It is true talent. The singing, the acting, the enthusiasm, the atmosphere… it is magic.

In this day of increasing technology and the “digital age” it seems as if the idea of actually attending a live performance is archaic and its popularity is diminishing especially with millennials.

Live theater: musicals and plays were the first forms of entertainment yet it sadly has the reputation that it is “lame” or “weird” nowadays. That perspective simply needs to be reevaluated because an amazing experience is being missed by many.

The feeling that overcomes you when the actors are singing to their full capacity is indescribable. Besides their talent being unreal, (which it really is) their love for the craft is so obvious and contagious it is hard not to smile the entire time. There is something special about seeing true happiness displayed right before your eyes. The raw emotions, the obvious immense amount of time that has taken to create the sets, and the look on their face when the play has finished and everyone is standing, clapping…that is what makes it worth it.

While I am not a theatrical connoisseur, I have seen a few plays and I can honestly say I have come out of each one with a new outlook on life and hard work. From being taken to a new world in "Wicked" to singing my favorite ABBA songs while staring at the lovely men in "Mama Mia," to having a true appreciation for the message in "Kinky Boots," I have never been let down. It is not just a show, it is an experience and a life-changing one at that.

I am a lover of all entertainment: movies, shows, music, etc. Live theater is something that surpasses all of those things because it combines them all. What could be better than that?? One of the most amazing things is that these stage actors do not perform for the fame or the money as the stardom does not compare to movie/tv fame. They do it because it is their passion and nothing else compares to that. If that doesn’t inspire you to follow yours, I don’t know what would.

To the people who have never been to a live play, I strongly advise that you do so promptly regardless of what anyone says. To the people who give me the best experience each time I go to a play, I thank you. Thank you for inspiring me to follow my dreams as you have yours. And to the people who are contemplating not doing something because of what others people might say or whether it will make the most money, do it anyway. Do everything you can… you only have one life, might as well spend it happy and fulfilled.

“When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment and I told them they didn’t understand life” — John Lennon.