Not long after I watched a late-night pundit predict a copper run with possible catastrophic consequences, a copper-related press release crossed my virtual desk.
It described a coin drive that’s engaging students and other citizens in collecting pennies to help fund the renovation of Arizona’s own state capitol building copper dome.
Tempted as I might be to riff on all sorts of issues related to revenue and state capitols, the arts are pulling me — for now — in another direction.
I was grateful last week for the alert that came across my laptop as I watched television news headlines of violent revolution and pirates taking children hostage.
I quickly switched my attention to the live feed of a ceremony taking place at the White House. President Obama was honoring recipients of the 2010 National Medal of Arts and the 2010 National Humanities Medal.
As he placed a large medallion on a long ribbon over the head of James Taylor, Obama whispered something in Taylor’s left ear. I imagine it might have been something like “Im a fan.”
It’s easy to understand why Taylor was one of 20 Americans honored. Consider the beautiful images conjured by the simplicity of his “Copperline” lyrics from the “New Moon Shine” album:
Took a fall from a windy height
I only knew how to hold on tight
And pray for love enough to last all night
Down on copperline
Or another verse from the same song…
One time I saw my daddy dance
Watching him moving like a man in a trance
He brought it back from the war in France
Down on copperline
Closer to home, we’ve got the Copperstar Repertory Company, a community theater that works to “entertain, educate and enrich community members of all ages.”
Copperstar performs at the Higley Center for the Performing Arts in the East Valley. Their next production, the musical “Into the Woods” with book by James Lapine and music/lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, runs April 8-16.
I imagine it’ll be refreshing for a change to watch a show where the only feared characters are those who live in fairy tales.
— Lynn
Note: A special “Into the Woods” performance for student groups takes place Thurs, April 14, at 9:45am at the Higley Center for the Performing Arts (in partnership with Copperstar Repertory Theatre and Higly Community Education). The target audience is grades 4-12 students in language arts and music. Click here to learn more.
Coming up: Field trips with an arts focus, A parent perspective on PBS
Stage Mom Musings 
