Remember the Magic

I've been meaning to post about my most recent theatrical experience for over a week now... but I still feel like I'd be poking at a fresh wound. I know, I know... "It's just a play," you might respond, "why would it ending effect you so much?" Well, to me theatre is more than just fun. To me, theatre is as much a part of my life as eating. I can go for a while without it, but eventually I need another fix to function normally.

I have been in several shows over the course of my 25 years of life. My parents were (and still are) very much involved in the theatre. I was raised listening to show tunes on Saturdays (that was cleaning day), watching my parents perform from the audience, and being on stage with them. I continued to enjoy performing in high school, although I concentrated on my choir activities more than the drama club. I performed in community show until my mission... where I started going through "withdrawals" because I couldn't be in a show while I was serving the Lord for 18 months. Really, that's not a horribly long time to go without theatre... but it was then that I realized that I don't want to live without theatre in my life... and I decided to go to Weber State University to study Musical Theatre.

I thought I had a great love for performing before Weber State... but now, I find that I am obsessed with it! The more I learned, the more I loved. And the more I loved, the more I grew. I am by no means the best actor, singer, or dancer... but I have been given (or better yet, earned) something that is most precious to me: education. I hunger for it. I want to know everything that I can about the things that I love, and I want to continue that learning for the rest of my life.

That brings me to Remember the Magic: A Musical Tribute to Disney. Two of my favorite things in one place: performing, and Disney! Lets face it... who doesn't love Disney? In this production I got to change from character to character with each new number, and I had to really pull out my inner child to channel into the magic that Disney brings to peoples lives. When I open up like that, I become vulnerable... and when I am in such an open state, the friendships I make with my fellow actors are stronger than any other. I becomes so entirely attached to the people and the performance itself that when it is ripped from me like this, it really stings.

Remember the Magic is up in the top three of the best shows I've been a part of; and that's saying something, because I've been in a lot of amazing productions! I will never forget the magic that I felt bringing the beauty of Disney to our audiences. I will always hold this experience close to my heart.