Coupeville Sports

Chelsea Randall, the early days. (Photo courtesy Savannah Randall)

Still wonderful. (Kelsey Simmons photo)

I knew the half-whispered legends, but had never seen real evidence.

At least not until I got up with a headache at 3 AM in the morning and, boom, there it was in the form of a surprise email from her younger sister.

Suddenly, the stories of the early days of Chelsea Randall actually took solid form.

The most talented person I know, captured during her early days as a dance prodigy. Her smile lighting up the world, her love of dance exploding out of a photo from the past.

Before Chelsea became a choreographer, writer, director, editor and a billion other things. Before she became the petite ball o’ fire who lights up the world every day, none more so than in the moments leading up to her 30th birthday Wednesday.

Many in Coupeville will know her as the manager at Christopher’s on Whidbey, a job she handles with great grace under pressure.

A select few will know all that she has accomplished in her life leading up to this day. Her resume, which she rarely discusses, is the stuff of legend.

Springing from a family deeply immersed in the entertainment industry, headed up by grandfather Pitt Herbert, who acted with everyone from Jimmy Stewart to Elvis, Chelsea is born to show biz.

Her mom, Elizabeth Herbert, her dad, Phil Randall, and her lil’ sis, Savannah Randall, all actively involved in theater.

Her parents have spent the summer in Vegas, working nightly on a highly-successful production of “Menopause: The Musical” that’s playing at the Luxor on the Strip.

I could go on and on, detailing Chelsea’s brilliance and talent, but, since she is not fond of self-promotion, let’s leave it at this — she is amazing.

In every way, every day, her light shines across the world and makes it a wonderful place.

I hope her birthday is as awesome as she is.

And the photo? Better than Excedrin.

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