The Show Must Go On...?

So. Last night was the opening night of the Christmas musical I'm in. I thought my biggest problem would be my singing. I'm getting over a cold and some of my high notes aren't quite what I want them to be yet. Going on stage for my number, I had a pounding heart as I considered how dry it was on stage. This...was not the biggest problem I encountered during my time on stage.

Oh no, a dry throat would have been NICE.

I'm there...singin' my song about angels. My voice isn't sucking, so I'm kind of happy about that. However, I notice something out of the corner of my eye...my 84 year old cast mate, Betty, is entering. She's not supposed to enter until AFTER my song. I'm not near the end of the song...is she going to come on stage and start doing her lines over my song? That would be weird.

She never quite got there, though.

To get on stage through the "front door" of the set, you have to walk up these tall steps. Betty USUALLY has someone behind her helping her up, but today she had entered way too early and that person had not realized she was gone. On Betty's way up the stairs, she started to wobble. Before I know it she has fallen off of the steps and crashed into the table below her (It's a dinner theatre, ya know). I have seen the whole thing, gasp, stop singing, and stand on stage with my mouth wide open.

Luckily, the children that do a bit of back up for me, kept going. So at least the 7 year olds were professionals...

Literally, I just stood there. Like a fish. Mouth wide open and staring at Betty, who is insisting to everyone around her that she is okay. Her son was in the play and he jumped off stage to make sure she was alright. Betty is okay, luckily. She could have seriously hurt herself...she has a new entrance now from the back of the stage. We're pretending The Waffle House has a "back entrance" now.

What a night. I didn't have to worry about my high notes...I never sang them! Six more weeks to get the show perfect. :D