I was so proud of DS9 this weekend.
After watching him in a little skit for the Easter service in third grade over a year ago (the disciple meeting Jesus on the way to Emmaus), and hearing his earnest explanation on how he thought to act in order to convey shock and surprise as opposed to just reciting his lines the way the others did, I thought he really needed to be in the musical theatre club again
In third grade, the club had been oversubscribed and as usual, he'd forgotten to hand in the application slip in time so he was not even allowed to enter the lottery. So when the club was oversubscribed for fourth grade again and he lost in the lottery I had to beg and grovel for him to be allowed in anyway. I guilted his teacher into advocating for him, moaning about how we'd all agreed he shouldn't be accelerated into fifth grade in middle school because he needed time to further develop his social skills and learn how to be part of a group and now he had lost his chance to be in theatre again, and wasn't this communal project the perfect chance....
They somehow made room for him. I bet they were glad they did!
He landed the role of Talking Hat (sort of like a parody of the HP sorting hat, spouting constant nonsense). He was dressed all in black, with the hat coming down over his face to his shoulders. I was told the other kids called him "the Man in Black" and thought he looked cool. My kid has never been cool!
I was not surprised that he was one of the few kids who always knew his lines and never needed prompting. But since I knew nothing of his role (he'd never asked for my help learning his stuff and obviously needed none) I was very surprised that he had three solo songs. All of them were rhythmically complicated but he managed them with very few stumbles and sang in tune, which actually was a standout too. (I thought all those times I'd made him stand up with a violin for piano-accompanied solo recitals must have paid off). But one of them was a very fast and complicated rap, nonsense sentences meant to mimic a politician spouting sound bites, and he belted it into the microphone like a pro, not a single mistake or insecurity. That one was all him.
DH said afterwards it was very impressive watching your kid doing something you knew you could not do yourself and that even next to his talented classmate who played the lead and was great, DS9 looked like a middle schooler acting amongst elementary kids.
Until the final applause when he started capering around like the little boy he is.
Yes, we were proud.