“Ya got trouble, with a capital T” when your family time feels scattered and you’re not connecting with your kids. Here’s how The Music Man helped this single mother strengthen family bonds — while doing something special for herself.
By Katherine Teel
For the past four years, two things have happened every summer. The Hazelton family takes a trip from Missouri to North Dakota, and they are involved in the summer musical in their Missouri hometown.
“Those two things,” says mom of three Laurie Hazelton, “really got us through some hard times. Our extended family is in North Dakota, and it’s important to me that the kids know where their roots are. But our theatre family…they were really there for us when we were going through some difficult things.”
Making an Entrance into Musical Theatre
Four summers ago, the arts council of the Hazeltons’ small Missouri town decided to put on a musical — The Music Man. There had been a few plays done in town over the years, but nothing organized … and nothing this big.
“There must have been sixty people in the cast,” Laurie recalls. “High schoolers, older people, kids … I had no idea there were so many talented people in this little community.”
Laurie has always loved singing, and she wanted to try out for the show. The Hazelton kids — Maison, Hallee, and Ty — were 11, 8, and 6 at the time, and since the kids’ dad lived in another town, Laurie realized that either all of them participated in the show, or none of them could.
“The younger ones just wanted to stay with me, so they were no problem,” Laurie says. “But Maison was having none of it. I tried everything I could think of to get him to agree to be in the show, but he absolutely refused to get up on stage.”
Fortunately, Laurie knew that what happens onstage is only a part of the whole theatre experience. Maison was quickly tapped to serve on stage crew, and he spent the summer lifting set pieces, flats, and furniture — all in the pitch blackness of a dark stage between scenes. It was backstage that Maison found his niche; he has served on the stage crew every summer since, and even trained with the stage manager in the most recent production.
The Extended Family of Musical Theatre
“That summer, we needed the theatre,” Laurie remembers. “We needed warm, caring people to be around. We needed something important to do that would take our minds off our difficulties. We needed tasks that would let us spend time together as a family, and that would bring the kids positive attention and affirmation. Nothing can do that like working on a show together. Your family becomes part of the larger family of the show.”
After that summer, several cast members formed a new theatre group that has carried on the tradition of the summer musical. Laurie was elected to its board of directors, and every summer since, the Hazelton family can be found in the city’s theater facility — acting, singing, dancing, and moving sets.
Building Character and Family Bonds — on Stage and Off
The Hazeltons aren’t the only ones who find value in the theatre as a family activity. At least a half a dozen entire families are involved in the summer musical, and a dozen more parent-child or sibling-sibling combinations. Some are even multi-generational — Laurie’s mother, Polly, has been on stage, and often works on the costume crew, and her father, Bill, puts in hours building the sets and dismantling them again when the show is over.
“It’s a really great way for families to spend time together,” Laurie says. “Parents can be with other adults while still keeping close to their kids, and kids learn skills that can’t be taught any other way. In our first show, my two youngest were so shy they’d hide behind people on stage, and now they have lead roles and singing solos. And Maison has gone from doing crew work to being Assistant Stage Manager — the kind of responsibility he’d never get in school. They’ve really learned to believe in themselves.”
Ready to Take Your Family to the Theatre?
Community theatres exist all over the United States, and they are constantly looking for people with every imaginable skill set. They need help creating tickets and programs, sewing costumes, building sets, finding props, raising funds, and much more. Whether you and your children shine onstage or excel backstage, you can find an important role in a theatre community.
Visit your local theatre to learn more, or find a nearby theatre group on the website for the American Association of Community Theatre.
Get your kids in performing arts! Set the stage with local theatre classes, acting classes, and performing arts classes in your area.
If your kids would like a little more experience before looking into community theatre, consider signing them up for local theatre classes, acting classes, and performing arts classes. Many programs welcome adult assistance with set construction, costuming, and pre-show planning. Some even offer family workshops that involve the adults as part of the curriculum.