Dec
25
THANK YOU – CREATING SPECIAL EXPERIENCES
This special season of thanks and to remember the past year is here. I want to do both by sharing just one of many stories that reflects how you help our historic venue touch people in very personal ways.
Before one of our many sold out performances this summer, we were approached by a family of four made up of three generations. They had been strolling Main Street but without tickets to our show, there were slim hopes of getting to see this particular performance.
The live music we were presenting was from the grandfather’s generation, a World War II veteran, and his children could clearly see he wanted to share this with them – especially his grandson. On hearing a little of their story and despite being sold out, we couldn’t turn them away so we quickly arranged some special seating for them.
During the show, I could see them laughing and holding hands as they watched and listened. The grandfather regularly leaned to his grandson to share a story from his life the music invited him to recall. During one particularly moving song, the grandfather began weeping and the grandson – no more than seven – simply took his hand without saying a word to gently comfort him.
After the show, the grandfather sought me out to say how important it was for him to get to see this particular band in person and possibly for the last time. The grandson was just bursting with excitement as he regaled me in stories about the songs he had just learned about and the man whose hand he was still holding.
It felt as though the two of them had just discovered music together for the first time and possibly each other. In fact, the young boy’s parents shared how they live several states away and were only rarely able to visit their aging father.
We hope this family has many more years together, but if not, at least for this one afternoon they were brought together to share music, inspiration and their love in an extraordinary place. A very personal and special experience was created, and a simple memory that can last a lifetime.
Events like this are made possible by you!
Whether as a donor, regular patron, attendee or contributing in other ways…you make it possible to bring the Franklin Theatre experience to life – and to transform lives – every day.
Thank you, and I hope you, too, have been touched this year by what we do.
Dan Hays
Director