(Note; these are not the people I saw on Friday night: I don’t know what these people are)
I saw so many famous people Friday night it would boggle your mind.
Amazing talents, rising stars, the very best of the best, those pulling incredible performances out I never knew they had in them, along with tomorrow’s big featured players.
This wasn’t on TV or the movies, or on Broadway.
They also weren’t famous to anyone else but me.
I am always stunned and delighted to realize I have a good relationship with my daughters. I was always told they would turn into grumpy lumps at age 13, and I’d meet then again at age 22. That hasn’t happened! We talk about their lives!
And often, we talk about the shows they’re acting in.
Our town’s high school puts on three student shows a year, not just tow. Like everyone else we’ve got a fall play and a winter musical, but we also have a “spring show.” It’s a cabaret-style show, meaning teenagers sing and dance to pop songs, and those are intercut with quotes and skits.
It’s usually my favorite show they put on. With a play or musical, at a certain point of high quality – wow that kid playing the grandparents can really emote! And what lungs! – the reality of it being a 17-year-old playing a grandpa becomes apparent.
Not so with the spring show: singing pop songs is completely on brand for teenagers! As if saying harsh/inspirational quotes, or acting out skits.
But I said these were famous people up on stage, not just kids.
We don’t go to Beverly Hills 90210, just a regular school.
O, the fame is due to my asymmetrical knowledge of these kids.
I’ve seen some of these kids DOZENS of times on stage. I’ve seen them mess up, and flounder. I’ve seen them at their best, I’ve seen great audiences love them, and bad audiences not care. I know what grade they’re in, what schools they applied to, what their majors will be, who’s crushing on who. I know it all! The tea, it is spilled.
They have no idea who I am.
After a performance I want to run up and hug them and congratulate them. But I don’t: remember; they have no idea who I am. Maybe I gave one of them a ride home two years ago. I may be rooting for them more than some of their own family!
And I’m sure I’m only getting like 12% of what my kids know about their friends and costars. But that 12% is my whole world some days. That 12% runneth my cuppeth over. Richest man in Bedford Falls, luckiest man-n-n-n on the face of the earth-th-th-th-th.
I will admit to not having this relationship with my parents. I didn’t know any kids who had this relationship with their parents: 1990s kids exchanged like 7 words a day with their parents.
Maybe it was Gilmore Girls that taught the world it’s okay to talk with your kids.
Or maybe I did something right along the way.
Maybe.
I was at a convention the Friday of the show, and was almost excited to enact the actual family-movie third-act crisis of trying to rush home to see the talent show. I’d never done that before! Oh, tides of fate, however shall I choose what to do?
Alas, I screwed up being the guy frantically driving through traffic yelling “I’ve gotta get to the show!” I gave myself lots of time, so even when the GPS creeped up I was still in the comfortable window. We sat in our seats for 15 minutes before the show started. I guess I’m just not cut out to be a movie dad, yelling about big financial deals on his gigantic X-Files cell phone, and then getting shamed by a Cat’s in the Cradle needle drop when my child sees I wasn’t in the front row like I promised.
The show full of famous people I saw was pretty great. But what do you expect; they’re famous, of course they put on a great show.
And now I’m back at the convention, sahinrg a room with movie and TV actors.
Who I guess also, kinda maybe, count as famous.
To some people.
***
Convention candid time!
PRINCESS LEIA OF THE WEEK
Princess Leia doing an outdoor photo shoot, complete with umbrella light-bounce.
(Boy oh boy was it hard to get a nonsalacious picture of someone in this outfit! I looked for a bun Leia, but the universe provided a Huttslayer.)
MICKEY MOUSE OF THE WEEK
Mickey Mouse shopping for art.
SPIDER-MAN OF THE WEEK
Spider-Man running outside to get reception for a phone call.
SUPER MARIO OF THE WEEK
Mario getting a drink, ready to head back to the airport when this is over.
UPCOMING APPEARANCES
MAY 16-18: FAN EXPO PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia, PA (I’m here now! come say hi!)
JULY 3-6: FAN EXPO DENVER
AUGUST 8-10: FAN EXPO BOSTON
OCTOBER 17-19: BALTIMORE COMIC-CON — Baltimore, MD