A giant of the film industry died just recently, and his passing brought back a flood of memories. As I explored those moments, I realized that in a small, eye-opening way, Robert Redford changed my life. But first, a little history.

Four years before I saw Redford, a date invited me to my first theater evening. I was seventeen. And thrilled. So sophisticated! The South Shore Music Circus in Cohasset, Mass. was a summer destination for professional touring shows. I think the circular stage within a tent was the reason it was dubbed a “circus.” That first musical was Showboat and the tunes stayed in my head for weeks. I had found an exciting new interest.

Back in those days, Boston routinely hosted the tryouts of new musicals destined for Broadway. Scripts were edited, dance numbers were polished, and songs were rewritten, added, or dropped. During all that doctoring, the musicals somehow performed every night. I kept tabs on the Boston premieres ticket prices. Although they were usually beyond my college budget, I managed a few from the top row of the third balcony.

Four years after that Showboat evening, I had moved to New York. The first time I sat in an expensive orchestra seat was my first date night at a real Broadway play. And Robert Redford was on stage.

It wasn’t a musical. It was a romantic comedy called Barefoot in the Park, written by a new playwright named Neil Simon. From my fourth-row seat, I felt like I was practically on stage with the actors. Elizabeth Ashley was Redford’s co-star, and I was mesmerized by them both. Golden blond Redford was like no man I had ever seen – the blue eyes, the grin. Yet, as I sat there watching him intently, I thought “He is incredibly handsome, but it’s too bad he’ll never make it in the movies. Those moles on his face will keep him from any movie closeups. He’d better stay on Broadway.” So much for my future as a movie critic. I hadn’t realized that being up so close would make an on-stage god human.

I was enchanted by the fun and funny performance that night. It was a special evening that began my life-long interest in Robert Redford. His was a distinguished career in acting, directing and producing, but he was not a flashy Hollywood-type celebrity. Instead, he fostered and supported young filmmakers, opening the cinema world to amateurs, creating an alternative to the traditional film industry. The Sundance Film Festival, in his beloved Utah, is probably his greatest legacy. That said, his smile was pretty unforgettable.

Following that long ago up-close experience came the full flowering of my love for professional theater. I know, I know. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea. My children and my grandchildren all love professional sports, movies and many types of music concerts. And yet, they have all found delight in legitimate theater.

We took them early, beginning in elementary school. The first musical was Annie at Shea’s in Buffalo 44 years ago. They both had the same reaction that I had at seventeen, and their Dad was equally enthusiastic. Although living far from a metropolitan area dictated that hit musicals would not be routine family outings, it made those times special. I’m not sure that tickets for four would have been frequent purchases anyway.

I still love Broadway, and every coupla years I manage a trip to the New York stage. Both Erie’s Warner Theater and Buffalo’s Shea offer quality national road shows. But I think people forget the wonderful theater resource in our neighbors to the north.

We don’t have to go to New York for a world-class city with theater. Toronto is half the distance with as much international flavor (including restaurants) as the Big Apple… and it’s a million more people than Chicago! Add that to the Shaw Festival at Niagara-on-the-Lake and there’s almost more theater than you can take in. Canadian theater is incredible, completely challenging Broadway in talent, music, and professional production values. In recent years, another factor makes Canadian theater even more attractive: the exchange rate. I saw Anything Goes at the Shaw this season and my ticket was 38% less when the charge came through my credit card bill!

Any trip to a musical is a lot about the anticipation – similar to waiting for kickoff at the Bills game. When I sit waiting for the curtain going up, I’m often transported back to that seat where I first saw Robert Redford. When he died, I realized he was only six years older than I, a young man back in 1963. Our long lives had nothing in common, except maybe, a love for the professional stage – with big smiles from both sides.

Marcy O’Brien writes from Warren, Pa.