Mark's Career in the Theater: Once on This Island

Cupertino High School 2005.  Marks Senior year we was in the school musical portraying Daniel Beauxhomme (beautiful man) in the Cupertino High School Production of "Once on an Island."  He was cast opposite his girlfriend of the time, Milan who portray Ti Moune.  The island was two classes, those with money, and the peasant people. 
Ti Moune is a girl who is rescued from a tree after a storm.  The great rich "grand hommes" people often drive their vehicles quickly around the island, among them Daniel, who crashes in the rain.  He is nursed back to health by Ti Moune, who falls in love with him.  Daniel is take back to his own people, and nursed further back to health.  Ti Moune makes a deal with death, that he live, and her own life is death's.  Ti Moune travels across the island to be with her love, who commits to her in the song, Some Girls You Marry, and Some You Love." 

Some girls take hours to paint every perfect nail
Fragrant as flowers, all powdered and prim and pale
But you are as wild as that wind-blown tree
As dark and as deep as the midnight sea
While they're busy dressing, you lie here, warm and bold
Some girls you picture, some you hold

Some girls take courses at all the best schools in France
Riding their horses and learning their modern dance
They're clever and cultured and worldly wise
But you see the world through a child's wide eyes
Their dreams are grand ones, you want what's just in reach
Some girls you learn from, some you teach

You are not small talk or shiny cars
Or mirrors or French cologne
You are the river, the moon, the stars
You're no one else I've known

Some girls take pleasure in buying a fine trousseau
Counting each treasure and tying each tiny bow
They fold up their futures with perfumed hands
While you face the future with no demands
Some girls expect things others think nothing of
Some girls you marry, some you love
He is previously engaged, and has obligations, but things he can have a love and a wife.  However this does not work.  Death comes to retake his prize and says you must kill him or die.  She makes an attempt, but then is overcome with love and cannot kill him.  However in this she is discovered with a knife, and thrown out.  She waits ate the gates for Daniel, who finally comes with his new pride on their wedding day, and doesn't acknowledge her other than to throw coins to her as is the custom.  Overcome with grief, she is allowed to drown peacefully.  Her body washes ashore, and becomes a great tree.  The tree breaks the gate of the hotel palace.  The people are then able to mix together with love.  The show ends with Daniels son (played by Caleb) marrying a peasant girl.  The cycle of prejudice is broken.  

I am sure, Mark is the only person at the school that could have pulled off this role.  He had a steering wheel which he used to represent his big car, and skipped around the stage, until the water got him.  Somehow his younger brother, Caleb ended up in the play as well, although his was a nonspeaking part.  Mark was excellent.  His solos sent chills up your spine.  I still wish I had a recording. 

Going Out with Zelda (Daughter of Robin Williams)

It is funny how fame effects us, and makes our minds turn to jelly.  Such was my state when my wife explained to me that my son Mark was going to senior prom with the daughter of Robin Williams, Zelda.  Zelda is a couple years younger than Mark.  Mark already had a date to prom, but of course my advice for him was that he should break that date, and take advantage of this opportunity.  My brain was jelly.  Mark had had a steady girl, but they had broken up.  His date was with a new friend he had met through his being in the musical.

It is strange how opportunities show up some times.  Mark played in a band, "As December Leaves."  They had actually cut a CD which was pretty good.  There were three members of the band, Chris Chavez, my son Mark and Andrew Loc, who was the lead guitarist.  My son played bass, and Chris drums.  They all three did vocals.   It turns out that Andrew's girlfriend attended an art school back East, and met the daughter of Robin Williams, who also attended the school.  I guess Zelda had decided she wanted to have the experience of attending prom, and asked Andrew's girlfriend to help, and that is how Mark was lined up with Zelda Williams. 

This was just  week or so before prom, and so some things had to fall into place.  Zelda did not use her real name, but used a fake name.  The school required an application to approve the attendees.  It seemed Mark got the change in late, and come Saturday morning, the day of the prom, Mark was not yet on the list of attendees, but was an alternate.  I happened to have the home phone number of the principal.  This was because my other son, Jeremy, did tech in the school auditorium, and the principal had contacted him on the weekend one time.  I called, and the principle was able to adjust things, and Mark was on the list.

The next problem came up a couple hours later.  The prom was going to take a Bay Cruise Dinner in San Francisco.  However attendees had to travel on the bus together from Cupertino.  (She was going to come 40 miles South to Cupertino, and then 50 miles back to San Francisco.)  A few hours before they were to meet, the word came that Mark would have to drive to pick her up.  Mark did not drive, so I was going to go as chaperone.  We washed up the Ford Focus as best we could.  We really made it shine, but I still thought it humorous that I was going to drive such a small car to Robin Williams' estate.  In the end they called back and said Zelda was able to get a limo and one of her Dad's driver's was going to bring her to the high school.  There went my chance for meeting her.  Mark met her at the school.

So as far as my side of the story, there is not much more to tell.  Mark came home with a traditional prom couple's picture, but I don't know where that is any more.  I imagine Mark has it someplace.  Mark mentioned that she had designed her own dress.  I am not sure if they ever talked to each other again after the prom. 

For a time I was fascinated with the Williams family, reading about them in the media.  I saw Zelda and her father on "Late Night with David Letterman."  David Letterman kept talking about how pretty she was.  This was when the "House of D" was released.  I thought I wanted to see this movie, and finally did a couple years later.  I also looked at many pictures of Zelda on the internet.  If anyone wants to see more Zelda pictures just "google" it.