Showtime. The most wonderful time of the year. Each show brings a new journey but in the end the opening night jitters are all the same. It could be months of rehearsals or maybe a mere three weeks, but each show, no matter how different the process, the creative team, or the show itself, has the goal to bring you to the same success.
The (sometimes) tedious process of learning lines and music and cues is through. The carefully picked costumes hang from racks from hangers bearing your name, the set is built and the backdrops are hanging. Call time on opening night is always one of my favorite experiences. As I enter any dressing room my lungs immediately fill with the smell of hairspray. I fight for a mirror spot to apply my stage makeup and will possibly begin the LONG process of curling my hair. When everyone is stage ready, the clicking of character shoes fill the room, cast members pacing around, in their head reciting harmonies, lines and lyrics. We shake each limb as we count down from eight (A ritual) and flock into the wings, eagerly awaiting the first notes of the overture. In no time the entire cast is onstage performing the final scene before the curtain closes.
At this time, I am proud. As expected, a roar of applause takes up the theater.
Whether I bow with the rest of the ensemble, a selected group, or on my own, the smile I bear does not leave my face for hours. Showtime is this feeling. Of accomplishment, of pride and of happiness. As I bow, the stage lights hit my face and I am truly happy.