Thursday 20 January 2011

"I Heard Somebody Say . . . Burn Baby Burn"




Being President of a Musical Society is no mean feat. Especially when that society is "Treading the Boards."

First of all there's the election process; writing your speech, trying to persuade people that you're not going to ruin the company, trying to make yourself funnier and more appealking than the other candidates. Sounds easy, sure, but remember that this is me, the awkward-everyone-must-love- me-or-I'll-die-and-I-want-everything-so-badly-I'll-explode-if-I-don't-get-it me.

Then of course when you get elected there's organising your committee, making sure your production team stay on target and don't act like a bunch of wankers all the time and making sure you don't run out of money.

The latter is possibly the most important.
Musicals eat money like Charlie Sheen's prostitute problem and are far less rewarding.

They also swallow all of your free time. If I'm not studying or working chances are I'm in the dance studio running a scene/number/routine for the umpteenth time.

This year, our marvelous production team decided to do "Disco Inferno" a romp through the 70's jukebox catalogue. Yup. Its as a gay as it sounds.

Somehow I managed to land a lead who wasn't a fat chick (I know right!?) but actually a vamp - I got to get my boobs out and everything - A far cry from the Scumshaw days of playing a mute obese best friend. Not that I'm not over that . . . obviously.

We auditioned, casted, rehearsed and staged this show with a total of 30 numbers in just under five months, which is impressive considering at least 1 month of that was what's known as "dead rehearsals" where you might as well not have bothered showing up because no one else has.

This was due to the ever fascinating Aberdeen am-dram scene having swallowed up our males, not, I might add, as filthy as it sounds. There's only a very limited number of lads in the Deen who for one actually like theatre and who can then actually sing and sort of dance. It follows then that every company in the city wants them and they end up doing more than 1 show at a time, picking and choosing which rehearsals they want to attend and making their castmates lives a living hell for 2 or 3 months.

But the show went on and on and on for two and a half hours every night for a week and sold lots of tickets. And got a rave review. And was nominated for local awards. And was voted the number one thing to do in Aberdeen.

All in all pretty epic.

Then we all got wasted at the aftershow at my place.

I love my TTBers to pieces.
But God I am more than willing to step down at the election come May. 1 year is more than enough.

Maybe next year I'll take up a more relaxing hobby like watercolour painting or crocheting?

Yeah Right. . . . I'm allergic to paint.



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