(Photo by Walfred) This past week (Oct. 18, 2011), my awesome friend texted me to let me know that she had an extra ticket to see the national touring production of
Hair. I was beyond ecstatic because I was dying to see the production but also because (1) I was probably going to go see it by myself and (2) with my budget I would only be able to purchase the cheap seats. Lucky for me, my friend had a comp ticket!
Theatre = awesome time!
Theatre + Free Ticket + hanging out with a friend = supremely-fabulously-amazingly-awesome time!
Since it was opening night for the show in San Diego, we decided to dress up a bit. After scoring a VIP parking spot in Downtown for free, we made our way to the Civic Center. My friend went to will call to pick up the tickets and to our surprise,(she got the tickets from work so she didn't know her seats), we had seats in the center of the second row! The seats were beyond amazing. The show itself was fantastic! I don't intend to write a review of the show here because you can find many online, but I will say that the experience of watching the show left me with a mix of emotions ranging from inspired, angry, sad, happy, confused, bitter, silly, and serious. The show starts off with minor audience interactions to help get you into the "tribe" spirit. The show is filled with familiar songs (even if you are not a big musical theater fan you will be able to recognize at least a song), there are funny moments, sad moments, thought provoking moments, aha! moments, inspiring moments, and so forth.
But my favorite part came at the end of the show. When the "tribe," or cast of the show, took their curtain call because they invited audience members to join them onstage to dance. My friend and I jumped at the opportunity to get up on that stage. I'm pretty sure I may have ran some people over or stepped on a few toes, but I could not miss my opportunity to stand on that stage. It may sound a bit silly, but those few minutes that they had us up on the stage reinforced in me my desire to continue being a performer. Being able to stand on the stage that I have seen countless shows in was a surreal experience.
After the show we got to attend the cast party. I got the opportunity to speak with a few of the cast members who were extremely nice! It was interesting to hear about the rigorous schedule they are under and how sometimes they wish to have a day off and not do the show, even though they are living their dream and they wouldn't give that up. How they have been auditioning like crazy. What hobbies they must maintain on tour to remain sane. What they must do to have energy to perform eight shows a week. How they stay healthy. What it is like to have performed Hair on Broadway, the West End, and the National Tour.
But the most important thing I learned is to keep fighting for your dreams no matter how long it takes or how difficult it seems and to always remain humble.
