Blogging Resurrected: Oklahoma!

This picture has very little to do with the school musical- I just thought you'd like to see Anna give you a sneak peak at the expression you'll see on all men ensemble's face. Hat and all. Minus the sparkles.

Seeing as this is the second blog I've posted with the title "Blogging Resurrected", something's up. Two words. On second thought, one word. Oklahoma!

Last year, I "starred" (as typist #10) in Thoroughly Modern Millie, which, even after three months of rehearsals, I still could not type without spell check. At Hillcrest, it's hard to find things worthy of describing as High School Musical material, but Millie made the list (I get the feeling I've mentioned this before). The musical gave exactly thirty-five jocks, nerds, and preps their very own melting pot.

That's the evil genius of musical theater- "sense of community". It makes you a part of something. Not in the way a choir concert or a tap dance does. On stage, a sense of community is this: even if your "bright, golden haze on the meadow" is painted on a sheet, and no one in their right mind would ever really bid on you lunch basket at the box social, you're free to be a farmer or a cowman. You're free to belong to a group of "territory folks" that gasp and moan in unison. On stage, you're told where you stand and you know exactly who everyone is. And it includes spotlights. It's why I keep getting pulled back again . . . and again . . . and again . . .

But, this year, I told myself, I really, honestly, truly, did not have time for Oklahoma!I had tap, ballet, jazz, choir, piano, homework- And besides, there's that weird dream scene in that musical where stunt doubles run around in mist and no one has a clue what's going on. But guess who auditioned anyway. By all my obsolete Western territory references so far, this shouldn't be a tricky question.

Yours truly is starring (again, actually, that should be in sarcastic quotations) in Oklahoma! as Dorothy. Dorthy was invented by a sympathetic drama teacher, knowing Lauren needed a name, even if no Dorothy appeared anywhere on the script. As my theory goes, the pity came in after we suffered through kissing auditions, and she saw exactly how red a Finlinson can go. I get exactly five seconds of spotlight, and microphone to myself for exactly ten.

I have moaned and groaned through three months of rehearsals and am perfectly capable of reciting Poor Jud Is Daid with my eyes closed. But true to the evil genius of the performing arts, I've fallen in love with absolutely every cast member, "wheat field", costume and microphone in our ratty old theater. If I could, I'd do it all over again. And again. And again.

But for your sake, I won't pull out my time machine. It's time I catch you up on all that's happened.

Oklahoma! runs the 16th, 17th, and 18th of March at Hillcrest Jr. High. Doors open and 6:30 and seats go fast. To buy your four dollar tickets, contact me NOW, because absolutely none of you have yet.