Note:
This section is a continuation from blog 63
After two days of being sick in bed, I got up and went back
to school.
On February 6th, I signed up for my new semester
of classes. At this point, I was only taking classes that interested me. Deep
down, I think I had given up the idea that I was going to succeed at school.
For my theatre class, I sat up in the front row. Waiting for
class to begin, my mind wandered to the golden-haired, blue-eyed boy I had a
crush on –Chris; I wished he was there. Suddenly, he was there, sitting next to
me! He wanted to know why I hadn’t passed my acting class. To me, Chris seemed like someone who would soon be a star, or someone who already was.
“Are you going to continue on?” he asked. “I think you ought
to pass if anyone does.”
Then he said something that surprised me.
“When you get on stage, you have something special, and
you’re the only one in class that has it.”
He did give me one criticism, telling me that in between my lines,
I went back into myself. That was something I had to work on he told me.
“If they don’t pass you this next time, I’ll bomb the
school.”
He made me laugh. Of course, in 1973, you could say
something like that as a joke and no one would think you meant it. Now, it
would be considered a ‘terroristic threat,’ but we were much more innocent
then.
Chris and I talked for quite a while and I felt happy. But later, when I saw him sitting with two
girls and laughing, I felt jealous and left. Somehow his fun with the other
girls seemed to discount the seriousness of what he had told me. Maybe he
flattered every girl like that, I thought.
By Thursday, February 8th I knew there was going
to be an audience the next day, Friday, for the taping of The Julie Andrews Hour, and I would be allowed to attend. I was so
happy. Meanwhile, I had something else in my mind. I didn’t want to be seen as
just a fan like Patty and Kelly-a fan who could be put out; I wanted to be seen
as something more.
Often when they had an audience, before Julie came out and
they began taping the show, Rich Little would entertain the audience. Sometimes
he also asked if there was anyone audience who did impressions or something
special, and he’d have them come up on stage to entertain. I wrote in my diary:
“I want to sing… I am determined to ask Rich Little if I can
sing tomorrow at Julie’s, but I am so scared. I practiced, but I am sick with
stage fright.
Tomorrow was coming and I had it all planned. I had even
asked my best friend, Alice
Thank goodness it never happened. I wasn’t ready.
To be
continued….
(c) Michelle Russell
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