I went to see The Music Man at The Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre last night. As the lights dimmed, and that train began to chug with the classic "Whaddya talk whaddya talk whaddya talk, etc." it suddenly hit me how important this show is to me. I vaguely remember it as the first show I ever saw at the age of 4 at Roosevelt High School with my mom. (I know she took me to see Kathy Rigby in Peter Pan at the Civic Center a year earlier, but I honestly don't remember it, I was so little). I had been watching movie musicals and singing along for a while, and I remember sitting there, watching these kids perform and thinking "I want to do THAT!" So it was entirely fitting that it was the show in which I made my theatrical debut at the age of 8 at the Des Moines Community Playhouse. I'll never forget sitting at those auditions with my mom, clutching my 32 bars of "Tomorrow" from Annie (ty-pi-cal), terrified, but so excited to get to sing on a real stage. Ever the theatrical mother, she encouraged me with a whispered "Sing out, Louise!" as I got up to do my thang. I got cast as Gracie Shinn and spoke my first line ever, "I know who did it, Tommy Djilas did it, Tommy Djilas!!" in that summer of '94. Thus began my love affair (complete with alllllllll sorts of ups and downs) with theatre.
I laughed. I cried. I wanted to sing along with them. And most importantly, I remembered why, in spite of all of the difficulty and rejection and waiting that goes along with this career, I want to do it. The sharing of yourself with an ensemble and an audience is a rush that can't be adequately described or ever replaced. So when I get down on myself and want to quit when I think nothing can possibly come of this routine, I will buck up, remind myself that in the grand scheme of things, I'm pretty friggin' green. Then I will get tickets to a show, watch some amazing talent, and commit to pounding the pavement another day. Because I love it so much. And because, despite what people say about the divas and the dramatics, there's nothing better than a community full of love and trust and sharing.
: )
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