Start 'em young

Maybe my parents took me and I just don't remember.  But, as far as I know, my first theatre experience was when I was about 10 and my sister was the lead in her high school musical.  It was Oklahoma!  I remember sitting in the audience in complete awe.  (I also just remembered the exact words of an inappropriate comment my grandpa made when a rather large Jud Fry had to be carried off stage)  But, let's go with the awe...that was my sister up there on that big stage.  It was pretty much the coolest thing ever.  Silly as it might be, that's the moment I fell in love with theatre. 

Even though I wish I would have fallen in love a little earlier...I think it's pretty neat and rare that I performed many times on the same stage where I first discovered theater.  Her stage became my stage.  After high school I went on to major in theatre.  I got the opportunity to perform many more times.  And when C was a few months old, my stage became his stage when he debuted in Fiddler on the Roof at my school.

He was the most precious Tzeitel's baby I'm sure there has ever been in a production of Fiddler.  Whether he pursues theatre in the future or not, I love that I have this story to tell him.  The story of the very first musical he was in. 

I'll tell him this story too.  The very first musical he ever saw.  It was a high school production.  Because when you're five and it's your first one, you don't really have a quality gauge in place yet. :)  And because the first time doesn't need to be broadway when a $7 ticket gets him this excited.   

I was probably more excited than he was.  I really wanted him to enjoy it.  I mean, this is my thing. :)  I was a little apprehensive because he'd told me earlier that "Cinderella is a girl show."  I explained that there were plenty of boys in the show, including the prince.  I didn't know this until I looked at the program, but the prince of Cinderella and my boy share a name.  He thought that was pretty cool.

A little pre show snack at Starbucks.  And his "fancy face."  Ha!  Put jeans and a shirt with three buttons on the kid and he thinks he's something else. ;)

His favorite character?  The fairy godmother.  He's even been singing one of her songs around the house.  He may not even remember this when he's older.  But, I hope I do.  It was a special thing.