A Marvelous Return to Live Theatre: Reflecting on “Open Up The Curtain”
From the opening number of the show: “Comedy Tonight” from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
It’s hard to put into words all the emotions I felt throughout this whole process. From excitement at being cast, to the imposter syndrome of the first few rehearsals, to the bittersweet nature of final curtain, this whole process has been a wild ride.
Walking into the auditions for “Open Up The Curtain,” I remember feeling incredibly anxious.
From rehearsals
Not only was this my first in-person audition since the pandemic started (and, if I got cast, it would be my first in-person performance since the pandemic started) but there was also a dance call. As an only-somewhat-decent mover, I was worried and overthinking it for sure. I didn’t remember what to expect at all. Thankfully, I’m pretty good at talking myself into a calm state after I’ve gotten a minor freak-out out of my system. Thus, I told myself that even if I completely fuck up the whole thing and leave with egg on my face, at least I was shaking off all the rust of two years worth of Zoom auditions.
Upon entering the audition room for the singing portion of my audition, however, all my nagging anxieties were quickly put to rest. This was partly because I was finally facing the situation I was so worried about, and also partly because Sharon (the director), Jay (the assistant director), and Nancy (the music director), were all absolutely amazing people. In what few minutes we had, we bonded over the fact live theatre was starting to return and they were equally as excited for me that this was my first in-person audition since early 2020.
Meeting the witch in Into The Woods
That weekend, when I received the email that I was cast in the show and that I’d be in the Beauty and the Beast, Titanic, Forum, Hamilton, and Sweeny Todd numbers, I was full of excitement at what was to come. A couple of days later, Sharon let me know that she’d also be putting me in “Welcome to the Renaissance” from Something Rotten. And a few days after that, she emailed asking if my range encompassed the part of Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods. That’s what first gave me pause. As a firm alto, I wasn’t very comfortable in my upper register, but here Sharon was, willing to give me the part if I could assure her that I could do it. After doing a quick range check just to “make sure,” I emailed her back telling her that, while the Baker’s Wife’s highest notes were at the very top of my register and I could technically do it, I’d work hard the next few months to make them strong. I found out after final curtain that casting me as Baker’s Wife was an act of trust from Sharon, but one that she said paid off. (As an actor that loves a challenge, it was wonderful to get that feedback from her!)
From “Alexander Hamilton”
Once rehearsals started, I won’t lie and say I wasn’t intimidated.
It’d been a while since I’d sung in an ensemble situation where I’d sometimes have to be the only one holding down a part and I did wonder if I’d be able to pick it up again. But, just like riding a bike, it’s not really something you easily forget.
As rehearsals progressed, however, I became increasingly confident in my grasp of the material, and I also began to trust in my own skills. As someone who occasionally suffers from stage fright, I’ve found that the times when I don’t trust myself are the times that feed that fright the most.
Soon, rehearsals took over my evenings (and sometimes my weekends). And, honestly, I enjoyed it! I’d go to work in the mornings, head home to change and eat something, and then head directly to rehearsal where we would work on songs that I adored. I definitely struggled on some of them in the beginning (like the meter in the Into the Woods prologue, and the harmonies in “The Ballad of Sweeny Todd”), but that’s the beauty of doing what you love: you find joy and satisfaction in getting it right.
“Swing your razor wide, Sweeny”
But, something always has to go wrong, doesn’t it?
Cinderella and I
About a month before opening night, I got extremely sick. It wasn’t COVID or the flu or strep, but it did knock me out of commission and force me to miss five days’ worth of work and rehearsals. However, that wasn’t the worst part. Unfortunately, the inflammatory response my body had in response to being sick, aggravated a previous injury in my lower back leaving me with a limp and the inability to put weight on my left leg. I was certainly not having a good time, and was very worried. Thankfully, I was able to see my specialist and he was able to get me in for a minor procedure that would alleviate that pain. When did the procedure happen? The morning of dress rehearsal. Talk about cutting it close!
Thus, I made it to the mayhem that is tech week and opening night. Did I even do anything else that week other than eat, sleep, and breathe this show? I’m not sure. But I’m also not complaining!
Backstage ;)
Opening night was a bit of a blur, but I clearly remember the moment when I walked onto the stage the first time and looked out at the audience. How lovely it was to be doing live theater again! My favorite numbers were the Into the Woods prologue, and “The Ballad of Sweeny Todd.” For those, it was so much fun to get into it and lean into the characters. For Into the Woods, my scene partner David was wonderful and we were able to intuitively and confidently try new things with each other in the scenes. For “The Ballad of Sweeny Todd,” we all just loved getting into the creepiness of the song and making the audience squirm as we stared them down. It makes me want to do both of those musicals full-length!
“This is what makes live theater so special, this is what gives it its electricity.”
It was great to also see all the people who came. The Theatre at St. Jean’s - where we had the show - holds about 200 seats. On opening night we had about 100 people come to see the show, the next four runs had about 60-80 people each, but on closing night we had over 150 people come to see the show. One of my cast members works at a retirement home, so on closing night the whole first row was taken over by walkers and wheelchairs, and they were the best audience members out of all of them! Especially that final night, I loved seeing the audience’s excitement and responsiveness. This is what makes live theater so special, this is what gives it its electricity.
Now, writing this blog post almost a week later, I definitely miss it. However, it’s fed my hunger to be a part of more! Can’t wait to see what’s next!
You can watch the full show on Youtube here.
xx Selma
From the final number: “The Launching” from Titanic