Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Tim's Musical

Tim stormed in the house with tears in his eyes. Bang! He threw his book bag on the kitchen table and started to cry.
“What happened to my son, who’s usually sensible and cheerful? He is seventeen! What made him cry like a baby?” I wondered, “Did he fail the physics mid-term? Did the girl he secretly fell in love with find someone else?”
Then I remembered Tim had an audition for the school musical today-- The Sound of Music, our family's favorite. He has practiced and practiced over the past months. He was determined to play Captain Von Trapp, and he was pretty sure Mr. Ryan would choose him. He might not be the best mathematician or the best violinist at school as many Asian parents expected their children to be, but boy, his rich and brilliant baritone, and his poise in acting, everyone agreed it the best in the entire Todd High School.
Tim loved singing and acting so much. He played in every school musical since he was a freshman, He prepared thoroughly for every audition, and when he was chosen, he would study the entire script, and practice his lines and songs over and over again. Mm, in “Fiddler on the Roof” when he was a freshman, he was one of the villagers who attended the wedding of Tzeitel and Motel. He didn't have any singing part, but the squatting dances almost broke his ankles. Sophomore year, Bye-Bye Birdie, he sang in the Ed Sullivan Show among a group of singers. Last year, a junior, he got to play Tin Man in "Wizard of Oz," which made him a semi celebrity on campus. Students love the Tin Man with slanted eyes. This year he aimed at playing Captain Von Trapp. Reason one, this would be his last year in high school. Reason two, Catherine, the girl he secretly fell in love with, would most possibly be playing Maria, the lovely nun Captain Von Trapp eventually married.
Now someone else was chosen to play Captain Von Trapp, and next year he will not have another high school musical.
I tried to comfort him, but he cried even more bitterly. Then I thought I should teach him a lesson: "Look, let’s face the reality. Surely you have worked hard for the audition, but there might be still someone out there who’s better than you..."
"No!" Tim yelled back, making me stumble back several steps. "Mr. Ryan said I was the best!"
"But why didn't Mr. Ryan choose you for ....."
"Mr. Ryan wanted me to be the stage manager! He said the stage manager is even more important than Captain Von Trapp."
“But did you tell him you wished to play Captain Von Trapp?”
"Yes, but he thought the audience would feel odd that Captain Von Trapp was an Asian….No! I don't want to be the stupid stage manager! I want to be on the stage!" Tim stopped crying, but I saw the determination in his eyes.
"Have other characters been decided?"
"No, today Mr. Ryan only decided the stage manager, Captain Von Trapp, and Maria, .... Catherine.." Tears streamed down his cheeks again.
"Then, Tim," My husband who had silently watched and listened to our conversation, spoke up very carefully, "Have you considered playing one of Captain Von Trapp’s seven children?"
"What? One of the children? Dad, that’s ridiculous! How can Captain Von Trapp have an Asian child?"
"Why not? Why don’t we suppose Captain Von Trapp adopted a Chinese boy on his voyage…"
Before I gave my husband a scolding look for such a silly idea, Tim burst into a loud laughter and said, “Captain Von Trapp adopted a Chinese boy! This is a great idea! Thanks Dad! I will go back to school to talk to Mr. Ryan now!"
When I saw Tim played Friedrich, Captain Von Trapp’s oldest son, smiling all over the show, especially when he talked to Maria, I knew he just enjoyed being on the stage with Catherine.
My family still believes the trend that Western families adopting Chinese babies started from Captain Von Trapp--no, it started from Tim’s high school musical.

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