The after-care program at Daisy's school puts on a big musical every year.  Around 100 kids perform in it, ranging in ages from 5 to 11.  The program director lets the oldest kids (the 5th graders) make up their own characters and then she writes a custom musical around those characters. 

Putting on a show is pretty much Daisy's favorite thing in the world.  Although she is generally a pretty competent kid, doing well at school and other activities, acting is where she really distinguishes herself.  Many of my friends give me a hard time for not being one of those parents who lauds their kid's every move and fart, (and if Daisy were a world-class farter, I'd be the first to applaud her, but her efforts in that area are pedestrian), but she really does shine on stage.  So, getting a lead role in the school musical is something that she's been looking forward to for the last five  years.

The show was last Saturday and it was a delight to watch Daisy do her thing.   She spoke her lines clearly, stayed in character, and had a great energy about her... for about the first 2/3rds of the show.  For the last third, I couldn't help but notice that she seemed a bit wilted.  She still said her lines with authority, but after each line she'd shrink back behind someone and cover part of her face.  She seemed somewhat distraught.

Well, as we found out afterwards, during the big pirate chase scene, where the pirates chase the main characters through the theater, Daisy tripped going up the stage steps and face-planted into one of the wooden props.  Her nose started to bleed and swell up.  The stage-hands cleaned up the blood and tears and got her back on stage before she missed a line, but that pretty much explained what I had been noticing.

We haven't had Daisy x-rayed yet,  but judging by the new asymmetry of her nose, and the raccoon-like black-eyes she's developing, it looks like she probably broke her nose during that fall.  Granted, given the Jewish bloodlines that have contributed to her DNA, her nose was never going to be cute and tiny, but now it looks like it's going to be even more distressed.  We'll start saving for the nose job now.

Most importantly, however, I would like to state on record how very damn proud of my daughter I am for getting back on stage and completing the play after breaking her nose during a stunt.  That totally rocks.  The show DID go on.

You can be sure that, just to be safe, we'll never utter the phrase "Break a leg" before a performance again though.