This column appeared in the Wednesday, 2.1.06, edition of the Tribune & Georgian newspaper.
It all came back to me this week while reliving a moment from my childhood. And brought to mind an unrelated photo that I saw more than 20 years ago. Both memories stirred a common theme, however, about how tied together the arts and athletics are in lessons about commitment, risk-taking and life learning.
What transported me was some ballet, theatrics and ensemble work I saw on a wooden floor last Friday evening at Camden High. These artists of the hardwood, engaged in ensemble play as good as any ever imagined by “Bounce Pass” Berlin Rowe, showed their audience they had not forgotten how good a play can be when all the actors work toward delivering their lanes with the same intensity.
OK, enough with the puns already! It is true that CCHS’ senior roundballers and their teammates played just that way, even though on a different kind wooden stage. Watching them, I hearkened to my youth when Rick Mount, the gunslinger from Lebanon, Indiana lit up our gym for nearly 100 points total in two appearances. (My friend Denny Hoff bragged to me with pride, the day after Mount scored 44 in his senior appearance: “Hey, he only scored 16 on me in the second half!” Laughingly, I suggested this was because Mount’s arms and legs were exhausted from hoisting the rock so much in the first half.) Mount’s only problems were he never was a true team player, could never master the balletic artistry of defense nor the commitment to real team play, whether at Lebanon, Purdue University or the ABA’s Pacers. And that was what I was struck by. Our local hoops artists, men and women both, showed that commitment to the ensemble, to the artistry of team defense and to the elegance of dancer-like offensive positioning would make them winners. Congratulations to our senior athlete-artists of our “other” hardwood.
As I conceived of our athletes as artists, however, I was reminded of a photo (I must have seen it in Sports Illustrated) that I looked at over and over when it appeared. It was in the post-Trump, post-WFL era, after he had arrived in Dallas to blaze trails for the Cowboys. There he was, maybe the greatest running back of the era, in tights and tunic spotting the beautiful ballerina for the Fort Worth Ballet. She must have never felt so secure as in those strong hands and arms. And I marveled at his honesty and the depth of his self-knowledge to appear so and to do it with charm and in the typically Herschel-like work ethic. In the accompanying article, Georgia’s biggest Dawg noted that his on-stage training and its demands were as significant as anything he had undertaken on the gridiron. When I got a chance to meet him many years after seeing this photo, I complimented him on taking this chance, this challenge; and that the photo and story had broadened my appreciation of him. He just smiled and said: “You can’t just stay at only one thing.”
Opportunities for this week and upcoming weeks: “Almost Abba” at Alhambra Dinner Theatre, I got a chance to see it last weekend, lots of fun and memories, through 2.5; athletic Australian hoofers in “Tap Dogs,” UNF, 2.2, 7:30 p.m.; jousting and jesters at the Hoggetown Medieval Faire, 2.4 & 2.5, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Alachua Cty Fairgrounds, Gainesville; “20th Anniversary Extravaganza” by Douglas Anderson School of the Arts alumni and students, TUC, 2.3, 7:30 p.m., stunning athletes as a human circus as Acrobats of China perform at FCCJ’s Wilson Ctr., 2.3, 8 p.m.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
2.1.06
Monday, January 30, 2006
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Famous Novel Creates Historical Tourist Phenomenon
This column appeared in the Wednesday (1.25.06) Tribune & Georgian newspaper.
This May, if you take exit 93 off I-65 and travel west about 30 miles to Monroeville, Alabama, a sleepy town of 7,000 souls in southwestern Alabama, you probably won’t see her. Town folks will be mum about speculations and even turn away from any questions as to whether she’s in town. But you won’t see her in Monroeville at this season because she has never seen the spectacle that brings more than 5,000 strangers to town each year and more than 30,000 to the town the rest of the year. Even though she authored it and lives with the spectacle that has surrounded it for almost a half century, Harper Lee doesn’t like trading on her book’s fame and popularity; audiences on the other hand, love the ideas, characters and symbols present in “To Kill A Mockingbird.”
Each May, the Monroe County Heritage Museums does, however, deploy all its resources annually to create a stage version of “To Kill A Mockingbird.” It has taken on the feeling of a holy grail to the folks that live here, those that re-create the book’s powerful scenes, and those that make the pilgrimage to sit in the outdoor staging area on benches and see it, many more than once. Pastor’s, lawyers, policemen, county commissioners, moms, teenagers, firefighters, teachers, foresters, and other townspeople star in the play they say sends a “message of racial tolerance.” They have performed it not only in tiny Monroeville, but also on stages in Washington, DC; Hull, England; and Jerusalem. So ingrained is the play and its processes into the town’s culture, that a local actor once signed a check with his character’s name and it cleared the local bank.
In a unique turn, the play casts audience members as jurors. So involved do they become that they often quarrel about whether to acquit Tom Robinson, the accused. While of course they eventually must convict (according to the script), this is just one example of the power of word and stage. So for 16 performances a year, Monroeville trades on its fame and its possibilities. It escapes the humdrum of a drive for miles behind omni-present log trucks and radio broadcasts of ever-present airwave evangelists for a few days, and offers visitors a special glimpse into souls that are both good and evil.
This possibility exists for us, too. When “Crooked Rivers: Sisters Three” appears in April and May this year at Crooked Rivers State Park, we will begin the tradition of telling the tales, sharing the lives and commenting on the vagaries that surround our community’s history. We will sit outdoors, conjoined in spirit with congruent actors and playgoers in Monroeville, AL, all of us wondering if we can attain a similar success and fate.
Opportunities for this week and upcoming weeks: celebrate Mozart’s 250th birthday with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, TCU, 1.26, 7:30 p.m.; great guitar and jazz combines with Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, UNF, 7:30 p.m.; create your own art with your kids at JMOMA’s Family Art Class, 1.28, 2 p.m.; listen minute by minute to superstar Michael McDonald, Florida Theatre, 1.29, 8 p.m.; Soweto Gospel Choir, Florida Theatre, 2.3, 8 p.m.; try out new musical theatre on Amelia Island with “Bookstore” at Fernandina Bch Middle School, starts 1.28, 8 p.m.; and “Almost Abba” at Alhambra Dinner Theatre, 1.24 to 2.5.
(Cathy Newman of National Geographic is responsible for the idea for this week’s column. My thanks and acknowledgements to her.) If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
1.25.05
This May, if you take exit 93 off I-65 and travel west about 30 miles to Monroeville, Alabama, a sleepy town of 7,000 souls in southwestern Alabama, you probably won’t see her. Town folks will be mum about speculations and even turn away from any questions as to whether she’s in town. But you won’t see her in Monroeville at this season because she has never seen the spectacle that brings more than 5,000 strangers to town each year and more than 30,000 to the town the rest of the year. Even though she authored it and lives with the spectacle that has surrounded it for almost a half century, Harper Lee doesn’t like trading on her book’s fame and popularity; audiences on the other hand, love the ideas, characters and symbols present in “To Kill A Mockingbird.”
Each May, the Monroe County Heritage Museums does, however, deploy all its resources annually to create a stage version of “To Kill A Mockingbird.” It has taken on the feeling of a holy grail to the folks that live here, those that re-create the book’s powerful scenes, and those that make the pilgrimage to sit in the outdoor staging area on benches and see it, many more than once. Pastor’s, lawyers, policemen, county commissioners, moms, teenagers, firefighters, teachers, foresters, and other townspeople star in the play they say sends a “message of racial tolerance.” They have performed it not only in tiny Monroeville, but also on stages in Washington, DC; Hull, England; and Jerusalem. So ingrained is the play and its processes into the town’s culture, that a local actor once signed a check with his character’s name and it cleared the local bank.
In a unique turn, the play casts audience members as jurors. So involved do they become that they often quarrel about whether to acquit Tom Robinson, the accused. While of course they eventually must convict (according to the script), this is just one example of the power of word and stage. So for 16 performances a year, Monroeville trades on its fame and its possibilities. It escapes the humdrum of a drive for miles behind omni-present log trucks and radio broadcasts of ever-present airwave evangelists for a few days, and offers visitors a special glimpse into souls that are both good and evil.
This possibility exists for us, too. When “Crooked Rivers: Sisters Three” appears in April and May this year at Crooked Rivers State Park, we will begin the tradition of telling the tales, sharing the lives and commenting on the vagaries that surround our community’s history. We will sit outdoors, conjoined in spirit with congruent actors and playgoers in Monroeville, AL, all of us wondering if we can attain a similar success and fate.
Opportunities for this week and upcoming weeks: celebrate Mozart’s 250th birthday with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, TCU, 1.26, 7:30 p.m.; great guitar and jazz combines with Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, UNF, 7:30 p.m.; create your own art with your kids at JMOMA’s Family Art Class, 1.28, 2 p.m.; listen minute by minute to superstar Michael McDonald, Florida Theatre, 1.29, 8 p.m.; Soweto Gospel Choir, Florida Theatre, 2.3, 8 p.m.; try out new musical theatre on Amelia Island with “Bookstore” at Fernandina Bch Middle School, starts 1.28, 8 p.m.; and “Almost Abba” at Alhambra Dinner Theatre, 1.24 to 2.5.
(Cathy Newman of National Geographic is responsible for the idea for this week’s column. My thanks and acknowledgements to her.) If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
1.25.05
Monday, January 16, 2006
Crooked Rivers Closer to Reality
This column appeared in the Wednesday (1.18) edition of the Tribune & Georgian newspaper
Remembering where we started is a way to keep us focused on our mission, according to wiser heads. So this week, let’s take a look at the progress of “Crooked Rivers: Sisters Three.” Hopefully I can provide some perspective and information that will pique your interest and make its arrival one that is eagerly anticipated.
For those that need a quick review, the genesis of “Crooked Rivers: Sisters Three,” an historical and entertaining theatrical journey through the history of Camden County and its residents, was the desire by locals to create a cultural tourism event that would have a lasting impact on our community and on those seeking travel and cultural destinations. With our unique coastal location and the depth of this region’s historical complexity, “Crooked Rivers” will offer travelers and local residents alike an opportunity to enjoy a musical stage show and deepen their knowledge of our area’s heritage.
To date, the caretakers of the “Crooked Rivers” legacy have been mostly engaged in preparations. Raising funds to create a worthy script, engaging directors, seeking and gaining community support, informing residents about the project and planning for a venue are the primary activities that have consumed them to date. At this point, one round of successful “gatherings” to seek performers has been held. Another and final set of “gatherings” to recruit actors, singers, dancers, stagehands and volunteers will February 25 & 26 from 2-4 p.m. at the CCHS Auditorium. If you want to get a sense of the spirit of the event and determine your level of interest in performing or volunteering in some other manner, this will be an event for you.
Other recent and ongoing activities about “Crooked Rivers” include a series of interviews done by cable TV programs and the print media with the some of the folks involved in the “Crooked Rivers” effort. This week, TV Camden is recording several scenes from the play for broadcast over the next several months on their channels with local cable operators. If you are cable subscriber, look for the TV Camden channel on your cable guide and be sure to watch for these moments.
Most important, we need to note the “Crooked Rivers: Sisters Three” production dates so they are firmly on our calendars. The performances will be April 21-23, April 27-28 and May 5-7 in Crooked Rivers State Park. The venue will be an open-air affair with free parking and a unique staging that employs all the charms of the state park and its environs. Ticket prices and where you can get them will be announced soon; we’ll send that information along as soon as it’s available.
Opportunities for this week and upcoming weeks: for blues guitar aficionados, catch local talent gone international recording star, Susan Tedeschi at the Florida Theatre, Jan. 18, 8 p.m.; if you are into romantic piano, see Jim Brickman, Florida Theatre, Jan. 19, 8 p.m.; contemporary jazz fans can see Najee, Ritz Theatre, Jan. 21, 8 p.m.; see unique photographs of zoo animals in ‘Captive Beauty: Zoo Portraits,’ an exhibit by Frank Noelker at UNF Gallery, through Jan. 19; take the family to the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra’s Family Day, TU Ctr., Jan. 22, 2 p.m.; and take in the new acts at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, which opens Jan. 18 at Veteran’s Memorial Arena.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
1.18.05
Remembering where we started is a way to keep us focused on our mission, according to wiser heads. So this week, let’s take a look at the progress of “Crooked Rivers: Sisters Three.” Hopefully I can provide some perspective and information that will pique your interest and make its arrival one that is eagerly anticipated.
For those that need a quick review, the genesis of “Crooked Rivers: Sisters Three,” an historical and entertaining theatrical journey through the history of Camden County and its residents, was the desire by locals to create a cultural tourism event that would have a lasting impact on our community and on those seeking travel and cultural destinations. With our unique coastal location and the depth of this region’s historical complexity, “Crooked Rivers” will offer travelers and local residents alike an opportunity to enjoy a musical stage show and deepen their knowledge of our area’s heritage.
To date, the caretakers of the “Crooked Rivers” legacy have been mostly engaged in preparations. Raising funds to create a worthy script, engaging directors, seeking and gaining community support, informing residents about the project and planning for a venue are the primary activities that have consumed them to date. At this point, one round of successful “gatherings” to seek performers has been held. Another and final set of “gatherings” to recruit actors, singers, dancers, stagehands and volunteers will February 25 & 26 from 2-4 p.m. at the CCHS Auditorium. If you want to get a sense of the spirit of the event and determine your level of interest in performing or volunteering in some other manner, this will be an event for you.
Other recent and ongoing activities about “Crooked Rivers” include a series of interviews done by cable TV programs and the print media with the some of the folks involved in the “Crooked Rivers” effort. This week, TV Camden is recording several scenes from the play for broadcast over the next several months on their channels with local cable operators. If you are cable subscriber, look for the TV Camden channel on your cable guide and be sure to watch for these moments.
Most important, we need to note the “Crooked Rivers: Sisters Three” production dates so they are firmly on our calendars. The performances will be April 21-23, April 27-28 and May 5-7 in Crooked Rivers State Park. The venue will be an open-air affair with free parking and a unique staging that employs all the charms of the state park and its environs. Ticket prices and where you can get them will be announced soon; we’ll send that information along as soon as it’s available.
Opportunities for this week and upcoming weeks: for blues guitar aficionados, catch local talent gone international recording star, Susan Tedeschi at the Florida Theatre, Jan. 18, 8 p.m.; if you are into romantic piano, see Jim Brickman, Florida Theatre, Jan. 19, 8 p.m.; contemporary jazz fans can see Najee, Ritz Theatre, Jan. 21, 8 p.m.; see unique photographs of zoo animals in ‘Captive Beauty: Zoo Portraits,’ an exhibit by Frank Noelker at UNF Gallery, through Jan. 19; take the family to the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra’s Family Day, TU Ctr., Jan. 22, 2 p.m.; and take in the new acts at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, which opens Jan. 18 at Veteran’s Memorial Arena.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
1.18.05
Monday, January 09, 2006
Nutcracker finally on stage, Footloose rehearsing
This column appeared in the Tribune & Georgian newspaper on Wednesday, 1.11.05.
Last week I wrote that the early rehearsals of Camden County’s spring musical, “Footloose,” were underway, starting last Monday. Those 40-plus students worked almost every day last week, on choreography for the six biggest numbers in the show. I got a chance watch the early results on Friday and Saturday. Their hard work is paying off and they are a pretty impressive group of young people. While they are clearly not where they want to be for a polished show, it is a pretty good big accomplishment to have that much preparation done almost three months before the production dates, which are March 31, April 1 & 2 at the Camden High School Auditorium. The most impressive thing is that these young people are incredibly enthusiastic about their work and consistently positive about working so hard and being a part of this group. Imagine that. Sort of blows up some stereotypes about today’s teenagers doesn’t it? If you wish, you take a sneak peek at some of their work at www.kraack.us/footloose where a few QuickTime movies of their rehearsals can be found.
Also, a reminder about another performance I mentioned in a previous column. The long awaited performance of our local production of “The Nutcracker” will be Saturday (Jan. 14) at 1:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. at the CCHS Auditorium. Call 882-7500 to purchase tickets or you can get them at the door on the day of the show. This is another example of how persistent young people can be when they are involved in the arts. These performers, faced with having to cancel a show because nature intervened in the form of migrating bats in the ceiling of the auditorium, never wavered in their willingness to keep rehearsing and preparing for some future performance date. Now that time is here and they deserve an appreciative audience. The advice I gave earlier still applies: take a young person and enjoy watching them watch this performance. Their smiles and imaginations will run amok, as they become mice and soldiers and dancing princesses in a new kind of pretend world.
In a note about theatre history, on Monday of this week, “Phantom of the Opera” officially became the longest running show on Broadway, having raised the curtain on 7,486 performances. That supercedes the record previously held by “Cats” and it also means that producer Cameron Mackintosh is the producer of the top three longest running shows in Broadway history, with “Les Misérables” holding third place. What made this important to me, besides the artistic significance, was a note I saw about the total worldwide gross from “Phantom” alone: $3.2 billion to date. Who says that there isn’t any money to be made in the arts?
Opportunities for this week and upcoming weeks: Mandolin fans will enjoy Mike Compton and David Long in concert at The House of Jam, 6-9 p.m., $15, Jan. 12; see the art of Cezanne, Degas, Monet, Renoir and other impressionists and post-impressionists at the Main Gallery, Florida School of the Arts, Palatka, through Fri., Jan. 17, free, 8:30-5; imagine the sound of eight (8) cellos in concert when Cello Octet Conjunto Iberico plays, Church of the Good Shepherd, Jan. 13, $18-25,
8 p.m.; opera fans can get into the bohemian life in early 19th century during Puccini’s “La Boheme” at TUC, Jan. 13, 8 p.m.; enjoy a salute to MLK, Jr. with the Ritz Chamber Players at TUC, Jan. 14, 8 p.m.; the whole family will enjoy Family Day at the Cummer Museum of Art; noon to 5 p.m., Jan. 15.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
1.11.05
Last week I wrote that the early rehearsals of Camden County’s spring musical, “Footloose,” were underway, starting last Monday. Those 40-plus students worked almost every day last week, on choreography for the six biggest numbers in the show. I got a chance watch the early results on Friday and Saturday. Their hard work is paying off and they are a pretty impressive group of young people. While they are clearly not where they want to be for a polished show, it is a pretty good big accomplishment to have that much preparation done almost three months before the production dates, which are March 31, April 1 & 2 at the Camden High School Auditorium. The most impressive thing is that these young people are incredibly enthusiastic about their work and consistently positive about working so hard and being a part of this group. Imagine that. Sort of blows up some stereotypes about today’s teenagers doesn’t it? If you wish, you take a sneak peek at some of their work at www.kraack.us/footloose where a few QuickTime movies of their rehearsals can be found.
Also, a reminder about another performance I mentioned in a previous column. The long awaited performance of our local production of “The Nutcracker” will be Saturday (Jan. 14) at 1:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. at the CCHS Auditorium. Call 882-7500 to purchase tickets or you can get them at the door on the day of the show. This is another example of how persistent young people can be when they are involved in the arts. These performers, faced with having to cancel a show because nature intervened in the form of migrating bats in the ceiling of the auditorium, never wavered in their willingness to keep rehearsing and preparing for some future performance date. Now that time is here and they deserve an appreciative audience. The advice I gave earlier still applies: take a young person and enjoy watching them watch this performance. Their smiles and imaginations will run amok, as they become mice and soldiers and dancing princesses in a new kind of pretend world.
In a note about theatre history, on Monday of this week, “Phantom of the Opera” officially became the longest running show on Broadway, having raised the curtain on 7,486 performances. That supercedes the record previously held by “Cats” and it also means that producer Cameron Mackintosh is the producer of the top three longest running shows in Broadway history, with “Les Misérables” holding third place. What made this important to me, besides the artistic significance, was a note I saw about the total worldwide gross from “Phantom” alone: $3.2 billion to date. Who says that there isn’t any money to be made in the arts?
Opportunities for this week and upcoming weeks: Mandolin fans will enjoy Mike Compton and David Long in concert at The House of Jam, 6-9 p.m., $15, Jan. 12; see the art of Cezanne, Degas, Monet, Renoir and other impressionists and post-impressionists at the Main Gallery, Florida School of the Arts, Palatka, through Fri., Jan. 17, free, 8:30-5; imagine the sound of eight (8) cellos in concert when Cello Octet Conjunto Iberico plays, Church of the Good Shepherd, Jan. 13, $18-25,
8 p.m.; opera fans can get into the bohemian life in early 19th century during Puccini’s “La Boheme” at TUC, Jan. 13, 8 p.m.; enjoy a salute to MLK, Jr. with the Ritz Chamber Players at TUC, Jan. 14, 8 p.m.; the whole family will enjoy Family Day at the Cummer Museum of Art; noon to 5 p.m., Jan. 15.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
1.11.05
Monday, January 02, 2006
Arts Students Spend Off Day Footloose
This column was published in the Tribune & Georgian newspaper on Wednesday (1.4.05)
By the time you read this, a unique and inspiring thing will have happened. Most of you know that school holidays ended this week and students were scheduled to return to classrooms in Camden County on Tuesday (Jan. 3). Some high school students, however, did the unthinkable – they came back to school a day earlier than required. Bright and early on Monday morning, when a large contingent of their friends was still in bed, about 40 or so actors, dancers and singers charged onto the stage at the high school auditorium. And they began to cut “Footloose.”
For the next eight hours, these dedicated students learned and laughed their way through challenging choreography, blocking, music, and movement rehearsals with their directors and choreographers. While they could have been shopping, watching TV or playing video games, these young actors worked at their craft. Just like good athletic teams don’t get that way by practicing haphazardly, theatrical productions don’t become excellent without hard work, maximum effort, positive attitude, serious dedication, and spontaneity. And I promise you that more than one cast member will say later on, “man, I hurt from all that practice.” And I guarantee their teachers and directors will assure them that it gets better and it IS worth it. I further offer that they will “get it” when they hear the audiences cheer and clap for them when the curtain drops on opening night.
These eager thespians are in the cast of the Camden High School’s Fine Arts Department musical, “Footloose.” They will be joined in late March and early April by equally hardworking musicians to perform this fun show for our community. All of them will be preparing for the next three months, during a marathon of memorization, rehearsal and refinement. This musical is filled with fun music, and features themes about the challenges that come with growing up and being a family. It is funny, instructive and redemptive. It is NOT the movie; it is the Broadway musical, about characters with which kids and adults alike can identify.
As rehearsals continue and anticipation grows, we will occasionally revisit these exciting young performers as they prepare their show for you. Most of all, keep in mind these are students on a mission, that are willing to dedicate their time and efforts to something bigger than each of them individually. Giving young people the opportunity to learn that lesson alone is another good reason to keep the arts alive and well in their lives and in our communities.
Opportunities for this week and upcoming weeks: First Wednesday Art Walk, downtown Jax galleries, museums, venues, free, Jan. 4,5-9 p.m.; New Beginnings, New Year Poetry Slam, Florida Theatre, Jan. 4, 7 p.m. (safe for kids, no cursing allowed); Theatreworks presents “Thumbelina,” Florida Theatre, original children’s musical, Jan. 8, 2 p.m.; “Hank and My Honky Tonk Heroes,” Alhambra Dinner Theatre, through Feb. 19; Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra presents “Viva La France,” Times Union Ctr, Jan 6, 11 a.m. and 8 p.m.; Jim Brickman, Florida Theatre, Jan. 19.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
1.4.05
By the time you read this, a unique and inspiring thing will have happened. Most of you know that school holidays ended this week and students were scheduled to return to classrooms in Camden County on Tuesday (Jan. 3). Some high school students, however, did the unthinkable – they came back to school a day earlier than required. Bright and early on Monday morning, when a large contingent of their friends was still in bed, about 40 or so actors, dancers and singers charged onto the stage at the high school auditorium. And they began to cut “Footloose.”
For the next eight hours, these dedicated students learned and laughed their way through challenging choreography, blocking, music, and movement rehearsals with their directors and choreographers. While they could have been shopping, watching TV or playing video games, these young actors worked at their craft. Just like good athletic teams don’t get that way by practicing haphazardly, theatrical productions don’t become excellent without hard work, maximum effort, positive attitude, serious dedication, and spontaneity. And I promise you that more than one cast member will say later on, “man, I hurt from all that practice.” And I guarantee their teachers and directors will assure them that it gets better and it IS worth it. I further offer that they will “get it” when they hear the audiences cheer and clap for them when the curtain drops on opening night.
These eager thespians are in the cast of the Camden High School’s Fine Arts Department musical, “Footloose.” They will be joined in late March and early April by equally hardworking musicians to perform this fun show for our community. All of them will be preparing for the next three months, during a marathon of memorization, rehearsal and refinement. This musical is filled with fun music, and features themes about the challenges that come with growing up and being a family. It is funny, instructive and redemptive. It is NOT the movie; it is the Broadway musical, about characters with which kids and adults alike can identify.
As rehearsals continue and anticipation grows, we will occasionally revisit these exciting young performers as they prepare their show for you. Most of all, keep in mind these are students on a mission, that are willing to dedicate their time and efforts to something bigger than each of them individually. Giving young people the opportunity to learn that lesson alone is another good reason to keep the arts alive and well in their lives and in our communities.
Opportunities for this week and upcoming weeks: First Wednesday Art Walk, downtown Jax galleries, museums, venues, free, Jan. 4,5-9 p.m.; New Beginnings, New Year Poetry Slam, Florida Theatre, Jan. 4, 7 p.m. (safe for kids, no cursing allowed); Theatreworks presents “Thumbelina,” Florida Theatre, original children’s musical, Jan. 8, 2 p.m.; “Hank and My Honky Tonk Heroes,” Alhambra Dinner Theatre, through Feb. 19; Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra presents “Viva La France,” Times Union Ctr, Jan 6, 11 a.m. and 8 p.m.; Jim Brickman, Florida Theatre, Jan. 19.
If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.
1.4.05
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