Christmas 2018
It was a packed audience. The twenty-eight-hundred seat Paramount Theater had standing room only for the city of Seattle’s premier Christmas Concert. It had become a neighborhood tradition at the Paramount, that opened its doors in 1928 and would eventually become part of the National Register of Historic Places serving as an official city landmark. The majestic Paramount was built expressly for showing film and secondarily, vaudeville acts. Eventually, the Paramount started operating as a performing arts venue, serving a diverse patron base that attends Broadway theatre, concerts, dance, comedy, family engagements, silent film and jazz. It was considered to be one of the busiest theatres in the region and was the first venue to be built with a floor that converted the theater seating into a ball room dance floor.
With the snow falling, together with the chilled patrons dressed in their winter scarves and mittens, it was perfect. As they enjoyed the carolers belting out Joy to The World on the corner of 9th Avenue and Pine Street, the Christmas setting couldn’t be better. It was as if they were all inside a giant Holiday snow globe.
He peered through the curtains to the theater floor from back stage. Wow, it really is a full house. Twenty-seven-year-old Itsuki was one of the country’s premier concert pianists. He has traveled the world and appeared as a guest performer with the Vienna Philharmonic and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He even gave private performances at the White House for Presidents and Kings. But that night was more important to him. It was his first performance back in his hometown, performing for his friends, neighbors and family. After watching the people fill the theater seats dressed in the festive Christmas apparel, he made a decision. Already dressed in his black tuxedo and formal tails he passed through the hectic backstage activities in search of the dressing room and makeup and costume mistress.
“Hey Mr. Itsuki, it’s a full house out there. Are you ready?”
“I think so Edna, do you have the Christmas sweater that my sister brought over this morning?”
“You mean Annie? Yessir, it’s hanging the in wardrobe, let me get it for you.”
It was an oversized red and green sweater adorned with Holiday decorative horizontal stripes and piano keyboards across the shoulders and hem.
“Yes, that’s the one.” He removed his tux coat and formal white shirt and donned the ugly sweater. Looking in the full-length mirror with outstretched arms he was satisfied, Yup, that’s it.