A Star Is Born

This is an excerpt from the novel Consequence: Importance of the Spirit, one of five novels in “The Faith Series”:

The recording sound engineer for the Boston Pops Orchestra turned on the red light. The audience hushed as did everyone back stage. Jim had Bill and Kimo positioned on either side of the stage. Jim stood in the wing closest to wherever Lilia happened to be.

Lilia felt peaceful and full of the Spirit. She repeated the words, “Pantokrator Theos (God transcends everything), oh, mighty God, let this performance be a blessing to you,” She said as she raised her hands to the sky in worship and gave it to God.

Jim knocked on her door, “You’re on, sweetheart.” He didn’t say too much because he knew that Lilia didn’t want to be engaged in conversation and lose her focus. She was now “Princess Marie.”

Lilia only smiled and followed Jim to the stage. The announcer said with a deep bass voice, “We have the honor of welcoming to our stage the renown, youngest diva, Lilia Faith Christian.”

The audience jumped to their feet and clamored in appreciation. Lilia raised her chin and walked onto the stage like the princess she had become. Her grace and beauty overwhelmed the audience. Gasps of awe from the audience filled the air at her presence. Anthony Hamilton, the self-made billionaire whom Lilia had met at lunch that day, watched, staggered, from the other side of the same section where the Christian family sat.

Jim cued the security team, “Mr. Hamilton is on the end of the same row as the Christian family, on the far right.” Each man on the security team quietly radioed back to him to confirm the knowledge.

Francine, Lilia’s mom, held her dad’s arm and felt tearful. Jacob grasped her hand in his. He also felt overwhelmed by the moment. Apelehama, her grandpa, had guessed many years ago what Lilia was capable of accomplishing. Here was yet another indication that he had been right. He held Mandy’s hand in speculative anticipation and tried desperately to hold back his tears.

Lilia acknowledged the audience with a graceful sweep of her arm. She poised herself as “Naughty Marietta” and cued the conductor of the orchestra.

The introduction began, and Lilia sang in a very playful and entertaining manner, “There are two little maidens that live in my heart, and one is so good, like dis! She look comme ca, and she talk ‘La! La!’ Like butter would melt I guess. But the other little maiden that’s also me, has a temper so warm it’s torrid!” The audience tittered because they knew of Lilia’s temper. Most of them had seen the pictures of  Lilia's backside as Jim carried her on his shoulder in this morning’s newspaper. She continued, “So when I am good, I am very good indeed. But when I am bad, I’m horrid!”

Lilia acted out the part just like the little stinker she happened to be in real life. The audience ate it up. She danced around the stage, and sang the chorus where the two characters that made up her personality struggled against each other. She made exaggerated faces that sent the audience into a dither of laughter. She delivered every note with perfect vibrato, precision, clarity, brilliance, and color.

The audience responded with great enthusiasm. They clapped, yelled “Brava!” and laughed at the same time.

Lilia made a few impudent movements to let them know that “Princess Marie” would now sing the next number. Nelson Campbell, an internationally famous tenor, entered the stage to join Lilia. They taunted each other back and forth. Nelson sang the part of “Captain Dick” and Lilia sang the part of “Princess Marie,” who pretended to be “Naughty Marietta.” Nelson sang, “So here’s my hand. We’re friends you see.”

Lilia countered playfully and impudently, “Certainly, certainly. You’ll promise you’ll never make love at me?” She reached out quickly and shoved him back, which startled Nelson into a bewildered response. The audience cackled with pleasure.

Nelson sang, “No, no, no, you will see.”

She sang, “You’ll never try just to kiss my hand?” Lilia slapped him lightly on the side of his face, which flummoxed him. Again, the audience enjoyed the contest between the two characters.

He sang, “I’m not that foolish kind of man.”

They sang together, “Then I’m, sure, if you’re sure, and I’m sure, I am sure, that we mutually understand. We’ll call it bond platonic or friendship tried and true. We’ll call us just good comrades or simply chums will do! You may say I’m your partner, my claim all claims above.”

He sang, “But solemnly swear . . . ”

She sang, “Yes, solemnly swear; it never, never can be love!” Lilia made a face at Nelson and the audience burst out laughing.

Wilson, a smitten fan, sat close to the front of the audience, and thought, I hope it can be love. Anthony Hamilton sat in the front of the audience, and thought, it has to be love. She’s the most enchanting young woman I’ve ever met. Jim watched intently and thought, God, watch over us, and help us through this night. Jacob wondered worriedly. This is my daughter. How are we ever going to keep her safe?

The song ended and Nelson and Lilia held hands and bowed. He kissed her hand, waved, and exited the stage. The audience went wild and felt thoroughly entertained by their antics.

The orchestra played the introduction to the “Italian Street Song,” Lilia’s last number, the finale of the program. The recording of this song at the Hawaii Opera had played on public radio every Sunday for months. Everyone recognized it. It was the reason they had come in the first place. It was also the reason that there was not an empty seat in Boston’s Symphony Hall. The audience, rapt, fell silent.

Lilia began, “Ah! My heart is back in Napoli, dear Napoli, dear Napoli and I seem to hear again in dreams her revelry, her sweet revelry.” She sang with the beauty of an angel with so much precision and accuracy that she astonished the audience. She played the part of “Princess Marie,” royal and yet playful. The audience adored her. When Lilia began the chorus, she took the performance to a higher level.

Apelehama thought, Lilia is setting a new high watermark tonight. A tear slipped down his cheek. He had known when Lilia had been just a little girl. He had known then that she would become a star.

Lilia sang the audience into a silent frenzy. They listened to every nuance, every note, enamored with the young diva. She began the second chorus and sang the obbligato adding a perfect trill, as pure and tight as the warble of a nightingale just before the grace notes. It took the song to a higher level than what the audience had heard on the radio. The audience realized that they were in the presence of greatness and held their collective breath. Lilia sang the sixth C for seven plus measures ending in a perfect run. Then, she jumped and sang through the entirety of the song with perfect cadence and accuracy as she delivered the full sound of a dramatic coloratura soprano. Lilia held the last “Boom” in the coda, and then landed on the F. She belted it out and finished it abruptly with a shake of her head.

The audience leaped to their feet, and clamored and clapped. They hollered, “Brava! Brava!” People threw roses to the stage from every direction.

Lilia bowed humbly, then raised her arms up slowly to the ceiling, pointed at God, and looked up to give God all the glory. That motion sent the audience into hysteria.

Francine couldn’t control the tears. They rolled down her face, and she knew she would have to redo her makeup. This remarkable young genius was her very own daughter. That knowledge threatened to overcome her.

Mandy looked on with awe that words could not express. “Oh, Lilia,” she whispered.

The announcer walked out onto the stage to join Lilia. The audience quieted so that they could hear. He asked her, “Lilia, please tell us from where you get your inspiration.”

Lilia answered with perfect aplomb and without hesitation, “God is the original storyteller. The story is simply told through us.”

The announcer said, “I present Lilia Faith Christian, the youngest diva.” The audience increased their applause audibly.

Lilia delivered her final line, “Thank you, thank you for listening.” That sent the audience off further.