I meant to post this two days ago, but I was too excited, and I wanted the full story to have played out. Now that it has, I can report on it.

On Saturday afternoon, I got a call from James at Broadway Across America, saying that he went into work just to see if he could get me the tickets I needed. I was grateful, and told him I'd take the four tickets he had reserved for me on Friday, then get one extra.

And that's exactly what happened. $175 and a prepaid parking ticket later, we were on our way to the performing arts center in Miami. There was hardly any traffic, and if we hadn't missed the exit, we'd have made it in record time. (At least we now know how to get to Jungle Island.)

We parked the car and walked into the building where the ballet/opera house was. All the way down the hall in the back was the studio space. A small desk served as the will call window. I gave my name (they didn't even ask for ID) and was given an envelope with two tickets: the extra ticket I bought, plus the parking ticket. I told them I should have had four other seats and, after a quick check of the computer, I was issued a voucher for the four seats.

The theater was tiny -- some people might say it was intimate -- and mom's seat three rows back was probably better than the rest of ours were.

The show was a hoot -- I found the lyrics to be clever and the acting spot-on -- but even in such a small space, it was hard to hear what the actors were singing unless they were right in front of the microphone.

Anyway, they spoofed some of my recent favorites -- Wicked, Jersey Boys, Spamalot, A Chorus Line -- along with my all-time favorite, Les Miserables. They also included shows I haven't seen -- The Light in the Piazza, The Little Mermaid, Mary Poppins -- along with Ethel Merman and Sarah Brightman. The fact that this show changes every season makes it all the more incredible. In fact, this -- official title: "Forbidden Broadway: Rude Awakening" -- is the 25th incarnation.

And even though I'm glad I didn't pay full price -- the show's only 97 minutes, after all -- I'm really glad I got to see it.

Thanks again, James. My family and I had a blast.