Flashback: 5,6,7,8

This is as close as I'm ever going to get to being in a chorus line. Going to Crown Uptown's production of A Chorus Line transported me back to my audition for K-State Singers when I was in college.

I passed the vocal audition with flying colors. And then it was time for the dance audition. My college voice teacher did her best to prepare me. In a practice room in McCain Auditorium, I worked with her son's girlfriend who was a dance major. She valiantly tried to teach me the simplest of dance steps. It wasn't her fault that I had zero aptitude for dance.

I went to a small high school with no high school chorale group. No sequined costumes and grapevine moves were in my repertoire. As I stood among the other auditioners in the large classroom in McCain and watched the choreographer lead us through a series of dance moves, it was like she was speaking a foreign language. And no amount of translating by a helpful dance major could overcome the language barrier.

I didn't make the cut. I was crushed.

But then I got into K-State Concert Choir, and it was a much better fit for me in the long run. It's funny how life works out that way.

And maybe that traumatic college experience makes me a better audience member today. Unlike me, the cast members of A Chorus Line in the Wichita production could both sing and dance. It's always good to have an appreciative audience. I'm glad to do my part.

I've been fortunate enough to see two musicals in the last couple of weeks. We went to the Crown Uptown Sunday evening. For my birthday, Randy treated me to tickets to Music Theatre of Wichita's production of 9 to 5. With seats on the front row, I got to see those dance moves up close. I'm still no closer to being able to do them.

That's OK: Randy can't either. On the rare occasion when our dance skills are required, we can ably stay out of other dancers' way by dancing in our little invisible box. A 5, 6, 7, 8 ...