My beloved grandmother, Geraldine Gray, passed away Aug. 11. Mind you, she was my girl. I have dozens of letters and notes from her from over the years, and she is (present tense) my favorite storyteller. Nobody could tell a story like Grandma.
So when I got an assignment to cover a Grandparents Day concert to be held Sept. 7, I was apprehensive. I wasn’t sure I could handle a room full of happy grandparents with their happy grandkids. Could I stop myself from grabbing the shoulders of every grandkid and saying, “Hug her, damn it!”?
But Caring Across Generations did a great job of scooping up talent and making Grandparents Day a festive occasion. They got the incomparable actress Sarah Jones to host and perform, and they got the super-talented bass player and vocalist Esperanza Spalding to play alongside the incredible dance stylings of Li’l Buck.
I managed to keep dry eyes through the first part of the show. I was fine with the intro from the Caring Across Generations co-founders and the video montage of people across the country telling their awesome and often funny tales of hanging out with their grandparents.
Jones took to the stage and killed it. The Tony and Obie Award-winning actress flawlessly moved from character to character, as an older Jewish woman, a fast-talking Boricua and a middle-aged Chinese American. She was spot on with each character. Aside from the costuming and other typical actor qualities, Jones was impeccable with the voice changes. Had I closed my eyes, I would have sworn I was listening to those different people.
The tears came on Spalding’s first song selection, “Look No Further.” As Li’l Buck adroitly made his way across the small space on the Apollo Theater’s soundstage, utilizing his jooking and ballet skills, Spalding sang her song and plucked her upright bass. She sang “Heaven isn’t far/Rest where you are/I’m the brightest star/Can’t you see me right here/Making you all complete/How sweet it is to love you/Look no further.”
I had to use my napkins from the bar as tissues. There I was, surrounded by smiling grandparents with their happy grandkids, taking in the talents of very gifted people and balling my eyes out. Not exactly an ugly cry, but I did have to make sure there was no crust on my nose.
Spalding performed more selections and ended with a resplendent rendition of “Black Gold” that featured an impromptu “choir” made up of brave audience members and the dancing of Li’l Buck. He was so joyful in his movements that it was impossible not to smile.
The moral of the story is to love your grandparents while you have them. Make the memories that will sustain you when they are no longer here.