THROUGH
THROUGH MIDDLE PARTS OF NEXT WEEK >> A YOUNG UP AND COMING ACTOR
IS BACK IN HIS HOME STATE OF
ARKANSAS THIS MORNING HE'LL
TAKE THE STAGE IN CLINTON THIS
WEEKEND IN AN EFFORT TO GIVE
BACK TO YOU IF YOU LOVE AS
MICHAEL AARON IS HERE WITH HIS
STORY I MEAN THE LOWER FOR THE
SECOND
>> YEAR IN A ROW. GAVIN DREW
IS PUTTING ON A PERFORMANCE OF
THE OAKLAND HIGH SCHOOL
AUDITORIUM TO FUND SCHOLARSHIPS
FOR THE LOCAL ROTARY AND THE 21
YEAR OLD HAS BIG DREAMS OF
MAKING IT BIG ON BROADWAY. AND
HE PLANS TO DO SO IN LIGHT OF A
MAJOR OBSTACLE WHEN SOME PEOPLE
MIGHT STOP IT. GOOD
>> MAN CHARLIE BROWN GAVIN
>> DREW'S PASSION FOR
PERFORMANCE BEGAN TAKING SHAPE
AT AGE 6 WITH AN AUDITION FOR
WIZARD OF OZ AT HIS LOCAL
CHILDREN'S THEATER
>> I WAS CAST AS THE MAYOR
MUNCHKIN LAND AND I HAVE
CONTINUALLY BEEN WORKING IN THE
THEATER IN 2007
>> HE SAW HIS FIRST BROADWAY
SHOW AND THAT'S WHEN IT KIND OF
HIT THIS COULD BE A CAREER
PATH. GAVIN
>> WOULD SPEND YEARS TRAINING
REHEARSING AND PERFORMING IN
PURSUIT OF THAT PATH WHEN THAT
WOULD CHANGE AMID A REALIZATION
SHOW CHOIR PRACTICE HIS JUNIOR
YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL. I NOTICED
>> I COULDN'T HEAR THE BAND
QUITE WELL AND I WENT TO A.A.
GOT CHECKED OUT AND EVENTUALLY
DIAGNOSED WITH MONITORS DISEASE
>> AFFECTS THE INNER YOU'RE
CAUSING SEVERE VERTIGO CONSTANT
RINGING
>> AND HEARING LOSS USUALLY
WHEN APPEARS IN OLDER PEOPLE
AND TAKES A REALLY LONG TIME
FOR THE HEARING LOSS TO
PROGRESS.
>> I START GETTING A HEARING
AID IN HIGH SCHOOL IN THIS YEAR
>> AND GAVIN CONTINUED
PERFORMING HE ENROLLED IN THE
PRESTIGIOUS THEATRE PROGRAM AT
OKLAHOMA CITY UNIVERSITY WHERE
THE HEARING LOSS PROGRESSED
DURING HIS SOPHOMORE YEAR AND
BY MY JUNIOR YEAR I WOKE
>> UP AND COULDN'T HEAR MY
ALARM AND COULDN'T HEAR THE TV
>> AND I LOST IT BASICALLY
OVERNIGHT. HE'D LOST
>> ALL THE HEARING IN HIS
RIGHT EAR AND 95 PERCENT IN HIS
LEFT
>> AT THE VERY BEGINNING I HAD
A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY THAT I
COULDN'T DO THIS ANYMORE THAT
THIS DIDN'T YOU KNOW IT DOESN'T
MAKE A LOT OF SENSE FOR ME TO
BE IN MUSIC WITH ALL THAT'S
GOING ON WITH ME SPREAD OUT DO
OUR THING BUT HE'S PROVING
>> THOSE PEOPLE WRONG. ONE
PERFORMANCE AT A TIME
PROFESSIONAL THEATRE IS
DEFINITELY MY ROUTE. GAVIN TOOK
SOME TIME OFF FROM SCHOOL TO
HAVE COCHLEAR IMPLANT SURGERY
BUT CONTINUES TO TAKE THE
STAGE.
>> IT'S INCREDIBLE AND IT'S
BRAVE AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT A
LOT OF PEOPLE
>> ONLY DREAM OF DOING. AND
YET HE'S HERE DOING IT
>> WITH THIS NEW HURDLE TO
JUMP OVER
>> AND NOW HE'S USING HIS
TALENTS TO GIVE BACK TO THE
COMMUNITY CLINTON. THIS WEEKEND
GAVIN AND FIVE OF HIS COLLEGE
CLASSMATES
>> THEY ARE THE BEST OF THE
BEST? WE'LL PERFORM YOU'RE A
GOOD MAN CHARLIE BROWN?
>> TICKET SALES WILL GO TOWARD
COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR THE
CITY'S YOUTH
>> TO BE ABLE TO COME BACK AND
DO SOMETHING TO HELP THIS
COMMUNITY AND SERVE THIS
COMMUNITY IS REALLY SPECIAL
BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE WE
>> DON'T ALWAYS GET TO DO OUR
STRONGEST SUIT YOU KNOW
>> FOR OUR COMMUNITY
>> AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT
I KNOW I CAN DO FOR THIS GROUP.
THIS
>> ACT IN GAVIN'S STORY COMES
WITH ANOTHER GIFT 16 YEARS ON
AND OFF THE STAGE A LESSON IN
PERSEVERE AND DON'T
>> LET ANYONE TELL YOU WHAT
YOU CAN AND CAN'T DO. PUSH THE
BOUNDARY BECAUSE YOU CAN
>> DO ANYTHING AND GAVIN
>> DREW IS PROOF OF THAT. YOU
CAN GET YOU'RE A GOOD MAN
CHARLIE BROWN TONIGHT AND
TOMORROW AT 7 O'CLOCK THAT THE
CLINTON HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM
TICKETS ARE JUST TEN DOLLARS AN
ADVANCE ONLINE OR FIFTEEN
DOLLARS AT THE DOOR. ALL THE
PROCEEDS TO GO TO A GREAT
CAUSE. IT'S THE CLINTON AREA
ROTARY STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS.
THIS PERFORMANCE COMES ON THE
HEELS OF HIS THIRTY FIVE THIRTY
FIFTH MUSICAL
>> AND HOW OLD HE'S TWENTY ONE
HE'S GETTING READY FOR ANOTHER
MUSICAL RIGHT AFTER THIS ONE IN
BACK IN OKLAHOMA. AND NOW I
HAVE A QUESTION THAT MAYBE SOME
PEOPLE ARE WONDERING TOO. I
MEAN HOW WAS HE ABLE TO HIT
THESE NOTES SO PERFECTLY? I
MEAN JUST HEARING HIM SAYING
THERE IT WAS FLAWLESS. HE'S
>> AMAZING AND IT'S BASED OFF
A FEELING IN LARGE PART. OF
COURSE HE HAS THE IMPLANTS BUT
HE SAYS IT IS BASED MOSTLY ON
HOW IT FEELS AND HOW A LOT OF
US GET. HE WAS IN COLLEGE WHEN
THIS WAS HAPPENING AND I JUST I
FELT IT WHEN YOU COULDN'T HEAR
YOUR ALARM ANYMORE AND YOU
DON'T KNOW. SCARED. YEAH. THAT
IT'S PROGRESSING BUT IT'S NOT
STOPPING HIM. NOT AT ALL. HE
MAKES I REALLY FEEL LIKE
>> HE'S GONNA MAKE THAT TYPE
OF DETERMINED AND NOW WE KIND