Connor McKinley wanted to be an actor his entire life.
He was the star of every play and musical during his middle and high school years, and had planned to study it in college, until he opted to take on a mission in Uganda for the Mormon Church. It was there he met his now husband, Kevin Price.
Some time after returning home from Uganda, Connor had some success booking a few regional productions here and there, finally earning enough points to join the Actors Union. It was then that he was finally able to live his dream of performing on Broadway, after being cast in the ensemble of the EXTREMELY short-lived revival of Cabaret.
Connor and Kevin married not too long after the show flopped, and it was then that Connor decided to put his dreams of being an actor on hold to adopt his beautiful Ugandan daughter, Mangeni, and provide for his family.
Connor was now working an administrative job for Roundabout Theatre Company, one of the leading companies on Broadway. It was the closest he thought he would ever get to perform on Broadway again.
One afternoon, Kevin was sitting in his living room, playing with their small welsh corgi, Sherbet, whom Kevin had grown to love the longer they owned him.
"I'm home!" a slightly tired Connor suddenly called out, walking in the door after another long day of work. Kevin scooped up Sherbet and met Connor at the door.
"Hey, sweetie," he greeted after a quick peck on the lips. "How was work?"
"Chaotic," he groaned. "They made me deal with the ticket buyers who wanted refunds because Sutton Foster missed ANOTHER performance of Anything Goes. I TRIED convincing them her understudy was just as good but noooo they HAVE to see their Sutton." Connor plopped down on the couch.
"Sometime I just don't understand musical theatre people," Kevin said, sitting next to Connor and wrapping an arm around him. "No offense."
"None taken, I forgot how crazy we get," Connor said with a smirk. Connor leaned his head against Kevin's shoulder, closing his eyes for a few minutes.
"Hey Kev, by the way… guess what I found out today?"
"What?"
"They're having auditions later this week to replace one of the ensemble members. I really… I really wish I could go."
Kevin sat up and gave Connor a funny look. "Why can't you?"
Connor sighed. "You know I gave all that up, Kevin. I don't have what it takes anymore. I think that part of my life is over."
"No," Kevin said, grabbing hold of Connor's shoulders. "I'm not gonna sit here and listen to you talk like that. You are without a doubt one of the THE most talented people I know."
"Stop it, Kev," Connor said with a grin, a slight blush growing on his face.
"I'm serious!" Kevin said with a small laugh. "I don't care what Ben Brantley said, I thought that production of Cabaret was BRILLIANT, and you were SO hot!"
"You were really turned on by that one," Connor giggled.
"I'm not gonna let you pass this up," Kevin declared. "Connor McKinley, if you don't go to that audition, we're divorcing."
Connor gasped. "Wow, did you really just go there?"
Kevin grinned evilly. "Yes. So unless you want to find your shit sitting on the front lawn, go pick an audition song. Right now."
Connor only had a few days to prepare for the auditions, so he spent any sort of free time he had going over his sixteen bar cut over and over until it was perfect. The day of the audition, Connor showed up to the studio looking dapper in his red button-down complete with vest and tie. He looked around the room at all the other men there, all fresh out of college and much more in shape than Connor was. Connor gulped hard and sat down.
He waited for a long time as one by one people went in and out. Some came out with a look of confidence, while others looked like they wanted to jump out the nearest window. Finally, the woman poked her head out of the door.
"Connor McKinley? We're ready for you."
Connor took a deep breath and entered the room. He went straight to the piano player and quickly briefed him on his tempo and where the cuts were. He turned to the table to see a few unfamiliar faces, as well as the casting director, who Connor actually somewhat knew from work.
"Well damn, it IS the same Connor McKinley!" he beamed. "Unhappy with your job, I see?"
"Clearly," Connor joked.
"I didn't even know you performed," he said, reading over Connor's resume. "Wow, not too shabby, McKinley. Ok, are you ready?"
"Yes, sir."
"Whenever you're ready."
A few hours later, Kevin was once again sitting in the living room when he heard Connor pull up in his car outside. Kevin shot up from the couch and ran to the door, eagerly waiting for Connor.
"Well, how was it?" Kevin frantically asked the second Connor opened the door.
"They gave me a callback right on the spot!" Connor beamed.
Kevin smiled and drew Connor close to him. "I KNEW you could do it, my little Broadway star."
Connor laughed. "It's just a callback, honey."
"Still exciting."
"Yeah, but I don't think I'm gonna go."
Kevin broke away. "Excuse me?"
Connor sighed. "It's a dance call."
"So? You're a great dancer."
"It's a tap dance call."
"So? You're a GREAT-"
"Kevin, I can't tap dance."
Kevin stared at Connor for a moment and then burst out laughing. "You're kidding me, right?"
"What do you mean?" Connor said, his cheeks turning red.
"So you forgot that the minute me and Arnold arrived in Uganda, you greeted us with an ENTIRE tap dance number, with YOU at the lead?"
Connor walked into the living room and plopped on the couch. "I… I kinda just faked it… I didn't really know what I was doing."
"Well, you certainly fooled me."
"Yeah, but I'm not gonna be able to fool a room full of Broadway professionals. What am I gonna do?"
Kevin sighed. "I think you should just go and… hope for the best."
"But I'm gonna look stupid."
"But you'll have tried, and that's what's important."
"How eloquent of you, Kevin," Connor smirked.
Suddenly, Mangeni came running into the room, eagerly jumping onto Connor's lap.
"Hi, Papa! How was your… aud… audi…"
Connor laughed. "Audition, sweetie. It went very well! They want me to come back and do it again for them, which is a very good thing!"
"Good, I'm glad," Mangeni said, hugging Connor around the neck.
"Ok, Mangeni," Kevin said. "Ready for dance class?"
"Yes, daddy!"
"Would you like me to take you?" Connor asked.
"Ok, Papa!"
Connor took Mangeni by the hand and led her to the car. He buckled her into the backseat and the two drove to the local dance studio.
"Hello, Mangeni!" the young, red-headed dance teacher greeted as Connor and Mangeni stepped inside the studio. "Bright and early, just like always!"
"Hi, Miss Flanders. This is my Papa!" he tugged Connor by the hand and led her to Miss Flanders.
"Oh, I don't believe we've met. I'm Liz Flanders," she beamed, holding her hand out for Connor to shake.
"Very nice to meet you. Connor McKinley," Connor said with a smile, shaking her hand.
"I've only seen Mangeni's other daddy… Kevin, right?"
"Right."
"Papa's an actor!" Mangeni suddenly said. Miss Flanders' eyes grew wide.
"Are you really?" she excitedly asked.
"Well, sort of. I used to be, but I just recently started getting back into it."
"Any new projects on the horizon?"
"Well, I'm actually in auditions to be in that Anything Goes revival."
Miss Flanders clasped her hands over her mouth. "I LOVED that show! The dancing was spectacular!"
Connor laughed. "Yeah, too bad I can't really dance very well. And my callback is a tap dance call. Just my luck."
"Well, if you want, I'd be more than happy to offer you some lessons."
"Really? You'd do that?"
"Absolutely! I'll have you ready for that callback in no time!"
As they talked, several other little girls began strolling into the studio, each one eagerly greeting Mangeni as they put on their tap shoes.
"Ok, Mr. McKinley, class is about to start."
"Oh, ok. Well thank you very much," he started towards the door, "I'll be in contact with-"
"Excuse me?"
Connor froze, a look of confusion spreading across his face. "Sorry?"
"I thought you wanted to take lessons…"
Connor stood there for a second, and then began laughing. "Oh god, wait… you mean… now? With all these little girls?"
Miss Flanders smiled. "Why not?"
Connor stood there for a second and thought it over. It would at least be a good story, he thought. Kevin will get a kick out of this. "Ok, I guess I'll stay then!"
Connor stepped inside the studio and looked at the little girls, standing in a line in front of the giant mirrored wall. Some just stared at him, while others turned to each other and giggled. Mangeni beamed and waved at him.
"You're in luck, these should fit fine," Miss Flanders said, pulling out a beat-up pair of tap shoes out of a cabinet in the corner. Connor slipped off his normal shoes and slipped the taps on. He hadn't been in a pair of tap shoes since Uganda.
Miss Flanders took her place at the front of the room. "Everyone, this is Mr. McKinley. He's Mangeni's dad."
"I thought Mangeni's daddy was the tall man that looks like prince charming," one little girl asked.
"That's my OTHER daddy," Mangeni explained.
"Why does she have two daddies?" another girl asked.
"Where's her mommy?" another asked.
"I hafta go to the bathroom," another whimpered.
Connor was half mortified and half extremely entertained by the events that were occurring. Nonetheless, his cheeks began burning bright red.
"Ladies, ladies," Miss Flanders said firmly. "That doesn't matter. The point is, Mr. McKinley wants to learn how to tap dance so he's going to be joining our class. We all have to be very nice to him and respectful. Understand?"
"Yes, Miss Flanders."
"Now, Mr. McKinley," Miss Flanders said. "How much to you already know."
"Honestly? Barely anything."
"Shuffles?"
"Nope."
"Oh boy," she said silently to herself. "Well, that's ok. Let's do some shuffle exercises to start.
Next to Connor, the little girls looked like they were professional dancers. Connor was unable to grasp the concept of the most basic of steps. He managed to scuff the metal taps against the wooden floor until there were visible scratch marks.
"I think you're trying too hard," Miss Flanders said with a smile. "Lighten up on your feet a little and see what happens."
Connor followed Miss Flanders' direction and eventually the sound of his taps became much clearer. Connor felt like he was a little kid again, so proud and pleased with himself.
"Ok, ladies and… gentleman," Miss Flanders declared at the end of class. "Let's take a minute to discuss our upcoming recital. We're gonna be doing an original creation called Hansel and Gretel: A Tap Dancing Fairy Tale. Now, everyone gets a part. Mangeni, I want you to play Gretel, and Becky, you'll play Hansel."
Mangeni and Becky squealed and hugged one another.
"And our evil witch will be… Mr. McKinley."
Connor's jaw dropped and his eyes grew wide. "Oh, no no no… I… I don't think I can do that."
"Why not?" Miss Flanders asked.
"I mean… they're all 7 and I'm… not."
"Why don't you wanna be the evil witch, Papa?" Mangeni asked with a pout. Connor could never resist that face that Mangeni would make, as hard as he tried sometimes.
Connor sighed heavily. "Fine. I guess I'll be the witch."
The little girls and Connor rehearsed for the recital over those next few weeks. When Connor broke the news to Kevin, Kevin laughed so hard he literally wasn't able to breathe and began sobbing. Connor had simply rolled his eyes and walked away.
The recital was held at the local elementary school in the gymnasium, which had a small stage in the front. Kevin sat in one of the folding chairs along with Nabulungi Hatimbi and Arnold Cunningham, his and Connor's best friends. Kevin decided to surprise Arnold and Nabulungi with the news that Connor would be starring in the show.
"I'm sure Mangeni is going to be wonderful," Nabulungi said. "I'm sad Connor couldn't make it."
"I know. He was… busy," Kevin said with a smirk, setting up his camcorder to film the event.
"That's not like Connor to miss something important involving Mangeni," Arnold said. He flipped through the program, reading through the various pages. Suddenly, his eyes grew wide and a grin spread across his face. "NO. WAY."
"What is it?" Nabulungi asked.
"Look at the cast list."
Nabulungi opened her program and read the list. "Connor McKinley as… the evil witch?"
Kevin laughed. "Surprise!"
"This is TOO good!" Arnold said laughing.
Miss Flanders suddenly stepped onto the stage and tapped on the microphone. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to our production of Hansel and Gretel: A Tap Dancing Fairy Tale. Our little girls… and boy… have been working VERY hard and we are very excited to share our work with you. And now, sit back, relax, and ENJOY!"
She scurried off the stage as the curtain opened. There were several makeshift trees spread out across the stage and a cutout of a giant gingerbread house upstage. Mangeni came skipping out wearing a dress that made her look like the Swiss Coco Girl. She was linking arms with another little girl with a hat and lederhosen.
"Oh, Hansel!" Mangeni practically screamed, "Mother is making us gather berries for dinner and now we are lost in these woods! What are we going to do?"
"I don't know, Gretel!" the other girl exclaimed just as loud.
"I am oh so hungry!"
"I know what we can do to take our minds off of our empty stomachs!"
"What's that?"
"WE CAN DANCE!"
Music started and Mangeni and the other little girl began to shuffle their tap shoes along with the music. They went on for some time until they struck an awkward pose at the end of the song. The audience modestly applauded.
"Look, Gretel! A house of gingerbread!"
"Who do you think lives there?"
"I'm not sure! But I'm hungry! Let us eat the house!"
"Good idea!"
The two girls skipped to the cardboard house and began to pretend they were nibbling at the edges. Suddenly, the door of the house swung open. Connor stepped out in a long black dress with a cloak. His skin had been painted green and he wore a long, stringy black wig, topped off with a pointy black hat. Kevin, Arnold and Nabulungi tried their best to stifle their laughter, Kevin especially.
"Who are you?" Mangeni asked.
"I am the kind old lady who lives in this house," Connor declared, employing some sort of cackling witch voice. "I would like to greet you… WITH A DANCE!"
Connor took his spot at the center of the stage as the music started. He too started to awkwardly shuffle his feet to the music as Mangeni and the other little girl looked on in awe. Kevin couldn't help himself and finally burst out laughing, receiving glares from the surrounding parents. For once, Kevin could care less what people thought of him.
The show continued. The witch had tricked the children into coming inside of her house, then tried to eat them, then the children shoved her into an oven, and then the children lived happily ever after.
"How did I do?" Mangeni eagerly asked after the show, running into Kevin's arms.
"You were GREAT, sweetie!" Kevin beamed. "The best Gretel I've ever seen!"
"But here's the REAL star!" Arnold declared with a stifled laugh as Connor trudged towards the group, his skin still painted green.
"Oh, shut up," Connor snapped.
"I thought you were great, Connor," Nabulungi said. "For real."
"Thanks, Nabu," Connor said with a smirk. "That was a Tony worthy performance, if I do say so myself.
With the recital behind him, it was time for Connor to once again focus on the original task at hand: the callback.
The day of the audition, he walked into the studio to see a few familiar faces from the first round, warming up and stretching in different parts of the room. The casting director caught Connor's eye and walked over.
"Hey there, McKinley. You ready for today?"
"Sure am, sir. I'll admit I had to take some tap lessons to brush things up but I think I'm ready."
"You'll do great, I'm sure."
The dance captain walked in and greeted the men. "Ok, boys. Let's get started."
Kevin was in the kitchen beginning to fix dinner. He was extremely nervous because knew Connor would be home at any moment. He knew how badly Connor not only wanted that part, but how much he truly deserved it. The sound of a car door slamming came from outside and Kevin raced to the door.
"Well?" Kevin asked quietly as Connor walked in, throwing his bag on the ground.
"I got cut," he said with a sigh.
"I'm sorry, Connor. I know how much you wanted that part."
Connor gave a weak smile. "The director still seemed pretty impressed, though. He said that with some more training I could have another shot sometime down the road."
"So back to Miss Flandersfor you?" Kevin asked with a smirk.
Connor chuckled. "Nah, he actually referred me to a REAL teacher."
"So… are you gonna do it?"
Connor was silent for a minute. "Yeah, I think I am. Kevin… these past few weeks have made me realize how much I really want to be an actor. I thought I was over all of that, but I'm really not. I don't know… it just completes me… you know?"
Kevin wrapped his arms around Connor and kissed him on the top of his head. "Connor, if your dream is to be an actor, then by all means, I'll be there by your side every step of the way. I'll be there with you when your face is towering on a billboard over Times Square, I'll be there when you accept your Tony Award, I'll be there-"
"You're the best, Kevin. You know that?"
"No. You are. And I mean that."
The two gazed into each other's eyes and pressed their lips together, staying there for a few moments until Kevin broke away.
"I know what'll cheer you up."
"What's that?"
"Let's watch the DVD of Hansel and Gretel."
"You asshole," Connor smirked.