What Keeps Us Going?
It’s the Shows!

Fifth in a series of articles about our continued participation in the Sweet Adelines organization.

By Sue Bonior and Jennifer Wold, Region 1, Royal River Chorus

The house lights blink and the din of chatter in the theater gradually subside. The emcee steps into the spotlight to welcome the crowd and prepare them for the complete sensory experience in store for them. All they have to do, she tells them enthusiastically, is to sit back and relax as the Sweet Adelines take them on a spirited musical journey through song and dance.

Behind the curtain, you and your friends lie in wait, your sequined costumes flashing like sparks in the semi-darkness. The anticipation and energy is palpable; it’s enough to propel you onstage when the emcee cues your entrance.

You have just enough time to wonder … since most women are not natural-born stage performers, why are we here? Many of our new members are terrified of performing — witness the audition process! But here they are, standing alongside the veterans, their knees knocking and hands trembling, ready to give it their all.

* * *

Why do we do this? Why do we grab every opportunity to perform that comes our way? Why do we put ourselves through the rigors of planning and producing a show — not to mention the countless hours of rehearsal? Why do we ask our families, friends, co-workers and neighbors to come watch us strut on stage in extravagant costumes and abundant makeup?

Because this is what we love about being a Sweet Adeline!

Membership in a Sweet Adelines chorus provides the chance to be involved in the areas you enjoy and are good at. And what better place to put your skills to work than on a show. Reminiscent of those wonderful Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland movies, the cry of “Let’s put on a show!” resonates with the promise of a good time. Who knows what you’ll come up with or what hidden talents you’ll discover in your chorus.

Assembling the team is the first order of business. There’s the show chair, stage manager, creative team, costumer, sound tech, public relations … the list goes on. What an opportunity to make use of both the right- and left-brained women in your chorus. A successful show needs creativity and organization, vision and order.

Planning and participating in a show forges strong bonds of friendship through shared experience. How many times have you been sitting around at Regional or a retreat and started playing “remember when?” The silly things that happened, the obstacles that were overcome, the joys of performing together, all contribute to that wonderful sense of sisterhood. It’s like being with friends from high school and looking at your old yearbooks. Everything seems sweeter when shared with those who were there.

This is also a chance to make newer members feel a part of something more than rehearsal night.

“I remember as a new member being invited to join the script committee for a show,” Jennifer relates. “I went to the first meeting and sat at a table with the Assistant Director, a founding member, and a woman lovingly referred to as ‘Mother’ due to her proclivity for taking care of things. I was both in awe and intimidated. Then we started brainstorming. They got silly, impractical, slapstick, and –dare I say– downright foolish. They became real people, and I felt part of the group.”

It is important for each of us to feel that we are valued members of the chorus, to feel that we are making a contribution. Otherwise we might as well stay home and work on the Star Spangled Banner — the shower version.

In planning shows we have discovered chorus members with dead-on comedic timing, cross-gender acting ability, razor sharp writing skills, and a wealth of untapped talents. Having our talents recognized and utilized makes us feel good, and it adds to the strength and depth of the chorus as a whole.

Truly, everyone in the chorus is invaluable to the success of a show. There are new songs and choreography to learn. There are extra rehearsals to pull everything together. Each member may be asked to come up with her own costume and character to fit a theme. The show wouldn’t exist if it were carried by only a handful of women. The enthusiasm and talent of the entire chorus is needed.

Our chorus’ most recent show had a ’50s theme. Each member came up with a character from that era and developed a persona. The risers filled with everything from grease monkeys, bikers and biker chicks to cheerleaders, glamour queens and Mouseketeers! This was a brave step for our costume committee (who made sure every outfit was appropriately sequined) and it was a creative stretch for chorus members. The personalities that evolved were so convincing that the basses, who all adopted male personas, fooled many people, both on and off stage!

* * *

OK, the script has been fine-tuned, the music learned, the stage set, and the afterglow planned.

Ah, the afterglow! The perfect end to a perfect show. This is the time to acknowledge everyone’s contributions. Guest performers are thanked. Congratulations and praise are tossed around like so much confetti. Now the fun begins! The show is over and the pressure is off. Here we sing for each other — we sing for fun.

Countless hours have been spent preparing for this day. The afterglow lets you hang onto it just a little longer, like lingering over coffee at the end of a wonderful meal. It brings the chorus back to a more intimate feeling, to share with each other the joy of being a performer. You can laugh over miscues, delight that the audience loved you, and relish the magic you created together. You can’t wait for the next performance!

* * *

So, there you are. Someone peeks through the curtain — it’s a full house. Suddenly your hands are clammy, your mouth is dry and your heart is pounding. The woman beside you whispers, “What’s the first word?”

You see your director’s smiling face as you tuck into your spot on the risers. The house lights dim. The curtain opens to wild applause. The stage lights bathe and blind you. You breathe in the pitch and set up your tantalizing first chord.

In this moment you know — this is what you love! Being part of the process from beginning to end … standing shoulder to shoulder with women you care about like family … singing this wonderful music … and entertaining — transforming a stage and thrilling an audience with your collective talent. This is the joy of being a Sweet Adeline. This is what keeps us going.

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