Youngest was cast in a local musical, Camelot, and thus began our family’s journey into the world of community theater. Much to his credit, my 10-year-old actually enjoyed four weeks of rehearsals, seven performances, and two rather uncomfortable fittings, all while wearing jazz shoes and tights.
He was one of only two kids in the show. The rest of the cast and crew consisted of talented grown-ups, dedicated to the idea of bringing musical theater to New Tampa.
That’s right. These good folks are introducing art and culture where it’s hard to find a strong cell phone signal and sports bars easily outnumber schools.
Youngest seems to be as enthusiastic about applause and curtain calls as he is about scored runs and touchdowns — so this is just the beginning. After at least eight years in youth sports and one foray into theater, I can’t help but notice all the ways in which the two disciplines are alike – and so very different.
This article appears in Feb 24 – Mar 2, 2011.