Facing Our Fears

If you have been out of your house in Alpine or it's surrounding areas, you probably have noticed that Alpine Community Theater has been advertising for the upcoming summer production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast.


A day and a half before the auditions, (and at 10:00 PM!) my 12 year old daughter comes waltzing in and announces that she is going to the auditions to land a part in the play. One of the requirements is to have at least 16 bars of a song from a musical of her choice prepared to sing in front of the judges.


Having done a little performing of my own, I immediately think to myself... there is no way she can get herself ready for an audition at this late notice! I mean... this would be her first real experience (she's done school stuff and church stuff), but this was a fairly large production, and not to mention...the compition would be stiff! How do I communicate this to her without discourageing her...she was soooo excited!


It is now 10:30 PM, and I find myself downstairs in the music room digging through all my old music, looking for the right piece of music for her to learn and perform in
about....oh....15 hours!

She shows up to her audition, music in hand, and all the way there I'm giving her the "what ever happens, this will be a great learning experience" speech, just praying that it will be a positive first experience.

She marches up to the check-in table, signs in, fills out her paper work and has her picture taken. She then proceeds to the "warm-up" room. The pianist calls her down and asks her to run through her song (in front of about a dozen people). Now keep in mind, this child has never sung in front of anyone, including her family.


She proceeds to the piano, music in hand, the pianist gives her the intro to the song..........nothing. She looks at the pianist, looks at me in the audience, back at the pianist.........eyes well up, and out the door she goes! So much for a first possitive experience!!!

Two days later...the phone rings. They want her to come back to sing for them. She declines and hangs up the phone. Unaware of the phone call she had just ended...she finds me out in the flower bed, attending to my newly planted beauties, and asks me if she did the right thing........in other words, she's having second thoughts about declining the invitation. I told her, it would have to be her decision, but I thought she should "get back on the horse"!

She stewed for 2 hours, all the time holding the telephone in her hand. Finally, she made the phone call, all by herself, and landed another opportunity to audition the next day after school.

I was down in Ephraim, Ut. with her Dad on business, when I recieved a phone call.........I picked up, and the first words I heard...Mom, I DID IT!.... and then a wooo hooo! She was so proud of herself for "climbing back on that horse". I was pretty proud of her too!

This is the best part....She landed a part!!! Not a huge part, but a part. Not so bad for a first timer, huh!


I guess there is a lesson to be learned here...don't ever tell someone "it can't be done", especially Amber...cuz it can!