Hey You,
You read the script front to back. You sang in your shower, in front of your dog, and to your roommates. This is your favorite musical of all time and you are determined to get the lead, or at least a feature. You walked out of auditions feeling confident as ever, knowing you performed your heart out. Three days later they make the calls and put the cast list online. You are "Feature Dancer Number Five". You feel the tears start to well up in your eyes. You cry for a little bit, but then text all of your other friends who made it into the Chorus, and feel better about yourself. What people don't know is, you have the hardest job of all.
Leads get the limelight, yes, but you are the one who makes them look good. They may talk about how they have 3 songs, but you have 7. You may be Alto in 3, Tenor in 2, Mezzo in 1, and Bass in the last. You have to learn how to tap dance, perform an 8 minute ballet, and keep the energy and feeling of the scene on stage. Your shrieks of pain and suffering in the death scene is what makes the audience mourn for the loss of the character. Your liveliness in the bar song makes the audience want to dance and sing along with you. the 30 second costume changes to go from a ball gown to saloon girl, or tuxedo to a cowboy are superhuman. You run out stage left and appear stage right. You don't show you are out of breath because you are about to Shipoopi your heart out. Your Jaw hurts from smiling.
Your family is flying in from out of state to see you. You wonder why because you are only in a few scenes. You have no lines, no solos, and you appear at the end of the program. But your family doesn't see that. They see their perfect relative, dancing their heart out in front of hundreds of people. The bravery it takes to get up on stage when so many fear the watching eyes of a crowd, astounds them.
Dear You, In the Chorus. It doens't matter that you didn't get the lead, the support, or the feature. It doesn't matter if you san Defying Gravity or Falling Slowly. You made your mark on the show whether you think you did or not. The Cast members that became your family, the food you shouldn't have eaten before that tap dance, or the breath you cannot get back from dancing inside of a cow costume are things you will remember for a life time.
Dear You, In the Chorus.
You are perfect.
