In the first episode of "The Simpsons," Homer attends Lisa's Christmas pageant, at Springfield Elementary. It's a sloppy play--and Homer is relieved to reach the end. Then he realizes that every single grade has a performance to offer, and he groans audibly. "Come on. How many grades do they have in this school?"
My daughter didn't really make any noise during her first Hanukkah concert. She stood in the group and stuck a finger in her mouth.
Later, I talked with a stranger, who revealed that her son had been up late, practicing. "This is EVERYTHING," she said, mysteriously. "It's EVERYTHING."
One girl--in particular--seemed to be a star. She knew all the words, and she performed with gusto. She made me think of Kristin Chenoweth--who, at the age of five, agreed to appear live with the Broken Arrow Ballet. She played a bunny, and, at one point, a fake branch fell from a plastic tree. Chenoweth asked herself: "What would a bunny do?" Then she grabbed the branch in her teeth--and hopped downstage, to build a woodland home.
Looking back now, I recall something my writing teacher used to say: "Unless you're Jane Austen, you don't want to blossom too early. Just give yourself time." And--of course--many character actors don't really work until they reach their forties.
In any case, my daughter seems unperturbed. At home, she is drawn to the visual arts; she especially likes making portraits of Superman. We'll see what happens.
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