We’ve come a long way baby
So yes, I did actually end up getting cast in that show I auditioned for. Judy the Musical. We opened this past Wednesday night and it’s been an experience like no other.
I’ve never been part of a new show. This show was a workshop just last spring and it’s being worked to try to get to Broadway. The writer, Richard Sullivan, is definitely a Judy Garland fan and lover. He has a vision and a desire to create something grand. The star, Paige O’Hara, is a tremendous actress and singer. She has a work ethic that is boundless, a talent that astounds and a heart that is so open she makes you feel like you’ve known her for a lifetime.
The show itself is a pure joy and labor of love. To bring something to the stage like this has been a first for me. I’ve never had the opportunity to do something like this. A chance to be a part of part of helping a piece of art through its adolescence. The kick is that I get as much out of giving myself to it as it does giving itself to me. I continue to grow relationships, some of which began at callbacks. Some of those relationships didn’t begin until further into the rehearsal process. Regardless of how they began they are now friendships. Friendships are simple and complicated at the same time in theater. As one cast member said to me tonight, “In theater a week is 10 years” or something along those lines. It’s so true. We have so much in common we can get to know each other quickly. So much in so little time. It’s almost indescribable. I’m trying very hard simply to enjoy the moment. However, there are moments that I think about the end, leaving this behind. I dread the end. I’m sure whatever is next in my career will be wonderful at the same time I will miss this. The friends, the music, the time spent doing something so shiny and new. I only hope this will live in other’s memories as much as it will in mine.
