Dearest Newberry,
I was fresh out of college and quite young when at first we met. You were well established but in need of growth, and I was looking for a challenge.
Growing up my father served in the Army and my family moved every two to three years. I attended more than 10 different schools and lived in six states and Germany. An opportunity I am grateful for, as it has prepared me later in life to take on greater challenges.
You gave me my first big break as Deborah Smith said “I’ll take a chance on you.” Thank you! Here we are 10 years later and I am still so enamored with you. From your charming picturesque streets to the “friendly folks” I’ve come to call family, you will forever hold a special place in my heart.
My husband and I set roots and grew our family here. Later, I would find out that my roots ran much deeper than that, reaching all of the way back to an ancestor who lived here in the 18th century. I believe that things happen for a reason, and I was meant to be here. Finding out about my lineage solidified that thinking. So Newberry, you’re as much a part of me as I am of you.
You’ve taught me life lessons, professional etiquette, the ins and outs of negotiation, pushed my design skills to encompass the annual season brochure (now magazine), and the list goes on and on.
From washing artists’ laundry, I worked my way from the back stage to the front of the house where I would eventually run large marketing campaigns. This led me to the Newberry County Young Professionals where I helped get the organization off the ground and would serve on the board of directors for many years. I had the honor of representing the Newberry Opera House on the Newberry Downtown Development Association for several years and where I met more brilliant Newberrians.
However, Eclipsefest took the cake. Not a slice, but the whole darn thing. I couldn’t walk for days after our three-day festival that took six months to plan. I still have the save the date magnet hanging on my fridge. Newberry, you were a master class in exactly what I needed and when I needed it.
I have had the honor of calling your Newberry Opera House my place of business for the last decade. At times it’s been a roller coaster ride, but I’ll share a little secret with you, I revel in the thrill and boy do I have stories! Not for once has there been a dull moment in this building, from decorating Olivia Newton-Johns’ hotel room with bouquets of red roses to picking up Frankie Avalon at the Newberry airport from his private jet. I personally ironed Michael Bolton’s jeans and received a call from Willie Nelson’s agent. I firmly remember an artist who arrived early at the hotel calling me while I was at a Revolutionary War reenactment. I could barely hear him over the canons going off, you can’t make that up!
So yes, I’ve acquired some great stories over the years and some may have to stay in the lock box.
I have loved being part of the vision that brings every show to life in the hearts of all who attend. The impact made is phenomenal and at times causes a loss for words. Performing arts is an element that creates magical experiences beyond what words can express, I can see it vividly in the eyes of young school children, families, and people from all walks of life.
Friday, December 18 will mark a fork in the road for me as my journey here in Newberry will veer in a different direction. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you have given me over these years, you truly have changed my life. Know that this is not goodbye. I will be back to check on you and of course there are shows I have to see still yet to come!
So probably the next time I see you I will be at my new post and it will be as a fellow patron, advocate, and lover of this beautiful town I have come to revere.
With all my love and adoration,
Micah Jane Decker