Musical Theater

I want to give the genre of musical theater it's own entry to highlight its importance to myself in my life. When I was in high school, I wasn't a very popular kid... at all. So I would put on my headphones and listen to angry music (a completely different story). Anyway, I first started in choir, from there I met people that pushed me to perform on stage. When I started connecting my body with my voice and was able to do something I could actually measure with an audience response, everything changed.

I have performed in many onstage productions and those performances even led to a small part in a student film some years ago! It was a small project called The Atomic Boyscout and I played the roll of a bully. If I ever find the video then I'll upload it here. It was a fun experience and I got to learn some different things behind movie production... I may have also panic slapped a child.

Either way, musical theater was so influencial that I tried to go to college for it. Western Michigan Uni. has one of the best programs for musical theater and I was able to get into the door and made it through the audition process. Unfortunately I didn't make the cut. Looking back on the experience I really should have applied not only for the musical theater major but just straight plays as well. I would have been a part of the program to a degree at that point and could have opened the door to audition again.

However, knowing what I do now about people who are now out of the program and struggling to find work, I'm glad I didn't persue it as a career now. It would have turned a passion into a job and I don't think I would be able to handle that transition. I would have needed to go to a different state altogether to find work.

Now, I find myself attempting to break into directing my own shows and wanting to lead a board group for a local theater. I work with my close cousin who I want to shadow and gain knowledge and tips from. She brought me in to the group with Beauty and the Beast and I haven't left for a good 8 years.