The people you meet, Gap this and I loves my rehearsal wear...

 

Hey All!

It is early, early, early morn...and because of the time change I woke at like 6:45am. (I know if I put up a picture you will all know everything...and our Glee clubs are getting to sneaky and CSI-like...so...there it is...you gotta respect a bit of sneak!)

Gosh, Christian and I have done some traveling!

We are at the beginning of Week 5 and I cannot believe how fast it has all gone...one more week after this and then everyone goes to stage.

I am constantly amazed and inspired by the people I meet on this show...the people who will do something totally new, more than slightly terrifying and who will go right out of their comfort zone. We have heard that phrase a lot this year. A lot. "Right Out of My Comfort Zone."...and all of our people will try anything.

Yesterday, I gave a young man a solo line to try...he looked at me with terror and said, "I don't think this is for me."....and I put aside my music stand and said, "Why don't you try it anyway..." and he did...and he was awesome...just awesome...and the clapping and delight that ensued!!! Everyone else was inspired to try...how excellent is that?!

And it doesn't escape me that most of these people watched all of our brave first timers from last year, the Canada Sings Pioneers (who had no idea what it was the show was gonna be!)...the Cops, the Wolves, the Junkers, Scarborough,  Boilerhouse and the Energy peeps (and, of course, all of Scott and Kelly's wonderful teams) ...and thought...well, maybe I can do that!! So, again, thanks to the first timers!!

Now, I need to go watch a couple rehearsal vids and give a couple notes (you know who you are...) but before then....there are a couple of thoughts that I had this week and I wanted to pass them on.

Have you seen the new Gap Campaign "Be Loud"?

Well, the campaign...if it was being truthful...would actually be  

"Be Loud...

unless you are over a REAL size 14...

then, please be somewhere else."

Now, I don't have to tell most of you that I have been, and probably will be again, many sizes in my life. Many. Though you may look at me and see some extra pounds...and I never try to justify myself anymore in this vein...but for the sake of argument...I have physicals every year...I am in pretty awesome shape. You can ask my doctor...if devils her every time. 

The fabulous stylist, Lisa Williams, who does me up for Canada Sings, works very hard to style me in the manner in which I really want to dress. And I love her for it! AND THIS year is  super AWESOME!! Together, we did a ton of research online about stores in the GTA that want to help a gal who is curvy celebrate her style ( Gussied Up and Lola and Gigi, to name a couple)...and Magpie (who's dress is featured above!! LOVE!) and Rainbow have been super helpful. And, of course, the one and only Fashion Crimes will clothe me for the production week...as always.

But it is still hard for women of a certain size to buy fashionable clothes...and their is no bigger "We don't like big people" culprit than The Gap...because, you see...they used to have bigger sizes...I know it because I have the clothes...and can wear them.

But if you go in now, the sizings have all changed...for men and women.

There are no clothes for anyone over a real size 12, I reckon.

They used to go to a real size 16 for women.

And their men's XXL was true...no more.

Shame.

Shame.

Shame.

They sell basics...but not basics for all.

If and/or when I ever become a smaller size I WILL NEVER SHOP AT THE GAP AGAIN.