I Dreamed (and am still dreaming) a Dream

Since I'd like to make a daily post, at least to get me started and my thoughts flowing, I have fallen back to letting it be known that I love to sing, and have been classically trained since I was 9. Only a few years ago when I was 13 I happened upon The Phantom of the Opera when my brother and sister-in-law took me to watch it at the movies while we were on holiday. Now, I know for all POTO fans, many do not approve of the film, but for me, it was a significant moment in my life because while I was there, as the chandelier rose and the overture pulsated through the cinema, I can't quite explain it, but I had this overwhelming feeling of belonging. Now I often get that same feeling when I am watching musicals live, or am in one myself.

Anyhow, to cut a long story short, that day I 'fell in love' with musical theatre, and that love remains just as strong, if not stronger.

Since then, I have moved into musical theatre repertoire for my voice and began taking a few acting classes before I was cast as the understudy to play Serena in Fame: The Musical two years later in 2006.

The picture below was taken while I sung one of the feature songs, 'Let's Play a Love Scene'.



That day when my time came to shine, I again felt at home, and I never wanted the show to finish!
It of course did, and later in the year I did a revue called Seasons where I was fortunate enough to play a leading role with numerous solos, duets and ensemble pieces. [I even got to perform 'What is this feeling' from Wicked before it became the next big thing. That was SO much fun!]

I have been banned from doing musicals since, due to the need to concentrate on my last two years of high school. Those two years have only come to an end in the last two weeks, so I'm now free to do another musical.

The only problem is I came down with a harsh case of laryngitis due to overworking my voice for my music performance. A combination of stress, lack of sleep and bad belt technique has meant my voice is still highly fatigued, and I am about to begin therapy in the next two weeks.
God willing, I will be back on the road to my dream in no time.

This was my last performance of a beautiful song written by one of the most talented musical theatre composers, Jason Robert Brown, before my voice gave out at a very inconvenient time. It's called 'I'm Not Afraid' from the musical Songs for a New World.



As you can probably gather from my above mini-life-story, if there would be one dream(career wise), I would love so much to be a professional musical theatre performer. I know the career is far from easy, and those who make it big time are like grains of sand in the ocean. However, now, as I look up to people like Sutton Foster, Idina Menzel, Stephanie J Block and other powerhouses who have been blessed with amazing talent, watching them and many others only fuels my desire to reach for the stars.

If there is the slightest chance that I could make it, I will take it. For the chance that maybe for just one day, I could truly shine.

May the fire for your own dreams always burn brightly.