America: Child stars start with The Shining

Chapter 90 Reagan's Rivals

"Three, two, one, curtain call!"

On the stage of a Broadway theater, numerous actors held hands, stood in a row, and bowed to the audience in unison to express their gratitude.

Charles was naturally among them.

He stood in the very center, his forehead covered in fine beads of sweat, his chest rising and falling slightly, and even his breathing was much more rapid than usual.

A two-hour musical performance is far too exhausting for a minor like him.

Even experienced professional theater actors would probably be exhausted after performing this entire show.

Not to mention, Ciel is also the male lead in "Oliver Twist".

He had an important role in almost every performance. While other actors might only need to appear a few times, he always stood in the very center of the stage.

Therefore, for the entire two hours, Charles remained on high alert, not daring to make any mistakes.

Fortunately, the performance was perfect, and he delivered a stable performance, fully immersing himself in the role.

Standing next to Charles, Little Li was already flushed and covered in sweat.

He was initially a little nervous, and during the curtain call, he almost didn't know where to put his hands until the actor next to him pulled him back, at which point he quickly followed suit and bowed.

Part of the reason for this is because he shared the stage with Ciel.

He desperately wanted to impress Charles and show him all the effort he had put in over the past few days.

Fortunately, Leonardo DiCaprio did not make any mistakes.

This can be considered as achieving the goal he set for himself.

As for Aniston, who was standing next to Shire, she was still full of excitement.

She is definitely the kind of actress who can perform at an exceptional level the more audience there is.

The more attention she receives, the more motivated she becomes to showcase her acting skills on set.

Therefore, Aniston is definitely a very suitable actress for the musical stage.

In any case, the performance finally came to a successful end. Charles breathed a sigh of relief, raised his hand, and waved to the audience.

boom!

The audience's applause surged forth like a tidal wave, growing louder and louder, enveloping the entire theater.

At first, only some audience members in the front row stood up, then the audience in the middle area also stood up, and finally even the guests in the private boxes on the second floor started to applaud.

When Leonardo DiCaprio saw the audience standing up and applauding, he was stunned for a moment.

The scene before him was something he had never seen before.

The sparse applause he received when he performed in "Peter Pan" was on a completely different level from the applause that was almost deafening him.

Thinking of this, Leonardo DiCaprio couldn't help but look at Ciel standing in the center of the stage and whispered, "Ciel... they're all applauding for you."

He understood perfectly well that the reason the audience was so enthusiastic when they took their bows was because Charles's performance had been so outstanding.

It could be said that a large part of the content of this new version of "Oliver Twist" premiere was carried by Charles.

Without him, the premiere would never have received so much praise from the audience.

Charles didn't turn his head, but maintained his smile and replied in a low voice, "Be more confident, Leonardo. You need to learn to accept the applause of the audience; there are definitely fans among them."

After saying that, he suddenly patted Leonardo DiCaprio on the back.

Leonardo DiCaprio was startled by this movement and straightened his back even more, looking straight ahead.

How many of these rays of light will be directed toward him?

Leonardo DiCaprio raised his hand and touched his cheek.

Above, it's hard to tell whether there was more sweat or tears of excitement.

The curtain finally fell, and the actors slowly exited the stage from the side amidst applause.

When they went backstage, Charles wiped the sweat from his forehead, leaned against the wall, and let out a long sigh.

I'm so tired.

He was afraid he wouldn't be able to keep going if the performance lasted any longer.

I still lack stage experience. I didn't expect this situation at all. It should get much better after I have more experience on tour.

Here's some water.

Jennifer Aniston walked over and handed Charles a bottle of mineral water.

After taking it, Charles unscrewed the cap and tilted his head back to gulp down several mouthfuls.

The icy water slid down his burning throat, and he felt as if he had finally come back to life.

Charles took a breath, turned to look at Aniston, and said, "Phew... Thanks."

Aniston looked at him, smiled, and teased, "Boss, she's your employee, so she can only be so attentive to you at times like this."

Xia Dun immediately got goosebumps.

He wasn't used to being called "boss" every day; it just felt too strange.

Especially Aniston, every time she called him that, she liked to slightly lower her voice and then watch him look embarrassed.

Charles sighed helplessly.

This boss of his is really lacking in authority.

Charles turned and glanced at Aniston again.

Aniston's makeup was still on, her forehead was sweaty, and a few strands of hair clung to her cheeks, accentuating her angular features.

Her eyes were full of lingering excitement from having just left the stage.

Charles couldn't help but ask, "Aniston, how was your first time performing on a Broadway stage?"

"Excellent! My God, how long has it been since I felt this way? Ciel, no, boss, your acting is absolutely superb!"

Aniston wiped the sweat from her brow, nodded without hesitation, and replied, "I always thought I loved performing, but it wasn't until I was standing on that stage just now that I realized I love it even more than I ever imagined!"

Charles was not surprised at all upon hearing this.

Aniston has always had this kind of personality.

Unlike the nervous Leonardo DiCaprio, she is not the kind of person who would be overwhelmed by the audience's gaze.

On the contrary, the more people watching her perform on stage, the more excited she becomes and the easier it is for her to get into character.

Such actors may not be the most stable in front of the camera, but on stage, they can easily unleash a vibrant energy and enthusiasm that attracts everyone's attention.

Charles smiled and continued, "Aniston, you'd better get used to this feeling as soon as possible, because there are many more stages waiting for you."

Upon hearing this, Aniston replied, "Then I'll take your kind words, boss."

She took Charles's words as encouragement and didn't take them too seriously.

Just then, a series of chaotic footsteps suddenly sounded backstage.

Director Clara, producer, theater manager, and several investors in the play walked in almost simultaneously.

The expressions on their faces looked even more excited than those of the actors!

There's no way around it, the premiere of this new version of "Oliver Twist" was unexpectedly successful!

It exceeded everyone's expectations!

Clara's face was full of excitement; she had been preparing for this new drama for far too long.

She was more eager than anyone else in the room for a great debut performance to kick things off.

As a rising director on Broadway, she desperately needs this show to solidify her current position.

Fortunately, she didn't bet on the wrong horse!

Looking back now, choosing Ciel as the male lead in this series was absolutely worthwhile!

Clara immediately scanned the backstage area and quickly spotted Charles.

She stepped forward and gave Charles a tight hug.

"My God! Charles, your performance tonight was absolutely fantastic!"

Charles was so tightly hugged by Clara that he could barely breathe, and could only pat her arm helplessly.

He had just finished a performance and was only resting briefly offstage when he was hugged like this...

"Director, loosen your grip a little. I just finished filming for two hours, and I don't want to die backstage."

Clara then realized what was happening, quickly let go, laughed, and touched Charles's cheek again.

The surrounding actors also started laughing.

The tense backstage atmosphere finally relaxed completely at this moment.

Clara's face was still flushed, clearly not yet recovered from the emotions she had just experienced.

She excitedly told those around her, "Do you know what just happened? The whole audience stood up! The entire audience! I guarantee the reports about this performance tomorrow will be fantastic!"

The theater manager next to her nodded in agreement, adding, "That's right. And I just chatted with a few theater critics I know well, Clara, and they all gave your new version of *Oliver Twist* rave reviews!"

Upon hearing this, Charles raised an eyebrow.

Just because the audience likes it doesn't mean that discerning theater critics will buy it.

On Broadway, applause from ordinary audiences is certainly important, but what truly allows a musical to quickly expand its influence is often the reviews in newspapers.

Especially media outlets like the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times.

If they were willing to give a positive review, it would have a very significant effect on attracting more audiences to the theater.

Just as the backstage area was bustling with activity, a staff member suddenly walked in through the side door.

He came to Clara's side and whispered a few words.

Immediately after hearing what the other person said, Clara frowned and turned her gaze to Charles.

She stepped forward, leaned close to Charles's ear, and said, "Charles, an audience member would like to see you."

"However, you'd better watch your words later, he's on the side of the Democrats."

The meaning of this sentence is quite obvious.

Clara was clearly paying close attention to recent news and knew that Charles was currently in the eye of the storm.

In particular, the impact of the "Juvenile Liberation Act" made Charles not only a minor celebrity in Hollywood, but also a household name in Los Angeles.

Charles paused for a moment upon hearing Clara's words.

Donkey Party?

Why would people from that side contact him?

Charles's first thought was that the other party knew about his relationship with Reagan's campaign team and therefore wanted to use him as a breakthrough point.

But why is that?

Just as Clara said, this matter definitely needs to be treated with caution.

Even the slightest mishap could easily drag him into some of the recent disputes.

In particular, the election campaign on both sides has entered a heated phase, with the Election Party and the Donald Party arguing fiercely during this period.

If you just turn on the TV news and pay a little attention, you'll find that they are constantly using the power of the media to expand their influence while also splashing dirty water on the other side.

Charles was silent for a few seconds, then finally nodded.

Since the other party has already come knocking on his door, there is no need for him to avoid them. Doing so would only put him in a more passive position.

It would be better to meet them openly and honestly, and see what that person sent by the donkey party is really up to.

Anyway, he's currently in the spotlight, so the other party probably won't dare to make any rash moves.

If that's the case, then he has nothing to be afraid of.

With that thought in mind, Charles bypassed the cheering actors backstage and quietly left through a side door.

Then, a staff member led him along the corridor.

No one noticed Charles's sudden disappearance except for Aniston, who stood there watching Charles leave.

She clenched her fists and wiped the sweat from her forehead, feeling a little worried for Charles.

She had heard all of the conversation just now, and having just accompanied Charles through the court proceedings, she naturally knew about the recent turmoil he had been going through.

She was well aware that Charles was now being quietly watched by many people.

An underage actor, a child star who had just passed the Juvenile Liberation Act, and a kid who had contact with Reagan's campaign team.

These overlapping identities make it all the more easy for people to exploit.

Especially those politicians who see him as a thorn in their side.

Moreover, these are turbulent times.

Aniston felt even more uneasy at this thought.

But in reality, although she was an employee of the other company, she couldn't do anything.

After all, she herself was just a nobody.

"Aniston, come over here and change out of your costume!"

"Okay, I'll be right there!"

Aniston bit her lip, sighed, and turned to walk in the other direction.

the other side.