I am thinking pink this week.
My mom and I went to see the musical “9 to 5” at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre last weekend (which was great, by the way!) and I found myself captivated by all the color on stage. Kudos to my friend Jill Kelly, the costume designer, for making me pink with envy every time the actress playing Doralee (the Dolly Parton character from the movie) stepped on stage. She looked spectacular! (And she sounded great too, as did all of the actors…really great casting.) Dolly Parton herself wrote all the songs for this musical version of the famous movie, and you could really hear her voice throughout, explaining why her humble roots inspired her to try to become a “backwoods Barbie” – but still to be respected and taken seriously. (That was a much taller order in 1979 than it is now, and watching the characters deal with such overt sexism in their office made me very, very grateful that we have come so far since then!)
During intermission, I stepped over to my friend Jill’s table to tell her how great her costumes looked. Especially all the PINK. I stared down at my drab gray and black outfit, and promised her that she (and Dolly) had inspired a change. “Next time you see me, just watch – I promise I will be in pink,” I told her.
So I did my best to throw more color into my wardrobe this week. I’m not sure anyone noticed, but it did make me feel a little brighter. Finding enough options was pretty tough – it will take quite a shopping spree to phase out all the gray, black and earth tones that have eclipsed my wardrobe. I will have to inch along, becoming a little more Pinkalicious over time. (I may take my girls to see that show at B&B too… then we’ll HAVE to do some shopping!)
Tonight, Ian and I have a date. I have run out of pink, but I will NOT resort to black. If I’m on the fence about what to wear, I’ll just ask – what would Dolly do?
(Would a curly blonde wig be too much?)