Entertainment

As I approach this weekend I can't help but feel that something is amiss. Last weekend I felt the same thing. Like there was something I missed, forgot to do..... ah, that's it. I didn't work last weekend, and I don't have to this weekend either.

But really, was it work? It occupied my time much like a job does, taking 3 hours out of four nights a week. Plus, I did get paid to do it. However, a part of me can't justify going on stage, acting like a moron, and singing a few songs a real job. But part of me thinks, "it is a talent." It really boils down to quality. 

Entertainment, specifically music and theatre, is a touchy subject when it comes to quality. It's all in the eye, and ear, of the beholder. Personally, I'm a critic. Not that everything has to be perfect, but for me to be entertained a performance needs to encompass real talent, skill and noticeable effort. Though, not every entertainer strives for either of those. 

Not every sloppy strumming, slack jawed "singer/songwriter" you hear in a coffee shop considers themselves a professional player. They are just doing it to do it. I respect that in the highest regard. I, on the other hand, want to be something more.

I'm rambling so let's get down to it. The long and short of it is this: Entertainment is a Release. An audience member pays good money to be taken out of their life for a while. Forget about everything but the show that's in front of them. If a performance doesn't take the audience member on a ride, if it doesn't move them in some way, then the performer did not do his/her job and I believe they have no business calling themselves a quality performer. 

Harsh? Maybe, but I've struggled a lot with this topic recently. Whether or not performing is a viable career path, or whether I should just stick to a community theatre performance every so often. We'll see. In the meantime, I'm perfecting my chops. I just finished two runs with Daddy D productions. The completion of the 80's Show also completes my time with Daddy D's as I begin to look east. But here's a taste for what we did there. I'll let your ears determine the quality: