When I was about Jonathan's age (soon to be 14) the place to see movies was at the dome. The Cinerama Dome. It was an amazing architectural feat. The screen swept across a geodesic dome and you'd have to turn your head to see the action on the gigantic screen on the other side.
It was THE theater to go to for The Ultimate Movie-Watching Experience.
We lived in Santa Monica back in the 60's and going to the Dome was The Thing To Do. Totally Epic.
Every year at Christmastime, I try to go see a show or a live performance of some kind with my two girls, Amy and Lucy. Sometimes (when our paycheck is fat) we even see a couple – that happened last year. This year, however, was feeling a bit lean.
So we opted for a movie instead. And not just any movie. A one-time screening of "White Christmas" with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye.
And not just in any theater either. We went to see it at the Arc Light Theaters which is part of what was once The Cinerama Dome. (Which brought back many wonderful childhood memories, but that's not important right now.)
We do so much generally year-round, you can probably imagine what the holidays look like. But we still have a few traditions that we like to fit into our busy got-to-get-stuff-done schedule, too.
The Girls Holiday Theater Night is super important to me and the girls. And this night was no exception.
We dressed up. Had dinner at El Floridita Cuban Restaurant on Vine. (Yes, Cuban food. Of course.)
And celebrated being together and sharing our secret language and inside jokes. The stuff that comes easily from shared familiarity.
Our only tense moment was when they tried to keep Lucy from entering the theater because they happened to be showing White Christmas in the ONE theater in the entire complex that serves alcohol. Yikes! I started to panic.
This was our night. Our one big Christmas event for the season. And they were trying to keep my daughter out? (They did not know with whom they were dealing!)
The bottom line was that they agreed (*ahem*) to let Lucy in and the staff steered clear of the crazy Cuban lady for the rest of the night.
So we watched White Christmas and sang along and got weepy at the part with the General and we clapped loudly and "awwed" when it finally snows in Vermont on Christmas Eve and all that…..
Did it really matter what show we saw? No.
Did it matter if we even saw a show? No. Not at all.
The goal was to celebrate the Christmas season with my beautiful girls. To be together and celebrate the fact that we share DNA and sometimes a brain.
Because you see, we all absolutely agreed that Rosemary Clooney's wardrobe in this movie was totally EPIC! (I know. Never mind. It's a chick thing. =D)
It sounds like you had a wonderful evening….can we arrange a marriage so I can get in the family and come too?
I am completely and utterly jealous right now! Not only did my sister, 5 friends and I watch White Christmas last night on our (relatively) small tv but it is also my favorite Christmas movie. Since we’ve watched it every Christmas since I can remember, it doesn’t feel quite like the holiday until we do. It was nice hear all the newbies last night laugh in all the right places and the gasps when they were informed Rosemary is Georges aunt. And while I agree that her wardrobe is spectacular (especially that little black number when she sings Love You Didn’t Do Right By Me) but I always pick Vera-Ellen’s dress in the last scene. That’s ok though, cause my sister always wants Rosemary’s 🙂 (Sister’s, sister’s, there were never such devoted sisters….)