There is so much to learn from the plot and the music of live theater. As both a performer and an audience member, sometimes we suffer from heartbreak, and sometimes we get a happy ending. It truly is one of the most exhilarating experiences to have. Once we commit to a world outside our own reality and jump into a completely new story, we give ourselves such an enormous gift and opportunity to gain perspective and to feel. Broadway houses a very special group of performers that play an integral role in creating this universe as we watch a show, and that is the actresses. Broadway's leading ladies usually makes me think of Jessie Mueller, Bernadette Peters, Kelli O'Hara; I could go on forever, but outside of these actual women are the characters that they play. There is a lot we can learn and notes to take when we delve into these character's stories and lives.
There is something so particularly magnificent about sitting in an audience and seeing a show come to life right before your eyes, seeing each and every cast member work together to execute a huge chorus number without a single flaw, or a dance number without so much of a hair out of place. These, however, are not the parts I look forward to the most. I wait with bated breathe for the moments with the female lead alone on stage, delivering her own show-stopping number or a long and emotional monologue. In these few minutes a show takes flight and becomes so much; a flame becomes a fire.
Whether it be the power-packed "Rose's Turn" from "Gypsy," or "Always Better" from Jason Robert Brown's musical take on "The Bridges of Madison County," these songs and so many others like it are defined by the emotion the actress exudes and all of the power behind it. These scenes are intimate moments and often turning points in the plot, but with those technical thoughts put aside, these are moments of complete vulnerability and introspection. In some cases, it's a complete breakdown complete with yelling and crying and the whole grand package, but sometimes it is a quiet and reflective number; either way, it is always the song that takes your breath away and that is equally because of the lyrics and feelings behind them as it is the melody. If we as a viewer can disconnect the lyricist from the words they write and rather replace that idea with the belief that they are the character's own thoughts and wishes, we can deepen our relationship with these characters and become even more invested in their story. This is when the beauty of our experience reaches its absolute peak-when we not only see but also feel and identify with the emotions on display on stage.
Broadway's leading ladies have so much to say through song and so much to teach us in how they execute their scenes. Most prominently may be the power they pack into a moment of imbalance, uncertainty or fear. I want to extend a specific thank you for these exact moments, where you are teaching your audience the power in vulnerability. For leading by example in showing us how elegant these moments can be and how freeing these time-outs (see, I know sports too. Impressed?) of self-reflection can be for any person real or fictional. Please don't ever stop stepping into the spotlight and bringing these magnificent woman to life because if we as an audience allow ourselves too, we can learn so much. If we open ourselves up to new perspectives and a new world, we can learn that emotions make for glorious music with powerful words. We can learn that crying is a sign of being human and not a sign of weakness or immaturity, and if we are really lucky, those moments of being conflicted and confused can get us a Tony. Thank you to the strong woman of Broadway for the learning experience buried into the roles you take on and for articulating and showing such difficult emotion so beautifully.
