Since we have so many dog lovers here, I thought I'd tell you about my pride and joy, Daisy, a Cairn Terrier in the image of Toto.

We subscribe to our local theater company's musical theater series. Last year they announced they were doing a production of the Wizard of OZ. Well, I knew the producer and I told her that I had a cairn and if they needed to use her for the production, I'd be happy to have them hire a trainer to train her and use her as Toto.
The producer asked for her picture and I put the whole thing out of my mind. Just before PIP they called, Daisy went to meet the producer and choreographer and she was given the role.

The production is professional (Edd Hall from the Tonight Show is the Wizard among others you might not know). The costumes won a Tony award and Mickey Rooney played the Wizard in the last production on Broadway.

Anyway, they gave me her script and I taught her all of the tasks. She's in almost every scene of this play. I have never had a show dog - all my dogs except Daisy have been rescue dogs and Daisy is my pet. We were happy if they were housebroken, sat, stayed and came when called. Shake paws was a bonus.

When we got back from PIP the producer had changed and the production was bumped up into something much bigger than it was originally.

Daisy will be on local TV next week with Dorothy doing a promo and there are several other appearances she will make to promote the play.

Talk about interesting diversions between cruising, travel and work!!!

Wow, way to go, Daisy! You must be a proud mommy, Kathy!

Maybe they'll feature her on national TV?? (we can only hope!)

Masaki

All right Daisy!!! Not only is she adorable, but obviously, very smart, to boot!

Betty

"Break a paw, Daisy!"

Kathy, how great. Have fun with Daisy and this play.

What fun. Enjoy your moment in the sun, Daisy!

Congrats Daisy!

Denise, break a paw, how funny!!

No-No-NO broken paws!!! The movie had to take a two week break in filiming when a munchkin stepped on Terry (the first Toto)and hurt her (yes, all the Toto's have been female). Plus for all this noteriety, we aren't getting paid! Not even in biscuits!

Sorry Kathy, but the "break a paw" from Denise is just too cute!!!

No biscuits?? You need to renegotiate - :D

Keep us posted. I doubt that we'll get your local programming here in San Diego. Be sure to tape the promo. I'll pay for a copy!!!

Daisy is a cutie! Just hope all this fame doesn't go to her head. She might start demanding doggie limos and diamond studded collars. Plastic surgery will be next. Let's hope she can handle of this without caving into the world of self-indulgence. ;)

Kathy, have fun with her! That is great!

This is so exciting, Kathy! When and what TV station will your Daisy be on? Please let us know, too, when the theatre production plays. We would love to see it since we live closeby in Santa Clarita (and are dog lovers, indeed!).
Enjoy the experience with your precious Daisy!
michele

Kathy - that is just awesome!! I'll just bet you are a "proud stage mama" Congratulations to Daisy. I'm sure she got some extra special treats!!

See you on July 1 - looking forward to it.

Where can we purchase 8 x 10 glossies of Daisy with her "autog-rrrufff?"

Sorry to hear Daisy isn't even making peanuts on this gig!

Denise,

When the gig is all over, we'll have you up our way and you and Allen can actually pet the star.

We're here in my office and Dorothy and the director are rehearsing. They've kicked me out of the area they are rehearsing in so that I don't distract her. She was misbehaving until I left.

Now, Kathy...Are you being a stage Mother??? :D Kidding with all this, of course. I'm sure this is very exciting for Daisy and you!

Kathy, how fun! I hope she comes to understand that applause means "Good girl!!".

Way cool, Kathy -- and of course Daisy, the star. What fun!

Auntie Katya - Please give my cousin, Daisy, all my best wishes for a knock-em-dead performance as Toto. My dads, Pat & Fred, would never be so rash as to let me try something like that, since I would undoubtedly leap from the stage into the front row of the audience to greet everyone. Therefore, I keep busy here guarding my house and yard against all of those damned boats sailing in the passage in front of our house. The fact that they are a mile or two away doesn't keep me from growling and barking at them - that is probably what keeps them that safe distance away, right?? (Do you think my barking at boats is why my dads seem to talk longingly of the time when I might become a bit nearsighted??) Your niece, Katyusha

Dear Cousin Katyusha,

Please be advised that our Grandmother, Ronnie, is an excellent hunter. She taught all of us to chase planes, birds, UPS and garbage trucks, rats, gophers, lizards and all bugs and insects. Boats are also intruders and deserve all our Cairn attention. The gardener and his mower and leaf blower are the mortal enemy!

Little cousin, this Toto thing is a really good idea. If I behave I get unlimited good treats. They say sit, if I do, I get a treat. Come, Toto! Another Treat. Down, another treat. Follow the yellow brick road, applause and treats. And this cute girl keeps picking me up, cuddling me and kissing me. This Marvel guy cooks hot dogs and I get permission to take it right off the stick he uses to cook it on. And the Wizard guy, well, he is really cool too. I think in Oz all the pockets are lined with treats. Oh, and this basket they keep putting me in? It's got peanut butter smeared on the lid just so I'll stay in it! Ha!, Tonight I showed them - I didn't get out on cue! There was still peanut butter to be licked off!

Love Daisy

What fun reading this thread!

Cheers! Ray

Ray - glad you are enjoying reading it. I am having fun with Daisy and the energy of the production. I appreciate everyone's good wishes.

It was quiet around here and I thought his was fun and light hearted.

Kathy ~ This is just tooooo cool! We can fully appreciate the excitement for you, not to mention Daisy! It was pretty exciting when we showed our Havanese! Our handler was a wonderful lady who actually trained the (several!) Totos for Disney On Ice's version of the Wizard of OZ! So, here's to all our STARS!!! :app: :app: :app:

Daisy looks like such a sweetie. What a fun experience for you all. I'm guessing she will steal the show.

Dena

Last night "Dorothy" came to spend the night at our house to bond with "Toto". It was wonderful having a sweet, polite 15 year old in our home. She is a straight A student and goes to my Alma Mater, so we compared notes and none of the teachers that I remember are still there.

Daisy learned to "Go see Marissa" (Dorothy's real name) when she hears "Toto". She will do this after the scene where Miss Gulch rides off with Toto on the bicycle. Dorothy is siting and crying and Toto returns to her (from off stage) and she says "Toto, I got you back". I hope that I can point Daisy in the right direction without crying from backstage.

I just bought a ticket to go see Daisy in action on Aug. 6th!!! Can't wait to see this production and our little star.

Thanks, Cyndi - we're looking forward to seeing you on the 6th.

Cyndi & Kathy,
Just noticed that our tickets are for the 6th also - Cyndi, is yours for the afternoon or the evening performance?

Michele

Cyndi is coming to the matinee at 2 - which performance did you get tickets for? This will be fun!

Yep - ours are for 2 p.m. also. What can all of us do to help you ? I can imagine how exciting it must be to have your baby performing!!

Michele

Actually, there is nothing I will need. That will be the next to last performance. Her costume is all set (I just groomed her) and her treat bag will be all packed. Just show up and applaude! I will see if we can have some of the cast say hi.

This is going to be a lot of fun!

Michele,

I'll be looking forward to meeting you and Don on Aug 6. for the 2 p.m. performance!!!

Kathy, I agree. . . .this is going to be so much fun!

Cyndi, this is great! Look forward to meeting you too!

Kathy, we'll be there applauding like crazy for Daisy!!

Here's to the 6th.

Michele

Today was the first official rehearsal with the cast. Daisy and I went to the rehearsal hall during the music part where the Munchkins and Ozian's were practicing. The musical director has done many Oz productions, including a few on Broadway (and a rendition where Mickey Rooney played the Wizard).

Being that I am really working a real job, (as opposed to waiting on tables or handling dogs professionally), I can wander in and out of the rehearsals when I am not formally scheduled for Daisy to practice her Toto parts. When I came in the Munchkins were busy with Ding Dong the Witch is Dead and Lollipop League and Merry Old Land of Oz. Glinda was also at rehearsal and her voice is magnificient. Actually, I had a great time just listening to them all practice.

Anyway, back to Daisy aka Toto. She had fun too. I made her work - not just be there. Her pay? Will Work for Treats is her motto. First, the kids got a break and they were all very eager to pet Toto. The director told them they must never pet her without asking and that they are not allowed any food in rehearsal since it could distract Daisy. I let her go, on leash, to each child/Munchkin and it was as if she knew that she was to welcome them. She went to each one, gave them a kiss and moved to the next giving each child equal time with her. She really was in her element. I put her through her down/stays and she really did not behave. I hardly could expect it with all the commotion. Give us a week and we should be good to behave in all the tasks we already have learned.

Tomorrow, the city is issuing the proclaimation that our town will be designated as Oz for the Month of July through August 7th. Dorothy is going to sing Over the Rainbow and it'll be televised on the Public Access channel with the City Council meeting. We decided they could do that without Toto. Too much for her to be too many places. Oh, and did I mention that I have to work sometimes to keep my clients happy? We have another night this week and most of Saturday to rehearse this week with the rest of the cast.

Kathy - it sounds like Daisy is really in her element. A natural!!!! I love these updates. Keep them coming!!!

A great update, Kathy!!

Masaki

My Daisy is brilliant. I am so PROUD of her. (A mother can brag -- yes?)

We got there at 9:30 am for rehearsal yesterday so she'd be comfortable with her surroundings and reacquaint herself with the rehearsal location. I took her for a nice walk before she had her call time of 10. At 10 she practiced obeying Marissa, who plays Dorothy. We fine tuned some of the cues - Daisy never liked being picked up so we worked it out so she does not back away by timing her treats differently with the scooping up of Toto. Success!

Then we rehearsed the scene where Dorothy sings Over the Rainbow to Toto. Good thing I will only be in the wings. It brought tears to my eyes and that was only rehearsal. Daisy did everything right again, including a few long down stays including sitting on the tractor, which for rehearsal was a chair.

She practiced Munchkinland scenes too. We were practicing the scene where Dorothy meets Professor Marvel, right before the tornado. When Dorothy called Toto in the scene, Daisy ran over and did what she was supposed to do on cue -- even though she was resting (I give her a lot of breaks and playtime between work and scenes)- right though to the end of the scene. She did absolutely everything right today. It was only her third formal rehearsal. They were rehearsing and then they were going to add her to the final run through or two.

The musical director has done over 12 productions of Oz. He was telling me today that he's rarely seen them use just one dog. One does the "stay" parts and another might do the follow parts and sometimes a third might do the Dorothy scenes like Over the Rainbow. For the Broadway production, they had 4 Toto's.

I love the fun that is in the rehearsal environment. The director, Shauna is very warm and happy and it comes through that she loves what she does. It's infectious. How can you not be happy when you are listening to Merry Old Land of Oz?

My Daisy does it all! Did I say I was VERY PROUD of her? A lady who is working on something with the production brought her 4 month only puppy with her in a crate and wanted to know how I trained Daisy for the role. I had to laugh because the answer was they she is my pet. WE went to obedience class at PetSmart. She's not a professionally handled dog. I was asked by a friend what I would do if they wanted to use her for another production. Apparently they are doing Oz in Florida and the dog is ruining the show. Daisy is having an awful lot of fun. She so comes alive when she is doing the parts. I guess it would depend more on the particulars.

Kathy - we're all so proud of Daisy. Congrats on becoming a stage mommy! :)

Masaki

It sounds like Show-Biz is sure in Daisy's blood! You have every reason to be proud!

Arf, Arf, woo, woo, and roo, roo, roo, roo, roo!!
That is doggie talk for, "Daisy, you go, girl!!" I am so happy that my cousin, Daisy, is going to be a star so that I can be a doggie groupie. I am insisting that my dads, Fred & Pat, go down to L.A. for a performance. (I will be happily spoiled by our lovely housesitter, Hannah, who has learned that the only way to shut me up is to give me a treat.) Munchkins?? Who cares?? Munchies?? Yea!!
Cheers, Katyusha