No, wait, that's not my point. My point is that last week I saw two Broadway stars perform in a humble local theater and I actually witnessed how this tired sports cliché could truly be possible. As an audience member, I bathed in more effort, more emotion, more oomph from this theatrical event than it would normally be possible to get.
But nothing about "110 in the Shade" at the Hale Center Theatre in Orem is normal, by local theater standards. I was honored to see Audra McDonald (four Tony Awards) and Will Swenson (a Tony nominee) perform. As the lights faded before intermission, I wept trying to contain the catharsis that was forced on me. So much of the show, the music, the lyrics, the dialogue, I connected to. It felt personal.
This show wasn't just Audra and Will (aka Waudra). I'm sure the reason they are able to give so much to the audience is because they understand this. The whole production stood toe-to-toe with the talent and professionalism these stars exuded on stage. From the opening fade up of the lights and first notes of Marvin Payne's harmonica to the orchestra, simple set and staging the show was completely perfect. The direction was unbelievable. The cast was impeccable. It never once felt cheap or like it was low-budget community theater. I have many friends involved with this show and I am so proud of them and happy they got to have such an experience.
The tickets we had were worth $150 each. The proceeds for the limited engagement will be donated to the non-profit Hale Theater. All the actors and technical staff donated their time to the production as well. Amazing. I bring up the price because, well, Amelia and I got our tickets for free. I bring this up also because normally I wouldn't pay that much to see anything. Not U2, not Radiohead, not The Beatles' corpses performing their entire anthology. I didn't pay the $300 but I can say that this performance was worth that much. (Thank you, Darick Pead.)
I suppose it will be hard to say how much it really was worth until I decide what to do with the experience. I can waste it by not remembering how I felt or by treating the people I love poorly, taking them for granted or stagnating in my growth as and actor and writer. If do that, it won't be worth much. Or, I can remember the feelings, words and unbelievable connection I had during the show and allow it to move me to action, turning the experience into something priceless.
Seeing this performance made me feel I'm wasting my skills doing anything other than telling stories (acting, writing, etc.) and that if I really did what I really wanted, I'd be getting an MA/MFA in some aspect of theatre or writing right away. This show made me happy and sad all at once. It made me love theater even more. It made me appreciate talent that isn't selfish or arrogant. It made me jealous. It made me weep. It made me smile. I don't know. It was truly nuts.
So there it is. I have enjoyed a lot of theatre in my day, nearly every show I see increases my desire to be a better actor and most of the good ones make me cry, even if they're comedies. I just get so into it. But nothing has ever been like "110 in the Shade" and the experience filled me up 110 percent.
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P.S. The show continues its run for four more weeks with Darick and Natalie Wheeler Monreal in the Will and Audra parts. The cast, ensemble and crew contain many of my dear friends and acquaintances. I have no doubt that the show will still be a special and moving experience with these two in the lead roles. I plan on seeing it with them in it as soon as I can.
