The Boy Friend

Well, we're moving into the third week of Rising Star part 2...the older kids are getting ready to present The Boy Friend, and as usual, they have really impressed me! This is such an amazingly talented group of kids, and they are going to have a phenomenal show. After working with adults for so long, and getting accustomed to the level of attention an adult with a job, family, kids, etc. can bring to a show, it always amazes me at how quickly kids can commit everything to memory. I guess that's what happens when you're still young...all those healthy little brain cells and no real worries...ah, the joys of youth! :-)

Anyway, I am so proud of this group of kids. The future of Birmingham theatre is completely secure. I was commenting to one of the parents just last week that it's kind of scary to be essentially training your own "replacements." There is a great joy, however, in seeing them blossom. There are several kids in this group that have been around CenterStage for years, and to have known them first as little kids and now see them as young adults getting better and stronger as performers is really heartwarming...the cycle of life in full view, ya know? We even have one kid who at 15 has already directed a show, and several others who have worked in professional settings. On the other hand, we have a couple who are almost completely new to theatre, which is also exciting from an educational standpoint...having the opportunity to introduce a young person to the world of the theatre is really an honor. Even if none of these kids ever make it to stardom on Broadway, my hope is that they will all maintain a love of the theatre throughout life. If that happens, we have all done our jobs as adults and teachers.

FLT3