Even though The Wizard of Oz closed on March 15th, it feels like I only just said goodbye to Dorothy.To be honest, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to truly let her go.
Being Dorothy onstage with our incredible team was the most magical experience of my life. I’m not exaggerating when I say that. I mean it with all my heart!
Below is a short diary I wrote on my laptop during a class on the 14th, the first show day of our cast (Gold Cast) I included my translation too.
Diary
My heart feels like it’s going to explode from how nervous I am!!!!! I couldn’t even eat properly this morning.
Will I be able to do well today??
The phrase I keep repeating to myself is “Stop doubting and just believe.” It’s what Mom sent me after doing her QT.
Even if I can’t fully trust myself, I can trust God, who placed me here! But it’s not easy. I keep thinking I’ll make mistakes, mess up my solo song, or forget my lines… I had so much fun on Monday’s Invited Dress, and yet here I am, nervous again. I hope I can do this comfortably and joyfully. Honestly, once I get started, I know it’s going to be so fun! I want to face this with excitement rather than fear. Every time I rehearse or perform, I become truly humbled. It makes me so grateful to God, who gives strength and ability to someone like me who has nothing on her own.
All I have to do is give it my best!
– Friday morning, the day of the performance
Looking back, I’m so glad I had this written down before the show. I’m glad that I have a clear evidence that tells me I am never alone. I will forever be grateful to God for this experience.
The show always started with my entrance. As the opening music was putting the audience under its spell, I was shaking with anxiety and excitement. I was standing backstage, in the stage left wing, praying. Then I would start to get into character, with Miss Gulch’s horrifying face filling my head. But I was so surprised by the fact that the nervousness just washes away as I soon as I enter and become Dorothy. It was so cool!
In the end, I didn’t mess up Somewhere Over the Rainbow! The fact that 400 people sat in complete silence just to hear me sing one of the most iconic songs in the world still feels surreal. Before the show, I joked that I was so sick of the song I’d never listen to it again for the next two years. I still think this was a reasonable remark since I practiced this every week for 7 months by myself. I was always so unhappy with my singing, especially with this song, so I always didn’t like practising this. But now I know I’ll never listen to it the same way again. Somewhere Over the Rainbow will forever be in my playlist!
Also just look at our set. It couldn’t have been more beautiful. It was truly breathtaking. Everything was crafted with such care and effort that, whenever the set changed, I genuinely believed that I was in Kansas, Munchkinland, or the Emerald City.
Even after I got the role after the audition, I had no idea the show would be on such a large scale. 118 students were involved, there were two casts, hundreds of costume were used, the entire floor was painted and a real dog played Toto, selected through a big audition. This was also BHA’s first ever full production, lasting two and a half hours. Thinking about it, our director was taking a BIG risk, casting a new student with nearly zero experience in school musicals to play the main character of BHA’s first full show ever since it was founded. I’m incredibly grateful to have been the one at the center of it all. I always felt the pressure, and this being my first proper production in my life, I was never more anxious than I was this February and March. I didn’t want to mess up the show that a LOT of people are paying to watch (it was pretty expensive), with more than a hundred people involved. I wanted everyone to feel happy and proud of all the effort they have put in. But I also wanted to fully enjoy this incredible opportunity! And I will forever be greatful that I actually did!
The intention behind my characterization of Dorothy:
Even when Dorothy was far from home, I wanted the audience to see that Dorothy grew up being always loved by the people around her. I wanted that to be obvious, but I didn’t want her to realize
that at first!
I was so so delighted to hear that my friends, as the audience, felt that way.
Also, I felt like a celebrity in the weeks following the show! Right after the performance, so many people lined up to take pictures with me, and I received countless flowers and gifts, not just from my family and friends, but also from audience members I had never even met before. These days, a lot of people, even the little ones in Junior School recognize me, and I’m truly grateful that many will remember me as Dorothy, giving my all on stage.
The past seven months were filled with songs, dances, endless lines, excitement, anxiety, prayers, stress, laughter, pain, and joy. I’m so grateful I got to have this experience in my very first year at BHA. Even decades from now, I know this will be a year I’ll never forget. I made friends with people who are so beautiful inside and out, and I realized that being on stage as a different person feels awesome.
I’ve long awaited the moment I could finally write these words on my blog:
All glory to God!
