Last night I decided to go and see my high school’s production of Beauty and the Beast for the second time. I was blown away by Friday night’s show, and last night was the same. I know every single individual in that show worked incredibly hard to put on the best production they could, and they succeeded. If you’re reading, cast and crew, congratulations. It was the best musical I’ve seen the high school put on (for interest’s sake, you were competing against Guys and Dolls, Fiddler on the Roof, State Fair and Footloose). As some of you discovered, I have a large soft spot for musical theater. Some cry at weddings, others at sad films…I cry at musicals. I believe I frightened my friend the Beast with my overwhelming emotions on Friday night. I wish I could have gone again today, but two days of make up work has caught up to me. I wish you all break a leg as you perform your final show, and congrats again to an amazing run. I expect a long list of Cappies with your names on them.
I have one small problem, however. At last night’s sold out show, I found myself behind a row of my fellow peers. This would not have been a problem had they been respectful patrons and actually watched the show. Did they? No.
I was very close to going Sweeny Todd, or Beast, circa Act 1 on all of them.
Am I a part of a dying breed? I love going to musicals over movies because I love being able to watch the live emotion on the character’s face. You can feel the energy in the air, it crackles with excitement. A dramatic chord or finale brings chills to me. A well acted scene can leave me in tears. The row in front of me had no respect for the people on stage whatsoever. I was furious. The talented cast and crew worked for months to put on that show, and they slapped them in the face. The actors, actresses and stage crew deserve much more respect than you gave them. Your seats could have been filled by people who actually wanted to see the show, not you people who texted, talked, cursed and licked (yes, licked) each other throughout the entire show.
I’m sorry to the cast and crew of Beauty and the Beast for these people. You are worth far more than this, and I hope the standing ovations you received and will receive today will make up for it.
pour your empty heart in it but finish what you started 