Week 51 - Musical - Conner/Us

My first major musical that I attended happened on December 20, 1980, in Detroit, Michigan. My husband and I had moved to Romulus, Michigan the previous October when he had taken a promotion for his job at North Central Airlines. Our second daughter had been born in February, and not only did we not know very many people, but for a night out we also had to find a babysitter for two children under the age of three.

On top of that, money didn't grow on trees obviously and we were a one income family.  So, to find the extra dollars for babysitter, dinner and tickets was a chore all in itself. A fellow employee Craig and his wife Karen who also had small children at home were interested in attending with us. After some conversations, it was decided we would do a night out on the town just before Christmas.

We picked the national touring company that was showing the Neil Simon play 'They're Playing Our Song' at the Fisher Theater in downtown Detroit. The music was written by Marvin Hamlisch, and the main performers were Victor Garber and Marsha Skaggs. 

The Detroit Free Press Wed, Dec 10, 1980, pg. 67

Getting the tickets at a local grocery store that was a ticket outlet for the theater, we settled on the final night of the performance, front row balcony, and spent a whopping $10.00 on each ticket. Next, we were able to find a babysitter who was the niece of a neighbor of ours. We were all set and ready to celebrate.



Now in 1980, going to the Fisher Theater in downtown Detroit was an exciting time. The guys dressed up in their three-piece suits and we ladies dug deep in our closets to find dresses and shoes that would do them proud. My memory doesn't extend far enough back to remember where we had dinner before the show, but I'm thinking probably it was at Leonardo's Italian Grille in Romulus. The restaurant is still open today, just at a different location. They have awesome Italian food.

Arriving in downtown for the show, we obviously gawked at the fanciness of the Fisher. The marble, the plushness, the gold-leaf decorations, the women in their mink stoles! It was mind-boggling. We found our seats and settled in. Long before intermission the men had hung their suitcoats on the seats, unbuttoned their vests and were wondering how much longer before they could go find a drink in the lobby.

My mind doesn't remember every detail, but it must have been important enough to me that I saved the tickets. We have laughed often remembering that night over the last 45 years. It remains a good memory; I can still see the guys with their shirt sleeves rolled up and vests unbuttoned.

Barbie


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