A night at the Fox Theater

He was a ten-year overnight success.

The lights in the hall dimmed, making the faces in front of him vanish before his eyes. But he could feel the audience’s energy. It flowed through his body.  He felt it as his heart beat in his chest.

He had arrived.  This was his moment. No, it was His moment.  The entertainer knew that he was just borrowing the talent that had brought him here tonight.

His eyes watered when he thought of his parents. How they had believed in him when no one else had.  He thought of the long nights on the road. His fatigue. The number of people who doubted his ability. And then there were the smokey bars. And the late, late nights. A slight smile flickered across his face.

His right hand reached up and grabbed the microphone, one finger at a time. Slowly. Very slowly. He savored the moment.  He pulled it from the mic stand and took a deep breath.  One. Two. Three. Four.

He exhaled.  It was time.

The spotlight came on.  His mouth opened and he told his first joke.  The room erupted in laughter. Four thousand six hundred and seventy eight people were wrapped around his finger.

He was the headliner. After 3,650 days of blood, sweat and dreams, his star rose that night in the Fox Theater.

He, like the rest of the room, just had to laugh.

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3 Responses to A night at the Fox Theater

  1. bpman says:

    Ok..srsly, I had to re-read this while playing this instrumental in the background— http://youtu.be/WloBl0Yq8UM
    8)

  2. dhcoop says:

    Wondering where you were speaking when you came up with this one… great writing!!

  3. Pingback: A collection of my short stories | Marshall Ramsey

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