Did Someone Say Dance Party?

I’m not sure exactly when this tradition started, but somewhere in the last 15 years it has become my habit to either have a pre-show dance party with my fellow castmates or have a play-list that I listen to that has music specifically picked for the show I am in.

The Trip to Bountiful was no different. I picked these songs back in February and at sometime during show day I listen to them.

Here are the songs I picked for Bountiful.

1) Finally Home by MercyMe. Carrie Watts has one desire: to get back to Bountiful before she dies. One of the lines in Finally Home is “When I finally make it home, I will gaze upon the throne of the King. All the questions that I swore I would ask just won’t come yet.” Finally Home. I think it means the same thing to Carrie.

2) I Can Only Imagine by MercyMe This song has always been one of my favorites. I’m not sure how we will feel when we see Jesus face to face for the first time. What will we feel? What will we do? I like to think of Carrie finally seeing her Lord where she can sing hymns for all eternity!

3) We Remember by Newsboys This song lists miracles and angels and promises of God and reminds us to not forget the lessons including death has no power and that God died for us at Calvary! Yes, God, we remember and so does Carrie!

4) The Greatest Show. Well, what can I say? Is there any other song that gets your heart beating and energized more that this one? It begins, “Ladies and Gents, this is the moment you’ve been waiting for.” I feel like that every moment right before we go on stage. We can’t wait to get out and perform!

5) No One Knows Who I Am. Carrie has lost her strength and dignity. She feels like no one knows her any longer. She wants to go home to find her one true friend and remember all the things that made her who she is.

6) This is the Moment. “When I send all my doubts and demons on their way.” Carrie needed to make a decision that running away is the only thing she can do. It is a chance, a chance to see everything she has been dreaming about for years. She wants to prove she is still worth something to the world.

7) Circle Of Life from The Lion King. Carrie has a speech at the end of the play when she realizes that she can’t fight the circle of life. Things don’t stay the same way. Crops grow. Land wears out. The next generation doesn’t have the same values. Life changes. It’s life. What can we learn from it?

8) I Can’t Get Next to You by The Osmond Brothers. Well, the Osmond Brothers are a guilty pleasure. They remind me of being young and all the things that being a teenager meant to me. Carrie needs a little of that too, doesn’t she?

9) Can’t Get There Without You by The Osmond Brothers. There comes a time that Carrie realizes that she really wants Jessie Mae to like her. She wants Jessie Mae to like the things that she does. I don’t believe that Carrie NEEDS Jessie Mae, but imagine how great it would be if they appreciated each other?

10) Save Me by The Osmond Brothers. This song is much like Can’t Get There Without You. Jessie Mae has the power to save Carrie and she doesn’t even realize it. This song makes Carrie long for something better.

11) Down By the Lazy River by The Osmond Brothers. This song is full of so much fun.. I feel like this is what Carrie is singing as she wants everyone to follow her down to the river that runs along her old house!

12) One Bad Apple by The Osmond Brothers….notice a trend??
I really have no excuse for this one. I just like the Osmonds and they seemed to fit the mood I wanted to create. (Now, you probably know too much about me.)

13) Mother-in-law by Ernie K. Doe. Well, I didn’t say Carrie was all good, did I?

We still have this weekend of performances if you haven’t seen The Trip to Bountiful yet! http://www.overshadowed.org

Do you have any pre-show traditions? Let me know your go-to- songs!

Until Next time!!