Support Can Be Beautiful!

Support Can Be Beautiful!

By Allen Merritt ©2018

It was a mini disaster.

But no one seemed to care, which is an amazing thing!

You see, I have been working on a musical for the last several weeks. It has been a personal challenge to gear up for it and in learning all the material as it has been many years since I last performed in a stage musical.

First thing I have learned is not everything is like riding a bicycle. Things change and the manner in which productions are pieced together is not quite the same as it once was. Everything is extremely fast paced and the time you have to learn is limited; hardly any time for questions and clarifications. I was laughing a lot due to moving forward at warp speeds. That is positive number one, the ability to laugh with yourself when the pressure is on.

Secondly, I learned to give it my best shot and try not to beat myself up over feeling so far behind the eight ball. That is positive number two, go with the flow and give it your all no matter what. Failure is one step closer to successful outcomes.

Anyway, the show fell behind in the technical aspects and the group as a whole were doing everything they could to compensate and push it forward despite it all. As a result, we never had a chance to do a final and complete run through.

Cut to the chase, it’s now opening night in front of an audience.

The setting is beautiful and weather cooperative. I felt relaxed overall. As the show began things began to be what I referred to as a mini disaster. The music went out during the second number. The fire alarms kept going off every time the smoke machine was active. My wig and hat fell off on stage leaving me scrambling to recover. A prop didn’t show up here, a costumer wasn’t in place to help the lead character change causing the show to stop momentarily awaiting his entrance. Musical numbers seemed to have delayed pick ups. The dummy set to fall from the sky fell alright, but ended up hanging itself in the rafters right in front of the audiences eyes stirring up raucous laughter. On and on it went this way, but we all had a great time getting through that initial performance, which really was what most would call our final dress rehearsal where everything that will go wrong does go wrong. In show business, if that happens during the final dress, it usually means good luck for the opening night and subsequent performances. We were a little off on that one.

But here’s the thing, the audience didn’t care. They cheered, clapped, laughed and shouted out their support because they knew it was the first night and everyone involved in the show was working hard to make everything happen as smoothly as possible. They had a good time anyway.

The audience was amazing, proving how support can be beautiful.

For me, the best part was the self-hanging dummy. And, I had a few minor hiccups, but I showed up at every entrance on time and ready to go; didn’t forget any lines or lyrics, which made me personally feel better about my own personal performance after so many years of being absent from it. The wonderful ability to carry on anyway demonstrates positivity in motion via resilience. It’s a craft!

I think I also learned something about where I am at these days in the fine art of musical theater. And that is that I am simply comic relief. I am a character actor first and foremost, easily forgettable. The amazing singing talent on that stage I cannot measure up to, but am proud to have a chance to be a part of such inspiring talent and be allowed the opportunity to try.

I left that performance feeling good about myself!

I know where I stand and where I fit in and am just so happy to be associated with it no matter how good, bad or ugly my performance is. I walk away with a sense of accomplishment and chin held high.

Now, it isn’t over. We still have just less than three weeks of a run to do. I am going to milk each moment as something to remember and take all of it home with me knowing it will last far into the future of my memories. I forge out into this fray every night knowing that my cast and crew are my support system along with each new audience that dares to open themselves up to our vulnerabilities. And it feels good to have that support. We all need it every day. And when we have it, it is beautiful. 

There is always something positive to discover about every situation and experience.  

Remember that!

Time to head out there and find some positive perspective.

Enjoy!

Cheers!