Rehearsal #11: Eye Contact While Singing

Even though I’m not in any of the shows this weekend, I wanted to go to rehearsal Tuesday night anyway because we were going to be singing!

We worked on trios and duets and color songs, songs that have no plot or emotional content but fill out the environment and mood. I’ve come a long way in my singing over the years, but definitely needed the extra practice. I jumped up to sing as often as I could.

I did a duet with Dave Dyson in which we were brothers having just read or parent’s will in which I got nothing and him everything. We were fighting as characters and used the song to fight as well: in the beginning I kept singing verses without letting Dave in. I also learned that I have a problem making eye contact when I’m singing with someone else.

I hardly did it at all during the song with Dave, and in a later song, Tara had to side-coach me to do it during the song. Once I did, the difference was immediately noticeable to me and the audience. I was instantly more connected and expressive (amazing how that works). As Tara pointed out, my avoidance of eye contact in songs is probably an outgrowth of my predilection to play characters that don’t have to show emotion or change (a predilection that makes playing the protagonist challenging).

I must remember to do that, make eye-contact while singing!

I am not in any of the shows this weekend, as I was supposed to be out of town. Now I am in town, but I’m still not playing baring any unforeseen changes. I will be at the show tonight though! I hope to learn a lot from watching it, assuming a get a seat.