BWW Blog: Nanjibah Khan - A Show To Remember

Lion King Jr. was performed at Parkway Middle School of the Arts on May 18th and 19th. After five whole months of hard work, dedication, and practice, an absolutely fantastic show came together. This is my last show at Parkway Middle School of the Arts, and I could not have asked for a better experience as my last memory in such a wonderful performing arts program.

I had never done tech before in my entire life. I never wanted to try it at all. Controlling lights, sounds, and mics just seemed too much for me. I liked the comfort of saying lines and singing songs that I had practiced for months instead of actually pressing buttons and touching things that could easily mess up a whole show! For the Lion King, however, I decided to try something new. And I got to be stage manager of the production.

It was terrifying at first. Calling the whole show? What if I missed a cue? I was terrified. I felt as if the whole show was on my shoulders, and if one thing went wrong, it would all lead up to me. And I was almost confident that something was going to go wrong and that I was going to have to crawl up in a corner to hide from an angry mob of cast members, audience members, and other tech crew members. I wasn't ready at all.

Yet still, I practiced. I wanted to do as well as I was capable of. I reviewed all of my cues, practiced saying them, and so forth. The first show we had, I was extremely sweaty and nervous. Starting the show off was extremely nerve-wracking, but as the show went on, it became easier and easier. I slowly became comfortable with it, and before I knew it, the first show was over. Then came the next show, and the one after that. I did better each time I did it. Of course there were things that went wrong from time to time, but nothing to make the whole show fall apart.

We sold out on both nights. We got a standing ovation on both nights. Many, many people told me that the show was the best show they had ever seen at our school. I mean, I knew it was good, but was it THAT good?

That's when I realized that when you invest your time and hard work in something for such a long time, you become so used to it that you don't realize what your hard work has created. And that's when I realized that what we created was absolutely amazing.

We had a talented cast, an experienced tech crew, extravagant costumes, and a hair and makeup crew like no other. The five months we spent on the show was very tiring, but it was worth it in the end! There are certain things that you create in your life that you just can't let go. No matter how many years pass by, it seems to stick in your mind. And I think this show was one that I'll remember.

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