East Falls youth hits a high note

As Michael Woodard sang "America the Beautiful" during an interview one recent afternoon, he closed his eyes, the rich tone of his voice rising and falling as it filled the living room of his East Falls home.

His singing seemed to emanate from a soul ripe with years of life experience, but as he ended the song, a dimpled smile surfaced, giggles wracked his chubby frame, and it was easy to remember that Michael is only 11 years old.

It was his poise, however, and the caliber of his performance that landed him the honor of becoming the first Philadelphian to sing at tennis's premier American event, the U.S. Open.

"I'm feeling very excited, very thrilled," said Michael, who last night in King of Prussia sang the national anthem, which he will reprise on Sept. 10, before the last men's quarterfinal match.

"I feel like I'm on my way to stardom. It's just an honor to stand out. I feel surprised a boy from Philadelphia can make it in such a big event."

Stood out he did, said Rita Garza, spokeswoman for the U.S. Tennis Association. Of the hundreds of children, ages 12 and under, who waited for hours outside of Radio City Music Hall to audition, Michael sparkled, she said.

"We fell in love with him. He's everything we're looking for," she said.

Besides Michael, 14 other youngsters were chosen to sing from Aug. 31 to Sept. 13 before night matches at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, N.Y. The event is one of the highest-attended sporting events in the United States. For three years, Garza said, the USTA has incorporated the participation of youth in the festivities.

"It's a combination of sports and entertainment," she said.

"When a child walks onto center court, the crowd pays attention. It's a big red bow when you put children out there singing the national anthem."

The American Idol-esque audition process held last month can be brutal for young aspiring artists, but Michael took it in stride, she said.

"He was a little nervous, but he won us over with his beautiful smile and presence," she said. "You could tell he loves to sing."

Michael, who is no stranger to auditioning, said that he whispers a prayer when he's nervous.

"I got a little shaky, but when I grabbed the mike and everyone's looking, I was OK," he said.

On the day of the audition, Michael and his mother, Wanda, boarded a bus at five in the morning to catch a train for New York. When they arrived, dozens of young people and their parents were already camped outside the building, his mother said.

"He was number 83 in line," his mother said. As they waited, Michael noticed other children, armed with harmonicas, practicing.

"I was really pressured," he recalled. "I thought, 'Oh, my gosh, am I really going to get this?' "

When his turn came, he said, he "aced it."

Since then, Michael has been praised by church members, classmates, even business owners from his neighborhood, who've all said the youth has a future in the performing arts, his mother said.

He plays the piano and drums and has mastered several forms of dance, written two songs, toured with the International Opera Theater and has sung and acted in numerous church and school productions.

Wanda Woodard said she keeps her son grounded by reminding him to treasure his God-given talents.

"I just feel so blessed," she said, holding Michael's little sister, Amayah, 7, on her lap. "I've never seen a kid as motivated as him. He builds his own self-esteem."

Michael is also a big help to her since she's visually impaired and can't legally drive in Pennsylvania, she said.

Some days, Woodard and her children board as many as seven buses to reach Michael's auditions and gigs. Her kids read signs and bus routes, she said.

"I'm just glad that God equipped his brain to handle that," she said of her disability.

Cheryl Roebuck, a music teacher at Michael's school, William Meredith Elementary, 5th and Fitzwater streets, remembers when he would cry whenever he was put on stage, she said.

Now, she said, he's one of her best self-taught students in a mentally gifted program.

"He's phenomenal and he's just as humble," she said.

The sixth-grader excels in his favorite subjects, reading, science and music, of course, but he was quick to add it's not always about work. He also draws, plays football with his father and uncle and loves eating "my mom's [collard] greens."

As the days wind down toward his Sept. 10 performance, Michael said he'll keep trying to fulfill his dreams of being an entertainer.

And with the maturity of a seasoned professional, he offered this bit of advice to any other young person trying to make it:

"Go in there and do your best," he said.

"Never give up. If you want something, do your best."