Stage Magic

As a girl, we had season tickets to Promised Valley Playhouse. I guess it was Mom’s way of having some ‘girl time’ and giving us a little culture, too. My sis and I would get all dressed up in our fancy theater-going outfits: velour knickers and matching vests (it was the 80s…’nuf said). We would pile in the tuna boat station wagon with our Aunt and two cousins for the (seemingly) long trip to Salt Lake City.

The busy-ness and bustle of the “big” city was just the beginning of the excitement! As we walked up the steps to our balcony seats, I admired the beautiful, ornate design of the theater, the heavy draped curtains over the stage and the huge, sparkling chandelier. We always stopped in the 2nd floor lobby area to admire the display cases holding costumes from past performances. My favorite was the red dress and wig from “Annie,” and I always hoped they would put that show on again.

Over the few years we had our season tickets, we saw many plays and musicals. Some, I didn’t quite understand (like “Heaven Can Wait”), and others became life-long favorites (“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”). But all the performances and experiences in that theater shaped my life-long love of the stage.

The best part of the night, except for maybe the intermission snack we sometimes got to buy, was the program. I loved the slick, colorful programs. I got to have my own copy. I would devour the bios of the actors in the minutes before the curtain went up. At the end of the play, the actors would greet the audience in the lobby. If we remembered to bring a pen, we could usually get them to sign our programs. I saved that stack of programs for many years.

Last night I had the chance to introduce my own children to the fun of the theater. BYU’s Ballet Theater was in our town and dancing at a local high school. We all got dressed up in our best clothes and headed into town. The theater was just a high school auditorium, not the grand and ornate playhouse of my childhood memories. But, when the curtain came up and the music began, my two little ones were transfixed by the performance. They both watched with surprising awe and attention at the dancers' spinning and jumping on the stage.

After the performance, Kate spotted a swan-clad ballerina who had come out into the auditorium. She immediately wanted to talk with her. The question she asked: “Can I visit your house?” She was certain this beautifully dressed dancer must live in a fairy castle.

Ahhh…the magic of the stage…