Bittersweet Ending

 Last weekend I finished the last weekend of my first musical at ONU, and it was so bittersweet. We started rehearsing for this show very quickly into this school year, so the semester has really flown by. I have been so busy, I haven’t stopped to think about how lucky we are to be performing live and getting back to normal. This industry has been basically nothing the past year and a half, and getting to perform without masks and have a full cast is a really big privilege. Not only am I performing on an actual stage for the first time since high-school, but I am performing with brand new people. I have been performing with mostly the same groups of people since middle school, only changing with new people coming in and older kids aging out, but now that I am here, I have met an entire new group of people who I will perform with for the next few years. I am so grateful to have each and everyone one of them, and extra thankful for this art form that is constantly bringing me new people and opportunities. 

I don’t think it hit me how much not performing for so long really affected me. The pandemic gave me a lot of anxiety in the very beginning, and I definitely was sad over the loss of everything with my senior year. What I don’t think I realized is how much the connection with my peers was missing. I had nothing to compare my first year of college to, but now, experiencing the last 3 months here, I can firmly say last year sucked. I actually enjoyed my first year for the most part, but if I knew it was supposed to be like this year I would’ve been devastated. I think I am now thankful for the little things, and I’m not letting any opportunity pass me by, whether that be hanging with the people I love or learning something in my craft. I have a new drive under me this semester, and I am craving new opportunities and things to get me out of my comfort zone. Ending Beauty and the Beast was bittersweet; I couldn’t wait to go home each night because of how bad my feet were hurting, but the second I got back I was ready to perform again. 

Luckily, around here, as soon as one show ends another begins. We started rehearsals for the Holiday Spectacular on Tuesday, and I’m enjoying every moment of learning, singing, and dancing with my friends.