I awoke Sunday to see this text from my daughter who currently lives 12 hours ahead of me in France:
Usually on a Sunday, I would be spending a few hours doing homework and therefore taking time to see a play at the spur of the moment wouldn’t enter my mind. But Monday’s a holiday, I thought (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day) so I went to the Kennedy Center website to get more information. I discovered the last show was today at 4:30pm and a balcony seat was just $20. I was in!
Once at the Kennedy Center, I stood in a short line and purchased the last balcony seat. “It’s in the last row, center seat. In the Eisenhower Theater, that is still a great seat,” the box office man told me. “I just want to be in the room so I’ll take it!” And I handed him a twenty dollar bill.
The show wouldn’t start for 30 minutes, so I walked out onto the terrace to enjoy the view of the Potomac River. While wandering, I saw this quote carved on the building, a building honoring the great President who was the President the year I was born-John F. Kennedy.
I read it again and thought about what is happening in just 5 days on Inauguration Day, just blocks from here. Somehow it doesn’t feel to me like my country is even being recognized for its strength right now, let alone its culture. I wondered if we can still be a civil society.
Once seated, I had to agree with the box office – I loved my seat!
Bud, Not Buddy is a novel I had started a few times and never finished. Then a few summer’s ago, it was given to me again while I attended a Summer Reading Institute at Teachers College Reading and Writing Project. I was to read it in a week and daily have a book club discussion with my partners. This workshop emphasized reading and thinking and jotting down those thoughts to bring to my club meetings and discuss.
I recall vividly while reading it closely that summer that I realized who Herman was before the main character, Bud did. I then wondered, how? What clues had Christopher Paul Curtis given me? I reread and jotted down all the places where he left clues. I shared these with my club members, proudly showing that I was a careful reader who felt the light bulb going on, even before it did for Bud. I came to love this book. Thinking back, I think it is mostly because it symbolized for me a book that I worked hard at to really get.
At the Kennedy Center, I saw the cast of a play, read the play before it gets blocked. Along with the reading with a full Jazz Orchestra played and only the only set I saw was the one in the picture above. However, I still truly enjoyed the hour of this story told as a play. Now I wonder how one could read this book without hearing the music. Jazz is such a huge part of the story that a play almost seems like the natural way to enjoy the story fully.
I few of my favorite lines:
- “Whhhoooossshhh….the sound of the door opening!”
- “Always remember, no matter how bad things look to you, when one door closes, another door opens.”
- “This was where I was suppose to be.”
- “I can see why this band has six exclamation points behind its name.”
- “French always makes things sound classy – we will call you Sleepy Le Bone.”
- “I carry everything I need inside.”
Sunday I saw the play Bud, Not Buddy! I am glad my daughter clued me in from miles aways. I am glad I was spontaneous and went to see the play. I am glad I have books in my life that I can read closely to understand how to live better. I am even trying to be glad/hopefully that as another great President passes the baton this coming Friday, our nation will still strive for all that President Kennedy demands.
Lovely post. Trying to hold onto hope here, too. I especially enjoyed the favorite lines you shared. Christopher Paul Curtis manages to mix history, humor, and power so well.
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I love seeing books come alive in plays (movies, not so much). I’m happy for you for going to see it!
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It’s only six hours different, mom, but I’m glad you could see it!!!
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