The Yiddish language contains some wonderfully expressive idioms, and as grandparents we are, from time to time, given the opportunity to”schlep nachas” (wordy English equivalent is “experience great happiness”) from the deeds of our grandkids. Such an experience was ours when we attended last week’s 2016 Bobby G Awards ceremony at the Denver Center’s Buell Theater.
The Bobby G Awards, named for Denver’s Broadway Series pioneer Robert Garner, is a celebration of Colorado high school musical theatre. The format, modelled after the familiar Oscar and Emmy Award ceremonies, is held every spring to encourage and reward outstanding achievements in local high school musical theater. This year, 40 Colorado public and private high schools participated in the 4th annual Bobby G competition.
Our grandson Travis is a student at Mountain View High School in Loveland. Inspired by his mom, Travis participated in choral and stage performances during his West Middle School years and was excited to learn that Mountain View H.S. in Loveland offered a strong musical theater performance. As a freshman, Travis successfully auditioned for a role in his high school’s production of “Anything Goes.” He, like many of his fellow performers, learned to tap dance in addition to polishing their other performance skills. His mother, our daughter Aviva, a former Cherry Creek H.S. thespian and chorus member, has been associated with the Loveland Choral Society for many years. Her role as a performer and Stage Manager exposed Travis to musical theater for most of his life.
The school’s teaching and student’s performance effort was outstanding. Mountain View High School’s production was honored with nominations in fourteen different categories.
A major dance scene from their show was one of the few selected for performance on the Buell stage that evening. We were so excited when it was announced that Mountain View’s “Anything Goes” was the winner in the categories of Costume Design, Choreography, Chorus and best Musical Production of 2016 that we applauded, jumped up and down and yelled like we were in attendance at a Bronco’s victory game.
How’s that for nachas? We couldn’t have had a better time if we had gone to the Oscars.
Marilyn & Jerry Kopelman
Grandparents on the Go