Jilly. (August was as surprised to *be* there as I was to see him. The things one does for love...) Jilly cajoled him into attending, and it paid off--at his birthday this past weekend, he sang 'I feel pretty'. Awwww, yeah. You're a pretty one, August! Your burly demeanor can't hide it!

Back to the story. Everyone is given a gift bag upon arrival, and it contained quite a few props, including: a inflatable Krup You! bat, an I Feel Pretty mirror, an American Flag, a Tunnel-vision of Love telescope, and some clickers to allow you to snap your way thru all the appropriate songs.

**A word of warning** Clickers are dangerous and dastardly items when in the wrong hands. I was in an audience full of wrong hands. The clicking always began as an experimental click-click. And then the realization that there were two clickers, one for each hand. click-click, click-click. Then for fun, click-click-click-click. Then in time to the live organ music before the movie began. Then as the credits rolled, mostly in tempo with the overture. Then thru the entire beginning--the one time we were *supposed* to use 'em. Then whenever somebody came on screen. Went off-screen. Said something snappy. Snooty. Stupid. Great. Mundane. Breathed. Looked. Didn't look. When nothing happened. Just click-happy people.

It's like in church when everybody encourages the preacher with an 'amen, brother' or 'preach it' or 'unh-hunh, yes, Lord, yes'...only with a CLICKER. It's funny for the first 15 minutes, and then the Krup You! bat comes out and that's a nice respite...and an excuse to beat the hell out of a clicker-abuser.

Not that I did that, nosirree. I gently bopped my neighbors on safe places like shoulders and arms and knees. No abuse here. (We *did* keep it away from August, tho. No sense in giving him a outlet for his disgruntlement.)

There was dancing in the chairs (and aisles), there was shouting, there was laughing, there was crying, and above all else--there was singing. Singing full-volume and not necessarily on-key, but it was all enthusiastic. While there was no bouncing ball, there were words (per phrase) on the screen. You could tell those familiar with the songs because they had no lapse in singing when the phrases weren't the entire line/verse. (My favorite? Gee, Officer Krupke! Such a great song)

By the end, people pulled out their Tearjerker Tissues while shouting "Chino!" with Tony amidst sniffles. C'mon, it's a sad movie. What did you expect?

I didn't see the Sound of Music Sing-a-long (excuse me, but $25 to see fat men in lederhosen? I'll wait for Oktoberfest) nor the Wizard of Oz SAL, but I *have* done the White Christmas one and it's about the same. When a SAL comes to town, it allows fans to act out the whole thing, just not in the privacy of their own homes. It's fun to watch, it's fun to participate in, and it's a good way to find out just how fast solemn and responsible adults can regress to 4 year olds when given the proper tools.

Click-click-click.

It's damn addictive. (It's on my desk, to be used on/towards wayward co-workers.)