Give My Regards to Broadway

At our church, we have this choir director. And he's all about experiences. So one day he thinks, let's give our choir the Broadway experience!

It was an experience all right. Complete with a hired Broadway-veteran director, audition packets, head shots, choreography, three months of Sundays given for ridiculously long blocking rehearsals, tech week, four straight nights of dress rehearsal to be followed by 4 straight nights of show.

It took a lot of time. A lot of energy. And a lot of togetherness. We were a little frazzled by the process (because who are we kidding... we're not Broadway peeps... we have full time jobs and other committments and we squeezed this new "experience" into any remaining free time). But when it came down to show night... the Message portrayed was worth every minute.

So I know you're curious. You're wondering about my star role in this whole process. Well, I wasn't so much a star, but I should get an award for "most random characters assigned to one person."

In the opening scene, I was a male window washer.The first one on stage. It was my one shining moment. I stunned the audience with my wash bucket and rag and the effortless way I scrubbed the windows. Stellar performance, y'all. You should have seen it. Instead, here's a gander at part of my costume. (Though I have to confess the pants were the best part.)

I was also the "tenor" part of the Manhattan Melodies trio. Truth be told, we're shocked there was a picture of us singing at all. We were largely ignored in favor of all the dancers on the stage during our number.

I know. I'm shocking as a blonde. It's wrong in so many ways. But when you have to start the show as a man, this requires a wig. A wig requires braided hair... and you can't recover braided hair fast enough for the next scene. So I wigged it out. Otherwise, you'd be staring at this.

Though I suppose we could debate that this is better than blonde Jamie. Moving on.
I was also a Reindeer dancer. I was not originally cast in this, though I auditioned. But when the choreographer's eight chosen Reindeer were whittled down to three, I was a shoe in. Unpointed toes and all. But I'm glad I got the experience. Dancing is fun. The reindeer hats were not.

And finally, I was one third of the Andrew Sisters. Boogie Woogie, y'all.

So thank you, overly ambitious choir director, for making this happen. I'd say we should do it again... but maybe in another 10 years. It will take me that long to recoup.