That's the only word that comes to mind after the whirlwind of the past few days. I am so incredibly blessed to have been given the opportunity to play the character of Mark. This may sound weird, but I have always felt a sort of connection with Mark, even though he's a fictitious character. I relate to characters in ways I oftentimes can't relate to real people in everyday life - ironically, I think this is something that Mark and I have in common. In just working through the first few pages of the script, I have realized how similar we are in so many ways and I am looking forward to the chance to discover more about Mark, and potentially even more about myself.
I felt an immediate sense of relief and excitement when I first sat down with the cast on Tuesday night. "Rent" is so incredibly special to a crazy number of people across the country because of how much heart and honesty is presented on stage. I was nervous to meet my cast mates, particularly my Roger, because I wasn't sure if these would be your typical "over-the-top" theatre people or if they were going to be artists who were capable of being genuine and true. These people are all so genuine and real - which is exactly what this show needs to be successful. I have seen so many productions of this show that didn't have any heart on stage - it was so sad!
Sitting down with Dalton to read our first chunk of text with each other gave me so much energy and a huge feeling of relief. I immediately felt a connection with him and could easily feel like we were Mark and Roger. We sang through our duet, "What You Own", at the end of the night ... holy cow. It was the very first rehearsal I had attended, and I was already feeling so incredibly fulfilled. It's not every day that you get to share your talents with someone else and have the two join so perfectly together. I am so excited to see how it keeps playing out! If last night was any indication, I think we are onto something awesome!
After being on stage most of my life, I took a backseat when I started college and began music directing and playing piano/keyboards in the pit orchestra for countless musicals. This is my first time back on stage since 2008 and cannot imagine a better time than the present or a show like this to get back out there and do what I love to do. No day but today, right?
Until next time!
