Dreams and Inspiration

I initially wanted my first post to be about Kinky Boots and the way it has so beautifully shone a light on friendship and how it is okay to be friends with someone who may look different or dress different than you. Believe me, we'll get to that. Not today though. Today I want to talk about dreaming and working hard and being an inspiration. I want to talk about one of my favorite shows ever, Wicked. Ten years ago, a young actress went to an open call for dancers for Wicked. This actress heard the soundtrack to Wicked and took her first voice lesson as a result. She booked a role in the ensemble. Ten years later, this young lady is on Broadway leading the company of Wicked as Elphaba. How? She worked hard. She never stopped going for her dreams. Another actress was in the audience for Wicked in 2005 along with her manager who was adamant that she should audition for the show. She said she could never sing the role of Elphaba, particularly belting the high F in Defying Gravity. Less than 2 years later, she defied gravity for the first time in Chicago in Wicked before moving on to perform with 3 other companies of Wicked. She went for her dreams. As my friend, the most dedicated theatre teacher I know has taught me, keep dreaming. Now let's talk about inspiration. If you can inspire one person at every performance, you've done your job. I've heard tons of Elphabas and Glindas in Wicked say they have little girls approach them consistently saying they want to play that role. You never know when someone is going to be in your audience who will say, "I want to be like that." That is the most powerful effect you can have as a performer. I also want to discuss the "dream role". Every performer has a dream role. Some will be lucky enough to get to play it. To those who dream, I give you the sage advice of one Fran Drescher. "Always make your reach further than your grasp." What that means is, when you attain the dream role, it doesn't mean you stop dreaming. It means you dream bigger. So remember, if you run into someone who wants to be a performer, encourage that dream. Inspire them. Work hard, and most of all, dream. Who knows, you might just end up defying gravity 8 times a week on Broadway.