A giant of the film industry died just recently, and his passing brought back a flood of memories. As I explored those moments, I realized that in a small, eye-opening way, Robert Redford changed my life. But first, a little history.

Four years before I saw Redford, a date invited me to my first theater evening. I was seventeen. And thrilled. So sophisticated! The South Shore Music Circus in Cohasset, Mass. was a summer destination for professional touring shows. I think the circular stage within a tent was the reason it was dubbed a “circus.” That first musical was Showboat and the tunes stayed in my head for weeks. I had found an exciting new interest.

Back in those days, Boston routinely hosted the tryouts of new musicals destined for Broadway. Scripts were edited, dance numbers were polished, and songs were rewritten, added, or dropped. During all that doctoring, the musicals somehow performed every night. I kept tabs on the Boston premieres ticket prices. Although they were usually beyond my college budget, I managed a few from the top row of the third balcony.

Four years after that Showboat evening, I had moved to New York. The first time I sat in an expensive orchestra seat was my first date night at a real Broadway play. And Robert Redford was on stage.

It wasn’t a musical. It was a romantic comedy called Barefoot in the Park, written by a new playwright named Neil Simon. From my fourth-row seat, I felt like I was practically on stage with the actors. Elizabeth Ashley was Redford’s co-star, and I was mesmerized by them both. Golden blond Redford was like no man I had ever seen – the blue eyes, the grin. Yet, as I sat there watching him intently, I thought “He is incredibly handsome, but it’s too bad he’ll never make it in the movies. Those moles on his face will keep him from any movie closeups. He’d better stay on Broadway.” So much for my future as a movie critic. I hadn’t realized that being up so close would make an on-stage god human.

I was enchanted by the fun and funny performance that night. It was a special evening that began my life-long interest in Robert Redford. His was a distinguished career in acting, directing and producing, but he was not a flashy Hollywood-type celebrity.