The Show That Made Me Want to Pursue Theatre

Gianna Principe, Guest Editorial

When I look back on my resume of theatre roles, one stands out—the one that made me want to pursue musical theatre. That role was a child in the kids' chorus of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. 

I was twelve years old when I was cast in a community theatre show in Bartlett, Illinois. It was the most exciting thing to be cast in a show with both kids and adults! To twelve-year-old me, it was like being cast in a professional Broadway show. In my mind and heart, it was. 

When I learned I was cast in the kid's chorus, I immediately rented the cast album. Yes, I said rent. From my local library! Yes, I had iTunes and YouTube on my side because I was living in the age of modern technology. But I wanted to be old fashion I guess. I went to the library and checked out the cast album put it inside my laptop, and listened. And I was blown away. Script in my lap and headphones on I listened to Donny Osmond blow my mind with his powerful voice. I swayed along with songs like Any Dream Will Do, Joseph's Coat, Stone the Crows, and Go Go Joseph! 

But I'll never forget listening to the opening chords of Jacob and Sons. It was classic Andrew Lloyd Webber at his finest. It still gives me chills when I listen to it. It's a song for which I have a special place in my heart.

Soon, the rehearsal process started, and I learned the ropes of the show. The creative team behind it was (and still is!) amazing! And I even got my chance to shine in the show. The choreographer thought I was the right choice to lead the line of the kid's chorus for Joseph's Coat, and I remember being so nervous like this was an ample opportunity for me. I never led anything until that point, and damn it, I was going to do it perfectly! And I'm happy to report that no mistakes were made!

The cast. This cast was amazing, and I looked up to it (and still do) and admired it. I got along with everyone in the cast and considered them family. It was my first taste of cast becoming family in a show, which was the first and, happily, wasn't the last for me. 

The weekend of the show, I was so excited! I was going to proudly present a show that we all worked hard on and were happy about. I remember my costume so vividly. For the first act, I wore a white blouse and leggings, and for the second act, I wore leggings and a vibrant neon green shirt. My hair was in pigtails, which I had never done before, but I kept them straight and schoolgirl-like! 

As I watched the show unfold from the wings of the stage, I saw happiness unfold in the eyes of my cast mates, my music director, and the directors. I saw the happiness and joy they got from performing and singing and creating the bond we had. And I realized that I had that happiness in me, too. The months of singing in rehearsal rooms and watching the set being built the long but fun (for me at least) tech week and finally performance weekend. I realized that I wanted to do this until the day I die. I wanted to do musicals and plays and theatre as my career. I wanted this to be my life. 

When the show ended, we watched as the set was taken down and the amazing Coat of many colors was taken back to the costume closet. And I could feel the start of post-show depression hit. It was the first time it ever hit me. A crash of drums, a flash of light, the golden coat now out of sight, yet I was left with amazing memories, and I regretted none of them. And I never will because what I got out of those months is irreplaceable. 

Now, I am a nineteen-year-old college kid going to school in New York for theatre. 

To the directors and cast of that amazing show, thank you all for giving me these amazing memories, and I miss you all! 

Any dream will do, indeed!