Something I don’t think I’ve talked about on here at all (which is crazy, since I’m a little nutty about it) is my love of all things theater.
It stemmed from when I was a kid, when I used to dance and perform in my school plays. And heck, when I used to put on plays for my friends and family on my front porch. I was never very good… I was okay, but I LOVED it. (In a way, I think my writing comes from that. I’m not telling stories on the stage, but rather on the page… Okay, I didn’t mean to make that rhyme.)
Since high school, I’ve become kind of a theater watcher. Which is good. I’ve seen over 60 shows on Broadway. I listen to lots and LOTS of showtunes. And I watch every musical I can get my hand on. In fact, my current novel is about some (made-up) Broadway actors. And it’s been a lot of fun letting myself live in that world.
There’s something about the theater that transports you. For two hours, you’re in a different world. You’re moved by words and music. You forget the outside for a while. You see magic (sometimes literally) on the stage. And it’s stories. Beautiful stories, all wrapped up in a neat package. A beginning, middle, and end. Satisfying or not. Told by someone gifted, who becomes the character on stage. Can you tell it’s one of my favorite things?
I don’t live in New York, though I try to get down there as much as I can. So I love it when shows are filmed and put on DVD. Or TV (wasn’t The Wiz fantastic? And I’m no fan of that show.) Or the Web. Tonight, I am watching the “first-ever” live theater livestream. And it’s great. So far, Daddy Long Legs is a beautiful musical. I hope there are more of these in the future.
Oh my goodness I’ve loved plays since I was a kid too! 🙂 Although, I never performed in a play, I would go to local plays as a kid, and I continue to do so. The way you described why you love theater is spot on. I love not only being transported to the world the play is set in but also the beauty of plays is you’re being immersed into the story.
No two shows are the same. Sometimes, the actors will feed off the audience, which is something you cannot get when going to a movie theater.
Do you have a favorite Broadway show out of the sixty that you have seen?
I know. I love the immediacy of it. I love getting to experience it with the people around you. It’s so magical. I can’t choose one favorite. It’s like choosing a favorite child! Haha. Some of my favorite Broadway shows have been Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, The Drowsy Chaperone, Hair, The Scottsboro Boys, Annie Get Your Gun, La Cage Aux Folles, Rent, Legally Blonde, and Once. But there’s so many more I love.
You make a great point about asking that question is like asking do you have a favorite child.
Wow. I’ve never seen any of the shows you mentioned. Although, I have heard a lot of good things about Rent.
Rent is a great show. It was one of the ones that made me love musicals. You should check it out! (Though the movie, while I love it, is not nearly as good as it is onstage.)