What will make a painfully awkward and shy girl feel outside of her comfort zone? (Hint: I am the awkward and shy girl). The answer is obvious: the spotlight. Put me in front of a room full of people, and I will blush harder than a little girl in front of her first crush. And what better organization to put that spotlight right on me than Off-Off Broadway?
The Off-Off Broadway Company at USC is an organization that performs musicals, so I began this experience knowing I would have to sing. But I had absolutely no idea what to actually expect from this meeting. Would I have to sing a solo? Would my voice crack like a little boy going through puberty? Was everyone going to laugh at me? All of these anxious thoughts were running through my mind the day of the meeting; when the time finally came, I felt like I was going to my death sentence.
However, when I walked in to the meeting, I automatically felt at ease. All of the members were so warm and welcoming to me, and they made it clear that they didn’t want me to feel uncomfortable. We started off by listening to the song that we would be singing—“A Star is Born” from “Hercules.” Then, the directors asked everyone to stand up and sing it.
Welp, this is it, said my conscious, time to let your inner Beyoncé shine. And so the song began, and even though I sounded like some sort of dying animal, I actually had a blast with it! The song was upbeat and exciting, and all of the singers got really into it. I loved singing the song so much that I even stuck around to rehearse it more than once.
Although I could never be a part of the Off-Off Broadway organization due to my horrendous voice, I walked out of that meeting with a smile on my face. I was proud of myself for stepping outside of my comfort zone and actually enjoying it. Now I have something fun to look forward to: Off-Off Broadway’s show “Rise of a Hero” runs November 6-9 at Benson Theater. It is sure to be one heck of a show.
