The whole thing started on a whim, really. I had no idea that I was going to get to spend a day as a theatre mom. Well, spend a day as a theatre dad amongst a hundred plus theatre moms I mean. Above all I had no idea that once again I would be the one to learn the big lesson, and that I would learn it from my own child.
A week or so ago. I ran across a newspaper blurb that said that Beef and Boards was holding open auditions for the part of the Von Trapp family children for an upcoming production of The Sound of Music. My daughter, Mia, has watched that movie more times than one can imagine in the last year, and knows the stories and characters inside out, so I asked her, "Mia, would you like to audition for a role in the production."
As we talked about it I explained that it would be highly unlikely that she would get a role. I told her that there would be hundreds of kids auditioning, many whom by age five, six and seven, would have more theatre experience, vocal training, and dance training than ten other people she knows would have combined in their entire lives. I talked with her about the process, and how after an initial audition there would be a call back for finalists and then someone would be chosen. My goal was for her just to have the experience and we understood that a call back was unlikely, and that on the million to one chance she got offered a part we probably wouldn't take it because 56 performances in seven weeks might be a little more than would be healthy to do.
Mia thought about it for a couple days and then on Monday told me, "Okay, Daddy, I'd like to audition for the role. I know I won't get a call back or a part, but I'd just like to try."
We still had to wait a couple days to see if we had an audition time and finally on Wednesday we got an email that we had an audition time on Saturday at 10:20, just a mere fifty minute drive from home. On Thursday and Friday I found myself trying to come up with reasons not to go, and at the same time I wanted my child to have the experience. Finally on Friday we decided that since the auditions were the next day, and it was a musical audition first and foremost we better pick a song to practice. Mia sang through a bunch of things she knew and she picked Fairest Lord Jesus as her audition song. I then played the melody for her from her piano song book a few times to help her prepare. It is important to understand that there are four people in this house who play a little piano. My five year old is pretty good, Mia is not bad, Jenny can play a little, and I am pretty dangerous with my one-fingered melody line interpretations.
The rest of her preparation consisted of her laying in bed on Saturday morning singing hymns with her mother. At our church, during worship times, we sing a lot of contemporary songs and choruses, but in our home, the songs of choice are hymns that have stood the tests of times, and hold within them words of theology and comfort.
We arrived on time for the audition, along with hundreds of other people. We brought in our snapshot of Mia in front of a Christmas tree for a head shot, and carried our little book of Hymns for piano. We watched as girl after girl came in with their full page resumes, their professional eight by ten photos, and their large books of "show tunes for auditions for children" and the like. We sat in our corner and listened to conversations from experience theatre moms. We heard countless stories of "Remember when we did this production?" or, "You were so good in the little mermaid," and the like.
After a while Mia was on deck and we moved into the hold room with just one other girl, and a photographer from the Indianapolis Star who was doing a story on the auditions. The girl in front of Mia entered the audition room, and Mia moved up next to the door and I stepped out of the room. Mia had told me before, when we heard about the paper being there, that she wasn't interested in being in the paper. I saw him take a couple pictures of her before she went in to audition.
The audition was short. Just a couple minutes, and she came over to me and said, "Okay, Daddy, I'm done." I noticed she had a piece of gold paper in her hand, and then she said, "Oh, and I have a call back at 4:00." I looked at the paper and it was like the gold ticket from American Idol. I just wanted to shout, "We're going to Hollywood." At that time the reporter came over and asked for her name, and I said, "No thank you. She doesn't want to be in the paper." He kept trying to convince me and I said know. He wanted to show use the picture but we didn't want to look. As we got out of the building we talked about it and went back in to look at the picture. It was fabulous of her studying her song before she auditioned. He told me it was his best and favorite picture of the day and would be using it if we would let him.
I left the decision up to Mia, and she talked with him for a moment, and kept saying, "No thank you" to him. I finally told him, "It's her decision, and I'm going to respect her." He told me I should be proud of her for her audition and for her politeness, not many kids would turn down a chance to be in the paper. I thanked him and we went to the car.
In all, over 151 girls auditioned for one of the five girl parts in the production, and about thirty-five got call backs. (The call-back story is for another time). My untrained daughter whose father took her on a whim made the cut for this professional production. But, I am proud of her more for something she taught me in the car after it all was over as we drove home to prepare for the call back.
I asked her, "Mia, you are sure you don't want to be in the paper? We can still go back."
She answered me, "Daddy, I don't want to be famous. I didn't go and sing today so I could have fame. I sang because Jesus lets me sing, and I just wanted to sing for him."
Now, we all know that men don't cry, but if men did, that sure would be a good moment to do so. The road was a little hard to see for a moment. All of us who are parents often question what we are doing right and wrong in our children's lives. In a society that is all about self, about personal happiness, personal success, me, me, me, it can be a challenge to raise a child to see the bigger picture of life. As a coach I talk often about using God-given gifts to their fullest and less about winning.
In one moment in my car on Saturday I realized that my daughter understood something very important, that matters more than personal fame ever could. It wasn't about her being recognized by others. The motivation was simply her taking what God had given her, doing her best with it on that day, and offering it back to him. Nothing more than that. Definitely nothing less than that.
My first day as a theatre mom was a good one. I wish I had a copy of that picture
