We walked out of the Civic Center Music Hall after the final show of the 2022-2023 OKC Broadway season when it struck me how this performance season coincided so perfectly with this season of my life. As they both come to a close I reflect on the parallels and how much these seasons have meant to me.
We’ve seen Hamilton dozens of times. That musical played on repeat in our house for a large portion of our pandemic isolation. We know the music, the lyrics, the characters, the choreography, yet there’s nothing like the thrill of seeing it live. It just hits different.
In a live performance the stage actors perform the lyrics and the moves as choreographed, but in bringing their own personality and flair to the stage they connect with the audience on a personal level. Even if I’ve seen a show countless times, every live performance is my new favorite.
I first saw Hamilton in this very theater in 2019. I knew the premise of it and had heard the raving reviews, but had intentionally kept myself clear of the music so my first Hamilton experience was raw, and untainted from expectations. My girls wanted so badly to go see it with me but didn’t get to that time, and as I walked out, I was disappointed that they hadn’t. From the beginning I was struck by Eliza Hamilton and I wanted my daughters to experience her story.
We’ve always been family fans of musicals. We watch them constantly and it’s not uncommon for us to break out into song when the mood strikes us, in the middle of conversation or around the dinner table. We’ve attended sprinklings of live shows throughout the years but this was the year we gifted ourselves the full season experience, as part of an experiences journey I started a year ago on the path to self discovery.
While musical theater was only a piece of my 10 month journey so far – which included a lot of air travel, concerts, the beach, the slopes, rekindling friendships, and walking away from those who no longer served me – it turned out to be a very important piece, and about so much more than simply live musical performances.
As this season commenced, I had just finalized my divorce from my husband of 16 years and was taking a leap by starting a job at a new company after spending the better part of 12 years at my previous company.
New experiences, new friendships, and new beginnings.
There was something meaningful at every show. We unexpectedly ran into acquaintances and we cultivated closer friendships, bonding over debriefings of the shows and our realization that we have similar opinions of the world.
We fell in love with shows that were previously unfamiliar to us – looking at you, Hadestown – where we learned the reinforced lesson that when you’re on a new path, keep moving forward and don’t look back. On this occasion we were pleasantly surprised to find that our seatmates were one of my daughter’s good friends and her mom, Melissa, whom I didn’t know well at the time but became a friend after this chance encounter where we bonded over our theater experiences and shared perspectives of shows and themes.
This was the season my baby finally got to experience her first OKC Broadway show with us for Frozen Live! In another delightful, unexpected theater encounter she quite literally ran into her very best friend and neighbor at the show.
The Final Act
Just prior to the season finale, I was affected by the tech layoffs of 2023. After only 10 months, my department was eliminated, and I lost my new job. However, as Hadestown taught me, there is no turning back. I must keep moving forward.
I don’t regret the moves I’ve made in the last year. Making the decision to be brave and leave the known and comfortable for the unknown and exciting was the best choice I could have made for myself. Truthfully, I was lost and a mystery even to myself. But I’ve found peace and true, internal happiness in my freedom. And I know there is so much more to discover.
As this season comes to a close, a new one begins. Similar to the live performances that embody it, this season of OKC Broadway has deeply resonated with me. Like the stage actors, I’m discovering how to infuse my own personality and flair to connect with life.
This season has transcended mere entertainment. I’ve cherished these experiences, bonds and new connections.
Soon after my layoff, my newfound friend Melissa generously gifted us tickets to an inspiring show of women empowerment, creating a memorable experience for us all.
My youngest had her first ever sleepover with her best friend where they filmed their own amusing theatrical production.
And then, came the season finale of Hamilton, the main reason we got season tickets this year.
I relate very deeply to Hamilton as this season’s finale. Four years later, I am still awestruck by how powerful Eliza Hamilton is live, and am immensely grateful to have finally experienced it with my girls.
You’ll notice the production is not named Alexander Hamilton, because it’s not solely about him. Eliza Hamilton, a strong woman who picked up the pieces of her life and didn’t allow loss and heartbreak to define her, is the one who finished the story. In the end it was all her narrative.
The curtains have fallen on this season, and just as the actors take their final bows, I, too, am prepared for the next act of my life. These live performances have been a reflection of the season I have experienced, intertwining experiences, bonds, and connections.
My story will continue, and, like Eliza, I am crafting my own narrative. We may not have control over life’s events, but, to reference a popular Hamilton song, it turns out you have some control over “who tells your story♪”
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