The audience takes their seats, the lights dim, the maestro raises his baton, and before you know it you are completely transported to an entirely extravagant and glamorous universe. The red main rag curtain opens, and before your eyes are bright lights, flawless costumes, and actors with the widest most excited looks on their faces.

You sit back in your comfortable orchestra chair and prepare yourself for the most magical next two hours of your evening. Any troubles you were struggling with before you entered the theatre suddenly drift away and all you can concern yourself with are the stories and tribulations amongst the characters performing on the stage in front of you.

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For some, going to see a Broadway show is a once a year tradition or an experience they have only had the joy of taking part in a couple times if not once in their life. As a musical theatre major with a passion for singing and dance, going to New York City is a regular occurrence for me, and seeing a Broadway show has been something I have been so lucky to take part in living only a meer hour and a half away from Manhattan.

With musicians as parents, I have gotten backstage to a few shows as well as met some major celebrities at the stage door or in the meet and greet after the performance.

Living in Connecticut, my high school and middle school would always take trips to New York during Christmas to see the tree and then see a Broadway show, usually for the low price of $75 or less. This was the event of the year for my friends and I, and there is something so incredible about going into the best city in the world and witnessing true art in front of your eyes with peers who are equally as in awe about it as you.

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You know when you go to a Superbowl party and everyone is crowded around the TV, jerseys on, wings and chilli in one hand and their beers in another, face painted the festive colors and the utter jubilation that takes place when a touchdown happens?

Imagine sitting in a theatre amongst all your friends, and Cynthia Erivo or Sutton Foster just performs the showstopper of a lifetime, and the audience jumps to their feet in pure, ecstatic applause.

This magic is out of this world. It's unforgettable and irreplacable. It is one of the delicacies of the human nature that can not be contained or sold in a bottle or substance. It is pure appreciation and respect for human beings who are pouring their entire heart and soul into the stories of their craft on a stage right before your eyes. Actors who have families, lives, jobs, apartment bills, Christmas plans, boyfriend drama, and social media obsessions just like the rest of us. People who are simply reliving the Human story, right before you. Individuals who sacrifice their heart and soul every night to purely entertain. Performers who simply crave your acceptance and enjoyment, and want you to give over 2 hours of your night to solely them so they can put your mind at ease.For those 120 or so minutes, you belong to the stage. Worries of work, home, or finances go away and you are instantly in a different world.

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I became an actor to share this art. To spread the word of love, joy, hope, resistance, power, and encouragement through my voice and body. If I can change one person's life through my performance or voice, I have done my job effectively. And is it really a job? Or is it a duty to humanity? A duty to change peoples lives. To bring a smile to their face, a connection to their lover, a remembrance moment of pure bliss to their lives.

And this is why the arts are so crucial to our daily existence. You may not be a singer, dancer, or actor. You may be someone who paints sets, or designs clothes. You may be someone who works lighting and sound equipment, and you even may be someone who enjoys directing and managing a production. There is a place for everyone. A writer, a musician, an athlete, and of course the artist.

Theatre is my other home. It is my therapy. It is my best friend, art, and my comfort zone. It's my opportunity totransform myself into someone else and simply focus on an imaginary story with intricate characters and choreography. The rhythmic melodies send me to a place of bliss and a journey that I would not want to experience with anyone else than pure artists.

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If you are someone who has never seen a musical, opera, straight play, children's play, concert, or one act. Consider this a blessing and encouraging article on how to embark on the serenity of a lifetime.