Radio Australia Today Editorial

The Olympics of Theatre

20 August 2008

I’ve gotta tell you.

Last Sunday I was in Sydney to watch my wife play a lead role in a Tony Award winning musical.

It’s been a bit hard for her lately because she’s been rehearsing the role when doing one of the principal characters in another major musical. Basically she’s had not a minute to herself for the last two months. She’s either been on stage with her regular gig, or in rehearsals for the new show. In the middle of all this she got a back injury too. So not only has she been been overworking, she’s been overworking in pain.

So last Sunday was the night that all this work and agony culminated. The audience came in (an audience filled with other, well-respected stage and film actors) and the lights went down. I was in my seat four rows from the front as my love came on stage.

And knocked them dead.

At the end she got a standing ovation, cheers and two curtain calls.

It was kinda the Olympics of the arts. Last night an Australian cyclist, Anna Meares, took a silver medal, after nearly breaking her back only seven months ago. In last night’s Olympic final, one of her competitors tried nudging her out of the race. But that’s where kharma kicked in, and the other cyclist fell over. Anna went on to get the medal.

My wife’s theatre experience makes you realise that Olympic performances are not confined to the Olympics. They are there in everyday life. When your child first walks, or speaks or writes. When you get that job. When you finally win the heart of the person you love. When you ride that bike the furthest you ever have. These are Olympic moments. This I say this as a Greek: you have our permission to share the “O” word around a bit.

Bring some Olympic joy into your life. You don’t have to be a sprinter to do it.
– Phil