When we moved to Aubrey over two years ago, we met the Bishop, Trey Martino, his wife Patti and we became instant friends. Over the years, we have had dinners here and there, done activities together, and just continued to enjoy spending some fun time together. Trey and Del, especially, seem to have a bond or link of friendship/kinship for each other - mostly because Del is the one who replaced Trey as Bishop of our ward.
A few weeks ago, Trey called Del and invited us to join them for dinner and a play/musical. I was hesitant to accept as it was the night of the BYU/Boise State football game and I really did want to stay home and watch it on tv. But, we accepted and got all dressed up to go. Upon arriving at their home, we immediately spent the first half hour just catching up with each others families etc...and then arrived at the restaurant - 'Hannah's' - another new place we had never heard of. Because they are from Denton, they seem to know all the quaint little hide away places that are not well known to the general public. This was a place we had never been.
Conversation was easy ..the four of us could talk forever and never bore of our stories and experiences - We ordered dinner, and when it arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to see how it looked - but even more so, how it tasted. The best steak tenderloin I had ever had. And rightly so, when Del told me later on that evening, that my plate had been priced at $33.00!!!
Then it was off to the theater...to see Les Miserables. We had seen the movie over a year ago with some famous actors, but not really musicians. It was only so/so and there were even a few parts that I remembered to be slightly 'inappropriate' for my liking. I was a little nervous to see this, but Patti assured me that with local talent from the University and neighboring cities, they would probably not emphasize those parts. And, my expectations really weren't that high for the whole performance - I mean, how good could local talent, non professional really be???
To say it was a performance I will not soon forget, would be an understatement. The roles were sung by beautiful, talented artists. They were good - I mean really good. And I'm a music snob. I like good voices, but I really appreciate a beautiful voice.
But it was when the male lead role of Jean Valjean sang his first note, I was spell bound. I could not take my eyes or ears off the man. What a voice - beyond beautiful - a tenor - floating. He was Broadway talent hiding in Denton Texas. Not just in Denton Texas, but for heaven's sake, the man is a High School Teacher - a basic 'no-body unknown tenor goldmine' hiding in a Texas high school!!!
As the evening went on and he continued to perform, I was more and more impressed with the whole play, but near the end, when he sang a certain song, I cried. I literally could not breathe, could not speak and I could not contain my tears. My soul had truly been touched.
I won't say more, except when it was his turn to take the final bows, I cried still - and then I was afraid the cast would be in the foyer to greet guests as they left and I would run in to him and not be able to express my profound emotion of his performance. I was glad to hurry out of the theater.
I haven't felt like that in years. I was moved enough to even try and find out an address to the school where he teaches so I can send him a thank you note. I have to. I will.
No comments:
Post a Comment