Theatre has always held a special place in my life. It’s not something I ever excelled at, but I enjoyed it. The passion began in high school, primarily because of the passion of a teacher. She somehow pulled together people from many groups, so we made new friends as we worked together toward an end result of excellence.

I was minimally involved in theatre in college, then settled into family life. While the girls were still young, I agreed to help a fellow alum when she took over directing our alma mater high school production. One year turned into many, and I enjoyed the memories and challenges, as well as the relationships. Across all the years, I’ve made sure to see a variety of productions. Some of my favorites are musicals I’ve seen with the girls. Nearly every summer, I enjoy musicals at the Muny in St. Louis. The magic seems to elevate under the stars. It’s a unique experience because most theatre doesn’t involve airplanes flying overhead or people slipping out mid-scene to get ice cream or candy.

Last Summer I got to expand the shared memories by introducing a granddaughter to the experience. We saw Beauty and the Beast, and it’s now one of my favorites I’ve ever seen at the Muny. Anytime a musical is based on a favorite movie, especially animated, adapting it for stage is challenging. People have expectations, and animation is difficult to replicate on stage. But they did it exceptionally. It was magical, as are the memories of seeing it all through my granddaughter’s eyes. Instead of getting lost in the story, I got lost in watching my granddaughter. The magic of the musical turned into the magic of the memories. As I glanced into the rear view mirror occasionally on the way home and saw her sleeping, I was deeply grateful for the opportunity to expand magical memories.