By Terra Avilla
What a week it has been! I have a sneaking suspicion that the week(s) to come will continue to be somewhat frantic. If you are like the Avilla household, you are surely feeling the effects of canceled events, fundraisers, sporting events and now schools. However, one closure which I know affected many households was the closure of the premiere of Best of Broadway.
While I understood the need, it did break my heart to hear that the months of hard work, fundraising, choreographing, practicing, costume prepping etc, was not going to result in a show for the public.
Let’s get this straight. We as a community need Best of Broadway. We need an outlet for our community, but especially our youth to have an outlet into something that is so positive and artistic.
Children sing or hum before they can speak, and they can dance before they can walk or crawl. Music is a fundamental part of our life.
Best of Broadway allows so many of our youth to nurture the artistic side of them, surrounded by other creative hearts in a judgement free zone.
We need this for our kids. To teach them responsibility (months of practicing) to show them teamwork and to help build their confidence. Best of Broadway does more than entertain – they ignite portions of our community’s creativity. Encourage personal growth. All of it.
Now, as someone who cannot carry a tune in a bucket, I always enjoy the show as a spectator. A quality date night. An amazing production that hosts a swarm of people I know and love. That is the best thing about theater in a small town – you come to watch your child or your friend and you end up cheering for every act as you know all of the singers and dancers, down to the littlest of participants.
This year, they may not have gotten to put on their show. They may not have received a standing ovation, a curtain call, and they will not get to take a final bow, but they still are and were instrumental in developing the art our community so desperately needs and thrives on.
So to all the Best of Broad Way peeps, I am so sorry I was not able to catch the show this year, but I (and so many others) will be there next year cheering you on, and I am giving you a virtual standing ovation for all that you do for our community.
There is nothing like Best of Broadway anywhere else, and it will always be one of the reasons I love the place we live.
