What great fun! I knew basically what the play was about, though I hadn’t seen it or the movie or the TV show. And I knew grandson Patrick Keegan had helped to build the sets – which were wonderful, interactive, well designed and created. Big 2 story rigs wheeling on and off the stage. Very Impressive. But I’ve learned that that’s what SCPA theater tech students do – just amazing work. (This is Patrick’s senior year – and his freshman year at UC as well.)
And I knew it would be well acted, danced, sung by a multitude of talented teens. Which indeed it was! What I didn’t realize was that Tyler Nelson – star of MTV’s reality show about SCPA, and now working on productions in New York and Atlanta – was the principal male dancer and singing as well. I’ve known Tyler since he was six – that family is my second family. I thought with all that out of town work, he wouldn’t be on stage.
I was blown away by his performance. He’s only been dancing three years – and is an incredible talent. He has the ability to stay in the air those extra few seconds, the way Barishnykov would. His singing is catching right up with that gift for dance.
We didn’t find Grandson Patrick coming out the stage door – he had to stay and break down the set, since it was the last performance. But I did get a chance to have a Tyler hug, and to tell him what a great human being he’s grown up to be.