"We've Got Magic to Do, just for you... as we go along our way." subtitle:"I Guess I'll Miss the Man"

Don't worry, I'll explain the title.

So, Pippin was a much different theatre experience than I have ever had before. Here's why. Pippin never showed up. I will not mention names. But yeah. For those who don't fully know the story of Pippin, here's the gist. King Charlemagne's son, Pippin, is looking for his meaning in life and is being guided around by the Leading Player, who is the devil, and he keeps getting let down, until he meets my character, Catherine. Catherine is just another player in Pippin's life, until, oops, she actually falls in love with him, and he with her, and then he's all, "Blah, no, nothing else has worked, so this possibly couldn't, I'm going to abandon her and her small child and be a baby about everything," but then when Pippin is about to be thrown into a pit of fire to achieve "the ultimate climax" Catherine appears and he doesn't kill himself, and they run away together never to return.

It's a really great show.

So, yeah. The character of Pippin was supposed to be played by a friend of mine, but after a weeklong vacation at the beach, he never showed up to rehearsal. And we only had three weeks of rehearsal anyways, and five days until the show opened, and the title character hadn't been there yet. So they recast. My darling friend Austin played Pippin, and my other friend Brady got Austin's old role of Lewis, Pippin's brother.

And then the madness began! Five days for this poor guy to learn an entire role, where seriously, he is on stage pretty much the entire show. But honestly, Austin went above and beyond. He learned pretty much all of his lines in the first day, had them all down by the third, learned all of his songs, and was such a pleasure to work with. I have no idea what was going through his head that week, but I'm sure he was scared out of his mind. And if he wasn't, I was for him. But truely, I now cannot imagine anyone else playing Pippin but him.

The show was also filled with what was possibly the funniest cast party ever. All I gotta say is Tepuilas Mexican Restraunt, kareoke, Manny and Delvin. Yeah. Good times.

But, there was one thing about Pippin that was even more unfortuate than the lead not coming to rehearsals. I don't really know how to say what I want to say over the WORLD WIDE WEB, so I'm not going to. But let's just say that I learned my lesson in how to treat and support other cast members during stressful times. And how not too. I also learned during this show that all people are just that. Normal, everyday, flawed human beings, just like me. And even though someone you may look up to for a long time may seem like they are perfect, I must remember that they are not. But now it is behind. I love all of the people involved in that show still with every fiber of my being, and it really was a great way to start the season!

Thus the title of the blog today! I couldn't help but think during the opening about what a great first line to open FIRE's second season with. "Join us." Because truely, FIRE does have TONS of "Magic to Do." And the subtitle... Well besides the fact that "I guess I'll miss the man..." who originally was cast as Pippin (because now he will no longer be in the company), there are many other men who I miss, and I guess I never realized that until during the show. The ones that just left for college that I have been (unintentionally) watching grow into men (and who I miss very deeply in my soul), the men who I have gotten to know and work with last season at FIRE (who have also abandoned... I mean, left me.), and the guys (not men) who have hurt me. One in particular. I'll leave it up to you to decide who that is :). But honestly, the character of Catherine has been byfar the most difficult role I have ever played. She is SO complex with that whole play within a play, character within a character aspect. But once at SETC last year, I went to a workshop on acting in musical theatre, and the guy said that the part of the song you always forget is the part that is most important. And going off of that, I also believe that the part that is hardest to understand is the part of the show that you are most like; the answer is waiting just right on top of your soul, you are just shutting it out. Acting really is a strange psychological thing. Really, I learn more about myself through theatre doing whatever than I do at school or anything. And honestly isn't that what we are supposed to be doing in this life? I mean, that's not all we are supposed to be doing, but besides being fruitful and multiplying, we need to find our vocation from God. And I feel like in order to do that, I need to understand just who I am. That would help a lot wouldn't it?

Well, anyways, the show finished a LONG time ago, but I had to write about it! Now FIRE is on to The Music Man (aka MY FAV SHOW EVER!!... omg... i am kidding to the max), which is the first show since Godspell that I am not in. On my own accord, I didn't audition! But I have been to a few rehearsals, and it looks absolutely AMAZING! I cannot wait to see it! I'm gonna be the best audience member in the world! Haha!

Let's get the FIRE going...

Alright, listen, I KNOW. No one reads this blog. But I'm just gonna keep writting as much as I can no matter how late I seem to be writting something, just in case someone does want to waste their life anyways. Remember, I have no internet at home.

So today I shall post two blogs. On different subjects of course.

The first is just my casting for this season. So there I was, shivering with antici...... pation.... when I get a cell phone call from Shelly. In the library. Libraries HATE cell phones. So I run outside, and she's all, "HAVE YOU GONE ON STAGEMANAGER YET!" and I'm all like, "NO!" and we are both having a freak out, so I run back to a computer(and it must seem really odd because I am running through the library like a complete moron) and I log on to virtual stagemanager, and click on my name, and there it is. Under "Pippin" it says "Chararacter name: Catherine" and I was like, omigod about a million and a half times. So I'm like, ok, who is Anita in West Side Story, I just wanna know, and when I go and check I see that it hadn't been put up yet. And I am having a freak out because the part just means so much to me, and I just wanted to know who got it, and I'm freaking out, and then I went back to my artist page, and there it was. Under "West Side Story"... "Character name: Anita" and in a silent library I threw my hands up to the Lord and proclaimed "YES! THANK YOU JESUS!".... but hushed. It was kinda akward cause there was this women right next to me at a computer and she probably thought I was losing my mind. But yeah.

So pretty much, I was so completely overjoyed, I didn't even know it was possible. West Side Story is pretty much one of the most amazing shows of all time, and the way Mrs. Sleeman is doing it, with a black/puerto rican and white cast, it is going to be SO amazing!! And getting the opportunity to play her is most likely going to be the most amazing experience ever. I hope anyways! And if that weren't enough, I get cast as Catherine in Pippin too! And I am also going to be in the ensamble for the Wedding Singer and A Christmas Carol! I am just so extremely blessed, really I am, and this next year is going to be stressful, but amazing, because I am going to learn SO MUCH. And with this schedule, plus all my school work and school theatre, AND COLLEGE AUDITIONS.... hopefully FIRE will be the place where I don't lose my mind. Alright, next subject!

The Grand Finale

So I know, I'm writing this about a week after the Spark Awards happened. But I have no internet at my house, so yeah.

Songs for a New World was absolutely amazing. I love that show and everyone in it with every fiber of my being. Every single one. I will never ever EVER forget just looking into every single one of them before I had to sing the final transition and they all just had the biggest smile on their faces I've ever seen on any person. Because even though the show was ending, I feel like we all knew... well, I really don't know what we all knew but it was something. During the show, I couldn't help but think back on how I had come to be in that specific spot over the last year. This last year has been absolutely amazing. I've gotten to play so many different and amazing roles, and from each show I've learned some of the most valuable information as both an actress and as a person. I have met some of the most amazing people, almost all of whom were in Songs, and you have no idea how incredibly blessed I feel to have shared that experience with them. And as I reflected upon my amazing past during Songs, I also look foward to the future. This upcoming year is gonna be a busy one for me. My senior year in high school. My final year at St. Joe's. THANK YOU JESUS!! In just a few short months, I'll be applying to college. And it hit me in the face about a week after Songs that I have to be in charge of my own destiny. I am going to have to be the one that chooses this, no matter what anyone tells me. And the fact that the decision has to be all my own in completely terrifying. But first I gotta get into a college, so I should just focus on that first!

But, like I was saying, Songs for a New World was the most marvelous way to say goodbye to that season and get on with a new one, and I'll carry that experience in my heart forever.

I must say that I also thoroughly enjoyed FIRE's 1st annual Spark Awards (or Sparkle as my mom likes to say!) Every one just looked so beautiful all dressed up, and it was so nice to see people I hadn't seen in a while, even the Songs cast who I hadn't seen in like, a week(but it felt like forever!) I had such a good time with Shelly and Blythe, my bestestest friends in the world, as we laughed at pictures and videos from last season. Especially the HSM2 ones! We were all amazed at how young we all looked, and how everyone looks older now! And I must say that both Reid and I were surprised at how "steamy"(his words not mine) our Grease pictures were! We were both wondering why everyone was making such a big deal during the show, but now it's obvious why! But the awards given were my favorite part! I went home with the "Best Wino who always forgot the wine" award for Grease-this is for obvious reasons for anyone in the show!- and also "Best backstage Pratt fall" for Songs for a New World, because I've recently discovered just how clumsy I am, and my ankle payed the price.
But, I must say that all the recipents of the Inspire FIRE award (the award given to the person in each show that displayed the best representation of what FIRE truly is) were all well deserved. Because each one of them, even in the two shows I wasn't in, have inspired the FIRE in me. I love this place with all of my heart, and I know that there are great things coming to it.

So, alas, we come to a new season. A fresh start. Season one is done, it's gone forever... well, not in my heart but you know! From what I've heard, there was a fantasimic number of auditionees, which brings me great joy! Because the more people in this company, the more people will understand what good it brings. At the time I am writing this, the cast lists for the season are supposed to be e-mailed out some time after noon today, and I have no internet at my home and no means of transportation, so I've decide to spend my entire day at the Fountain Inn library. It's is now 11:48. I'm shivering with antici.............pation...... But I know that whatever happens, whether I get a lead or I'm in the ensamble of every show, it happens for a reason. And truely, I would be honored to be in the ensamble of every show at this theatre company. That's how good it is! But I trust God will guide me no matter what. Until next time lovelies!

"A new world waits, but I'm not ready... still it calls..."

Alright, first things first. Why have I decided to do this? Pretty much, my life revolves around theatre. Like, seriously, that is ALL THAT I DO. Which is NOT a bad thing. No matter what anyone says. I believe that with each show I do, no matter what I am doing in the show, I learn something about myself. Even if it is the most miniscule thing in the entire world, it's something. And honestly, right about now, that is really all I really want to do. Discover who I really am. Know myself inside and out, like, for real, you know? Is that odd? Thinking that I don't know who I really am. But here's the thing. In order to discover who I really am, and in order to be the best actress I can be, I have actually got to live my life, like, in the real world, and for maybe the first time in my life, experience real life. So I'm pretty much gonna talk about my life, and my reflections on the characters I'm playing and the shows that I'm in mostly. I think I'm just doing this because I gotta let it out to people somehow, but putting it on here doesn't make it feel like I am, so yeah. Sorry if that doesn't makes absolutly no sense!!! Oh, and before I go on, if anyone ever does read this blog, pretend like you don't. Cause I'm gonna say stuff I don't like to talk about, but that I still want people to have in the back of their minds about me. So just, don't talk to me about it. Unless it's good stuff!


So, here it goes.

I have been in many a show in the past four years of my life. But I can honestly say, that I have never had to pinch myself so many times before to make myself realize that I really am in this show. I really am singing some of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard. I really am surrounded by some of the most amazing and talented poeple I have ever met in my entire life. Songs for a New World is not just a musical, it's an experience. When I put on my audition form that I wanted to be in the ensemble, I hadn't even heard the music. All I heard was that it was amazing. And I knew I wanted to be in it. Emiley and I found out together. It was great! All season long, I've been looking foward to this show! Even during Zombie and Grease, I was like, omigosh, I just wanna do Songs! And finally it's here! But now it's going by WAY too fast for my liking! In four days, Songs and the first season of FIRE that I have been blessed to be in. And I know it is going to be really, really sad. For one, it will possibly be my last show with some very important people in my life. Mike, Charlie, Emiley... it kills me especially to think of that, so I won't. All I know is that I have to make the absolute most of every moment. Not to be cheesy, but the one moment that the show keeps talking about. When we finally started rehearsals a few weeks ago, not gonna lie, I was SO freaking intimidated! I mean, I had been in a show with all of these people at least once before (with the exception of Travis), but it just all of a sudden hit me how talented each and everyone of them were! But, after that terrifying rehearsal, I just went at it like there was no tomorrow! Just, every rehearsal, the few that there were, were just so so sooo amazing! But then I realized that it really did have to do with the characters and the stories that they were trying to get the audience to get. So, I went home and took out my script and just read the lyrics that I have to sing. Now, a few days before that, I started what turned out to be the worst two weeks of my junior year because I couldn't audition for colleges in Nebraska this year because I'm a moron who doesn't apply myself, and my gpa was to low. So, this whole time I had been freaking out about what I was gonna do about college, and where I want to go and all of that crap, and it was stressing me out SO MUCH! I couldn't even stand it! School was literally a living hell, and my only saving grace was Songs rehearsal, because at FIRE everything just, well, goes away you know? Anyways, I sit down with my words, and for really the first time, I like, got my first transition. "A new world, calls me in the darkness. A new world, just beyond the walls. A new world waits, but I'm not ready. Still it calls... still it calls." And it all of a sudden becomes apparent to me that that is what my character is having to face. She's having to face exactly what I am gonna face within the next year. Leaving home, and going to college. Not knowing what to face, and not being ready AT ALL. And then I just broke down, because God was sending me this big flashing sign finally that he has had planned for me since last June. That is why I love this show so much. Because no matter what someone is going through in their life, there is at least one character that someone can relate to. It is a show that will change at least one persons life without a doubt, just like Sleeman says it will. I just wish that everyone I know would come and see it, but everyone is so closed minded when it comes to musicals. But, I just thank God each and everyday for this show, cause it really is the only thing that is "getting me through till tomorrow."(I'm so cheesy!) But, seriously, it is. I wish that it would go on for ever. But, all good things must come to an end.

Tonight is our dress rehearsal. And I know that we are just so close to really nailing it. I just cannot wait for this experience. If only it didn't go by so fast.