I moved to Utah from New York City. "Why, in the name of everything holy, would you do that?!" you may be screaming at your computer. I am not Mormon, I would rather take a nap in my bathtub while watching "Toddlers and Tiaras" than go hiking, and if I tried to ski my bones would shatter like the saltines squished at the bottom of your Wendy's chili to-go bag. My friends, I will be honest with you. I dreaded moving to Utah. I so enjoyed the fact that I could walk outside of my NYC apartment and have six different Starbucks to choose from on the same corner as my nail salon. I realized quickly that when Utahans said a building was "three blocks away" what they meant was not my customary three NYC blocks, but really more like 3,470 miles. #Inconvenient. It was a culture shock, dear ones. But, graduate school was calling to me at the University of Utah, and so, here I came to this alien planet.
My mom took me to see Saturday's Voyeur last summer and I remember thinking, "THERE ARE OTHERS. I AM NOT ALONE." It was an encounter of the fourth kind, the hilarious kind. I laughed myself silly (a little too silly, thanks to the Riesling) and was jealous of the fun all of the actors were having up on stage. After the show, my mom said, "You should audition next year!" to which I had a hearty chuckle. Saturday's Voyeur surely would have no use for an opera singer. I put the thought out of my head. Months passed...(cue montage of my school life accompanied by an upbeat pop song.) Then, one fateful day, I saw that SLAC was holding auditions for Saturday's Voyeur 2014 and I thought to myself, "What the hell. The worst thing that can happen is that they laugh in my face and pelt me with rotting vegetables." Well, they did laugh in my face. In a good way! I think I realized that that audition was unlike any I had ever done about halfway through my operatic version of a Lil Jon rap song. I certainly had never sung the "F word" in any opera audition, let me tell you that much.
Well, folks, the rest is history. I am a proud member of this year's Voyeur cast and I am literally having the time of my life. And you know what the most surprising thing that came out of all of this is? A love and appreciation for Utah. Through this show, I have gained an understanding and sense of humor about all of the quirkly Utah-isms that makes this state one in a million. I have met some of the coolest and most talented people who make me laugh every single day and I finally feel a sense of belonging in this city.
So, please, come see Saturday's Voyeur. You'll laugh and feel like part of a family that shows love by gently poking fun at each other. Being in Voyeur is an experience that has truly changed me for the better. Although I still will probably never go hiking.
