My Last Show

I was all dressed up and ready to go on
as the glamorous Reno Sweeney.
Photo Credit: Gabby Glanville

By the time I was approaching my last musical in high school, I had acted in about 20 shows.

I never got too upset each time a show closed because I knew that there would be another one right around the corner.  Except my last show in high school was different.  I knew that I would be giving theatre up for a while to pursue my college degree.  I didn't feel like I could pursue journalism and theatre at the same time.  I had to make a choice and I went with the practical one.

After playing Meg Giry in a play version of Phantom of the Opera and directing a one-act play my senior year, I prepared myself to conquer the musical Anything Goes.  I wanted to play Reno Sweeney more than anything and knew that I could go out with a bang on this role.

I busted my butt in auditions and callbacks but still had a sleepless night before the cast list went up.  That morning I hesitantly approached the theatre board and looked for my name.

My best friend yelled, "You got it!"

It took a few minutes for me to process that my name was next to "Reno Sweeney" on the list.

I did it.  I got the ultimate role to go out on.

Rehearsals were far more strenuous than I thought, but I told myself that I wasn't going to complain because that role was what I wanted.

Before I knew it, it was opening night and everything went great.  The second night went just as well.  But when I left the theater after the second night I noticed my voice was scratchy, but I attributed it to fatigue.

I woke up early the next morning for a two-show day, a matinee and closing, and realized I had no voice.

I panicked.

How was I supposed to do a musical without a voice?

I pushed myself harder than I ever have that matinee and luckily for the last show, everyone had time to throw backup vocals together and help me out so I didn't permanently damage my voice.

When I walked out of the ship for my last curtain call ever on my high school stage, my cast cheered and yelled for me, and I lost it in front of a full house.  Everything from the past few days hit me hard.

I will never forget that moment and the opportunity to play such a great and famous role.  There isn't a day that goes by where I don't miss it.

Break Legs,
Sydney