Since the moment Gavin was offered the role of Tiny Tim, it has been a whirlwind of excitement for all of us. We were so appreciative of this awesome opportunity for him. He was initially speechless when he found out which, of course, did not last long. He immediately set out to learn his lines and had that accomplished in about 2 days. He has since kept us in check by correcting any mistakes we make when reading lines with him! Our living room has been transformed by him into Gavin’s stage and he performs all different parts of the play. He especially loves ranting and raving Scrooge’s lines while storming back and forth across the room. It has also been a thrill to have his picture in the promos- a mom’s keepsake dream! He really liked driving by and seeing the billboard, too.
Everybody from Charleston Stage has been so kind and wonderful to him and us. It has made this such a great experience for us. Gavin has become particularly attached to Susie Hallatt (the Ghost of Christmas Past) and he immediately looks for her backstage when we arrive at the theatre. The demanding schedule of rehearsals, late bed times past 7:30pm, and endless script reading were more than worth it when we sat in the theatre last night and watched our little Tiny Tim hobble out on stage and say his first line, “Come on , Peter”.
(5-year-old actor Gavin Milligan as Tiny Tim asks his father Bob Cratchit for fireworks)