Another Saturday night...

I just got home after performing the opening weekend of Hedwig. This show is really well done. For all intents and purposes it is a one man show, and Kevin Leonard does a really good job of carrying the show. Gotta say, us musicians don't suck... 11 songs in a little over 2 weeks (with no sheet music)? That's pretty good.

I have been performing for over 30 years in one capacity or another, and my parents and my best friend Ken have been my staunchest supporters. The rest of the family has seen the occasional show, with some Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins seeing even fewer. My other friends are just not into theater, so with the exception of an amazing... AMAZING evening in July when I filled 15-20 seats with friends and family they continue to be the silent supporters. My friend Ken, who admittedly isn't into theater, much less Musical theater (he has always been into film, and there is no zoom lens on the stage) has seen probably 75-80% of the work I have done over the years simply because he wanted to support me. That's awesome.

The conclusion I get from this is I perform simply because I love it. I don't do it to impress my friends and family, I do it because there is a true sense of accomplishment when you play that piece just right or sing exactly the right note or make the audience cry with the delivery of a line. That is a natural high. You can truly feel the energy between you and the audience when you have captivated them and they are glued to every aspect of what you are doing.

When making a movie you lose that, but there is a different high. It is the high of the anticipation of the finished product. You have to be truly "in the moment" on film, because you work out of sequence and if you aren't "there," it will ruin the continuity of what you are trying to accomplish.

Though I am feeling better, I thought I would close with a picture taken of me long ago which pretty much sums up how this week has left me feeling: