A Time to Heal - 5. Chapter 5

As we drove along the interstate highway making our way to the civic center opera house, Frank and Leon stoked with coffee were chattering away about old times on Broadway. Izahk was silent. I reached over placing my hand on his hand whispering, "You are trembling".

He whispered back, "I am shaking like a dog"

"It's fine to be nervous. It means you are alive and care. All you have to do is sing from your heart". Then I placed my hand over my heart. I knew that he wanted to sing for the cast more than anything. He, naturally was afraid he would disappoint me and Frank and Leon also.

I heard Frank say from the back of the vehicle, "Izahk, I am going to have the cast meet you on main stage so you can get the feel of the stage. Dont worry, son, they are going to love you and you will love them". Frank had assembled a cast of young singers and dancers to stage the production on the road. Both he and Leon has a knack for recognizing talent that needed to learn and gain confidence. What Frank had kept secret from the cast and from us was the the young man he had lined up to play the lead role had to leave suddenly because his father had been hospitalized with a heart attack. I had no idea that he wanted Izahk to play the lead and that there would be one morning and an afternoon to learn the role which included both singing and dancing. Had I known that I would have also been 'shaking like a dog'. We walked in by the stage entrance to find the cast and orchestra milling about with the sounds of instruments being tuned. He led Izahk and the rest of us onto the stage where he announced, "Boys and girls meet my friends, "Izahk and Ray" They applauded. "Now, please meet the man who taught many of my dancers..Leon Mitchell" They applauded loudly in awe of a name that was legendery. "Now, kids, go into the seats behind me. Izahk will sing for us".

Izahk squeezed my hand and I touched my heart..he smiled. The stage manager got Izahk fitted with the microphone and transmitter, then the lights lowered on stage. Izahk stepped forward to center stage. I was bursting with pride. He looked great..so handsome. I heard him whisper as he turned to the orchestra leader, "Please play it slowly". Then he stepped forward another step and stood there as the orchestra played the first bars of Careless Whispers. I knew he worshipped George Michael and listened to him sing often as he mowed the lawns..earphones in place. It was his own interpretation of that famous song. He sang it slowly with emotion from his heart. Frank whispered to me, "He is alive when he sings. He was born to be on stage". When the song ended, the cast and crew and the stage personnel all burst into applause rising from their seats. When the appluase died down. Izahk said softly, "Thank you..I love you" Little did I know then that it would become his trademark.

Then I heard Frank say, "Izahk give the cast a minute to get ready for your next song". Izahk kept looking at me with tears flowing down his face. I pointed to my heart and gave him the OK sign with my fingers. I saw the stage lights dim again to see Izahk bathed in a single spotlight as he started to sing "When You Believe". Then slowly from the wings I saw on each side, the cast walking slowly to the the light in choir robes behind Izahk. Their harmony was perfect. When the song ended, I heard not only our applause, but applause from the rear of the opera house. Workers, and passerbys had entered the auditorium to hear him sing. When the applause ended, He turned to the choir and said softly, "Thank you..I love you" Then turned to us to repeat it.

"Boys and girls, I have some things to tell you now. Anthony had to leave early this morning. He is flying to be with his father who had a heart attack. There was a dead silence as they looked questioningly at each other. They knew that Anthony was vital to the production. Now, the good news, kids, Izahk has agreed to substitute for Anthony until he can return. They burst into a run surrounding him hugging him. Without being able to see him, I knew he was crying. Then, Frank went on, And after I begged him, Leon has agreed to coach you on the dance numbers. They again burst in thunderous applause. And he added. we have this morning and this afternnon to get this thing right.

"I thought to myself, "That Izahk hid this from me..he must have agreed yesterday when he and Frank were totally engrossed in singing and playing in the parlor. I said to Frank, "Sneaky". He smiled.

"I wanted to tell you, but Izahk swore me to secrecy..said he wanted to surprise you".

"Well,, he surprised me indeed"

I stood in the wings as the curtain went up at 8 PM. The kids did a rousing number as a group with Izahk in amongst them. Then he and Stefanie stepped forward to begin a dialogue with her character trying to get his character to audition for a play. It was a play about a boy who was talented but shy. No wonder Frank knew he was perfect for the role. He even cried as he talked with her character. "Come on Danny, you can do it..I will sing with you". Then they did 'When You Believe' as a Duet. The audience loved them. It was a series of songs and dances and song and dance numbers featuring different cast members. There was a church scene where the shy Danny was singing with his church choir where he did his first solo. Just like his audition number, his character moved forward while the choir was in shadowed darkness. He sang "God on the Mountain". When he finished the song, the audience was on it feet cheering for him. About halfway through that number, a small young singer stepped from the choir. Like Izahk, she had a huge voice which blended with his booming baritone. It was a showstopper, but they hadnt seen all he would do in that musical play.

At the end of the second act, Danny is asked to sing at the funeral of a little boy who had died from cancer. When Izahk began singing, Bring Him Home, there wasnt a dry eye in the theatre. He sang it with the same emotion that I heard when he performed it for Frank. He had the cast members crying and the stage crew also. Frank knew how to stage a production. Frank whispered to me on sidestage, "Now, he is a star". The press seated in the audience and the audience would remember that song and the way he sung it. The applause seemed never to end. The curtain went down. I saw him approaching us with a grin from ear to ear. "They liked the song", he said softly.

Frank said, "They loved you singing it, son".

Frank in his brilliance knew that he need to bring the audience back up to joy after such a sad song so he had Stefanie's character and Izahk's character walking back on stage holding hands. She said to him, "You cause people to feel your singing. They need to hear you sing" Then the lights dimmed and they were in a single spotlight. They danced a slow waltz with Izahk leading her through stunning turns and at the end a lift and slow spin. The other cast members ran onto the stage to surround them when I heard the familiar bars of the Libertine Tango. Izahk and Stefanie danced it to perfection while the cast members moved around them. Frank had done it. Leon had done it. Once more their talents had combined to create great theatre. The final song was done by Izahk seated at the piano singing Listen to Your heart. The curtain dropped slowly as the audience applauded and the chant of 'Encore' began. Frank knew this would happen so he had prepared the entire cast to be ready when the curtain rose one more time. They performed Celebrate with singing and dancing ending in a group bow. "They did it, my kids did it". He was bursting with pride for them.

Backstage, the press were surrounding Izahk and Stefanie who stood there with Frank. Flashes were going off. I knew that two young future stars were being blasted to the media. Izahk was in his realm loving every minute of it. My shy young man had overcome his fears to do it. Driving home, he fell asleep as I moved the vehicle onto the interstate. He was exhausted. I said softly, "I love you, Baby" as my hand held his.

"You did it again, you old fart", I heard Frank say to Leon. The old team was once again together. Leon had kept his promise to whip those kids into shape in a short time. "Any chance I can talk you into doing the choreography for my new musical play. I call it Timmy. It is much like what you saw tonight. This is sort of a trial run out here on the road"

"No, I am done with Broadway" I was quietly praying, "I hope he changes his mind", Somehow, I knew that Frank was going to have Izahk play the lead. The selfish part of me wanted to keep Izahk with me. The giving part of me wanted him to soar. Izahk's head had ended up on my shoulder as an exhausted young man slept to the rhythm of the vehicle moving along in a tunnel of headlights.

"Frank will protect him from the wolves".