Dear Broadway...

Theatre touches lives. Theatre affects change. Theatre matters. Dear Broadway, this is a love letter from us to you.

[dear-broadway]

Dear Steve Kazee,

Real talk: I had no real interest in seeing Once... until I watched your acceptance speech at the Tony's. I lost my mom fairly recently too, and when you started choking up, I couldn't help but start bawling. After seeing the show this winter, I can say that your award was well-deserved.

More than that, though, I want to thank you for your heart. You laid it bare every night on that stage, you laid it bare when you accepted your Tony, and you laid it bare when you posted that farewell letter to your fans. Your kindness, graciousness, and thoughtfulness are rare and invaluable and so fucking amazing, and I can only speak for myself, but–- thank you. Thanks for everything.

And I'll definitely come to your next show.

[dear-broadway]

Dear American Idiot:

I miss you.

[dear-broadway]

Dear Once,

Thank you for quietly revolutionizing how I experience theater.

[dear-broadway]

Dear Book of Mormon,

You mean more to me than I could possibly begin to explain. Thank you for introducing me to such an incredible cast. Thank you for giving me hope and showing me that happiness can be found no matter how bad the situation may seem. You showed me that true friends will accept you and love you for who you are. Thank you for showing me how much one person can change the lives of those around them. 

Thank you for everything.

[dear-broadway]

Dear Broadway/Theatre,

Thank you for giving me friends, the best friends I could ever ask for. Thank you for giving me music that touches me in ways I cannot describe. Thank you for giving me a way to express myself. Thank you for helping me through the rough times. Thank you for always being there for me. Thank you for giving me hope.

Most of all, thank you for giving me a home.

[dear-broadway]

Dear Rory O'Malley & Gavin Creel,

Thank you thank you thank you thank you. Thank you for starting Broadway Impact. Thank you for showing everyone (especially me, growing up in a strict, conservative, Catholic home and going to Catholic schools) that it's okay to be gay. Broadway Impact and really the whole theatre community has taught me that love is love and everyone should be able to love & marry whoever they want. Thank you a million times over for teaching me that.

Love,

The odd one out

[dear-broadway]

Dear Rock of Ages,

Thank you for allowing me to know what love is. I never had so much fun at a musical before! You also reminded me that it's okay to be different... as you are different from some of the other musicals (Phantom, H2$, West Side Story, Les Miserables, etc.). I'm glad there's a musical that I can share (and love just the same) as my parents. And I'm glad that I found my dreamrole that actually clicks. You also taught me that it's okay to dream... because maybe one day, I'll be the next Wolfgang VonCult of Broadway (or Sherrie, because well, I'm a girl). I can't thank you enough, Rock of Ages. Don't Stop Believin'. 

[dear-broadway]

Dear Theatre

Thank you for giving me a place to belong, where everyone accepts you for YOU. you gave a shy girl a place to come out of her shell and express herself. I now don't where I would be without you, but I know I wouldn't have half the friends I do now. I have now found a second home and that is the stage<3 I now don't feel complete without having a script to read, a song to learn or a dance step to learn. Thank you

[dear-broadway]

Dear Broadway,

Thank you for giving me a reason to overcome all of my illnesses. Without you, I would not have been able to go to school every day to go to rehearsal with the hopes of getting better. Thank you for bringing me to a community of truly caring people that have helped me in ways I cannot describe. Thank you for giving me a bright future. There is no other way I would rather spend the rest of my life than with you.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart,

Jessica (my-junk-is-you)

[dear-broadway]

Dear Legally Blonde,

Thank you for making my favorite movie into an even better musical (even though i'm still bitter that googly-eyed eye that she slaps was cut.) Elle was the first role on Broadway i could truly relate to and see myself as. Thank you Laura Bell Bundy for giving a little 10 year little blonde girl a voice. 

[dear-broadway]

Dear Les Miserables

thank you for being the first thing to give me a purpose. thank you for giving the best few months of my life. thank you for giving me somewhere to turn. thank you for restoring my faith in God. thank you for making me feel like i am not alone. thank you for making me a better person. thank you for being so beautiful and calming and wonderful. thank you for being the most amazing thing to ever happen to me. just...thank you for everything.

[dear-broadway]

Dear American Idiot,

Thank you for touching my life and influencing me in a way I never thought possible. It truly changed the way I live, I never thought a Broadway show could cut this deep. Thank you again.

[dear-broadway]

Dear Starlight Express,

I don't know if you count as a Broadway show, I don't even know if you've ever had a run there. I know that you're not that popular, which I think is a real shame.

But you were the first show that I fell in love with. My parents had the London Cast Recording on vinyl, and I used to spend hours dancing and singing around our living room. You were the first show I knew all the words to, the first one where I really felt connected to the story.

I got older, upgraded to CD, spent hours on the internet listening to different casts and looking at all the pictures, finally saw you in Oxford. You were incredible. You're not my favourite show, anymore, but you gave me my love of musical theatre, you gave me that connection.

I don't listen to you much, anymore, but you'll always hold a special place in my heart. Thank you for that.

[dear-broadway]

Dear Broadway

Thanks for being there for me as a wonderful distraction whenever I have a chronic pain flare from Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) and the depression that comes along with having chronic pain. I can put on a soundtrack and start singing along and it reduces at least some of the pain. Thanks also for giving me disabled characters like Porgy to relate to! 

[dear-broadway]

Dear RENT,

You were my first love and you've changed my life. I saw you in August of 2010 for the first time and since them I've lived by the motto "No Day But Today." You are a beautiful piece of art, and I thank Jonathan Larson and every RENT cast to have existed that you brought and bring me and so many other people joy.

Love,

A true renthead. 

[dear-broadway]

Dear Broadway/Theatre

You have effected my life to the point where I couldn't live happily without you and that's more than I can say about anyone or any thing. Thank you.

[dear-broadway]

Dear Billy Elliot,

You have changed my life forever. After seeing the performance for the first time after fawning over it for years, i was in tears. Seeing so many young people, people my age, were living the dream i have wanted to live my entire life. It has really pushed me to not only appriciate live theatre more, it has made me want to take incentive and try to make my dream a reality. If they can do it, why can't I? I just want to thank everyone and everything that has to do with this lovely musical that has changed my life. I'm auditioning for my first agent in a few months. Thank you for changing my life. <3