A Kind Word...can propel us in new directions

My son, Ryan, was 11 when he was offered the iconic starring role of "Charlie" in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on Broadway. His journey to Broadway was so improbable, and the lessons we learned were so meaningful, that I kept a journal. For years friends have been encouraging me to share our journey publicly. This is the second in a series of articles describing our unique experience and influences that shaped it.?(First article is linked here )

Ryan had no professional experience, no formal training, and no industry insider contacts. This was his first audition for a Broadway show and it started from a series of unexpected events. His journey changed the direction of our lives forever.?

Positive feedback inspired and propelled us --- in directions we would have never explored. We sought no inspiration, and none was owed; they were all gifts. It’s often something simple --- a verbal compliment, a moment of focused attention, a recognition that you are one of us. Kindness brought awareness. It opened our eyes to recognize that Ryan was made for this.?

We can all recall occasions when someone we admired provided a spark. This article is the story of a few of those inspired moments.?

Inspiration can start with a kind word

Well before Ryan was discovered, we visited NYC a handful of times to see a few shows. As a family we were casual Broadway fans. We could name a dozen shows, but perhaps only a half dozen performers by name. We weren’t big TV or movie watchers so there were many familiar faces we weren’t able to put a name to.?

Broadway offers fans a unique opportunity to be up close to the performance and the performers. The shared human experience of being cramped and crowded in NYC tends to keep everyone grounded. Fans access world-class performers and celebrities up close. I’ve taken the NYC subway and walked the sidewalks with award winning giants from the entertainment industry. Broadway and New York City are unlike any place on earth.

After most shows performers come out to greet fans, sign autographs, and take pictures. Standing outside and waiting another 30 minutes after a 2 ? hour show doesn’t appeal to me, but Ryan was all in.

Gerry Vichi - Something Rotten!

Ryan was 10 when we saw the hilarious musical comedy Something Rotten! The show received 10 Tony nominations. A "Tony" is the Broadway equivalent to the Academy Awards -- an "Oscar."

A kind word…from Gerry Vichi. We waited after the show for autographs. Usually, performers quickly work the line of fans waiting for autographs and pictures. Gerry, a veteran TV actor and Broadway performer, was drawn to something in Ryan. I assumed it was Ryan’s huge, 10-year-old smile with relentless eye contact. Gerry stopped and spent a few moments talking with him. After a brief conversation, Gerry wished Ryan well in his "theater career."?Shocked, Ryan asked, "How did you know that I do (school) theater?" Gerry smiled and declared, "Because of the way you hold your shoulders!"

I immediately took note of the feedback.

Alfie Boe - Les Misérables?

A kind word…from world renown U.K. singer Alfie Boe --- best known for his performance as Jean Valjean in the 25th anniversary musical Les Misérables in London. Ryan has a special place in his heart for Les Mis. At 5, and by his own volition, he memorized every word of every song from the music CDs. We'd seen the musical on tour and many times from the recording on our DVR. Ryan would ask about the meaning of song phrases and the story theme which led to many deep family conversations.?

When visiting NYC as a family, I prefer to venture out to shows we haven't seen. However, Alfie Boe was performing in Les Mis on Broadway. Alfie has an unforgettable booming operatic voice that makes a tangible imprint on your soul. If you've never seen Les Mis, you must know that the opening few chords immediately grab you and when the singing starts, the performers do same. There’s nothing like a live performance from world-class talent. This is what Broadway is all about.?

Ryan kept asking me if I thought Alfie would come out after the show. I doubted that someone so well-known would. The show is 2 hours and 38 minutes. It’s physically exhausting for performers. For parents, it’s another 25-30 minutes of waiting before the performers, who choose to do so, exit the stage door and sign autographs.

To our great joy, Alfie appeared and methodically worked his way down the autograph line. Alfie literally stopped when he saw Ryan and spent a few focused minutes talking with him.?

Sometimes people further down the autograph line get antsy and push over smaller, less aggressive young people. Not this time. People respected this moment as a master performer inspired a young dreamer. Ryan complimented Alfie on his performance, thanked him for the autograph, and for letting me take a picture. Ryan told Alfie that he loved to see him on TV in the PBS taping of the 25th Anniversary of Les Misérables. Alfie had been performing the role for a couple of months in the U.S. by now said that Ryan was the first person who brought that up since he's been to the states.?

Alfie graciously invested several minutes of time as he gave Ryan the courtesy of his full attention. My wife and I knew how precious this moment was. I'm not a person who gets star struck, but I found myself with a smile I couldn't abandon.?

Chris Jackson - Hamilton

A kind word…from Christopher (Chris) Jackson --- best known for his role as George Washington in the original cast of Hamilton on Broadway. At the time, tickets to Hamilton were as precious as gold, and selling for about the same price. A visiting friend in town had an extra ticket and I jumped at the chance to attend.

All 3 of us knew the Hamilton music from listening to the CD hundreds of times. Ryan had nearly every word memorized. Hamilton’s 2 hours and 40 minutes flew by. I witnessed Chris Jackson give every ounce of his soul as he sung and performed masterfully on stage. Chris’s powerful performance earned him a Tony nomination. (The original Broadway musical Hamilton can be streamed on Disney+)

My wife took Ryan to see Phantom of the Opera that night. Hamilton runs 25 minutes longer than Phantom, so Ryan eagerly met me outside the Hamilton theater to collect autographs. Only a few performers came out to sign that night. We saw one man exit the stage door visibly exhausted. Chris Jackson. As he made his way down the thick line of autograph seekers, he looked down to find Ryan's huge smiling face looking back at him. Chris paused, and with a long exhale returned the smile. Time seemed to freeze as he and Ryan chatted together like no one else was around.?

They talked about theater, thoughts for young performers, Chris's family vacationing in our home state, and other things. As Chris left, Ryan turned to me and yelled, "Dad, did you see that, did you see that? I got to talk to Chris Jackson for a long time. Did you hear?" I heard and saw everything, of course. I saw a weary Chris Jackson stop to inspire our 11-year-old. Chris, you are a class act.

Unbeknown to us at the time, Ryan would go on to perform in the theater directly across the street from Hamilton a short 7 months later.?

Beth Nicely - Something Rotten!

A kind word…from Beth Nicely. A year after we initially saw Something Rotten! on Broadway, we found ourselves back in NYC and decided we had so much fun the first time, we had to see the show a second time. As expected, Ryan wanted to collect a few autographs. Out of the stage door steps a performer with a beaming smile and makes a beeline directly to Ryan. "I remember you from a year ago! Your name begins with an "R"…right?"?

We were stunned. Ryan was touched. In the year between us seeing the shows, Beth probably performed 400 times in front 1,000+ people per show. That's 400K show goers between seeing Ryan and without any prompting, she picked him out of the crowd. There’s something quite special about that. My wife and I realized that performers (even soon to be performers) can pick themselves out in the crowd. Beth has a wonderful presence. It’s something you can see in the picture.

As fortune would have it, Ryan would go on to perform with a different member of this cast. Christian Borle, who won a Tony for his comedic portrayal of William Shakespeare in Something Rotten! would become the Willy Wonka for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on Broadway.?

Whoopi Goldberg?

A kind word…from Whoopi Goldberg. Just after the opening of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on Broadway, Whoopi Goldberg came to watch Ryan's performance. As a parent, we were rarely told someone famous was watching the show. In NYC it happened often. I valued the opportunity to get a picture of them with Ryan.?

After Ryan’s performance that night, she got backstage faster than we could. I assumed she would be in among the adults, but she quickly made her way to Ryan.?

Whoopi was booming with an passionate, positive energy. She was incredibly thoughtful and encouraging to our young son. She could see she had Ryan’s full attention, so she offered advice on the performance arts. I journaled it. She stated that every person who puts their hard-earned money into a Broadway ticket is sincerely hoping the show will be good. Therefore, there is nothing for a performer to fear. Every member of the audience is pulling for you; they are on your side.

She told him not to worry about being perfect. Audiences don't care if you mess up. They only care about the honest portrayal of the character. They come into the theater wanting to be moved. Don't worry if you don't land a line or get a laugh when you think you should. You may hear quiet but know that they are just there processing the moment. Keep moving forward, you'll win them over in the end if you are sincere. Audiences always respect sincere performers. If you are humble and treat the audience with respect, they'll pull for you. Ryan has performed live over 250 times. Whoopi’s advice has proved true time and again.?

Whoopi made a lifelong impression on Ryan that night. She said the kindest things to him. She beamed with an enthusiastic energy that respected leaders show. She asked Ryan if he would do a Facebook Live video with her and posted it (2017). She talked about Ryan’s show on "The View" the next day.?

What might have been intended as a simply courtesy on their part, became a series of inspirational moments for our son.??

Jennifer Lopez?

A kind word from Jennifer Lopez. J-Lo is more than a star. She’s a brand. Ryan had a part in her recent movie MARRY ME. We were on the movie set for weeks and could see up-close how hard she worked. She filmed the movie while touring and doing a hundred other things that were already booked on her calendar. If she didn’t do the movie then, it would take at least 2 years to find a hole in her schedule.?

J-Lo could have used a thousand legitimate reasons as excuses for coming on set without fully knowing her lines. Of course, she didn’t. She showed up to work prepared like the professional she is.?

Ryan had several small scenes with J-Lo. Movies tape the same scene multiple times from a variety of angles. It’s not uncommon to shoot the same scene 12 to 20 times --- more if people forget or mess up their lines. The Director and editor will choose the best of the taped scenes for the movie. Kids can get bored during long days like that. Ryan somehow maintains his excitement and focus. He said he feels he would be letting the crew down if he lost focus. Very mature. I wish I could take credit for teaching him that.?

J-Lo would greet the kids when she came onset each day. One day she pulled the group in and told them how much she appreciated Ryan’s preparation and work ethic. She smiled and winked at Ryan.?

Two and a half years later Ryan walked the red carpet for the movie opening (it was delayed because of COVID). There were a lot of people there. J-Lo always attracts a large crowd, but Ryan wanted to thank her for being part of the movie before he left. He told me that he wasn’t even sure she’d recognize him by now --- he was 14 when he filmed and now 17 at the opening. He waded through rings of people to find a welcoming J-Lo grab and hug him and say, “Ryan, I’m so glad you could make it.” A touching moment of kindness from J-Lo etched in Ryan’s memory.

Ryan Greeting Fans by the Stagedoor?

When Ryan performed as Charlie in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on Broadway, I reminded him that the roles were reversed. Now, young fans meeting him might experience a moment of inspiration if he took a moment to sincerely acknowledge them.?

This wasn’t about saying “yes” to an autograph or a picture, this was about making eye contact, genuinely thanking people for coming to the show, and making himself available to answer a couple questions.?

On warmer nights, sometimes there were hundreds of people waiting outside the stage door for his autograph.?

One young man watching Ryan perform was inspired to enroll in the performance arts. Years later he would share a NYC stage with Ryan in a New York Time critic's pick.?

A kind word…can make your day. It can encourage and inspire. It can make difficult obstacles seem possible.