The Show Must Go On Cast Blog: Nickeshia Garrick, Jan 21

January 21, 2010

By Nickeshia Garrick, performer in The Show Must Go On

Wow… all I can say is WOW! The opening night was nothing less than magical; the cast and tech crew were beaming with enthusiasm, and generosity, and the audience grasped at all that they were given wholeheartedly. This collective energy between the audience members and the performers furthermore facilitated such a memorable night.

I don’t think there was one sour note of the night, and if there was, it was all lost between the clapping, singing and dancing of the audience members, and the familiar tunes they all enjoyed. Not even the random guy who was bold enough to break the fourth wall (between audience member and performer) could ruin the show. I must admit, I was a little stirred but not shaken… haha, by his entrance, but I quickly recalled the wise words from our choreographers that this was a possibility, and that we shouldn’t panic. Thankfully, one of our cast members promptly went over and politely asked him to leave, and that was the end of that.

Throughout all these quirks of the show, and the on-going effervescent atmosphere, a powerful state of calm was the song Imagine (John Lennon). I can’t really go into detail about what occurs on-stage during this song, but what captures me is what occurs off stage. Like a timid child, the audience silently feels out whether it is appropriate to sing along, and without any reprimand, they slowly come to a consensus that it’s alright. Eventually, the audience becomes a bold choir who feel inclined to share those powerful words out loud.

Well, tonight is yet another performance, a fresh audience and more anticipation from the cast and tech crew on how the audience may react. Do I expect the atmosphere to be as it were last night? No… I think the worst thing a performer can do is come with a list of expectations on their sleeve. First off, expecting something to be one way every time is boring, and unlikely. It can also lead to disappointment. I say…. come with absolutely ZERO expectations and just BE in the moment. At least that way, your reaction to whatever happens can be far more genuine.

Nickeshia 😉

The Show Must Go On is part of the 2010 PuSh International Performing Arts Festival and is presented with SFU Woodward’s and The Dance Centre. Jan 20-23, 2010 at 8:00pm, The Fei and Milton Wong Experimental Theatre, SFU. Click here for full details.