Paradise "Annie"

Most of us can remember a specific memory of childhood that we keep close to our hearts. When I think back to my most prized memory, it occurred just this year. As I have stated in my first blog post, high school didn’t come easily. After four years of dealing with my high school it was all coming to an end, and it felt great that I was finally leaving. During the last few weeks of April, I was overwhelmed with rehearsal, Improv classes, and a series of clubs after school. I was even unable to sleep because I had a huge show coming up and I had gotten my dream role of Miss Hannigan in Annie.  I had four major solo songs, and I knew that I wouldn’t be able to bear the shame if I had choked.

The night before the show the only thing I kept thinking about was how proud of myself I was. All the nights of perfecting my high notes in “Easy Street” would all pay off. I made my way to Portage Theater in the morning confident that I wouldn’t choke, and if I did I realized I wouldn’t care. The show would go on regardless. After the show I was thrilled to realize that I indeed didn’t mess up. I knew my performance wasn’t perfect, but I was pretty darn proud of it. My family had been so eager to see all the work I had put into this play. I realized they had always been there for me. It meant a lot that my dad came to see me even though I knew how much he hated musicals. In Take the Cannoli, Sarah Vowell likes to mention how she knew her father always hated her band performances. She then realized, and I quote that “love , especially the parent kind, requires the heartwarming sacrifice that can only accompany fake enthusiasm.” Even if I knew how much he dreading coming, I knew he would be proud of me.

During our trip to the cultural museum, I had come across an exhibit that had hit home to me for a few reasons. The exhibit “Paradise: Lost” was a series of artwork that was inspired by the jungles of Brazil. There was a specific piece that had caught my eye, and reminded me of my most prized memory. It was a portrait of a mountain view. It wasn’t just an ordinary mountain, it had the prettiest view I had ever seen. It had reminded me of Annie because in Daddy Warbucks’ office (Rich man who adopted Annie) we had put up a picture of a mountain with a spectacular view. I had looked at that painting every time I said the line, “The things I could do with 500,000 dollars…” I had thought about that line while observing the piece. It made me think of how truly beautiful the world is and all the places I want to see, most of all Brazil to see my family. I realized it would be expensive, (relating to my line) to travel to Brazil and any other place but you can’t buy pure happiness. I realized that I, Sommer Rodriguez could do PLENTY of things with 500,000 dollars. We all could. But the feeling of being on stage, or being with my family is priceless.