Lets Hear It For High School Musicals!

It is unfortunate that so much press is given to teens who do wrong, or score big on a playing field, but so little is given to those who make a scene. Have you attended a local high school musical production lately? I have and the talent, dedication and professionalism of the students are stunning. The stage was filled with gifted singers, dancers and actors who obviously had put in hours and hours of practice. The pit produced live music worthy of any theater venue. The sets and backdrops, lighting and sound, were dropped, raised, moved and directed with precision and expertise that only hours of rehearsals could hone. Which school and which musical do not matter, it is the same all across town. These students work together hour after hour towards something spectacular. Someday, a few may be stars on television, in the movies or on Broadway and as well they should be! I noticed in reading the paper today that many pages had photos of kids on the playing fields with long descriptions of the game, quotes from coaches and sports writers and detailed analysis of the outcome. The local section had lots of small articles on teens caught drinking, or selling drugs, or breaking into businesses and so forth. And then towards the back, were two photos of students in elaborate costumes from their school musicals. Each school got one photo. No article about the production, no names of the stars, and no review of the show…just a single black and white photo stuck in the back after pages of color photos of yet another kid catching a ball. To me, someone along the way has dropped the ball. The paper should be giving these youth a color photo or two, encouragement for the community to attend, and as much PR for the star as any quarterback gets each week. How many people can sing, dance, and hit every cue while wearing an often cumbersome costume? Every high school musical I have seen hits a homerun and also finishes in a timely manner. No delay of game for anything that goes wrong. The students just keep on going as any good actor is trained to do. So buy a ticket, take along your good theater manners, spend a couple of hours being fully entertained and salute these rising stars, a game where everybody wins!