Brigadoon

When I was a kid, we took a long trip one summer. We drove our twelve passenger van and my father rigged up a television and VCR on top of a wooden stand. It was quite innovative, and ahead of its time. (Now of course, everyone has a little TV inside of their van.)

We drove all across the country and stopped at momentous places like Mount Rushmore. I really enjoyed that trip.

One of the movies we watched was the Brigadoon. Its been years since I saw the video, and though I only had a vague recollection of it, I remember that I really liked it.

This last weekend, my cousins and their stake (regional church congregation) put on Brigadoon. It was quite impressive. My uncle directed an orchestra created from local people, and my younger cousins and aunt were either part of the pre-show, or cast member in the performance. My grandma and a few other cousins were part of the orchestra as well.

Kevin loved it! He sat still for nearly two hours (which is almost unheard of for him). He liked the dancing and the singing, and often he would quietly join in. At intermission, way past his bedtime, he began to tell me he was tired and wanted to go to sleep. However, when I tried to take him out, the music began to play again and he just couldn't relax! He wanted to see what was going on.

Grig ended up holding him in the back for the last half hour of the play, but overall he did fantastic!

It was a wonderful performance, and it reminded me why I liked the show so much. I've been told that the movie is very different from the play, but I enjoyed both very much.

The basic premise is that two men get lost in Scotland. They are in the middle of nowhere, and there isn't supposed to be a city around for miles. Suddenly, they see mist and hear singing. They approach and find a town that isn't on the map called Brigadoon.

The two men have different experiences in this enchanted town. One's experience is carnal and ends in tragedy. The other falls in love with both the town and a certain young woman there. There is a mystery surrounding the place, and it shouldn't exist. In fact, it is possible that it is all a dream.

However, faith and love turn the unbelievable into reality, and by the end it was easy to believe it was a real place.

The cast did a phenomenal job and the orchestra was amazing!

The only problem I had with the story-line was that the two main characters only knew each other for a day and decided they were in love. I'm sure it worked out for them (as it sometimes does in real life) but it is important to get to know someone in all different types of situations before you marry them.

I was impressed with the show and the moral behind it. I felt bad for Jeff, the friend who didn't believe in Brigadoon and who had such a terrible experience there.

How we view the situations we are placed in can change how we feel about the experience. Two people placed in the same situation will have completely different experiences because of their attitude and choices.

It's a good theme and a great show.