Farmington Players’ members are in for a real treat on Saturday,
March 16th. After the
membership business meeting that evening ends around 8:30, a musical workshop
extravaganza will take center stage at the Barn, featuring songs from Les Mis, West Side Story, Wicked, Cabaret
and other classics performed by fellow Barn members, including workshop
co-directors Taylor Alfano and Rachael Rose.
Several months in preparation, the workshop is Rachael’s
brainchild: “The dream for me for doing this workshop was to basically say to
the membership of The Farmington Players: if you've ever been too afraid to do
anything like a musical; or if you've just been out of the saddle for too long;
or if you're just a performance junkie ... come join us as we put together a
performance that will teach the basics of how to read music, how to prepare and
audition for a musical, and be inclusive of all elements of performing a
musical. I wanted to keep the membership engaged and really teach them the
skills and build their confidence for auditioning for musicals, especially at
the Barn. I think we've met this goal for sure because of the 11 people
out of the workshop that auditioned for Legally
Blonde, eight were cast, so that's really huge!”
Long-time member Karen Southworth talks about the evolution of
musicals at the Barn: “Back in the 90's, the Farmington Players began doing
musicals again. If you wanted to be in the chorus, you just had to sing in a
small group. Now, we are doing musicals every year and even ensemble parts are
more competitive. Through the workshop, I have learned to sight read music,
sing harmony, learned about my own vocal range, and gained confidence! I wanted
to be able to have the courage to sing a solo for an audition, and I did that
for Legally Blonde ... And was cast!
It has been a lot of fun, and I have so many new friends. Rachael and Taylor
have given us so much encouragement, and the workshop members have also been
very supportive!
New member Barb Bruno echoes this
sentiment: “I joined the workshop when I joined the Farmington Players. I
hadn't done any singing in over fifteen years so it seemed like a great way not
only to get to know Barn members, but also to get back into music. This
interlude of getting my feet wet has developed into more than I could have
imagined!” In fact, Barb recently showed
off her vocal talents in Ruthless!,
the Barn’s entry at Michigan AACTFest.
Similarly, Dave Reinke said, “the workshop has helped me better
understand my vocal range and give me more confidence as a performer. In
the past I would never bother auditioning for a musical cause I never felt
confident in my ability as a singer. Working with Rachael and Taylor has
given me that confidence.”
Jill Heffron had the best analogy: “Singing is sort of like golf ...
a whole bunch of bad shots, then a moment of brilliance that makes you know you
are capable (and keeps you coming back)! I have hit notes that I never thought
could come out of my body. It doesn’t happen every time, but just knowing I am capable some
of the time is a huge achievement for me!” Jill credits Rachael and Taylor with instilling the “power
of positive thinking into all of us. I've learned to open my mouth and let the
power of the breath sing the notes. Taylor and Rachael are two of the most professional and
positive people I have ever met. Their words of encouragement and continual
belief in the whole group have made this journey so much fun.”
In summary, Rachael said, “I can't wait for the membership to see
just how hard everyone's been working and truly how much talent we have at the
Barn! We have really become a family... much closer than I would ever
have imagined from my initial thoughts of putting something like this together.”
Farmington Players’ members, friends and family are all welcome to
enjoy the free musical workshop performance, which starts at approximately
8:30pm, right after the business meeting.
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