The Performer Life
Remembering my Favorite Performances
The News
The news of Broadway being shut down until June 2021 at the earliest felt like a punch in the gut. It is hard to hear that your way of life is not coming back for months. Even though this news only applied to Broadway shows, it does not look promising for other theaters to start producing shows anytime soon.
This year has been full of mixed emotions for so many people. The loss of jobs and industries was hard, but it gave many of us more time to spend with our loved ones. Some people even found new passions and developed new skills. I worked hard to stay busy during this year, but this week, I found myself wanting to look back.
At times like this when my future feels uncertain, I like to remember some of the best times. These times for me were when I was onstage and performing. I wanted to share my top three favorite shows with you that I have been lucky enough to perform in. Hopefully these memories of mine bring a smile to your face and encourage you to remember the happiest times. Looking back always helps me remember that these happy times are going to come back again.
Cabaret
My favorite musical of all time is “Cabaret.” I was a super fan when it was on Broadway in 2015. My mom and I saw the production multiple times! Seeing this musical is what inspired me to switch from ballet to musical theater. In August 2017, I got a call that made so many of my dreams come true. I got cast as a Kit Kat girl in a production of “Cabaret” at the Arden Theatre in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Not only was this musical one of my favorites to perform because of how much I loved the musical, but I also met one of my best friends during this show! My friend Kevin was in the ensemble with me and we got so close during the show. I will never forget laughing onstage with him during the opening of Act two.
Every day I went to the theater, I left with a huge smile on my face. The experience of performing my favorite musical was one I will never forget. Every night, we had a standing ovation with at least one encore curtain call. The story we told was a powerful one. It was an incredible feeling to have our production be so well received by the audiences in Philadelphia.
Beauty and the Beast
This was a special show in so many ways. This production was the 25th anniversary production of the musical “Beauty and the Beast” at the theater where it first debuted in. The theater is called Theatre Under the Stars or TUTS for short and is located in downtown Houston, Texas. “Beauty and the Beast” was the first Broadway show I ever saw, so it wasexc iting to be in the anniversary production!
This was one of the largest theaters I ever performed in! The theater sat over 2000 people. I will always remember stepping on this stage for the first time during tech and looking out into the empty theater, imagining all the people that would be sitting there in just a few short days.
This show was during the holiday season. We had a sold-out run. As a member of the ensemble, I wore a lot of different hats. I was a villager, a dancing napkin, a dancing knife and an enchanted flower pot, to name a few. One of the most exhilarating parts of the show was “Be Our Guest.” The female ensemble had the fastest quick change from our knife costumes into our napkin costumes. The choreography was so intense and we were singing almost the entire time! The number was about seven minutes long and we were all sweaty messes at the end. After singing the last note of “Be Our Guest,” we would twirl and hit our final pose. This number was a huge crowd pleaser and they would erupt in applause. We would hold the final pose for what seemed like forever while the crowd cheered. I remember thinking at the time that this moments was one I would remember forever. I know I was definitely right about that.
During the run, we had the opportunity to perform in the Houston Thanksgiving Day Parade! We only had a week of rehearsal before it, but we pulled it together and performed live on television. We had to be at the theater so early that morning but it was so worth it! Check out a video of the performance below!
Evita
This was sort of an unexpected show in my life that brought me tons of joy. This was the last show I performed in before COVID. On a whim, I decided to go to the open call for the Fulton Theater’s production of “Evita.” The Fulton was a place I always wanted to work. I wasn’t initially planning on going to this audition. I had other things going on that day, but I made a last minute decision to go the audition. I made it through all the cuts, was called back a few days later and then got the email offering me the job the week after!
This show was special since it was at a theater close to where I grew up. I had so many friends and family come and see the show. This made each performance that much more special. I also bonded with so many people in the cast. We had so much fun onstage and offstage! One of the cast’s favorite activities was going to wing night Wednesday at a local restaurant after the show. The servers always knew the “Evita” crew was coming in when we entered the restaurant in full stage makeup!
“Evita” was a special show for me because it was the first time I was a singer track. Track is another name for the roles you play throughout the show. As a dancer, I worked really hard to get my singing on the same level as my dancing. Booking this show as a featured vocalist gave me so much confidence in my voice. It was the first time I was seen as a singer. I was honored to sing next to amazing vocalists and be considered one of them. This show was a huge breakthrough for me and gave me great confidence in my voice.
The Memories
Looking back and remembering all the amazing times I had doing shows makes me grateful and hopeful. Even though now it seems there is no end in sight to theater being shut down, I know there will be a day when I step back onstage. The roar of the crowd will be louder and more powerful than ever!
What are your favorite theater memories, either from performing or being an audience member? What are you most looking forward to when theater comes back? Post your thoughts in the comments below!
