#6 Watching over 30 Broadway shows...ON Broadway

Okay, this accomplishment might seem a bit indulgent or even expensive, but every single one of them was worth it. Some were even free (refer back to accomplishment #5 to see why). I wish I remembered my first Broadway show. Maybe my mother remembers. I'd venture to say Annie, though I'm not certain. There's nothing like a song that bounces around in your head for weeks. I love the sound of tap shoes hitting the stage floor. 

As soon as I met the dancing feet of 42nd Street (in the first row!), I knew that Broadway had "lit my candle." I didn't even need the best ass below 14th Street or a "How to..." book to succeed! My first high school musical performance was Bye, Bye Birdie. I was always a chorus girl, but that was enough for me. I knew I'd never be in the money with the singing voice I with which I was cursed.  Performing in high school musicals taught me how to stand back and let others have the spotlight. Not to be too egotistical here, but I've usually succeeded and been really good at whatever I've done. I learned leadership can be done from the sidelines--what a valuable life lesson. 

Then there's the time when I was given free tickets to sit in 10th row of the orchestra of The Producers. Ironically, my new boyfriend (at the time) and I had talked about buying tickets to see it. Tell me, "Where did I go right?" We coupled the tickets with dinner at Carmine's and had ourselves quite the New York date. Okay, so the relationship fizzled faster than Max Bialystock's career on Broadway. 


And no entry about Broadway would be complete without Rent. Everyone in Generation Y measures their life in five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes (525,600). But do they truly believe and live the idea that we are here to inspire, play hookey once in a while, to go against the grain, to forget about pension, to hate convention and pretension? To be an "us" and not a "them"? That's La Vie Boheme. That's Rent to me. People perceive me as pretty conventional and compliant, until they hear me speak and push me to act in defiant ways--all for a higher purpose. I always want to be passionate, not fashionate. Seeing Rent four times (once a year for 4 straight years) provided me moments to reflect and make sure I was on the right path. I would love to say that it's show for females, but I saw one of my closest male friends break down and cry during it. I won't reveal his name so his man card isn't taken. :) Maybe Jonathan Larson wrote Rent to expose the qualities of Generation X, but I'm ABSOLUT-ly confident that growing up with this show influenced Generation Y's embodiment of those La Vie Boheme qualities. Rent is us, it's evidence of real life becoming more like fiction every day.

Broadway shows are my opportunity to, "relax...not pay income tax...pretend it's my vacation," and remember that, "Ev'ry situation has a sunny side." It's that mentality I want to carry with me in life, so much that at one point I tried to make it my career. I wanted to realize life, while I lived it--every, every minute. I learned that Broadway is my place to do this...then take that spirit into the world. I couldn't realize the wonderfulness of the world working in an industry that often sullied my perfect view of those three hours on a Saturday afternoon or evening. 
 
Hopefully, you picked up on my allusions. If not, here are some pictures to help you!

I was blessed and honored to be inspired by Paul Newman's performance in this show. I ended up working at Westport Country Playhouse, where Joanne Woodward was the Artistic Director and met Paul. He was an amazing human being.