Musical Madness!! (Dedicated to Brandon Cogley)

Hello everyone!

Today, I'm going to talk about something close to my heart. Something that has brought me together with some of the best friends I've ever had. Something that has given me the confidence to do different things. Something that has helped me in more ways than one. Musicals. 

This one word holds so much meaning for me. I never knew where I belonged really before I was introduced to the magic of the theatre. I was always that one girl in class that never had a place to express myself. I was never the sporty one. I was never the arty one. I was never the booky one. I didn't even realise that I was the drama one until I got to secondary school. And even then, it wasn't until I was 14 that I took part in my first musical (granted, it was only playing a few notes on the keyboard in the orchestra for a school production, but it was the beginning of everything for me!).

The first musical that I performed in was 'Annie.'  I was 15 at this stage and played one of the servants in Warbucks' mansion (I was Annette if I remember correctly!) and I loved every second of this show! I discovered how much I loved dancing and just being on stage in general! Being on the stage, even the small school stage we had, just made me feel happy and complete. I had never had this feeling before, not even when I discovered my love of piano and music. It was honestly one of the best things I ever did and I will always remember that musical for all the good reasons.

I soon joined my local youth theatre. I did a few workshops with them where we did some dances from 'Mary Poppins,' 'Grease,' 'Sister Act' and 'Hairspray.' We also did some singing and acting, all in preparation for the auditions for 'Beauty and the Beast.' Being a huge Disney fan, I was shocked to learn that this was one of the most successful Broadway musicals. This new found knowledge prompted me to discover more musicals through YouTube and listening to soundtracks and discovering musicals that are still my favourites today!

Being a member of this youth theatre has given me the opportunity to become involved in 5 amazing musicals! (For the record. I'm stating here that I have never had a lead role in any of these musicals, they were all chorus apart from one!) In 2011, I was involved in 'Beauty and the Beast' where I made some amazing friends that I still do musicals with today! I also got to dance around dressed as a spoon, but who's asking? 

The following year, we put on 'Wizard of Oz' and this was honestly one the most stressful shows for me so far! I experienced some very fast costume changes throughout the second act (I literally spent this whole act side stage stripping!!). But this was such a great experience for me, and I am forever thankful for being an Ozian, a Winky, a Jitterbug, back to a Winky and finally an Ozian in the space of one act!! 

2013 was a huge year for our small youth theatre. We secured the rights to 'Les Miserables!!' To be honest, I had seen one version of this show performed by a secondary school and I thought it was the most boring show ever! Ask me what I think about 'Les Mis' today, and I will tell you that it is in my Top 5 musicals!! This was such an honour to be a member of this wonderful cast and having the experience of being in a production of one of the most successful musicals in the world! It is definitely a show I will never forget the words to!!!

Last year, I worked behind the scenes for the production of 'Miss Saigon' and I can say now that I regret not being on stage for this spectacle of a show!! Which brings me on to this year where I am currently two weeks away from the opening night of 'West Side Story.' This show has been the most engaging musical I have ever been a member of. And I still love every minute of rehearsals and I cannot wait to get up on that stage!!

I guess I should talk about my experience in shows and drama in college. I dedicate this section of the post to my 'partner in crime' Brandon Cogley! I became a member of the drama society in college in first year and took part in the first annual Panto. This was my first time in a pantomine and it was the most fun I have ever had on stage! The following year (this year!) I was voted in as the Chairperson for our society! I was so excited for this experience and I got to spend it with one of my best friends, Brandon. I got the experience of directing a show and working behind the scenes for shows, which was something that I had never done before and will never take for granted again! And I must have been doing something right the whole year as the Drama Soc managed to secure two awards at our Clubs & Socs Ball, including Best Society! HON THE DRAMA SOC!!

So being a part of musicals has made me who I am today. I may look at the world differently because I'm so obsessed with musicals and theatre, but if I didn't, I wouldn't be me. Musicals are my life, and I would never change that for the world!!

Until next time.

Fifs xo

P.S. Here's my Top 10 musicals! It took a lot of thought and time to narrow it down to these ten!!

1. Billy Elliot

2. Wicked

3. Legally Blonde

4. Les Mis

5. Matilda

6. West Side Story

7. Little Shop of Horrors

8. Dogfight!

9. Hairspray

10. Oliver!

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