The Cactus Cuties spent Saturday, August 30th relaxing in anticipation of the live airing of The Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon.  They woke up on Sunday, August 31st rested and ready for the excitement of the upcoming show!  Their talent escort, Scott, walked them to the artist green room in the early afternoon for a sound-check and quick run-through.  The green-room was decked out with couches, big-screens, and all kinds of food.  The Cuties couldn’t wait to hit the dessert table after their performance!!!  Sound-check ran smoothly and the Cuties went directly to “hair and makeup” to primp for the show.  After they were sprayed and curled, they were escorted to their very own dressing room.  The Cuties could hardly believe their name was typed on a sign next to the Jerry Lewis logo, who would have imagined these little Lubbock, TX girls would find themselves in Las Vegas performing on the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon???  After a prayer and their signature handshake, the escort told The Cuties it was show-time.  The very excited and slightly nervous Cuties stepped into the studio and they were greeted by Mr. Ed McMahon.  He was so sweet to The Cuties and they smothered him in hugs!  Then, the stage manager ushered them onstage and they heard Mr. Ed McMahon’s voice say “Ladies and gentlemen, to sing our National Anthem please welcome The Cactus Cuties….” the audience began to applaud and The Cactus Cuties sang their hearts out!  As they sang their last notes, the audience roared and continued to applaud as the Cuties were ushered offstage and into the green-room.  The Cactus Cuties were very happy with their performance and they ran to the dessert table for their sugar celebration.  They savored cookies and pastries, found seats in the studio audience, and spent the rest of the evening watching the show.  They saw many amazing artists perform and learned so much about Jerry Lewis and MDA and the inspiring people they work so hard to help.  They were particularly inspired by the adorable Miss Abby, they were so happy to pose for a picture with her and to meet such a precious spirit!  Before they finally headed off to bed, they went through the greenroom to say goodbye and ran into numerous accomplished artists.  They were honored to meet and hang with Menudo, an amazingly talented group of guy singers!!  The Cuties introduced themselves to Menudo, who asked The Cuties to sing for them because they had just arrived and weren’t able to see The Cuties perform.  So, in the green-room in front of many of the performers, The Cuties belted it out.  Then, Menudo sang for The Cuties and they were extremely impressed.  Menudo was so friendly and supportive, and The Cuties fell in love with those sweet guys.  They stayed long enough to see Menudo perform, and as soon as Menudo stepped on stage, the fans went crazy!!  The camera men covered their ears because the teenage girls’ screams were so loud!  Menudo brought the house down, and The Cuties were proud of their new friends!  The Cactus Cuties reluctantly said goodnight and went off to bed, but they would never forget their incredible experience with the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon!!! 

photographer: Leanna Elbert

The Cactus Cuties spent most of Friday, August 29th relaxing at South Point Hotel in Vegas.  Scott, The Cactus Cuties’ talent escort lead them to rehearsal for the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon at 5:00 pm.  The Telethon would be aired live from South Point on Sunday, August 31st and the next two days would be spent rehearsing the numerous artists to prepare for the show.  The Telethon site was buzzing with activity, and The Cuties were wide-eyed as they met multiple artists and staff members.  The Cactus Cuties were honored to meet the very talented Billy Gilman.  Over the last five years, The Cuties had learned numerous Billy Gilman songs, and they were shocked to actually be seeing and speaking with him in person.  The Cuties were happy to meet Mr. Lee Miller, who walked them through rehearsal and granted permission to take a few pictures of their rehearsal and behind the scenes experience with the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon.  After The Cuties sang through the Star Spangled Banner on the beautiful set, they were escorted to their seats where they watched Mr. Frank Sinatra Jr. rehearse with the Jerry Lewis big band.  The Cuties love big band and were so impressed with the incredible swingin’ musicians.  They introduced themselves to Mr. Frank Sinatra Jr. and he was super sweet to them.  Madeline was particularly starstruck because some of the very first songs she learned at age four were Frank Sinatra’s “You Make Me Feel So Young,” “The Best is Yet to Come,” and “World on a String.”  She could hardly believe she was actually meeting a Sinatra!!!!  After rehearsal, The Cuties rode a double-decker bus down the Strip and toured Caesar’s Palace and Paris, and watched the beautiful water show at the Bellagio.  The Cactus Cuties had dinner at a cafe, and headed back to South Point after another extraordinary day in Las Vegas.

photographer: Leanna Elbert

The Cactus Cuties’ summer could not have had a more exciting ending…they were invited to sing at the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon live from Las Vegas!!!  The Cuties arrived in Las Vegas on Thursday, August 28th and were met by a beautiful black limousine.  The Cuties gasped in delight, piled into the limo, and happily rode to South Point Hotel, Casino, & Spa.  Upon arrival at South Point, the Cuties were greeted by their talent escort, Scott, who ushered them inside, distributed keys, and showed them to their rooms.  The Cactus Cuties felt like celebrities and loved the star treatment they were receiving from The Jerry Lewis MDA staff!  After getting settled into their rooms, The Cuties enjoyed lunch in one of the hotel restaurants.  To keep their vocal chords performance ready, The Cactus Cuties had been off of sugar for a month and they were beyond thrilled to discover that the restaurant offered a selection of sugar-free desserts!!!  The Cuties spent an hour playing in the pool, and then returned to their rooms to prepare for their evening on the town.  The Cuties were so excited to have tickets to see “Cirque Du Soleil: The Beatles Love” at the Mirage.  The show was absolutely incredible and completely enchanting!!!  The Cuties are huge Beatles fans, and for the next three days they could not stop singing “I Want to Hold Your Hand.”  The Cactus Cuties’ first day in Vegas was a dream!!!

photographer: Leanna Elbert

The Cactus Cuties boarded a plane in Atlanta, GA on Friday, August 15th and were greeted by their friendly American Airlines pilot.  They landed a short time later in Colorado Springs, CO and climbed aboard a van that carried them to Cripple Creek, CO.  The Cuties had been booked to perform for a special celebration called “Cripple Creek Honors America’s Armed Forces.”  They spent an amazing weekend performing for residents of Cripple Creek and many brave men and women who fight to give us all freedom to sing about!!!  The Cactus Cuties loved exploring the city of Cripple Creek and even had the pleasure of touring a real gold mine.  They traveled 1,000 feet underground in the Mollie Kathleen Mine where they learned all about the history of mining.  The Cuties were honored to meet so many incredible members of the Armed Forces and were so grateful to their sweet hostess, Pat Martin, for taking such good care of them during their wonderful stay in Cripple Creek, CO!!!!

photographer: Leanna Elbert

 

The Cactus Cuties reported to Turner Field for soundcheck and could hardly believe how huge the stadium was!!  Sound-check went well, and their excitement grew as they talked through the evening with the crew who told The Cuties that a B52 would be flying overhead at the close of their National Anthem.  After sound-check, The Cuties were escorted to a conference room where they ate light snacks, changed clothes, and prepared for their performance.  Shortly before game-time, The Cuties were taken to the Walter Banks Suite where they met more of the staff who had The Cuties sing through the Anthem three times to make sure they had the exact time to orchestrate the fly-over.  The Cuties met Mr. Walter Banks and fell in love with him!!!  He was a fabulous host and The Cuties were thrilled when he presented them with their very own baseballs.  They also met the adorable Janice Harvey, who volunteered to give The Cactus Cuties a tour of the entire facility after their performance.  The Cuties stepped onto the field and confidently sang The Star Spangled Banner.  As their last notes were ringing, a huge B52 flew overhead and the crowd went crazy!!!  After their performance, the Cactus Cuties met up with Janice Harvey and she took them on an exciting tour of Turner Field.  After tons of fun with Janice, The Cuties loaded into the van and headed to the Olympic Ring Fountains once more.  They changed into their matching swimsuits in the van and spent the rest of the evening playing in the fountains.  The Cactus Cuties had a ball in Atlanta and were so grateful to the Braves for inviting them to visit their entertaining city!!!

photographer: Leanna Elbert

The Cactus Cuties’ summer continued to rock and roll as they headed to Atlanta, GA to perform at the MLB Atlanta Braves game vs. Chicago Cubs.  They arrived in Atlanta on Wednesday, August 13th and settled into their hotel for the night.  On the morning of Thursday the 14th, they were excited to have the opportunity to explore the Georgia Aquarium and The World of Coca Cola.  The Cuties were in awe of the aquarium and all the amazing creatures there!  Then, they walked to the Coca Cola museum, where they learned all about the history of Coke, and even got to taste 64 different flavors made by Coca Cola and sold all over the world!!  As they walked back to the hotel, they took a detour through Centennial Olympic Park.  The Cuties had a blast running through the fountain in the shape of the Olympic Rings and pretended to conduct the water show!  After a terrific morning in Atlanta, The Cuties returned to their hotel to change clothes and head to Turner Field for sound-check.

photographer: Leanna Elbert

As The Cactus Cuties prepared to leave the Cactus Theater after their successful show, Aunt Terri, Uncle Donnie, and Cami called The Cuties up to the stage and instructed them to close their eyes.  With their eyes squeezed shut, Uncle Donnie explained that in celebration of their terrific performances, he would like to present the four Cuties with a very special gift.  He began placing their surprise on each Cutie, making sure no one was peeking.  All at once he had The Cuties open their eyes and they screamed hysterically as they looked at their brand new “Cutie Pie Cafe” uniforms!!!  A few months ago, the Cactus Cuties completely took over the break room at Caldwell Productions and transformed it into their very own “Cutie Pie Cafe.”  The Cuties would beg their parents to drop them off as often as possible at Uncle Donnie’s office, so they could play “Cutie Pie Cafe” together.  They decorated the entire room with restaurant paraphernalia and spent hours serving the Caldwell Productions staff and running their little cafe.  They used Uncle Donnie’s shirts as aprons and even tied some of his clothes around their heads as makeshift chef hats, never dreaming they would actually have real chef uniforms of their own.  With their new gifts, The Cuties could run “Cutie Pie Cafe” in style!!!  Aunt Terri also presented a giant bag of goods to serve in their cafe…pot pies, fruit pies, meat pies, miniature pies, and even Cutie Pies!!!!  The Cuties were thrilled with their surprise and piled into Cami’s car, still wearing their adorable uniforms for a celebratory slumber party at Cami’s place!!!!  The Cactus Cuties have since hammered nails into the walls of “Cutie Pie Cafe”, where their uniforms can be seen hanging, unless The Cuties are on duty of course!!!!

photographer: Leanna Elbert

The Cactus Cuties woke up early on the morning of Friday, August 8th in Arlington,TX and hit the road for Lubbock, TX.  The Cuties were headlining a concert at the historic Cactus Theater (The Cactus Cuties’ second home) that evening and had to be in town by 1:00 pm for rehearsal.  The Cuties made it to Lubbock just in time for rehearsal and screamed in delight as they saw the Cactus Theater stage.  The Cactus staff, headed by Toby Caldwell, had transformed the Cactus stage into a giant playground.  It was stunning, and The Cuties were ecstatic.  The band was already in place, so The Cuties jumped on-stage and started rehearsal.  The band was terrific and The Cuties were so proud to be sharing the stage with their Cactus Family!!!  The Cactus Cuties were definitely feeling the butterflies as the concert approached, but when the spotlight hit them, they relaxed as they began with The Star Spangled Banner.  They performed a full, two hour show with 24 songs and loved every minute of it.  After the show, they raced to the front of the theater to sign autographs and take photos.  The Cactus Cuties loved hanging with their fans, and were so thankful that so many people in Lubbock were supporting them!!!!  The Cuties were proud to have the opportunity to present their show two evenings in a row, and Saturday’s show went extremely well.  As the evening came to a close, The Cactus Cuties were sad to see the show end, but couldn’t have been happier with how the weekend had gone!!!!

photographer: Scott Mann and Leanna Elbert