Bilingual and Opportune: Expat kids
When my husband came to work for Frankfurt International School (F.I.S.), I had little idea whatsoever what kind of life this would provide for us and our children.
Having expat kids, they are sought out for certain photo-shoots, advertising campaigns for German Autobahns welcome-to-hessen, making a video for the Alfred Herrhausen foundation among many other things.
Among all those inquiries, one day an e-mail arrived at the F.I.S. drama department asking for a bilingual blond-haired boy to take a part in the musical Cabaret played at the English Theatre in Frankfurt.
My husband forwarded it to me, and then I forwarded it to our ten-year old son. He took his sweet time reading it and his eyes became shiny when he read he would get paid for it. (€15 per performance plus travel allowance).
When we signed him up for the casting, I thought of it more as another experience – doing the interview, learning about how to take rejections, etc. – but he ended up being the number one choice!
Of course, we were thrilled for him and nervous as well. He had rehearsals to attend and purchase his very first pair of black shoes for stage.
On opening night – he was scheduled for the premiere – I was a nervous parent. Up until then I had hardly ever found our son to be on cue when it came to do jobs in a timely manner. For others, he performed well, without missing a beat…
He had between two to four performances a week with my husband taking him there most nights. One parent had to stay with him behind the stage until he was up and his part was in the last 15 minutes of the first act. My husband and I took turns accompanying him to the theatre and while waiting, we sat there reading or chatting with the actors as they passed through from scene to scene.
The musical was so popular that it was extended by another month.
Thomas grew a lot during that time, but so did we. His opportunity, being a bilingual kid, also provided us a glimpse into the world of the theatre.
Tags: actors, English Theatre in Frankfurt, entertainment, musical, singers