The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: The Reveal

When last we left our story the coat was finally completed and all that was left was to present it to Shado. Of course since the making of the coat had been such an elaborate experience, the reveal had to be appropriately spectacular. Thankfully I had a plan.

At the end of the workshop process we always have a costume parade. We clump everyone together by looks, assign them some fun modern music, and have them introduced on stage in a sort of fashion show so they can show off their new costuming. It is a really fun event for us. In the past people have done big reveals of new costumes, but this was going to be the best reveal of all because he didn't know it was coming.

I talked to our emcee and the music guy as well as all the other gypsies. Gypsies are always the first group to be presented which meant we could start the show with the reveal. The plan was to keep things as seemingly normal as possible. They would go first. They would get to spin and twirl and do their thing like they always did. Then the plan would be enacted.

I told the emcee to call Shado first. Once he got to the front of the stage he was to stop him and the music. I told him to chastise him about looking scruffy and from there the gypsies would grab him and drag him off to be changed. Once he was done the music should restart and everyone could ohh and aww over the new coat.

Of course before we even got started it looked like the plan would be ruined. Mother nature decided to throw a bit of a fit that morning. There was rain falling when we got to faire that morning and a radar full of dark clouds. We would be unable to do the parade as planned if the rain didn't stop. It would mean a change of venue as well as most likely no music and no mic and really limited visibility. I was less than pleased.

After checking the radar more thoroughly and consulting the schedule it was decided we should switch morning events around to move costume parade back to later in the morning. The hope was that the rain would pass quickly and we would be allowed to proceed as planned.

A few hours later the skies had cleared, the stage had dried, and everything was good to go. It was time.

Our emcee did just what we had asked of him. I should note that one should be careful how much free reign you give to improv actors. He stopped the show and began to chastise Shado mercilessly. He got pretty into the moment. For a while I was pretty sure that Shado was going to punch him. Thankfully our target trusted that our emcee had a reason for this strange behavior and just rolled with it instead of actually getting mad.

Big skirts are good for something

It wasn't until he had been dragged to the back of the stage and the gypsy girls had made a wall with their skirts that he realized what was going on. His old coat was stripped off and I handed over his new coat before running back to my seat in the audience. I am told as they were buttoning it up his eyes began to water. He suddenly realized he had been had. It was the best moment ever.

Now clad in his shiny new coat the other gypsies scattered and the music kicked back on. With a cheshire cat grin on his face he strutted to the front of the stage. He struck a pose and then he spun about. The coat panels flared out, the skirting expanded, and he was a whirling mass of shining color.

He is so crying.

It was perfect. It was the amazing technicolor dreamcoat.

Fabulous!

The task was daunting, and the journey was at times rough, and more than once I had to ask myself if I really liked him enough to be going to all of this trouble. In the end though, seeing his face, watching him spin, knowing how happy it made him, I knew it was all worth it.