Hey look me over, lend me an ear...

I don't know when and where I began my love-affair with musicals but it's outlasted every man who's come into my life. (not that there have been many great ones anyway)
I suppose it's because I've been singing as long as I've been walking. I remember that my favorite song as a little kid was "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond and it still makes me smile when I hear it on an oldies radio station.
But getting back to musicals. Where did it start for me? Maybe it was when I was 5 years old and my kindergarden class was chosen to be the children of the king of Siam in the highschools production of The King & I. Somehow I was chosen as the child to run out and hug the kings legs. (Must've been my shyness problem)
Then like most kids me and my sister always put together little dance routines to songs we knew or to songs on the 8-track tapes or LP's my parents always played.
Then came the musical Annie. I think every little girl wanted to play that role. Get up in that red curly wig and sing"Tomorrow" to old bald Daddy Warbucks. Although I wouldn't have needed the wig, just some red hair dye.
In highschool I auditioned for the school musical my senior year and won a starring role as George M. Cohan's sister Josie. What I remember most about that was how envious all the other girls were when I had no idea who Josie even was or what parts were considered "lead" roles. I remember the tap dancing lessons we had to take and all the practice in the school cafeteria. And the dress rehearsels and wearing our stage makeup and our costumes when we made a run to Burger King during our lunch break.
Unfortunately being the "belter" I am when it comes to singing, my voice was shot after opening night and I remember not being able to hit my high notes the 2nd show. (and my over-acting was probably brutal as well. hey, I never claimed to be an actor)
I never saw Cats, I never saw A Chorus Line until it came out as a movie. It took me YEARS to see The Phantom of the Opera and it is, to date, the only opera I've ever seen. Les Miserables is just incredible and so is Miss Saigon if you don't mind leaving the theatre crying your makeup off.
I've also seen Fiddler on the Roof, Dreamgirls, Hairspray and most recently The Music Man.
Fortunately I live in a city which considers itself EXTREMELY artsy. The Eastman School of Music is one of the best music schools in the country and the Auditorium theatre, which is only 5 minutes from my apartment, brings the best shows to town. The Lion King in scheduled for a 4 week run here in the spring.
So you see, you don't have to live in a big city to enjoy the lights of broadway!