Those that knew me in my high school/early college days know that I was not only a band geek, but a theatre geek as well. For a brief moment in time, I thought that I was ready to give it everything I had, to move to New York, to make it big on, of all places, Broadway! Alas, one learns the hard way that getting most of the leading roles in high school does always not a good actor make. When I got to Wayne State, I had a major taste of “small fish in a big pond syndrome”. I auditioned for plays and was crushed when I wasn’t chosen for anything significant. I finished out my year of classes with a crushed ego and decided to try something else.
At about that same time, I ran out of money for college, went to trade school, worked my butt off at several jobs, and went back to college. I fell in love (with a theatre guy, no less!), married him, and we started a family. I missed acting but there was no time for that in between diaper changes, homework, and working part-time, never mind trying to be a good wife! I was able to play a little at Greenfield Village, Katrina Van Tassel in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and as part of an angry mob finding the “monster” during the Halloween Walk, but I still envied friends who were able to actually act in the shows. I thought about going to audition once or twice, but many of those folks are professionals and they’re incredible performers. I knew that I wouldn’t stand a chance after all of their years of training and so, self-consciously, I watched and admired from the sidelines.
Fast forward to about a year and a half ago. A good friend of mine and Marty’s got a role in a play at The Players Guild of Dearborn. He’s about my age and hadn’t acted before, yet he was having a blast in his very first play! Marty and I went to see him and were very impressed. I began to think that maybe I’d go for something like that, too, but I was working in an incredibly stressful environment at that point, so adding one more thing to it all was not feasible then. Maybe one day…
I really began to think about it again this summer after landing a new job and seeing that a life outside of teaching might be possible again. Looking at the audition notices, I saw that they’d be auditioning for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. I didn’t know the show well but saw that they would be having a large cast, a cast that maybe I’d have a chance of joining: you know, way in the background somewhere, but still getting to play.
To make a long story short, I watched the movie, learned some of the songs, auditioned (with shaky knees, stomach, and all; it had been about 18 years since I’d done a show), and got a role in the chorus! It’s been a little over a week since rehearsals started and I’m having so much fun! It’s a trick to learn the dance moves at 37 years old and learning to sing 2nd soprano is challenging, especially after losing my voice for a bit this week, but everyone is so supportive and I’m far from the only new person there. Marty and the boys are excited to see it, although they have to put in the extra work at home when I’m gone at rehearsals and there are some absolutely fantastic people in the lead roles for them to see when they go.
I’m not looking to make a second career out of this and I’m at peace with the fact that I’ll only get to Broadway by buying a ticket, but for the moment, I get to play on stage and feel that excitement all over again.