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SHOWBOAT   It's really quite amazing how life brings with it it's own share of surprises. I had not planned to get all femmed up for the play 'Showboat' which I had promised to take my wife to. She had been a real fan of Marina Prior ever since we went to see The West Side Story. The events of that evening will be one of the most memorable night I will have the pleasure of experiencing, and even better, with the love of my life by my side.   The evening unfolded as planned with tea at 5.30pm at Pancake Parlour. We had planned to have a quick dinner, and then head for the play which starts at 8pm at the Regent Theatre in the city. I was in boy mode with my favourite red polo shirt and black pants. I had the pleasure of helping my wife out with her outfit, right down to the colour of her lipstick and her perfume. I think I must have impressed her with the dedication I showed with her, because during our meal, she surprised me by suggesting that I should dress up for the evening, in girl mode. I was totally surprised by what she had said. I asked her again if she was serious, and she said yes. Immediately, I looked at my watch, and having only 45mins to get fully femmed up, I agreed. My mind was racing with what I was to wear, and how I was going to achieve this. It usually takes me a good part of 1 hour to get ready, so this was going to be a real test.   As soon as we got home, I raced to the sink for my shave, followed by getting my dress on. I decided to wear my white sleeveless Laura Ashley dress with small pink flowers scattered throughout as it was somewhat warm . It looked elegant and would also cover most of my body. I did not have time to wax and had to contend with wearing a dark pantyhose under my dress. The makeup followed and then my hair. A few pieces of jewellery and I was ready. I was so nervous that I almost forgot the house keys on the way out.   We finally left the house at about 7.30pm. As we drove into the city, I felt almost euphoric that my wife has made an effort to get one step closer to accepting my femme self. The traffic was certainly quite busy, and we arrived 10 mins late to the play. Part of the problem was also finding a car park, being unfamiliar with the parking facilities around the Regent Theatre, I finally found a car spot along Flinders St. We had to walk all the way around Russell St to get to the Regent Theatre along Collins St. The feelings I felt as we walked can be described as a combination of joy from the freedom of being totally myself, and fear from being discovered.   The theatre was very ornate and had a classical feel to it. I felt like I was in a different era, perhaps the 1890s with my long flowing dress on, climbing the numerous steps up to the foyer. We handed our tickets to the usher, and he politely mentioned that we didn't miss much, and showed us to our seats. In a way, I was glad that the play had already started, as all the lights have been dimmed and everyone's attention was towards the stage. The story as I remembered it, was set in the 1700s in the southern states of North America about the life and times of a family who runs a showboat up and down the Mississippi river. The actors were excellent and the music very lively. The highlight was when the famous song 'Ol man river' was sung, it sent goosebumps up my arm.   During the intermission, we both headed for the ladies room, and as we walked out of the main theatre hall into the foyer, I felt a thousand eyes looking at me. By now, I have got used to being looked at, and from the expression of the men's faces, I knew that I was not being read. The queue to the ladies room was just extraordinary. We had to wait almost ten minutes before we had a chance at a spare cubicle. As I relieved myself, I pondered at how I was going to find my wife, once I was finished. I was not yet confident about my voice, and I was not about to call out for her, as the risk of being discovered. Fortunately, my worry was unfounded as she finished about the same time as I did. We cleaned up and checked ourselves in the mirror, before making our way back to the theatre.   As fate would have it, a friend of my wife's at work happened to also be there, and as they chatted I wondered what I would do if she started talking to me. Quickly, I spotted a little stand set up by the theatre, selling drinks and other refreshments. I made my way there, and at my turn, I asked for an orange juice softly. The usher somehow tweaked, as he looked at me longer than a stranger would, but promptly handed me my orange juice, and my change. He even asked me if I was enjoying the show and I replied with a resounding yes. As I made my way back to where my wife was, I was so elated and I related my story to her as we made our way back to our seats. She was relieved that there was no drama, and I felt that she felt a little more relaxed about coming out in public with me.   The rest of the show was good, and when it was all over and the lights came back on, we queued up with the rest of the crowd to leave the theatre. As we walked out, the elderly couple in our row made some good comments about the show, and I was not sure what to do but just smile and nodded. I think they did not catch on at all, which was a relief for me.   We were able to get back to the car without any drama, and as we drove home, I thought about the events of the evening, and thankful to my wife for allowing me to enjoy the evening with her as my femme self. To remember the evening, I took 2 snaphots with my camera when we got home.