Good Morning, Baltimore!
I just arrived in Baltimore to present “The All School Musical” at the National Middle School Conference. My tales of flights and cabbies are definite book material for a musical. This early flight had paired me with a seatmate who was a well-coiffed older gentleman who quietly blessed both of us during take-off. I was trying to do some revisions on Broadway JR. Director’s Guides, but realized by Philadelphia the revisions were probably going to have to wait. My friend wanted to tell me how much better off kids would be if paddles were still in classrooms and that there were an awful lot of teachers that just didn’t care. It was all I needed to let my “teacher flag” fly. My husband jokes that I will always be a teacher, managing unknown kids as needed in movie theaters or in supermarkets. Here we go again, only “the kid in need” was about 65 with a briefcase and seat belted on a small jet.
It just so happened, I said, that I was coincidently going to meet several hundred teachers and principals who really do care. I don’t know if he ever pulled a curtain for a show, wore an ill-fitting costume with his buddies, or maybe he was told by an un-informed teacher just to move his mouth and not really sing. Part of me wished I could beam him into our session with teachers actively engaged in fun theater practices and sharing their stories about kids in their programs.
Ah well, it is officially the season of Thanksgiving, and I am continually thankful for what musical theater does to make the world a better place. Thankful for teachers and directors who spend incredible amounts of time on details that help kids create to their own level of excellence. Thankful for all of you who go the extra mile at your own expense to create a vehicle for kids to learn to get-along, no matter what their background. Thankful for those of you who have students that might say, “If anyone cares, she does!”
I don’t think my seatmate will be seeing a show in Baltimore. I, however, am totally pumped to listen to and help teachers reach kids through this “calling” of ours. Good Morning, Baltimore!
