BWW Blog: Dylan Ratell of CHICAGO in Japan - A Very 'Chicago' Christmas

There is nothing more important in my life than my family. They have been my support for the last twenty-five years. Not only do they allow me to be who it is I am meant to be but they make sure I am able to do so comfortably and without resistance. They are truly the best support system a person could ask for. I am spoiled to have them in my court when I need them and, to be honest, I sometimes feel that I don't show them the appreciation they deserve. How do you show the perfect family how much they mean to you?

I have been blessed enough to spend all but one of my twenty -five Holiday Seasons with my family. The one Christmas I was apart from them was, maybe, the hardest but most rewarding Holidays of my life. You see, I had recently moved to Manhattan and couldn't afford to come home. Instead I took on jobs with Creative Goods selling merch' in Broadway houses and dog sitting on the Upper East Side. That year was hard but the bond I made with my "New York Family" grew stronger as a result. I remember waking up on Christmas morning to no one. No presents, no excitement or Christmas cheer, just a dog that needed to be taken for a walk.

I vowed to myself then that I would strive to make every Christmas special. I would do whatever it took to get home, see my niece and nephew, eat the breakfast that my father so carefully prepared and watch "A Christmas Story" on repeat. I have done a good job honoring that vow.

Life has changed so much since I've booked the Chicago National Tour last January. I've traveled the world, made new friends and stretched myself as a performer. I've done everything from sipping wine in Santa Barbara to eating jellyfish tentacles in Seoul all while performing my actual, real-life, DREAM SHOW!

One of the biggest ways life changed for me this year is that I had to agree to spend this Christmas abroad in Tokyo. Don't get me wrong, this is the opportunity of a lifetime but it is a double-edged sword. The performer in me is ALWAYS willing to take the job because they can be so few and far between but the family man in me was tentative to accept because it would mean a Holiday without my family. Boy was I mistaken.

Accepting this job was accepting that my Chicago family is just that, my family. They have shown me kindness, compassion, understanding and love. My relationships with each of these weirdoes' are authentically unique and I can't stress enough how important they all are. At first I was scared and feeling out of my comfort zone spending time away from the familiar but just because I am away from blood relatives this holiday season does not mean I'm without family.

I would like to express my gratitude for this show, those who perform next to me every day and those behind the scenes making it all happen. You are the best family I could have hoped for. You allow me to be who it is I am meant to be comfortably and without resistance. You're in my court when I need you and sometimes I feel like I don't show you the appreciation you deserve, but then again, how do you show the perfect family what it is they mean to you?

To those of you reading this who are a part of my family back home or abroad, Happy Holidays, I love you to the ends of the earth! To those of you meeting me for the first time here on Broadway World: Welcome! Either way I hope you enjoy this video of Chicago Japan enjoying "A Very 'Chicago' Christmas!"