On Being A Star

I am parenting a Stage Kid, and I have just recently figured that out. The child I am speaking of is Little Squirt.

My older two were not Stage Kids. They each took a few acting classes as youngsters, and were less than enthused. And I dragged them into some church dramas I was cast in. I labeled it: “Mandatory Performing For Jesus.” Neither of them wanted anything to do with that. They hated being up on stage in front of hundreds of people.

Little Squirt, however, was cut out of a different cloth. He longs for the spot light. He sits up close to the television and sings and dances to Sponge Bob and iCarly. He imitates each and every movement he sees, pausing the tv, practicing, rewinding and trying again. He told me he wants his own tv show on Disney, and how could I get him one?

This weekend the vocal team he is on sang for the children’s church for the first time. He simply glowed. With each performance, I saw him stand taller, more confident, and energetic. And during the very last song of the last service, he tried to hijack the microphone. As the vocal team leader addressed the audience before the song, he leaned in toward the mic, tapped it a few times, and blew. From the sound system came a soft, thunder-like acoustic. I tried to catch his eye and motioned him to move back into place. He ignored me. I believe he was encouraged by his feeling of power. So when the music and song began, he moved up a couple of inches and tried to sing directly into the mic he was sharing with two other children. Startled by the sound of his solo voice, he moved quickly back into place and became part of the team again.

But his zest for Stardom was ignited. He loved every second of performing, and wanted me to count out how many days were left before he could be on stage again. A true Stage Kid. I may need to take him to Hollywood.