Weeks of musical rehearsals. Hours
of choreography rehearsals until you couldn’t move. Hours of studying scripts
each night. Now every song, step and line is committed to memory. Heck, you can
probably recite your fellow cast mate’s lines as well. Opening night is here,
and it’s time to show the world the very special show you
and your fellow cast
mates spent so many hours preparing.
While opening nights can be
exciting-I can remember not being able to sleep a wink during mine-they can
also be a little terrifying for a newbie. I don’t have a magic cure for nerves.
Certainly, your directors are a wealth of information in this department. They
have been dealing with students and opening nights for years.
Tell yourself you are ready. You
know your lines and people have told you you’re good. You know your songs and
can do a mean showstopper, and your dance steps are perfect. Being well
prepared is half the battle to conquering nerves. You’ve got this. Now show the
audience.
I once had a wise director tell us
that the people coming to our musicals want to see us succeed- yep that
includes the judges. Many schools have
“reputations” in their hometowns for fantastic musicals. So, if you’re a part
of this great show you’re about to perform, congratulations.
Some tips for opening night. Your
director and choreographer will bring you in for warm-ups. General vocal warm ups with
ensemble. Leads may do a separate warm up. Choreographers will give you some
stretching exercises. Then it’s costume and makeup. Some schools have you do
your own make up, but usually there is a makeup crew so let them do their
thing. Most directors’ call for casts to report about two hours before curtain.
I often have kids ask if they
should eat. Absolutely, yes. I would not have a ten course meal but a nice
light meal about an hour before you have to report is good. Also, you want to
keep your voice hydrated but keep in mind once curtain goes up bathroom breaks
are going to be limited. So know your body and your system. Generally, intermittent
sips of water are a good idea. Keep a bottle handy (often schools keep them
backstage for their casts, bless the
stage moms).
Now, you are ready. Curtain up. It's showtime!
