Why Musicals Are Magical

Theater came up twice today in my life, so it got me thinking.

Ever since my uncle, mom, and grandma took me to see Peter Pan on Broadway for my 10th birthday, I have been absolutely enamored with musicals. I think it's pretty safe to say they changed my whole personality and my life in general. I've been to way too many shows (actually, I don't think that's possible) - and I have all the programs, like my grandma does for all her shows. Between Broadway, Plays in the Park in Edison, NJ, school productions, Washington, D.C., Paper Mill Playhouse, even the National Theater in Prague, Czech Republic, I've been to a lot... and I'm beyond grateful for those experiences :)

When I was in eighth grade, I tried out and performed in my first one - Into the Woods (Junior!). I was Jack's Mom (always wanted to play that part again in the "grown up" crazy everyone-dies version). The theater bug bit, and I did no less than fifteen shows through my sophomore year of college, including How to Succeed..., State Fair, Annie, Get Your Gun, Little Shop of Horrors, Anything Goes, Fiddler on the Roof... and I was even nominated for a Freddy Award (P.S. you can see me in the logo for Most Valuable Players, the movie, on that link - I'm on the top left, dressed in blue and orange!!) I got to perform at the Freddy's, too. That was so exciting for me. I directed a one-act play in high school, and I've participated in my college's 24 hour show writing-practicing-performing event called Wired. I've assistant stage-managed and house managed.

Even though I've stopped performing/working backstage for now, I'm just as enamored with shows - and I love nothing more than watching them. My favorite shows to watch are the following:

1. Les Miserables/Ragtime (tie for first)

2. Phantom of the Opera

3. Wicked

4. Kiss Me, Kate

5. 1776

And I know there's more. I just really felt like writing about theater tonight - especially because my uncle is seeing Les Mis at the Kennedy Center as we speak (and I'm supersupersuper jealous, see the above list of favorite shows to see). My friend Melissa and I were discussing which plays might be at Plays in the Park this summer - we can't wait for that, either.

Now... Broadway music... that's another story for another post :)