Music Theater

I love music theater! I love to lose myself for a moment in the music and story on stage - especially when I am one of the actors.
I had to write a paper for a class recently that had me recalling some of my roles. My most favorite was Mabel in Gilbert & Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance. It was community theater, but we had a lot of great talent and so much fun! Just look at those police (keystone cops!) shaking in their shoes as Mabel (in a nightgown no-less) sings in typical G&S satire: "Go ye heroes...go to glory... though ye die in combat gory, ye shall live in song and story...!" Easy for her to say! er sing!


Our director was wonderful! She has a talent for taking what is available, and orchestrating it into a work of art! (There is an allegory or two in there somewhere). There were some long nights. But it was worth it in the end. I am a single mom, and when I did Pirates my kids basically didn't see me or lived behind stage for eight weeks. Thanks kids. You gave me a gift to let me do something I adore. That was make-believe. My greatest role in life is being a mom! I agape you!

In 1973 I read someone's paraphrase of I Corinthians 13 for Band Members. I liked it. So I came up with my own adaptation for music theater.

A Paraphrase of I Corinthians 13

If I can sight read music, say every line perfect and dance flawlessly, but have not love,
I may as well sing the wrong notes, say the wrong words, and make a fool of myself.
And although I have the gift of perfect pitch, can transpose by sight, understand chords and intervals and can write a song, if I don't have love, my music may as well be dissonant.
And though I can choreograph a dance and teach a team to perform it, if I have no love, I might as well refuse to teach and leave things in chaos.

Love is patient - even when the person next to you keeps making mistakes and makes you look bad.
Love is kind when someone laughs at you for forgetting your lines.
Love is not jealous when someone else sings the part you really wanted.
Love is not proud when you are chosen to sing the lead.
Love does not make fun of the one who turned left while everyone else turned right.
Love is not too proud to admit you were the one who sang a wrong note.
Love does not take pleasure when someone gets laryngitis, enabling you to get a better part.
But rejoices even when you are the one with no voice and you sit in the audience for this performance. Love bears up while another sings the part you had practiced for hours.

Love believes God has placed you where you are for a reason - Hopes for the next place to be exciting - Yet is willing to wait for God's timing.

Technical difficulties, Long practices, Out-of-tune pianos, Lost props, and Wrinkled costumes, will all pass away. But love will last forever.

Since I don't fully understand the production of life - I can only tell you something about my part in it. Some day, the Great Director will come - And I will be able to see the script & score and understand why I had the role I did.

When I was younger, I practiced - but I was only concerned about getting the notes, words and steps. Now I realize that diction, articulation, dynamics, and movement are important too.

Now I may wonder why I am in this place in this moment, or why He chooses to move me at any given time. But when I see Jesus, I will see that because I was willing to be where He placed me, I harmonized with His melody to help make His song beautiful, and His production a "hit."

In the meantime, I've learned these three things: endurance, patience, and love; the greatest of these is LOVE.

Shirley