KQED: If there’s anyone who knows the difference a high school theater program can make on a young person’s life, it’s Sara Bareilles.
Insecure, teased about her weight and stuck in the small, remote Northern California city of Eureka, Bareilles struggled through school until finding her people: the music and drama kids.
4 comments:
This post really confused me at first. I thought it was saying that they were renaming the Jimmy Awards, which was shocking to me. Sara Bareilles is cool, but renaming such a large awards show is a really big decision, especially when it's known internationally by this name. I went to look on the website and I couldn't find anything about a name change. I was confused because it said the name of the awards - "also known as the Jimmy Awards" was being renamed in honor of her. But I realized after rereading the article that it was only the Northern California Awards that was being renamed. Anyways, congratulations to her, it is a really big deal to have a large awards show named after you, and from what I can tell she deserves it. She has had a very successful career and has intentionally invested in highschoolers, which is awesome.
I really liked this article because it just further shows how important high school theater can be for so many young artists. Sara Bareilles’ story proves that these spaces provide more than just a place to perform; they create a sense of belonging. I've been a big Sara Bareilles' fan for a long time, ever since Waitress, and she continues to amaze me in all that she does. Her experiences in high school theater, like finding a community and gaining confidence, are really relatable. I love that she talks openly about the struggles of being a teenager and how important it is to feel seen and supported. Naming the Northern California regional Jimmy Awards after her makes so much sense because she represents what these programs are all about—talent, passion, and perseverance. It’s also just really inspiring to see how she gives back to her fans and mentors, students, and gives free concerts. She makes theater such a beautiful place and makes it so welcoming for all.
This article hits close to home for me because I did not have a theater program at my high school, and as a result I felt a lack of belonging at a spiritual and artistic level. However, I feel that since I arrived here something inside of me has healed. It also occurred to me while visiting my family for Thanksgiving last fall that I feel more comfortable on campus and in 33 (and Purnell by extension) than I ever have at some of my extended family’s homes. My classmates and the people I’m around just understand the things I understand, especially when it comes to artistic endeavors and creative problem solving. My respect for Sara Bareilles has gone up since reading this article, as I was only aware of her song ‘Brave’, which my mom was obsessed with a few years ago. I did not know that she also was a theater kid.
I absolutely love Sara Bareilles! I have loved her music since I first heard it on the radio, many years ago. Of course, I also know her involvement in Waitress. I never knew about her history in theatre starting in high school. I also never knew about the Jimmy awards (or the Northern California regional National High School Musical Theatre Awards), as my first thought was - as I’m sure for many other people - of the Jimmy’s. I think Bareilles’s quote about creating safe spaces for high school kids to explore their creativity is really crucial. For many career theatre artists, technicians, managers (etc), high school is the first space where they’re introduced to theatre. I appreciate her take on popularity and the futility of spectacle pop, and personally, I think that comes through clearly in her music. All of her music throughout her evolution demonstrates a personal change in topic.
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