Musical Theater is something that I will always be grateful for. It has changed my life and me as a person for the better.

Musical Theater is a passion that I've had since I was a small child. I will never forget performing in elementary productions (that were really bad I might add) and finding such a passion for theater.

When I was in the fifth grade, I joined a local theater company and stayed there for a really long time and that was when I first fell in love with the art. I loved going to rehearsal and being able to see the progress that was happening behind the scenes . I grew older and older in the program and ended up doing a total of eight shows with this company, but it wasn't until I got to high school that I really understand musical theater and how many musicals are out there.

When I entered high school, I was finishing up a production of "Suessical" with the local theater company, and I had been asked by my high school choir/theater director to audition for the spring musical "Chicago". Now if you're reading this and don't know me, I am currently 6 foot 5 inches and I sing bass in choir. When I was a freshman, I was about 5 feet 4 inches and I sang alto. I had been asked to audition for the part of "Mary Sunshine" (a drag character in the show). Long story short I ended up crying in my audition because I was so flippin nervous about it and I didn't get the part.

My next year, we ended up doing "Pippin" and I was cast as Pippin! I was so shocked how I could go from fleeing the choir room crying to audition, to getting the lead and singing almost every song in front of audiences up to 150 people. Musical theater taught me that if I love something, to go after it and keep chasing my dream no matter what it was. I became so involved in the theater department that you would have never been able to know that I cried in my audition, a year earlier.

As much as I loved theater, there were times where I absolutely hated everything to do with theater (mostly just when cast lists came out). My junior and senior year, I was dissatisfied with the parts that I received in my high school shows. My junior year, we did "Anything Goes" and I was cast as 'Eli Whitney', who is still a major character in the plot, but not the part that I wanted and I contemplated dropping out of theater and never doing it again. After a metaphoric slap in the face by my director, he reminded me that I need to fail sometimes, in order to succeed. In the end, the show was a huge success (and ended up being my favorite role that I have ever played).

My senior year however, after my director took a medical leave, the casting was up to the music director, choreographer, costumer and stage manager. I had my heart set on getting one of the bigger parts in the show (no, not the lead, I'm not that much of a snob). I ended up getting a mute character in the show "All Shook Up". After many tears, and late nights I had seriously considered dropping out, I had a meeting set up with my counselor to switch out into and different class. Until I was offered a Student Director position. I was shocked. Our directors return was 2 weeks before the show as due to open, so someone had to direct the show. But I was also reminded by my best friend (whose not in theater) about why I love doing theater and he reminded me of how happy it makees me. He knew that I couldn't let my dreams of being in the theater world dissapear because of a high school show, where I didnt get the part I wanted. In the end the show was successful and it is one of my proudest accomplishments that I have ever done.

So why am I writing about this forsaken hobby of mine? Because I miss it. I miss performing under the stage lights in my thick heavy costume, whipping away sweat from dancing. I miss staying late at rehearsal til the wee hours of the night. I miss hearing everyone singing there hearts out trying to portray whats going on, on stage through song. I miss the thrill of doing the last 8 count of the finale for the last time, I miss taking the last bow, I miss taking the costume off for the last time. I miss the art that taught me so much about how to succeed.

I wasn't the "star athlete" or the "science geek" or the "high school cheerleader." I was the "drama kid" and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

Thank you to this beautiful art that taught me so much.

Thank you for teaching me that it's alright to be different. Thank you for teaching me how to understand people. Thank you for giving me courage. Thank you for teaching me how to overcome my nerves. Thank you for teaching me teamwork. Thank you for bringing me joy and happiness.