jackiedoherty.org

In the recent Merrimack Repertory Theatre rendition of the long-running Broadway musical, The Fantasticks, the first act ends on a happy note. Boy gets girl, the wall between two familes comes down, the fathers remain friends, and the whole cast strikes a joyful pose. But, even before the curtain came down, there was wobbling, the grins started to seem a trifle forced, the audience knew that there was trouble ahead, and there was.

In the midst of my joy over the election results at every level, I feel a little wobbly. After all, look at the mess we are in both at home and in the world; it’s not going to be easy to pick up the pieces. We all know that Obama has a difficult task ahead of him. That said, I think he’s the man for the job. Pundits on AM radio are saying he only got elected because of his race and are questioning his experience and credentials (his, but not Palin’s, of course). Certainly, George W. Bush had a less than inspiring resume, and I remember thinking in 2000 that I hoped he had some good advisors- as it turned out he assembled a team of self-serving, behind-the-scenes operators who pulled the strings and kept him in a cocoon of his own delusions. As fantastic as it is for all Americans that the racial barrier has fallen, the election was about more than race. It was about a needed change from the last 8 years of failed policies and disasterous governing.

And for a happy ending that’s believable, you might care to see how The Fantasticks turns out – the show runs until November 9 and tickets are still available.