Why there’s a bit of Broadway diva in us all…
"I’m Gonna Wash that Man Right Outta my Hair" …And Get a New Haircut, And Some Clothes to Match
I woke up an hour early today thanks to a nightmare I was having about my ex and his new boyfriend. Being the positive person I try to be, I thought ‘well at least if he’s going to break my heart, he can help me be on time for work’. Unfortunately, the mind doesn’t work quite like that. Waking one hour early relaxed me into thinking I had plenty of time – which is not the case when you have a bus to catch. So I still managed to leave a half-finished cup of coffee on the kitchen bench and run out the door…
Not to worry, I’m now on the bus to work, thoroughly enjoying my new laptop (a late 21st present from my folks!) and listening to Catherine Zeta Jones’ version of ‘And All That Jazz’ from Chicago: The Musical…
"No I’m No One’s Wife, But Oh, I Love my Life… AND ALL THAT JAZZ!"
I have been a fan of musical theatre almost as long as I can remember. There is something very therapeutic about dancing and singing your way through life’s little surprises. I remember watching The Sound of Music as a child and thinking that everyone deserved a ‘Sixteen Going Onto Seventeen’ moment with a hot German boy in a glass gazebo. (Although, in hindsight, I’ve come to realise that the Nazi element makes this whole scenario much less appealing).
But The Love Affair (my longest relationship yet!) was really confirmed in Year 8 when I was cast as the highly unglamorous Hugo Peabody in my school’s production of Bye, Bye Birdie. I then went on to play the Major General in The Pirates of Penzance and Ko Ko in The Mikado.
Since that time, I’ve taken on more musical directing roles rather than performing roles. Whilst I have loved being in the orchestra pit, my heart is very much on stage. I love performing.
"Maybe this Time, For the First Time, Love Won’t Hurry Away"
So next Tuesday I’m going to perform an original work at a Cabaret Night organised by one of the student union’s clubs and societies on campus: University of Sydney Musical Theatre Ensemble (MUSE).
I don’t actually have a name for the song yet. However, it’s basically a sexy ditty about the difficulty of playing ‘hard-to-get’ with someone you can’t resist (Eat your heart out, Rogers and Hammerstein II!). The lyrics for the first and second verses are:
Irresistibly, you’ve made me sit up and take notice.
Even of the way you like your morning coffee.
Secretly, it’s not the milk or sugar
But how it gets cold, as you have a sip of me.
Resisting you is like saying no to chocolate.
If it’s sitting on the table, then you can’t help wanting more.
You know it’s true; I get cravings and addictions.
Come melt in my mouth. Baby, shut that door.
I have to confess, this is not how I’m feeling at the moment at all! But in fantasy Musical Theatre Land you can pretend to be the invincible diva through all the seasons of the year.
"Tonight, Tonight Won’t be Just any Night"
Curiously, the Cabaret Night falls on the one-year anniversary of the first ‘date’ I had with a recently estranged significant ex. He’s going to be there… with his new boyfriend. (Convince me again, what exactly did I do to deserve such torture!?)
Anyway, so my only solution is to look good, have a cracker performance, be civil and not to worry about them being all lovey-dovey in the corner. And if that all fails, cocktails start at $6.