# Chateau de la Tobler

## Sunday, October 15, 2006

### Angels coming for us

My stake put on a performance of a musical entitled "1856 the Musical." It was to commemorate and honor the faith and courage of the handcart pioneers. It was well done. I mean it was an amateur production and I had trouble hearing the choir but you could tell they worked very hard. There was an orchestra complete with percussion, mostly young men and women and all the actors and chorus in costumes. Their back drop was gorgeous. Someone did a nice job with a paintbrush and some paints.
We followed the story of two families, friends from England, in their journey to Salt Lake. One family is in the first handcart company to arrive in Salt Lake. The other followed in either the Willie or Martin company (they never said which for sure.) I cried as first the youngest daughter and then the next daughter dies. Soon after the mother passes also and the father tells the rescuers at the banks of the Sweetwater River to take care of his boys because he knows he is also dying. Tears are streaming down my face and then I crash back to earth. The only jarring point in the whole show- the mother comes back, all dressed in white to reach out her hand to her husband!!! I am sorry but is was just too much of a cheesy reminder of the Manti pageant. I did not have a problem during the finale to see the mother and father and the two little girls come out in white to sing the final song- that was fine- but it was just too much to have the little added moment when the father is passing for her to come. Enough with the angel's already.
p.s. Not that I doubt our loved ones will be there to greet us, it just took away from the drama of the scene for me instead of adding to it.
Otherwise- two thumbs up!

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