A quickening of her heartbeat. It captivated her, as if a million jolts of electricity were running down her spine. It connected her; It made her breathe; It made her feel whole again. The lights, the sounds, the movement. It caught her attention and she just couldn’t look away, even for a moment. She didn’t want to. And the moment the curtains fell and the magic left the place, she could still feel herself shivering a little. It impacted her, rippling through her like tiny waves crashing on the shore. And even as she went back that night, she found herself replaying every bit of detail that she had scratched into memory, reliving the beauty of its extravagant flair.
Her anticipation of the musical was probably only around 50% as she waited around with her parents for the show to start. Too many people in that tiny shopping location with far too many exquisite shops and people who didn’t fit into the picture. Indeed, such an expensive location, and she could see shorts and slippers running around the place. She felt a dull ache as she tried to remember what it was like. Her first love. The theatre. It sometimes pained her when she observed people going in as if they were dressed to sit in a coffee shop watching football matches. Nothing wrong with that. She just wished people respected such a sacred place more. It had been far too long and she had long forgotten what everything felt like. That love for theatre, that embracing of the culture. It had all simply faded away to a mere entertainment program. Perhaps, in terms of respect for the theatre, she wasn’t any better than the rest at all. She laughed, a cold chill creeping in. Of course she wasn’t any better. She had never really felt ‘better’ at this dismal point in her life anyway.
But as the audience were seated and the lights were dimmed, the first note was sung and the musical had began, she felt a tugging at her heartstrings. Perhaps that love had never really gone away after all. As she watched the first scene, she took in the costumes, the lights, the sounds, the movements, everything. She started noticing things that she used to overlook before. And without her realization, she began to tear. She was touched. Every single detail had so much to tell of the efforts put into crafting the characters, making them come alive. That positive attitude that brimmed with the vibrancy and passion for the arts was the most touching scene she had ever witnessed. Every muscle that rippled with energy, every expression that invoked emotions so strong, every word that resounded with conviction. She had to admit, it was the best musical she had ever watched.
It wasn’t just a musical, actors and actresses moving on stage delivering lines, belting out songs and dancing. It was a personal experience that caused her to reflect on much of her life. As the scenes played out one by one, she could relate to it with the different points that she had faced or was facing in life. It struck her like a chord, and she could almost feel her heart singing out with it. She had watched the movie countless times as a kid, but with this, it seems to have taken on a whole new meaning of its own. She could relate to the characters, feeling how they felt. Such was the power of the theatre, causing her to be brought into that magical world where fantasy abounds.
Although, she had to admit. After the musical, she felt rather ashamed. Drama was something that she had loved so very much, even as a little kid in kindergarten. But she never did well in it, in all those years in drama clubs in her schools. And that night, she realized why. She had been afraid. She locked herself up, carefully crafting her own boundaries which limited even her own movement. She had been afraid to lose herself in the character, in the story. And she had never given it her best shot. It seems a little too late to try and pursue something so distant and unfamiliar now. But at the very least, she’s learnt to appreciate these things a little better now. It gave her hope and courage. And perhaps one day, she may find herself on her own kind of stage, doing what she’s doing now but professionally, and someday, she’s going to shine. She’ll find a way. Because dreams can become a reality. And life is full of miracles.
