Open Dream Gets SYMPHONICIZED!

This post is from multi-talented Marissa. She sings, she dances, she acts, and she plays clarinet! Peter and the Wolf in the making! Prokofiev scored a timeless box office hit, and it is undoubtedly one of my favorites in classical music literature. We get to perform it with the Winston Salem Symphony on November 11th for a kids concert. This is the first time I'll be performing with an orchestra where I'm not in the clarinet section. So instead of playing that killer cadenza with the clarinet as the cat running up the tree, I'll be running and jumping around on stage as the bird with giant wings and lots of facepaint. Julianne has done a fantastic job choreographing the piece in a very short amount of time, and it's a riot to see all the members of the ensemble find their characters. Haydee plays an endearing and extraordinarily convincing Peter. From a distance, you would never know she wasn't playful and

mischievous young boy innocently up to trouble in the meadow. In addition to Peter and the Wolf, there are 4 more pieces on the program... The Headless Horseman, In the Hall of the Mountain King, Goldilocks, and Aladdin (where I make a brief Bellydance appearance shimmying from one side of the stage to the other). It's going to be a ridiculously fun concert, and I'm telling every parent I know to bring their kids to Reynolds Auditorium on November 11th. It's Sunday at 3pm. If you're free, BE THERE.

The Show is On... Like a Bostic

This post is from the magnificent Marissa Byers, Open Dream's clarinetist/ fire dancer / actress / and now tap dancer. She is pictured here as Sheepish (in pink) along with her Ish sisters Deepish (in purple) and Weepish (in blue).



We are in the middle of week four, and Big Shoes has come to life. With some trimming around the edges, the show is ready to hit the stage on Saturday. I think there must be a little bit of magic at play here. Beth Bostic seems to have that kind of touch as a director- the kind that can't be taught. She managed to create a synchronicity with the ensemble from the start- which enabled us to work efficiently as a team, bounce off of each others' energy in every scene and set change, guiding us through a rehearsal process that kept stress and overdrive at bay. I have learned so much through Open Dream this year, and I'm still processing the extent of it- beginning with a fresh new love for acting, and facing the challenges of integrating clarinet, sound design, acting and dance (we're learning how to tap dance from Julianne- LOVE IT), as well as teamwork and speedy set and costume changes. The growth I see in myself as an artist is invigorating. I think the most significant Bostic gift is the ability to instil healthy confidence in the performer. I always feel that I have the space to find my character (Sheepish) within myself at a pace that suits me naturally. Somehow, this expedites the process. It's about respect. Mad respect. Hats off to the captain. I am in awe of what we all accomplished in the blink of an eye. It's showtime!