School Play

Just when the news is getting you down about the fate of our Nation and the state of its Youth, something like this comes along. The local high school put on their annual musical this past weekend, and we bought some tickets to check it out. Not too long ago, we had a dog in this fight; our son had a few memorable roles and bits in the annual shows as he made his way through high school; our daughter was in a play as well. Now it's down to sibs of our kids' friends, and a number of kids from church (including the male lead).

The thing is, these kids work like crazy (as do more than a few adults) to put on as professional a show as possible. What they pull off is remarkable. Of course, the cost is basically giving up all their free time for weeks and weeks to approach perfection. But it is worth it. As the male lead said afterwards, "Some schools have champion football or basketball teams. We have musicals!"

This year it was The Music Man, a good choice, with memorable tunes, and more than enough roles for kids of all ages, male and female, to get their chance to shine.

If you recall, the play starts out with a train scene that relies on the speedier, then slower, rhythm of the rails for the eight or so "salesmen" to deliver their lines, almost rap style. and these guys, dressed in their cheesy plaid salesman suits, pulled it off, tightly intertwining their lines and pulling off the footwork.

These kids were good - disbelief was suspended for a couple hours and I got caught up in the goings-on in River City. The tunes are still replaying in my head. And best of all, here was a wonderful example of a large number of teens (and a handful of younger 'uns to fill out the cast) giving up their time for a couple months to produce something excellent, even if it is fleeting (the set was no doubt being struck before we left that last performance); the ultimate in teamwork. These kids could teach a lot of adults about how working together can produce wondrous things. Bravo!