Untitled Opening Post

As promised on Instagram, I’m going to try to post updates on this latest theatrical venture as Jeff in [title of show] at the Weber Center. So, let’s do it.

For those who aren’t familiar with the production, [title of show] is a Tony-nominated musical about a group of friends trying to come up with an original musical to enter into a New York theatre festival. Their way to avoid copying what they’ve seen before is to literally set the process of creating the show to music. Full of humor (mostly R-rated), self-awareness, obscure references and some catchy, catchy tunes, [title of show] also hits home with questions many of us face, namely: does what I’m doing actually matter? It’s a one-act, 90-minute ride that makes you feel like you’re on the inside of this group’s inside joke. Why’s it called [title of show] you may ask? Well, you’ll have to see it to find out!

I am truly humbled to be on the inside, so to speak, with this talented group. The level I’m stepping up to with Matt (Hunter/director), Stephanie (Heidi), Liz (Susan) and our accompanist Shealan (Mary) is an ensemble unlike any I’ve ever worked with before. I’m coming at this as an amateur in theatre–I do what I do for the love of it, and now I get a chance to work with people who have all worked professionally as actors and musicians.

For that same reason, I was incredibly nervous–right up until the first rehearsal. I had worked on a few songs ahead of time with Shealan and listened extensively to the Broadway cast album (for real–[title of show] songs have been exclusively running through my head for the better part of a month), but I didn’t want it to look too obvious I hadn’t really done this too much before. Thankfully, Matt put me at ease right away by keeping the expectations pretty easy. Add in the support, energy and enthusiasm everyone brought, and three days in I can safely say I think we’ve already clicked.

Now my nerves turn to the task of getting all of this down in three weeks. Yeah. The show goes up July 20 for six Friday & Saturday evening performances at the Weber Center, and while we sound pretty good on a few songs so far, there’s still “The September Song” and “Development Medley” ahead. Ugh. But hey, we’ve got three weeks, right?

Buckle up. It’s going to be a great ride!