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January 15, 2009 | bloggers I adore, guest post

Thanks to Jamie for letting me hijack her website as she’s out there changing media and journalism as we know it.

I am Michelle Woo of the cleverly titled blog Michelle Woo and in today’s issue of Photo Scanner Fun, I have a somewhat embarrassing confession to make.

I used to do musicals.

Me (center), age 14, in “No, No, Nanette” at my high school. I look so cool.

Growing up, musical theater was my main extracurricular. When I was in elementary school, my parents had me audition for a local song and dance company as 1) they hoped it might help me break out of my shell and 2) I couldn’t throw/hit/kick/catch a ball to save my life. So in front of a panel of note-taking grownups, I sang a shaky “Somewhere Out There,” somehow made the cut, and thus began a life of sequins, red lipstick and jazz hands.

I performed in shows like “Bye Bye Birdie,” the musical rendition of The Hobbit (no joke), and even “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” with the Young and Restless’ Michael Damian and the Broadway cast. I was never the lead or anything, thank goodness. I was always more than content doing heel-step-shuffle-ball-changes and singing my “Ooooh, oooh, ooohs” as part of the ensemble. (Although in “Once Upon a Mattress,” I did get to recite SEVEN WHOLE WORDS as Princess #12. Thank you, thank you. No pictures, please.)

While this was strictly a childhood hobby (shoot me if I ever do adult community theater), I do kind of miss that old life — the delirious late-night rehearsals, the adrenaline, the standing ovations (from my parents). Every now and then, in the car or in the kitchen, my sister and I will spontaneously belt out obscure Broadway show tunes and pretend we’re on the big stage. It’s fun.

So there’s my confession.

Did you ever do musicals? Wish you did musicals? Watch musicals? Make fun of the kids who did musicals? Spill!

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I used to do musicals!! I acted in several local theater productions and loved every minute of it. Oklahoma, Gypsy, South Pacific, THe Wizard of Oz and more….I still sing along to the words and surprising remember a lot of the dances that accompanied the songs….

mandys last blog post..College Friends

i am forever a musical junkie. i can’t help it. i know all the words to every rogers and hammerstein masterpiece (and even some of the flops) i could sing all the parts to every song there is.

and sometimes i am a little upset that new hollywood is so different than old hollywood. i wish i had been alive to experience the glory of all the classics on the big screen

bodelous last blog post..they are just words

I work in theatre, and I’ve stage managed, designed and hung theatre lighting designs, I can set up and run a sound system in no time flat – but going on stage? I break into hives and lose my ability to speak properly.

Give me a room of 30+ actors who can’t remember their blocking, who are changing the song temp and who hate their costumes any day over singing on stage. There are some things that I just can’t do – and that’s one of them!

You’re one brave lady!

[...] (and virtual cowls, Edward smooches and puppy things) to Jamie for the fun opportunity. Head on over there to read about my former life as a wannabe child [...]

I always wanted to do musicals. I tried out in 8th grade and was given the title of “assistant director.” Apparently I’m too anal retentive to be on stage.

Jackies last blog post..I should tattoo…

Yes I do musicals.
Only I get paid.
I design scenery.

(i much prefer the straight play though!)

Eachs last blog post..

The only time I was in a musical was in elementary school.. and it was the class project…

Muscial theatre? No. My inability to carry a tune in anything other than a bucket makes that an impossible task to accomplish.
Regular theatre? Well, let’s just say I rocked the high school drama department stage.

Nowadays I’m happy having a fake orgasm on stage in the yearly production of The Vagina Monologues. It’s thrilling. I may video tape it this year and post it to ABOHO.

Shabas last blog post..All That Junk Inside My Trunk

oh man, i feel inspired to dig up my old pictures from middle and high school musical days. like you, it was my main extra curricular growing up. some people think that would make me a total loser, i like to think it means i’m cultured.

rachels last blog post..Can I have your attention please?

I have never done any musicals, because I SUCK at acting and singing. The dear audience would have left the theatre if I would have been in any of the scenes. So, I never wished I did musicals, either. I think it’s good to know your (good and) bad qualities!

I did watch a musical or two, but definitely not enough. I really like them, but going to theatres too often is not something I can afford (because I’m fastidious, and I can’t stand sitting in the back row, seeing nothing). Anywho, I’m going to watch one in like 2 months! Cheers for that!

Aaand I’ve never made fun of those kids who did musicals, because I’m a really artsy, and I felt happy for them for doing something they like. I’m more into writing, drawing and music, though.

Rosiers last blog post..So School These Days is Easy…?

Oh. I secretly wanted to do musicals. You really don’t want to hear me sing though.

Fishing Arounds last blog post..Get Outta My Dreams

No musicals. But I did ballet and mom would LOVE painting my face up with make up!

Maries last blog post..Merde

I am a wannabe thespian. I listen almost exclusively to OBCRs and in my car, I’ve played everyone from Elphaba to Sweeney Todd to Cassie from A Chorus Line. In my wildest dreams, I’m a cast member in Spring Awakening–no one major, just maybe the girl with the braids, or one of the swings who sits in the bleachers on stage.

I just read that back and realized that unless you’re on the Tony’s panel, everything I’ve written sounds like gibberish. I think I need an intervention.

Melissas last blog post..Things worth sharing

ugh, more than I care to talk about. my crowning glory was “aunt lulu” in footloose. oh geez.

Allys last blog post..Pomp and some circumstance

I was in Pirates of Penzance for our elementary school play. That’s about as musical as I got. It was fun, but definitely not something that I have the talent to do these days.

Elle Bees last blog post..I dare you…

I spent pretty much 100% of my waking hours doing theater from age 6 until I was about 19. I was ob-sessed. I even went to an arts high school! (Which was exactly like FAME– we all lounged around on top of cars in the school parking lot and spontaneously broke into intricately-choreographed song & dance numbers in the hallway).

I don’t think I’ll ever return to acting in a serious way, but I do miss performing. I miss the creativity and the teamwork and the long hours, building up to something that affects people in a beautiful way.

So cool to know about you! And I guess not really that surprising…

Laurie | Your Ill-fitting Overcoats last blog post..Better Late Than Never: It’s Contest Time!

Oh how I would’ve loved to do musicals/theatre when I was younger! Unfortunately, I had unenthusiastic parents and I lived too far away from any community without being driven there. One thing is for certain; I’d be damn proud of having been in them, no matter how terrible!

Asthariss last blog post..I’m not crazy, I’m just a little unwell

I LOVE musicals!!!

I’ve never really been in one because I was always given the role of ‘Narrator 5′ in all the school plays (oh, my poor delicate ego…) and the one time I did sing on stage I was eleven years old and the word ’suck’ just doesn’t quite cover it… But I’d like to be in a musical! Sure! ‘Wicked’ is my favourite musical of all time I think

Nicoles last blog post..Awkward moment.

I’ve not done musicals, but I did do community theater in college. I love theater and wish I could do more, but have zero time for it right now. I love musical theater, too. Turns out that love was one of my many gay gifts in life.

Phils last blog post..Gassy Issues

I. Love. Musicals. I was raised on them. My mom had me watch them, I sang along. Because of that, I joined theatre and was then, subsequently, IN musicals (even though I couldn’t/can’t sing.) After high school, I dropped my dream of singing on Broadway and now only listen to soundtracks. Oh soundtracks.

Senior year I was in the pajama game.

Woot!

Ish.

Bens last blog post..Let me start by telling you when my first kiss wasn’t.

Admittedly, I was in the musical pit orchestra for all of my high school’s plays. I knew I was a horrible singer, but at least I could play an instrument. Hilarity always ensued during practice because we always goofed off when the actors had to practice non-musical parts.

LovelyAnomalys last blog post..Seriously guys

i LOVE Musicals! I did dance classes all my life practically and each year we would do a different musical – Im so bummed that I never got to do a Chorus Line though – they did that the year after I quit!

Sarahs last blog post..Salami and tomato risotto

I did musical theater during middle school at a local dance studio. We always put on little shows with medleys from famous musicals like Oliver, The Sound of Music, Meet Me in St. Louis, etc. This one summer we did a Disney showcase and EVERY girl got to do a solo or duet. Not me. I had to memorize and recite the introduction speech. Apparently I was chosen for my nice speaking voice, but I was still completely crushed.

I still love musicals, though! I wish my life was a musical sometimes…bursting out into spontaneous song and dance numbers would liven things up a bit.

Pams last blog post..Tiny icicles

I like princess and the pea. “There’s no business like show business like no business I know”

My brother has been in musicals for the past 8 years so I go and see them a LOT. I love them!

shannons last blog post..Blog-a-licious

I’ve never done ANY work in theater, but you don’t know how hard I used to wish I was a child star. I was just waiting for someone to come and pluck me from obscurity to be on “The New Mickey Mouse Club.” I couldn’t have been any more of a dork if I’d tried

Fraulein Ns last blog post..Judgey McJudgington

Musicals are what I grew up on … my mom loves old movies (Gone with the Wind was always one of my favorites, in fact there is a home movie of me at age 5 begging my mom to let me watch it) and since you can watch old movies with kids, that’s what we did.

I never was in a musical past the age of 12, and they were all church plays, but I did do some acting in the non-musicals in high school. And I know what you mean about missing it, it’s like a little club and you are SO IN even if you are just a member of the chorus.

(And don’t feel bad about randomly bursting into song, I often will sing and dance around the kitchen while I make dinner – which is to say that it happens pretty much every night)

SuperCareos last blog post..Oh Hai.

I was totally in musicals as a kid– solo singing roles and everything!
My best one ever was a musical/satire sex ed play that we did for high school students. I played abstinence and a member of a Salt n Pepa rip off band who sang about condoms.

Princess Pointfuls last blog post..365 x 2 +3

oh i did muscials (bye bye birdie, godspell, joseph and the amazing technicolor dream coat, once upon a mattress) i did a couple plays too (you can’t take it with you, the odd couple)

oh and can i mention that i used to sing the star spangled banner in the middle of my gym in high school prior to all home basketball games?

i couldn’t make this up.

and michelle, in once upon a mattress i was the queen ; )

alexa – cleveland’s a plums last blog post..you sure can hydrate a pizza

I was the star of my junior high musical, a craptacular piece of theater called “Tied to the Tracks.” Jesus wept.

Then I transferred to the scene shop.

Rebekahs last blog post..Why was I not recruited for this group?

I work in theatre, and I’ve stage managed, designed and hung theatre lighting designs, I can set up and run a sound system in no time flat – but going on stage? I break into hives and lose my ability to speak properly.

Give me a room of 30+ actors who can’t remember their blocking, who are changing the song temp and who hate their costumes any day over singing on stage. There are some things that I just can’t do – and that’s one of them!

You’re one brave lady!

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