FASCINATING RHYTHM

I did a solo show in New York City!

I’m still reeling at the fact that this is my reality. I’m also shocked that it’s over. I spent months

building up to this giant thing, and now that it’s over, it feels like it went by in a flash, like it

wasn’t even a thing at all. And yet it was. It was a huge thing and an experience I’m extremely

grateful for.

When I first got the idea that I wanted to do a cabaret at AMT, I had no idea what went into

creating a show like this. I remember in my first meeting with Tony about the show, walking in

and thinking that we would just pick a date, I would sing some songs on said date, and we’d be

set. I hadn’t thought about theme, fundraising, hiring a music director and stage manager,

making a poster, or even coming up with a title. I was lost. But thankfully Tony knew all of the

right questions to ask, and the gears immediately started turning in my head. I love to plan, and

I love to solve problems, and as a creator of my own cabaret, I realized that I would be able to

put those skills to use. I went home and immediately started brain storming. I called my mom

and ran some titles by her, looked through all of the songs in my repertoire (and my spotify

playlist) and picked out my favourites, and came up with a general theme that I felt confident

about. That’s the day that Fascinating Rhythm was born.

From that point I locked in and started preparing my songs. I knew I was going to need an

exceptional music director, and so I reached out to a friend from college, Darrick Brown, and it

just so happened that the stars aligned and he was able to do the show. I was thrilled to have

Darrick on the team, and reflecting on the project as a whole, I’m so grateful I got to work with

him on this. Rehearsals with Darrick were awesome. We really made music together in the

rehearsal room, and that was an absolute blast.

About a week before the show, maybe two, I started to think about what I would do or say in

between the songs. This was the part that I was really nervous about, more so than the songs

even. I didn’t want to come off like I was trying to be funny, but I also wanted to entertain, and

hopefully make people laugh with what I was saying. I also wanted to be vulnerable with the

audience, and allow them to learn a little bit about myself and my journey as a performer. I

ended up writing a list of a bunch of stories that were relevant to my performing journey, then I

called my mom to make sure I didn’t miss anything. Lastly, I thought about my set list and

attempted to draw a connection between the stories I remembered/wrote down, and the songs I

would sing. Then at the show, I used this outline to remember the stories, but I didn’t want to be

fully scripted because I think that would throw me off; I wanted it to feel off the cuff. Looking

back, I do think this was an effective way to plan these moments in between, and it ended up

actually working really well. Some of my favourite parts of the show were the moments where I

got to open up to the audience and just talk.

The day of the show, I was surprisingly calm. I think I was more nervous before the tech dress

than before the show. Once I had done the tech run, and knew I had an actual show and not just

an awkward collection of songs and stories that vaguely made sense, I was confident in the

work I had done, and excited to share it with people. Additionally, on the day of and before the

show, my family arrived in NYC and so show day was mostly spent exploring the city with them,

which made me feel calmer. My family is truly my biggest support system, and their love and

encouragement is what keeps me going every day.

At 7pm on August 22nd, the moment I stepped onto the stage, I was suddenly struck with the

reality of it really happening, and I felt a wave of fear. I needed to catch my breath and shake

out my nerves. I was particularly able to shake out during Anything You Can Do with Mike. I was

having so much fun during that number that I forgot I was even nervous at all. As the show went

on and I was able to fully loosen up and ease into the cabaret, I had so so so much fun.

Overall, I feel really happy with the show I put on. I’m a perfectionist and so nothing will ever feel

100% perfect to my mind, but for my first solo show in New York City, I feel proud of what I did. I

can’t wait to take everything I’ve learned from this show and apply it to the next one.

Listen to Brogan talk about her show on the AMT After Dark with Joanie & Pete podcast!

Written by Brogan Nelson