Music Man

I am once again blown away by the kindness and tolerance directed at my child in yet another show, "Music Man," performed with the Beverly Theatre Guild.  My husband and I know too well that Sean can be hard to understand.  The theatre community is the polar opposite of our neighbors. Theatre people “get” him better than the general public. When he exhibits "behaviors," they don't judge and he works through what he needs to work through.  I think those with artistic abilities exist on a different level and that level is closer to the wavelength autistics are on.  He has fit right in as a kindred spirit with the theatre crowd. His teacher sent me a note asking if he was in another play because he was talking about rehearsal.

 He had a line this time.  This is a new concept for him.  I actually thought he wouldn’t get it and the line would just be assigned to another child.  That is sort of the case – it was made into a cute bit where each child says “good morning, Mayor Shinn” and the mayor is annoyed by all the attention.  Sean was initially set to say the line first, but was re-set to be last. He got it right every time and projected his voice nice and loud.  I’m very proud of him.  Baby step victories.

 

He's become quite comfortable having his photo taken.  Lots of photos are taken during the production of a show.  I received a phone call from his school asking if he could be videotaped as a demo to show other students how to have their picture taken.

 

He was fascinated with the technical aspects of the show.  During tech rehearsals, he was mesmerized by the lighting, sound and set activities and the communications between the individual crews.

We have so far been lucky in shows to have young people willing and able to “Sean wrangle” when my husband and I are on stage or changing costumes.  The other kids, especially the teenagers, are wonderful to him.

Sean was hilarious on the ride home.  During both “Wizard of Oz” and “Music Man,” he sang songs from the show in the correct key, a cappella, in the car.  He would imitate solos exactly the way the actor in the show sang them – even if they were off-key, he would sing the exact wrong notes that they sang.  He also chose different characters to act out at home – one day Mayor Shinn, the next Charlie Cowell, then Marcellus, Harold Hill.  Spot on imitations there, too.

He’s developed a better sense of sequence through both school and theatre.  A member of the costume crew was asked to help him with a costume change.  She came backstage, saying he wouldn’t let her change him at that point.  Turns out, she was told the wrong time to change him, it wasn’t time yet, he was correct!

There was a section during the “76 Trombones” dance break where he was center stage.  Sometimes he would do the dance, sometimes dance while looking at other dancers’ feet behind him, sometimes just stand there and grin at the audience.  When he would just stand there, the conductor and orchestra would encourage him to keep dancing.  The last few performances, he just broke out and did his own freestyle dance at this point in the number.  That got a good reaction from the crowd!  The smallest cast member can get usually away with stuff like that.

As in “Wizard of Oz,” a big group of teachers and therapists from Sean’s school came to see him perform.  I was so happy for them to be there, not just because it made Sean happy, but I’m glad they could see Sean up on stage.  When he came to Elim School, he could barely speak a few words and was so easily distracted he couldn’t focus on anything for longer than a few seconds.  He was lost in a fog.  Now, several years later, he’s able to sing, dance and act in a show.  The staff at his school had a lot to do with that.  They work very hard with him and what a lovely result!

 The show ran two weekends and he was so upset on the days all he had to do was go to school.  “I don’t want to go to school!  I just want to sing and dance!”  He’s officially a theatre kid!

In the end, Sean once again had a terrific theatre experience.  I don’t believe our director or music director have a background dealing with special needs children, however, they were absolutely wonderful to Sean.  They saw past his difficulties through to his abilities and spirit.  Our second to last performance, he came offstage after curtain call, threw his arms up in the air and shouted, “I LOVE THIS PLACE!”  I think that sums up his experience.

Our next show is “Scrooge & Marley,” with Opening Night Arts Group, to be performed at Trinity College in Palos Heights, Illinois the first weekend of December.  Sean will be one of the Cratchit children.  I will be playing Mrs. Cratchit, so if he calls me Mama on stage, no biggie, I am his mama in this show. I have been working with him on his line: “The goose has arrived to be eaten.”  So far, he says, “The goose is here and we eat it.”  Close enough!  Either way, I’m sure the line delivery will be received well.  More theatre posts to come!