Eight weeks of practice and now the first weekend of my performance in 'The Music Man' is over. That's right, I'm in a musical, and can you keep a secret?
I can't sing.
I'm not one of those people that has an amazing voice and just goes around saying, "I can't sing," either. I really just can not sing at all. So what landed me in a musical?
Beverly Stewart, an ex-teacher from Hawkins School of Performing Arts played the queen in Snow White at Placer Theatre Ballet which I was a part of. She called me up after the show and wanted a danseur for Runaway Stage's (runawaystage.com) production of The Music Man in downtown Sacramento where she was going to do all the choreography. I went down, did some basic walking around, and then the next rehearsal she was gone. I still haven't talked to her to this day, even though I've tried asking around for her phone number to get in touch (I'm terrible with numbers).
So there I was, in a musical with no music experience, no musical experience, and no ability to sing. Every dance number I was expected to sing in a chorus, and there were non-dance numbers that I was supposed to sing in as well. I end up mouthing most of it due to the fact I'm a dancer, and not some tripple-threat theatre junkie.
The new choreographer is an amazing guy Ron who danced in Mary Poppins. We even have a step that he did in the movie. Incredible amount of dancing as well, nothing hard so I'm not sore... just the equivelant of doing jumping jacks for 5 minute bursts over the course of two hours with stage lighting scorching you.
All in all not a bad experience. I say that now but question why I ever continued without Beverly. With her, I felt I was helping out, now I'm just in the show because they paired me up with a girl and I'd hate to ditch out and leave her alone perhaps not able to get a chance on stage. I even danced beside her in Snow White, I forget what role she was, but don't think she was on pointe in the production even though I know she's in a pointe class up in Rocklin. Interesting how this girl I'm 'with' in the show is fourteen while some other boy who is fourteen is paired with a college girl. I think they wanted to balance out ages so we all looked like teens. That's my official role: Teen Ensamble.
My old friend Tristen Rumery is also a principal character in the show playing Tommy Djilas. His commute is about 45 minutes from something like Shingle Springs to downtown Sac (whereas I'm just a few blocks down). Met that kid through Hawkins School of Performing Arts, his sister (fourteen) I danced with a lot in partnering class, and his younger brother was in Alice in Wonderland with me as a frog. Seems Tristen is writing musicals and trying to get big (he just graduated HS) like his brother who is down in Disneyland doing lighting. He's also in a quartet, and has a good voice so I think he can make it a bit further.
Anyway, performances of The Music Man go for all of July: Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 8pm, and Sunday at 2pm. Tickets are $12.
