The Chief

A story of how a father loves a daughter...

I had grown up performing at an awesome outdoor theater called Shawnee Mission Theater in the Park. Four musicals would be put on each summer. We could have crowds of up to 3,000 on a big night. It was a great training ground for a young aspiring actor,singer, dancer.

The first show I did was "Annie", playing one of the orphans. My mom (Grace), my aunt (Miss Hannigan), and my grandfather (FDR) all did the show together. It was an Unruh extravaganza...I loved doing shows w/ my mom. In the beginning it was such a great parenting move. It allowed me to do the thing I wanted in a not so potentially safe environment w/ my mom still around. We later did "Anything Goes", "Big River", and "Fiddler on the Roof" together...loved it.

After awhile the theater realized what a great director my mom was and she was hired to begin directing...I still auditioned for shows. The first one I did w/o mom was "Bye Bye Birdie"...such a great time before I left for college. The summer after my freshman year I was cast as Maggie in "A Chorus Line". This was great on so many levels...but honestly I won't remember the rehearsals, dance steps, notes or dialogue as much as I will remember forever how my dad loved me.

One night in performance week I was backstage before the show getting ready, and the director came back and yelled in the dressing room "Maggie get out here." (Now side note, when we were at the theater he rarely called me Allison, always was calling us by our character names). I thought I was about to get notes...or I had done something wrong the previous night...he pulled me over to the edge of the backstage area and said stand here and look that way.

Excuse me...what?

Let me pause to share something about my character...each character has an opportunity to step forward in the show and have a monologue and song. I shared mine with 2 other characters. The song is called "At the Ballet". My particular character shared that her dad ran out on she and her mom when she came home from the hospital with the baby. So as she (Maggie) grew up she would imagine herself dancing around the living room with her arms stretched up high with her dad who was an Indian Chief. He would look at her and say "Maggie would you like to dance?"

So I am standing at the edge of the backstage looking toward this ridge row of trees...it is sunset...I see a figure in the trees. He begins to walk towards me. It is really a long way off. I am confused and the director just keeps telling me to stand there. What I don't realize that has happened behind me is that the entire cast and crew have gathered to watch. As the figure continues to walk toward me I realize that it is indeed an Indian Chief. And of course it is my dad....the introvert...the melancholy...I am crying...He is COMPLETE costume...make up, head dress...he rented it from a local costume company...he approaches me and says, "Maggie would you like to dance?"

We did.

Everyone around us is crying and can't believe this most beautiful moment.

My dad, even though very different in personality...got me...gets me...he took a risk of looking silly...to meet me where I was at. He blew me away. I danced with my dad for several minutes back stage and next to dancing with him at my wedding (which was another incredible moment you might have read on the blog) this is one of the most precious moments I have had with my dad.

What a great parenting moment. My dad loved me well that day.

From that day on any time I did a show I would get flowers from my dad for opening night that said something great but would always be signed from "The Chief"....

Go love on your kids. Get in their world and ask them to dance.

*wishing I had a digital version of this easily available...instead this will have to do.