First of three parts
[img]1480|left|Lyndsi LaRose||no_popup[/img]Flying back to Washington today to complete the packing-up and kiss the last goodbyes to friendships melded during the past eight years, Dave LaRose also will be reflecting on just-minted happy memories and shiny new relationships that already have begun to bloom in his new hometown of Culver City.
As the centerpiece of a strongly attended meet ‘n greet last evening at the School District offices, the new Superintendent was perfectly cast as the ideal host.
Posted near the head of the Board Room, dressed conservatively in a favorite blue shirt and necktie, not too formal, not too casual, Mr. LaRose, just right, smiled, shmoozed, and, classily, looked fully engaged for the entire 90 minutes of Getting to Know You.
A Surprise First Lady
Had there been a queue, it would have been out the door and around the corner.
Dozens of parents, teachers and administrators, the entire School Board plus City Council members Jim Clarke and Meghan Sahli-Wells, crowded into the standing-only space to introduce themselves, test his handshake and decide in a flash what they think about him.
Mr. LaRose actually was the co-host, along with his First Lady for the night, his statuesque blonde 22-year-old daughter Lyndsi, an aspiring comedienne who just graduated from UCLA and is launched on her theatrical career.
Born for the role she carried off fashionably and admirably in a room jammed with strangers, Ms. LaRose was asked:
What is your father like?
She didn’t hesitate.
“My father is extremely hilarious,” she said. “I feel like I have gotten my sense of humor and love of comedy from him.
“He also is very invested in our family. We are a very close family,” said the elder of two daughters who was one of the main reasons Mr. LaRose was job-seeking in Southern California.
“My dad instilled in me, too, the importance of education. The reason I was so driven to go to college was because I knew the importance of being an educated young woman.”
In some families, a child who envisions an acting career is muscularly discouraged. Not the LaRoses. “Both of my parents have been very supportive of me following my dream,” Lyndsi LaRose said with a glow. “Having faith in your kids, that is priceless.”
She loves comedy, and that is foremost in her plans as she pursues stage, film and television acting opportunities.
Ms. LaRose’s performing heroines are icons of an earlier era, almost predating her parents.
“I love Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett” she says. “More modernly, I admire Emma Stone, who is close to my age.”
Her latest stage gig, at the International Theatre, Long Beach, closed three weeks ago.
Meanwhile, by day, Lyndsi LaRose is working at the Geffen Playhouse, for pragmatic and personal reasons. With a lilting tone and a huge grin, she is “staying employed to make sure my parents feel comfortable and secure that we made the right decision.”
(To be continued)
