Opening Night for "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat"! We are finally here!I have been privileged to be a part of many Opening Nights and all are exciting. Sometimes they are exciting because you are so ready and wanting to jump on the stage. Sometimes they are "exciting" because you are just a hair off and you know you have be to ON your game to pull it off! I had one opening night, with this group, when I was sicker than a dawg! (That's me in my curly days!)
The Fifth Avenue Floy Floy was opening in a (now defunct) supper club in Windsor for a week long engagement. I woke up, the previous morning, with a nasty bout of stomach flu. The next day - still so sick - I called the head of the group to tell him I was sick and had been for 18 hours. His reply? "So you're telling me you need a ride to the gig?"
THE SHOW MUST GO ON! And on it did go. A neighbor came over to help me dress and my boss helped me down the stairs and into the car. I traveled with a silver bowl that night, just in case. He said..."No problem, we'll just pull all your solos and lead work. Piece of cake!"
I walked on that stage and we started the show. During a scat solo from our tenor, Vince, our fearless leader Terry leaned over and said.."How ya feeling?" "Crappy!" I replied with a big smile on my face. Next thing I know ALL the songs I sang lead on were put back in and my solo stuff too! I just kept smiling, dancing and singing...all the while plotting how best to torture Terry for maximum pain and discomfort after the show.
We headed off stage and I immediately sat down hard, all the flu symptoms resuming. "Terry!" I snarled, "Why did you do that? Why did you go with the original show order???" He replied, "When I asked how you were feeling you said 'Happy' so I figured you were okay. You looked good!"
"I WAS ACTING!"
One thing that is interesting to note. Those 40 minutes on stage were the best I had felt in two days. I was IN the moment and I had no time to feel lousy. My mind suspended the goings on in my nether regions and I sang - albeit with sore tummy muscles!
Now tonight I anticipate no such problems. Upset tummies will be the result of the click, click, click of nerves. Once on the stage, the music, colors and sensations will overwhelm us and we will LIVE in the moment for an hour...or two.
So ride the coaster and ENJOY!! See you at the show!
2 comments:
That's a great story! I'm sorry Richard and I can't make it this year. Tell Mallie to 'break a leg!'
Hi Rose, I met you at the 1989 Miss Ohio Pageant when you were performing with the Floy Floy. You guys were great! Like you, I was a runner-up at my state pageant and missed a shot at Miss America by "THAT" much. :-) I went on to win the Mrs. Michigan title in 2006 and am now the Executive Director and Producer of the pageant. We'd love to have you come out and sing or judge sometime. Drop me a line ... www.mrsmichiganunitedstates.com. Take care!
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