So besides the obvious importance of opening night, like opening a show, for example, these are the five best things about a show's Opening Night.

1. Your Anxiety

This one may seem strange, but the nerves of opening night typically drive you to perform your best. Sometimes the by the second or third show the energy drops because the cast and crew have done the same thing so many times, but there is nothing like the energy created by the (hopefully) light anxiety of performing in front of a live audience.

2. Your Excitement

The ingredient ensuring the little bit of anxiety stays little is major EXCITEMENT that accompanies opening night. It's the first time the audience gets to see all the hard work everyone has put into this production, and it's the first time you get a response to your work!

3. The Audience

The audience is an unpredictable factor in any performance. There is honestly no telling what they will decide what is funny or what they won't react to at all. We often forget that certain lines or sequences are funny, because we've seen them so many times, but the audience is new to the entire experience. Their reactions are guaranteed to make your inner-self vibrate with excitement, while your outer-self sets up the next joke.

Congratulations, you have all been through the ultimate bonding experience. You've all been in the theater for hours, taken many notes, and laughed together over things that wouldn't be funny to people who weren't there. Now, you all get to experience this nervewracking and excitement filled night together. Each cast and crew has their own rhythm and unique fit, making no two shows the exact same.

(Not All Awesome cast mates are featured in this photo, some are on stage being awesome)

5. It's Not Just A Theatre Thing

You could take any of the four things listed above and substitute the Theatre content for a sports team or an academic team or any group project. The truth is everyone can understand the values or concepts necessary for putting on a show, because life is about putting on a show with the people around you. Opening Night doesn't need to be "Opening Night" it can simply be a beginning of something you love. Last Friday I had my first opening night with my new college theatre group, and it was one hell of a beginning.