A star is born

Good evening and welcome to the first installment of Living the Dream's True Hollywood Story. Tonight we will examine the meteoric rise and subsequent fall of a young child prodigy by the name of Michael Patrick Ward. The tale of a career filled with abundant success and widespread praise, before tragically evaporating into obscurity behind a trail of sugar-highs, crankiness and tantrums. Over these next few minutes you will experience it all. All of the highs and the lows that Michael endured during his almost two full hours of fame, glory and adversity.

This IS the True Hollywood Story!

Our tale begins on a brisk spring morning in the quiet town of Boise, Idaho. A fresh-faced Michael skipped into the television studios of the local Public Broadcasting Station where his grandmother works. The station was deep in the throws of its annual pledge drive, and Michael quickly fell in love with the fast-paced environment. All of the lights, cameras and most importantly, balloons, left the little boy breathless with anticipation.

Michael was scheduled to make his appearance in front of the cameras just a few moments after arriving, but like many child prodigies before him, shyness overtook him and he opted to watch the proceedings for awhile. He sat mesmerized as the host used the cuteness of small children to coax the public to donate money.

When the second opportunity arrived, little Michael mustered up the courage to take a seat beside the host and kick off his career in front of the cameras. A breathless nation, or at least several dozen bored housewives in Boise, finally caught a glimpse of little Michael Ward.

The host began the show by interviewing Michael with a hand-held microphone. Here, for the first time, is the official transcript of that fateful exchange:

Chris (the host): Hi Michael, how old are you?

Michael: Well, really good!

Chris: Really good?!! How old is that?

Michael: Well, three ... years ... old!

From that point the shyness faded from Michael like an early-morning mist, and a budding star emerged. When a fellow child exclaimed that her favorite PBS show was "Caillou," Michael chimed in with, "Yeah! I like Caillou TOO!!" Displaying a natural flair for the dramatic, Michael emphasized his statement with a brisk waving of his finger. Realizing the emerging Bob Hope in his midst, Chris turned to Michael and asked,"Can you tell the people to call now?" Taking the cue and running with it, Michael responded with, "Call now! It's $9.99!!"

At this point Michael's star reached the stratosphere. The young phenom slipped into what is known in showbiz circles as "the zone." Michael began yanking the microphone out of Chris' hands and delivering a flurry of one-liners that will live in infamy. He followed with a 40-minute stand-up comedy routine and finished with an exclusive solo performance of "The Phantom of the Opera" in its entirety.

After the final breathtaking note escaped his mouth, Michael slumped to his knees while security guards rushed the stage, covered him in a diamond-encrusted cape, and began escorting him off James Brown style. But the show was not over! Michael brushed them aside, threw off the cape and burst into an emotional rendition of Frank Sinatra's "My Way," before finally leaving to a standing ovation from the tear-filled audience.

The performance earned a permanent place in Ward family legend.

Shortly after his brisk rise to stardom it was discovered that little Michael had been hiding an overpowering addiction to candy fruit treats. Several crew members caught little Michael sneaking two or three treats into his mouth when he thought no one was looking. This practice reached epic levels just minutes following his performance, and it wasn't long before the prodigy began showing unmistakable signs of addiction. There was crankiness, irritability and hyperactivity that disturbed those closest to him. Clearly the combination of stardom and sugar addiction were taking a toll.

His father made repeated attempts to intervene. To slow this cycle of addiction, yet Michael scoffed at these attempts and remained mired in his own misery.

When the time for his second performance arrived, Michael was clearly a shell of the inspiring performer that touched so many dozens of lives just an hour before. The magic was gone and what remained was nearly unwatchable. Michael took the stage amidst a contract dispute with the producer and quickly scoffed at a cameraman who dared to use an angle depicting his "bad" side. The young diva followed with a tantrum after he dropped his toy, and stomped out of the studio yelling, "I can't work under these conditions!! Do you have any idea who I AM!! Get my manager on the phone! Where is my latte?!!"

It was a dramatic fall signaling the end to a once promising career. Over a span of two fateful hours young Michael Ward experienced it all. The joys of stardom, the desperate pain of addiction, and the utter devastation of losing it all.

But our tale does have a happy ending. Young Michael returned home to find a large lunch prepared on the kitchen table. The combination of grilled chicken, chocolate chip cookies and milk helped restore balance to a young life so previously out of control. His mood brightened, and his addiction to candy fruit treats disappeared for at least the next few hours. After experiencing the glitz and glam of showbiz, young Michael has set his sights on a new aspiration. The young phenom is now dedicated to becoming the next Power Ranger and saving the universe from evil ninjas in cheesy costumes.

Stay tuned kiddies!

- Dave