Yesterday, Katherine shared that she had been called back for the part of “Serena” in “Fame”, the Spring Musical at EBHS. I was in a local production of “Fame” so I know the play intimately.

The main reason I didn’t think of Katherine as Serena is pretty darn critical.

Serena shares a kiss, is the romantic ingénue who actually has her dreams come true, unlike the top lead who dies from drug use and (in the lyrics from the song, “Fame”) doesn’t “live forever” at all.

So I thought, “That was kind of Justin” (my friend from local theatre, Director of this version of “Fame” who also directed the “Fame” I was in… and is also Katherine’s French teacher) “to give Katherine such a great opportunity, and she is only a freshman so I don’t need to worry about her being cast…”

She came home this afternoon and when she came through the door there was no bursting “Mom, Mom, I got it!” so I thought… “Ok, it’s safe. I don’t have to actually WATCH Katherine kissing” (especially since this will be her first kiss.)

So, she came in to check on me… I was actually using her room as my resting place post-oral-surgery.

“So, what part did you get?” I was all prepared to talk about how great the chorus is in “Fame”… because chorus IS great in “Fame” and I knew that would be the fate of her friend, Emma Z, since she didn’t get a specific call back.

Katherine smiled real big, “I got Serena.”

I leaped out of the bed and hugged her tight. “Yay! I am so proud of you! You get one of the best songs in the whole show!” Which is true, Serena has an AWESOME song. Katherine is an incredible singer, so I am not surprised. I just thought she could go for Mabel, who also has a great song… but is a smaller part and more comedic. Katherine, for all her seriousness is a fine comedic actress, too.

It took me a minute and sliding back underneath the blankets to say, “You know what this means, don’t you?”

“What?” said my precious child.

“You are going to be kissed on stage.”

She shook her head, “Uh-uh!” and I said, “Yes, unless Justin cuts it, you are getting kissed. So who is the guy? Do you like him?”

“His name is James, and yes I like him, but not like that.”…. and the color on her cheeks raised substantially, so I changed the subject to singing.

She and her friend, Rachel, are the only freshmen in main roles. Katherine’s understudy is a senior. My only hope is that people don’t think Justin and Zach (the assistant Director, one of my cast mates in the original “Fame”) chose Katherine because she is my child and because of my position in theatre. Katherine was in theatre before I was, she is a ten year veteran of the stage. I have just been, until now – more recently visible.

Hooray for Katherine! Now, Serena… plus she has three more weeks of “High School Musical” at Spotlight Theatre… where she has been getting her own unique whoops and hollers as Kelsi when she tells of Sharpay, towards the end. If you have no idea what I am talking about, you need to have a young ‘un in your life who watches Disney Channel, this movie is on incessantly and has started an entire craze.