Besides enjoying the camp facilities, taking a day trip off site, and of course doing plenty of talking, laughing, and eating, one activity which is looked forward to every year is the family talent show. There are no age restrictions or rules, so it's always a mixed bag of people singing, playing instruments, or showing off some other talent. Past years have included poorly-done magic acts, a "tap dance" routine by a niece who got a pair of tap shoes at a thrift store and gleefully stomped her way through a song, and on one memorable occasion, a nephew proudly demonstrating his ability to burp the alphabet. His parents cringed a bit, but all his cousins were in awe of his talent.
This year, highlights included one nephew exhibiting his ability to stand on his head and my three year old niece belting out 'Let It Go' from Frozen. She had the melody and lyrics down pat, though her inability to pronounce some consonants made for an interesting version: "...A kingdom of isowation, and it wooks like I'm the ween..." One of my sisters and a niece performed 'Under the Bamboo Tree' from Meet Me In St Louis, complete with top hats and canes and accompanied by another sister on the piano, which was a big hit as well.
I think that my favourite act of the night was the Abbott and Costello skit, "Who's On First" performed by my eldest nephew and niece. They did a great job on it, and it was almost as fun observing the reactions of their younger cousins, who were seeing it for the first time, as it was watching them perform it. The kids started giggling as they caught on to the joke, and then belly laughing and shouting out "Who's on First!" or "Third base!" along with those lines as they got repeated throughout the routine. The cheers and applause they got were hearty and well deserved.
With a large, busy family which doesn't all live in the same city- or even in the same province- it's hard to find occasions when we can all be in one place at one time. Family vacation is one occasion during the year which everyone makes a priority, and noisy, crowded, and crazy as it can be, none of us would think about missing out on the fun. The talent show is part of that, giving everyone a chance to put together and and perform numbers or acts which showcase their abilities and interests before a highly uncritical audience. Making these memories together draws us closer as a family (and provides future potential for blackmail), as we share the great gifts of love and laughter.
The original 'Who's On First' skit: