Burgundy’s Blog: “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible”

It’s kind of fun to do the impossible. – Walt Disney

In the two-week run of The Music Man, more than 4,000 were transported into River City. Through the charming Iowa Stubborn, they found a story with a whole lot of heart. Our final show was on Sunday, and by Monday morning the stage was completely clear. The only physical remnant left of River City was the beige stage floor and the costumes waiting to be dry cleaned.

All this to make space for the next one.

(Those that have been involved with theatre know that I am oversimplifying things a bit. We started seriously building the world of Boddy Manor in Clue many weeks ago while we were still deep in the throes of The Music Man. And we aren’t just working on one right now, but more like three between our Triple Threat Showcase, Clue, and 100th Anniversary Gala. But for the sake of a clean narrative, you get the idea.)

When a story is told on stage, it is a beautiful art form where we share in the human experience. It’s also so much more than that. It’s an exercise in creative problem-solving. Almost nothing you see on stage is the first draft. It comes from trial and error and then modification and trial again. One of my favorite things about the theatre is that I am surrounded by people who are constantly finding incredible solutions.

If we are doing our job correctly, you are completely immersed in a show and utterly unaware of the bumps we had along the way. We solve the problem, we innovate, we reach, we create a safe space where the only way to fail is to not try at all.

I love the quote by Walt Disney. It’s kind of fun to do the impossible. But the quote really oversimplifies the process. The impossible doesn’t just happen. It is a labor of love and collaboration. Great minds come together to make it happen. But when it works, it can feel like magic.

Look for several announcements of some upcoming magic coming soon, including our new Director of Education, more details on the 100th Anniversary Gala (save the date for Sept. 22!), and the 2024 Season Announcement!

And in the meantime, suffice it to say, we continue to do the impossible.