We celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary by retracing our steps from our Wedding Day. Some of the wedding party, along with our families, came to the church and witnessed our renewal of vows. We ate in the same places we did that day 20 years ago and even walked through our first house. We ended our day at the ball park, which is where we took all of our out-of-town guests that evening in 1987. Today was stormy in Shreveport, so the baseball crowd was small. 
It was a lovely evening, though, and they put our names on the scoreboard and the public address announcer told everyone why we were there.
We will be excited to see photos from our day, which my wife described as "stellar."
You can't ask for more than that. Now, on with the next twenty years.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Our Names in Lights
It Was Twenty Years Ago Today
Our wedding turned out to be something of an event. Five hundred invitations were sent out, and from the looks of things most people came and brought people with them. I was blissfully oblivious, but apparently our ceremony sparked some controversy. My father-in-law is a priest and at the time he was the rector of a church in town, but we did not get married at his church. We got married at the church my wife attending growing up. (It's the church we still attend, by the way).
Diocesan politics being what they are, an effort was made to please everyone. The choir from my father-in-law's church came over and joined with the choir from our church to make a joyful noise onto the assembled masses. It was impressive, as I recall.
The bishop married us, and we had a monsignor on hand to provide a Roman blessing to the Anglican proceedings. My father-in-law, understandably, wanted simply to be the father of the bride. The parish priest was on the altar having helped coordinate everything.
There was a lot of clergy there, is what I’m saying. Naturally, this led to some ego wars. Everything went according to plan and the wedding guests knew nothing of the collared discord. Ultimately, the Christian men were just that and everyone got along. The sacrificial lamb was the choir director who dared to let some other kids play in his sandbox. I think Father Fred was displeased.
The end result, though, was a beautiful wedding which made my blushing bride and her mother proud. My mom described it as “a royal wedding,” which means she was pleased.
We went to the reception, and then kind of hung out with the out-of-town guests into the evening. It was a nice party. Some of the guys snuck into the kitchen a lot, because there was a TV in there and the Celtics were playing the Pistons in an epic NBA Eastern Conference finals series.
The wedding got written up in the local paper’s society section. The afternoon paper published a little feature about it. Like I said, it created a little local stir. My father-in-law’s words “It’s not about the wedding, it’s about the marriage” are absolutely correct and I’m grateful for the advice; but 20 years ago today, it was about the wedding, at least for a little while.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Two People, Two Decades, Two Kids
Twenty years ago, I became a walking cliché. I was surrounded by my friends on the night before my wedding, and we drank too much. We showed up at the rehearsal dinner, ill-behaved, and my fiancé was upset.
The next day, all was well and we celebrated outside the church following an all-too-elaborate wedding. My father-in-law proved to be a prophet. He told us well ahead of time that we wouldn’t remember much about the wedding. He was right. The priest in charge of the church at the time, doing his best caveman impersonation, did not allow video cameras. So, all we have is some photos and fuzzy memories.
Fortunately, many of the people involved that day are coming back to the cathedral for the 20th anniversary. We hope to reminisce and maybe refresh a few recollections. Our renewal of vows is intended to be low-key and we are honored that some friends are coming in from out of town in the middle of a work week to be with us. Certainly, things will be less stressful and less eventful than they were back on Memorial Day weekend ’87.
My father-in-law’s prescience proved instead to be wisdom. I have repeated his advice many times as younger people contemplating marriage have asked me about the keys to a successful marriage. He said, “The wedding’s not important, it’s the marriage that counts.” It’s a simple, obvious thing to say but its sentiment runs infinitely deep. He advised us to pay attention to the vows we were making that day and to take them seriously. We did and we do. We will reaffirm them tomorrow.
We promised to love and honor one another with all that we are and with all that we have. I believe, more deeply than I have believed anything that we have spent twenty years doing that. We vowed from that moment forward to be united in sickness and in health; to stand by one another. We made a private promise always to be nice to one another. My wife has honored me with her love and support for twenty years. I pray before God, our family and friends that our love and commitment and our unfailing support of one another will continue to grow until we are parted by death. I promise to continue to love and to cherish her, because my love for her grows every day.
On our twentieth anniversary, we will do it all over again and there’s nothing in the world that will make me happier. To have our friends, our children and our parents there to witness what we will pledge will be a good and joyful thing.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Succumbing to the Siren Song
My relationship with my new iPod has me listening to a lot more music a lot more carefully than I have in years. I find myself, as so many middle-aged people do, turning to music from my high school days for familiarity and comfort. Having teenagers helps me stay somewhat current, and I realized recently that I consistently enjoy the work of many contemporary artists. 
If you were to ask me right now who my favorite 00’s era singer is, I will answer quickly: Amy Lee.
There’s something about her voice, whether she’s fronting Evanescence or breaking out on her own, which draws me in. I find her tone to be pleasing and her presentation entertaining. Her songs are often dark and haunting, but that creates an allure for me. A middle-aged man probably shouldn’t be drawn to her brand of music, but I am. In fact, I’ve downloaded her group’s new album and I can’t get enough of it. You probably won’t catch me at a concert. I know how much I’d stand out and surely feel awkward, plus a little creepy. But, I’ll keep buying her songs. I don’t know anything about her. I‘ve never seen her interviewed and I’ve never read a feature article about her or her band. I’ll probably keep it that way, too. I’ve never been that kind of fan and there’s no reason to start now. I just hope that she’s a nice girl whose dad is proud of her so I can feel good about liking her singing.
Friday, May 25, 2007
The Good Sport's Crowning Moment
My friend Tim refers to his spouse as "The Sports Wife." With all due respect to the sentiment, she's playing for second place.
Over the years, my wife has become accustomed to people recognizing her last name and associating it with sports. One day, she had a professional encounter with a young woman who said she had met me. My wife respnded politely and established that I had interviewed the lady's father a few times. She said her dad is a football coach. My wife remembers, "I was thinking Bossier High, something like that," when she asked the lady what her father's name is. She said "Lou Holtz."
This was in the late 80's, the year after Notre Dame and Coach Holtz had won the national championship. The conversation went on for a bit, and ultimately my wife asked the gold-standard question: "Can you get us some tickets?"
Less than a month later, an envelope showed up in my mailbox with a Sound Bend, Indiana return address. Inside was a letter with the heading "From the Desk of Lou Holtz." Also in there were six tickets to Notre Dame against Michigan State in Notre Dame Stadium, 30 yard line, halfway up. 
I got your sports wife right here.
Twenty Years of Sports
There are countless wonderful things to be said about my wife. Over twenty years of marriage I have been reminded with remarkable consistency how fortunate I am to have a virtually flawless partner. One of the great things about my wife has been summed up by my friend Steve, who says "She's a great sport." It's true. She just rolls with it, baby. Whatever you're up for, she's generally up for it. She's a pelaser, and that's pleasing. To take a literal turn, she is more than willing and is often enthusiastic about attending sporting events. 
Usually, we go to college football games, although we've been to horse races, NFL games, pro golf events, plenty of college basketball, baseball games at all levels and even Arena Football. She hangs in there and gets excited about any of it. We've been to bowl games, SEC, Big XII, WAC, Southland Conference and even ACC games in our travels. 
The college football game we attended which illustrates just how deeply her "good sport" attitude goes: We were in Nashville and went to see Vanderbilt play Duke. That may be a reasonable women's basketball match-up, but football? We went, and we had fun.
Key number one two twenty years of happy marriage: be a good sport.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Twenty and Counting
On May 30, my wife and I will celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. Despite the obvious fear in her eyes moments before the wedding, things have worked out wonderfully. We rarely are apart. The trip she took with the girls over spring break was the longest separation we've experienced. When she was gone, I felt like I was in a left-turn spiral. Half of my operating system was missing.
I can't imagine how the last twenty years could have been happier.
My wife is the greatest gift I've ever received. She continually lifts me up. She gives me credibility as a human being. She affirms my virtues and mitigates many of my shortcomings.
I'm really looking forward to the next twenty years.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Wings Win at Home
Manchester 52, BOSSIER-SHREVEPORT 62
(Bossier City, LA) – The Bossier – Shreveport BattleWings, playing without star quarterback Quincy Carter or spectacular deep safety “Boss” Walker, remained unbeaten at home in 2007, defeating the Manchester Wolves, 62-52.
Gary Cooper, starting at quarterback in place of the suspended Carter, completed 19 of 29 passes for 210 yards and threw touchdown passes to five different receivers in his af2 debut. For his efforts, Cooper was named the Schutt offensive player of the game.
The star for the Battle Wings, though was Jason Schule, who carried the ball eleven times and scored three rushing touchdowns. He also caught a touchdown pass from Cooper. Schule, who also plays on kick coverage and made an appearance at linebacker, was named U.S. Army Ironman of the game.
The af2 sacks leader, Elex Reed, had two tackles for losses and one sack, but the ADT defensive player of the game is linebacker Marc Bacote, who made a spectacular interception at the goal line to thwart a Manchester scoring opportunity.
Carter is on team suspension for a violation of team rules, but the Battle Wings hardly missed him. They scored first when Cooper connected with Manwell Talbert for a first quarter touchdown pass. The teams traded scores for most of the first half. The Battle Wings took the lead at 20-19 when Cooper hit Anthony Chambers for a 46-yard scoring play with 6:16 remaining in the second quarter, and they would not trail again. Bossier-Shreveport created a little distance with a 1:45 remaining before halftime when Jamaal Perry took an end around fro the four yard line and scored to give the Battle Wings a 27-19 advantage.
Perry amassed 130 all-purpose yards, but PJ Winston was the Wings' leading receiver with four catches for 73 yards.
Manchester quarterback Mark Radlinski, playing his first game in a Wolves’ uniform, was 48 of 41 for 299 yards and four touchdowns. He threw an interception deep in Bossier-Shreveport territory, though, and fumbled the ball inside his own five yard line twice in the game.
Boss Walker is out of the line-up with a broken wrist. Brent Withers played in his place and recorded 11.5 tackles along the way.
The Battle Wings improve to 6-1 in 2007, while the Wolves fall to 3-4 and winless on the road.
Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Score
Manchester Wolves 13 6 12 21 52 Record: (3-4)
Bos-Shv BattleWings 7 27 14 14 62 Record: (6-1)
LEADERS:
PASSING: Mark Radlinksi (MAN) 41-28-1-299 4 td’s;
Gary Cooper (BSB) 29-19-2-210 5 td’s;
RECEIVING: Jarrail Jackson (MAN) 10-95-1; Jamaal Perry (BOS) 6-45-1
Attendance: 3498
Schutt Offensive Player of the Game: Gary Cooper (BSB)
U.S. Army Ironman: Jason Schule (BSB)
ADT Defensive Player of the Game: Marc Bacote (BSB)
Cutters Catch of the Game: PJ Winston
Thursday, May 17, 2007
My Daughter's Universal Face
My daughter was not pleased that her grandfather seems to think she looks like professional golfer Suzann Pettersen. The Daddy D Faithful have weighed in by e-mail and blog comment.
She may be more pleased with comparisons to Hillary Duff...
Or Bryce Dallas Howard...
Or, Dakota Fanning...
They're all better than our golfer friend. I'm guessing she's liking Hillary best.
And there's nothing shocking about that.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
It's Shocking, I Tell Ya
If you don't know what this hand sign means, keep it that way. It's an obscene gesture called "The Shocker" and it has no place on a family blog. I bring this up only because it came up at home this week. I figured if my daughter knows it, there's no real harm in asking. If she does not know it, at least I'm feeling better about things and I'm certainly not telling.
So, I made the gesture, and said, "Hey, do yo know what this is?" The look of horror on her face told me everything I needed to know. She looked at me for about five seconds and then said, "Dad, stop it!"
Then, she said, "Look, don't go around the family home throwing up The Shocker."
That told me everything I need to know about high school. I was horrified, in reverse, for about ten minutes. Then, I realized that what she said was hysterically funny.
Thank God my wife didn't get the joke. At least someone in my house is leading a sheltered existence.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
I've Never Met Mrs. Pettersen
Norwegian golfer Suzann Pettersen got a breakthrough victory on the LPGA Tour today. Nice for her. I hadn't heard of her before today, and I wouldn't have, except my phone rang as she was in a playoff on her way to victory. It was my father-in-law, my daughter's grandfather. He said, "Turn on ESPN2. This Suzann Pettersen looks so much like your daughter, it's scary."
You be the judge:
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Bonus Baseball
(Little Rock)- I had a terrific evening in Little Rock. There's a new minor league baseball stadium here, and it's just fabulous. It has the feel of a small version of the Ballpark in Arlington. It's situated so that it opens to a great skyline view.
(Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock)
I had dinner at a relatively nice restaurant which is in the stadium and overlooks the concourse as well as the field. It's situated along the third-base line. The steak was great and my old friend Irv had Italian food, which he prononced fit.
A distant thunderstorm backlit the skyline and produced a comforting breeze for the double-header between the Arkansas Travelers and the Tulsa Drillers. All together, a wonderful way to spend a springtime Friday: Good friend, good food, good weather, good baseball. What more could you ask for?
All that being said, it made me yearn for what might have been back home. We lost our Texas League team several years ago and now we have independent baseball. We are told it's about the same caliber of play, but it's just not the same. Our ball park is more than 20 years old now. While the seats are comfortabe and the sight lines are good, the amenities just haven't kept up with the times. The location has become a problem, as well.
I found myself imagining what it would be like to have a new ball park across the river from downtown Shreveport, just north of the Louisiana Boardwalk. We could try to lure the Texas League back to town. We could do what Little Rock has done. 
For now, though, I choose to celebrate the experience I had tonight. Good baseball can make you happy. (More shaky cell-phone photos)
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Random Thoughts on Mexican Food
We eat a lot of Mexican food. Purists would correct me, preferring to say that I eat a lot of Tex-Mex. Okay, whatever. Over the near half-century I've chomped on chili peppers, I've formed some pretty strong opinions. Papasito's, for instance, is highly overrated. I miss Don Carlos hard. I've spent thousands of dollars at El Chico. I completely support the ownership and management of Cantina Laredo and wish them well. I will eat there many times still. Trejo's is fine. Margarita Cafe is a nice change of pace and it has its devotees. Superior Bar and Grill has a flavor and purpose of its own, and it's strong.
When it comes right down to it, for me, if I had to choose one place to have a Mexican meal, there is a clear winner:
Nicky's by a mile. Nicky's has been so important to me for so long that I can't even put it into words. Twenty years ago, May 1987, I got married. The wedding was at 2:00 in the afternoon. I had lunch that day with all the groomsmen and ushers. At Nicky's.
(You kids, don't be afraid of the '80's eyewear)
I ate there tonight, twenty years later, with my beautiful bride. In the middle of the meal, I just said, "I love Nicky's." I do. There it is. It just needed to be said.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Sports Struggle for Acceptance
You have to hand it to the Shreveport Sports. They’re hanging around. The baseball team occupying Fair Grounds Field has begun its fifth season, which is more than double the amount of time we endured the Swamp Dragons. The problem is, not too many people have noticed. Second-year general manager Terri Sipes says her biggest challenge is “letting people know we have a professional baseball team here in town.”
Sipes know a little about operating in near anonymity. She worked in the Captains’ organization in its fading years, when muggy nights at the ball park lost their Shreveport élan and were replaced by the cool cacophony of riverboat casinos. She believes baseball has a place here, that people just need to be reminded. She has augmented her sales force, which is hearing with some consistency that people simply don’t know about the Sports. So, they’re reaching out. “We haven’t had enough people out promoting the Sports,” Sipes admits. “That’s what we’re changing this year. We have a larger staff with five new people on board targeting groups and communities in the outlying area in Shreveport and Bossier. We’re targeting charitable organizations and presenting them with fundraising packages,” Sipes say hopefully, believing all the while that if people will just come to the ball park they will want to come back and bring their friends. The front office has a hometown feel. Another former Captains executive, Michael Beasley, has joined the fold as Vice President of Business Development. Dave Nitz, a broadcaster familiar to thousands of area fans as the voice of Louisiana Tech and the Captains, returns to call Sports games. They’re doing everything they can think of to make this feel familiar.
The stadium itself has become an issue. When LSU and Centenary played there earlier this year, the facility was in embarrassingly bad condition. Maintenance had been neglected by city crews and the scoreboard had fallen into disrepair to the point that it was illegible. Sipes insists those problems have been addressed, that the scoreboard is repaired and the stadium is “spruced up.” There was a lot of excitement when FGF opened, but believe it or not that was more than two decades ago. “It’s now in its 21st year of existence,” Sipes says as she ruefully does the math. “When it was built it was state of the art. We were about a year too early building this structure compared to what baseball owners are building now,” meaning that today’s minor league parks have more amenities and are like miniature big league facilities. The strengths Fair Ground Field boasted in the mid-80’s are still there, though. There’s not a bad seat in the house and fans can sit close enough to converse with the players.
The product on the field seems to have had little impact on attendance. The team wins consistently and Sipes compares the caliber of play favorably to that of the Captains and the Swamp Dragons, saying “We’ve had several players who have played double-A ball. The caliber of play is pretty much equal.” Eleven players return from last year’s team, including star outfielder Chad Gambill and pitcher Bert Snow, who double as player-coaches. Manager Bob Flori is back for the third consecutive season. All of this is plays into the hope that familiarity will foster fan loyalty.
The season runs through August and everybody knows it will be hot. Sipes and her team hope that describes demand for tickets as well as the weather.
Prom '77 Rears Its Head
Only confirming that Prom is highly overrated, I offer evidence sent in by vigilant Daddy D reader Elizabeth Pryor. Here is indisputable evidence that I was with Elizabeth (top center) and many others at a prom in April of 1977. I remember almost every person in this photo, and I'm still in contact with two of them. That's me, young and with a lot of hair, top-right. It looks like I just stuck my head into the frame. Who was my date that night? I couldn't tell you. Maybe Elizabeth remembers. I remember the people, but I don't remember the night.
Don't think for a second that I was there without a date. That was another school's prom, which means I had to be invited by someone.
One of my closest friends from junior high and high school is in this picture. Regrettably, we haven't spoken in years, decades maybe. Another guy moved away for thirty years and just moved back to town late last year. Another moved from L.A. to New York in the early '90's and is raising a family in the Big Apple. One of the girls in the photo is the younger sister of a guy who went on to start at quarterback in a Super Bowl. Another guy ultimately married one of my wife's closest childhood friends, but they're divorced now and the ladies have lost touch with one another. The other guy, I haven't seen since high school. Two of the girls, I couldn't tell you who they are. Another girl I've lost touch with, but I see her brother about once a week. I'll have to ask how she's doing.
High school seems so important, and I'm sure it is. I have two kids going through it now. They're making memories, no question. You just wonder how long they will last.
As for Prom '77, I think we all look pretty good. Hey, we were wearing ruffles, but at least there's no powder blue vest! I say that while trembling in fear that someone will dig up the photos from Prom '78. I remember the girl (Heck, I'll never forget her) and I absolutely remember what I was wearing. There was a whole lot of blue involved.
Monday, May 07, 2007
The Happy Couple Went to Prom
Is it just me, or is the Prom overrated? Prom night has some kind of legendary mystique to it, but does it ever really live up to the hype? I remember what my high school girlfriend wore to the prom, mainly becaue I looked at the photos for so long. I don't remember where the prom was, what we did afterward, who we had dinner with, or any other detail. It was an excuse to stay out late and go out to a fancy dinner, but that's about it.
Fast forward thirty years, and my son goes with his lovely long-standing girlfriend to the prom. They looked nice. They took some pictures. They stayed out essentially all night. I'm not sure what they did, and I guess that's what prom's all about, some kind of expression of freedom: damn the curfew, full speed ahead.
We took no phone calls from alarmed parents and no one was arrested or killed, so I suppose my son's prom was a success. He seemed underwhelemed by the whole thing. The Happy Couple keeps a low profile around us, anyway. I don't like that very much; but hey, they're 17. Who wants to hang around with the parents?
So, prom has come and gone with little fanfare. They're juniors, so they can do it again next year. Maybe they'll remember Prom '07 when Prom '08 rolls around. I suspect when Prom '37 gets here and they're paying for the tux rental, they won't recall a thing except maybe that baby-blue vest.
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Wings Win Again, Improve to 5-0
(Corpus Christi, TX) – The Bossier – Shreveport Battlewings exploded for 40 second half points to cement a 62-27 win over the Corpus Christi Sharks. With the win, the Battlewings improve to 5-0. The five wins to start the season account for the longest winning streak in franchise history.
The Battlewings opened the scoring when Quincy Carter passed six yards to Marc Bacote for a 6-0 lead with 3:22 remaining in the first quarter, and they never trailed. Carter touchdown tosses to Manwell Talbert and PJ Winston, combined with a 23 yard Brian Hazelwood field goal made the score 22-0 before the Sharks were able to find the end zone. It was 22-7 at the half.
The Sharks closed to within eight points, 22-14, at the start of the second half. But Carter responded with a 27-yard touchdown pass to Talbert to create a little cushion at 28-14. A Jason Schule touchdown run made it 35-14. The, The Battlewings’ Ken Williams scampered 35 yards with a fumble recovery for a touchdown and the Wings had a 42-14 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Schule ran for another score and Jamaal Perry caught two fourth quarter touchdown passes to round out the scoring. Carter completed 15 of 25 pass attempts for 235 yards and six touchdowns. Perry, who was named offensive player of the game, caught five passes for 66 yards and two touchdowns.
Bossier-Shreveport sack specialist Elex Reed had one sack in the game and applied consistent pressure to Sharks quarterbacks and earned defensive player of the game honors.
PJ Winston, who caught four passes for 74 yards and a touchdown, also played defensive back after “Boss” Walker was injured in the third quarter. For his efforts, Winston was named Ironman of the game.
The Battlewings will play the Arkansas Twisters in North Little Rock next Saturday and will be at home the following Friday against the Manchester Wolves.
Score by Quarters 1 2 3 4 Score
Bos-Shv Battlwings 13 9 20 40 62 Record: (5-0)
RGV Dorados 0 7 7 13 27 Record: (0-5)
Offensive player of the game: Jamaal Perry
Defensive Player of the game: Elex Reed
Ironman of the game: PJ Winston
Catch of the game: Steve Smith (CCS)
Attendance: 2801
Unexpected Beach Adventure
(Corpus Christi, TX) - Corpus Christi's got it going on. It's apparently the Whataburger captial of the Universe. I'm sure there's a legitimate, easily explained reason for this; but I haven't bothered to research it. There are Whataburger restaurants everywhere. The baseball park, home of the Corpus Christi Hooks (reigning Texas League champions, Astros' double-A, owned by Nolan Ryan)is named Whataburger Field. If you like a Whataburger, this is the place to be.
"Corpus," as it is known affectionately by those in the region, is a much bigger city than I thought. It has everything your average American middle-sized city needs, plus beaches. I woke up early this morning and drove to the end of the world, Texas style, and found myself in a national park on an undeveloped beach. It was great! The wind was howling at about about thirty miles per hour, surf was pounding and there were no tall buildings, almost no litter, and very few people. I felt like I had gone back in time.
Later, yearning for civilization, I made my way to Port Aransas, a typical beach town with juust about everything you'd expect. There, I spent more conventional beach time surrounded by people with kites, umbrellas and all the usual beach stuff.
(Daddy D cell phone self-portraits) The waves were coming in at about six feet, so not many people were venturing into the water. Still, I never expected to spend a Saturday at the beach. So, bonus beach time for me. I even took the opportunity to have lunch on a deck near a marina. The shrimp were fresh, the beer was cold and the breeze was brisk.
I don't think this would be a bad place to live. For a sports fan there's the excellent minor league baseball, an Arena Football team, another indoor team, minor league hockey and a Division I university that sent its basketball team to the NCAA tournament this year. If you need big city stuff, San Antonio and Houston are nearby. All that and beaches! And don't forget the Whataburgers.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
My Daughter the Thespian
One of the disembodied heads in this photo scanned in from the local newspaper belongs to my daughter. She is heavily active in the Academy of Children's Theater, and they're getting a lot of advance publicity for their production of "Thoroughly Modern Mille," which opens this weekend in a downtown Shreveport theater. These kids have been putting in preposterous hours in rehearsal. Last night they were at the theater until well after 10:00pm. They were required to be back at 4:45 this morning to perform live on KTBS's morning show. The kids, high school and middle school age, have been working their little tails off and it's really paying off.
I have seen a lot of high school productions in my day. In fact, I was a drama club officer in high school. I've been around some amateur and community theater and 
I'm here to say this is the best I've ever seen. They've put in so much time as they prepare for final exams in school that some of them are feeling ill. If they can get past that, this will be one of the finest musical productions our little city has seen. 
It's that good. My daughter played "Pepper" in the fall production of "Annie" and is "Ruth" in the current production. Both are speaking parts, but not starring roles. So, I can maintain a reasonable level of observational objectivity.
In the fall, ACT's "Annie" played to critical and popular acclaim. "Millie" blows Annie away.
People are noticing. This news broke on opening night:
Due to strong ticket sales, the Academy of Children’s Theatre has added a matinee performance to its production of “Thoroughly Modern Millie.” The new show is at 2 p.m. Sunday.
Other scheduled performances are 7 p.m. tonight, Friday and Saturday and 7 p.m. May 10-12.
Tickets are $20 and $15. For reservations, call (318) 429-6885.
