The High School Musical That Changed My Life

My first live musical!

Mamacita says: The first live musical I ever saw was “Oklahoma,” during my junior year of high school. There was no turning back. My life was so small-town, so provincial, so limited. I had never realized that my peers had the kind of talent people paid money to see. I had never before seen anything like it.

I was already a huge fan of movie musicals, but this was local and featured kids I knew. I just never knew they could do THAT. I wish there were a video of that production. And to the people who were in that cast who are on FB: Wow. (I saw it three times.) Thank you. You added an element to my life that I still consider wonderful. I will never comprehend the fact that there are people who do not experience as much live theatre as is humanly possible.

When I win the lottery, I will build real theatres for every community, and create 4-year free-ride scholarships for students who participate in music, art, and theatre. That scholarship will include free pizza twice a week, and season tickets to all things musical and artistic within a hundred mile radius. If they want to watch sports, they’re on their own. Sports makes enough money; they certainly don’t need mine, and I don’t want to give them any of mine.

I have nothing against sports except when my tax dollars go to support a stadium instead of an auditorium; I admit: I really resent that and I begrudge it and I wouldn’t let them use my money for that if I had any choice, and I wouldn’t even mind if they used my tax dollars for theatres, but the arts are cast out on their own, not supported. No, I wish I could designate my tax dollars for things I love, not things I don’t. I resent it. I wish my money could go for the arts, not sports. Not even my imaginary not-won-yet pretend fantasy money. But if there’s a production of “The Secret Garden” or “Les Miserables,” or “Guys and Dolls” or “The King and I,” my winners want to see, it’s a done deal. I’ll pay for the gas, too.