OH, BILLY!

Since I have developed a slight writer’s block, I will expand on the subject I like most.  Therapeutic in the days following the close of a show that came and went so quickly.  It seems like only yesterday (in reality back in January) that I received a phone call asking if I would like to audition for a musical that was not being done by the WCCT.  I was not apprehensive in the slightest.  A few weeks prior, I had auditioned for Lion in Winter and then thought… why not?  IT IS A FULL-SCALE MUSICAL.  Plus, I had been involved with two other groups prior to joining my home away from home.  This would give me a chance to reach other audiences and spread my name around and meet more people with the same passion.  Little did I know that I would be helping to bring fresh faces  “home” to play in my backyard.

When reading the finished playbill, I noticed that “Lon” had previously played Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors and considers it his favorite role.  Coincidentally, we are doing the show in October just in time for Halloween.  Since this production is all cast (everyone who auditions is cast), I decided to approach Travis about it and he was really excited.  As soon as he rearranged his directing duties, he informed me that he was indeed available.  He even said that he was open to any part: there are no bad parts in the show.  RIGHT YOU ARE!

“Katie” was also excited about the opportunity to audition for a role on Skid Row.  She was cast in Hicksville’s production but unfortunately circumstances arose that caused her to drop out.  Mary has been a stage veteran for many years and has a fabulous presence.  Both of them will make a great addition.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the young man who played “John Truitt.”  He really grew from the first time I heard him at the piano trying to sing.  However, his enthusiasm and ENERGY led to the creation of a fine performance that generated a number of chuckles from the audience even if he did get beat up by a girl.  Being a junior in high school who had never before stepped foot on stage, I think he did a tremendous job.  In fact, he felt that he had fallen under the tag of “high school jock” who wanted to try something else.  He even told  me that he was apprehensive about what his friends would think and that they might come to a performance to disrupt it.  Totally needless fear.  I know more than a few school athletes who also excelled musically and theatrically…. triple threats?  I was really proud how far he had come in his stage debut.  Good luck to you, Nate!

Hopefully, I can find a new tangent to go on soon.  I am sure that some of my readers are growing tired reading on the same topic although I could spend hours singing the praises of this one.