Amateur Theater

In my youth I possessed the ability to naturally sing and dance. My friends and I would encourage each other to perform in local area talent shows and to "act a fool" performing in the cafeteria or schoolyard. My 9th year music class with the incomparable Ed Konecnik, "Mr. K." as he was called, completely changed my life, and the idea of what musical theater was all about.

My natural ability to dance, forced me to take more seriously “do-re-me,” harmony and breathing techniques associated with singing. And it wasn’t until the graduating “Spring Concert” that the pressure was set upon us (class 9B1) to present something spectacular.

“The Wiz”,” Bubbling Brown Sugar”, “Guys and Dolls”, and “Timbuktu” were elaborate productions forging a new face of Broadway and African American artistry. I cannot remember if my parents purchased my first ticket to see “The Wiz”, or if I committed the continuous crime of walking into the theater, with a playbill, and taking any available seat to see the second half of the show. No matter, I was smitten with musical theater and became the groupie at the back-stage door waiting for autographs and offering gratitude for the performance I just witnessed (or not).  

My new unofficial job as “groupie” warranted observation by one who became a true mentor and friend. Alvin McDuffy inquired about my frequent backstage appearances and asked if I saw the show just as often. An invitation to lunch allowed me to introduce myself and discuss my 9th year school project. Impressed with my endeavors, Alvin walked me backstage introducing me to singers, actors, dancers who have inspired me to this day (along with continuous legal passes to view the show in the theater wings and in the house).

The 9th grade “Spring Festival” production consisted of musical numbers from “West Side Story”, “Guys and Dolls” and “Hair”, with my choreographed numbers of "The Tornado" (The Wiz), “Sweet Georgia Brown”, and “It Don’t Mean A Thing” (Bubbling Brown Sugar) along with the school band and chorus. I extended an invitation to my Broadway friends to travel to Queens, to see what we accomplished with their support. Their appearance created a frenzy in my school, with autograph signing and picture taking, as they were excited by how quickly I observed, retained, and mounted the professional schematic choreography and props of their productions.

This effort bestowed upon me a Benjamin Chancy citation of honor in music, and warranted a letter of recommendation to the Alvin Ailey school, securing my first of three, scholarship appointments.

Excerpted from work in progress “Dance of The Fallen Angels”