[A flourish of trumpets. Enter SH.]

O what a glorious night!

Last night was my first at the Hollywood Bowl. And what a way to begin a relationship! So intense was it that i can only express my feelings in the form of a letter.

Ahem.

Dear Hollywood Bowl,

I love you. Utterly, and truly. Last night you had me at hello. But truth be told, you had me much earlier than that. My affection for you began a year ago, when I made the mistake of exiting on Highland on a saturday evening. Much to my chagrin, i was caught in your traffic much longer than i cared for. Was it my naive understanding of LA traffic being new to the city? Or was it FATE that led me to sit in your traffic, allowing me to read the sign that said Tony Bennett was performing there that night? It's hard to say. But at that moment, I vowed myself to come see you next summer.

Alas, this summer came, and I had heard you were back in town. This time you teased me again with your charming Harry Connick Jr. and your newly renovated good looks. And again, due to unexcusable circumstances, our paths never met. I thought i was doomed to never see you this summer.

But fate works in funny ways. Was it coincidence that i was at Beth's house that night? Was it coincidence that she had an extra ticket? Or did you plant those tickets in her hands as a way to see me, knowing that i can't resist the mention of your name and fireworks in the same sentence? I guess we'll never know for sure. But let me just tell you, i jumped at the chance to see you, not even knowing what you had in store.

The next day, my good friend internet told me you were celebrating 75 years of music with disney. I couldn't believe my luck. You were going to dazzle me with fireworks AND disney music? Really, you're too much. You really know how to wow a girl for the first time.

Not only was i already excited at the thought of meeting you, but you went all out for me. You impressed me with Fantasia and the Bumblebee suite, and Snow White. I was smiling so much it hurt. Everything got so hot that we both had to take a 15 minute break. And when we came back, you just kept right on going.

First you brought out Dick V. Dyke, who even at his age, bless his heart, can still do the jigs from Mary Poppins. Yes. Even the penguin dance.
Then! Alan Menken came out to play the piano while singing some of the greatest songs from Disney movies. While i sang along, i couldn't believe how many i knew! It's as if you, dear hollywood bowl, had personally picked the songs i knew so that i could sing along.
Then! As if alan wasn't enough, he brought out the voice of Ariel, and she sang Part of Your World!
Then! He brought out the voice of Belle, and she sang Beauty and the Beast!
Then! He brought out the voice of Pocahantas, and she sang Colors of the Wind!

And before i had the chance to recover from all this princess excitement, you topped everything off with a Lion King finale with...

FIREWORKS.

Boy, what a way to end the night. Or so i thought...

You teased me three more times, but you always delivered fantastic encores. First, a Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious sing along. Then you made Beth happy by giving her what she'd been asking for all night: When you wish upon a star. I was so overwhelmed with everything i can't even remember what you did last. It was sensory overload.

I will miss you when you leave me for Fall. Hopefully, i will be able to see you again before you leave. But if i don't, promise me we'll meet again next summer, I'll know where to find you. And perhaps we can spend another amazing night under the stars in the hills of Hollywood.

Until then, love and happiness.
SH


[Exuent SH and POSSE, tending to her tears.]