Open Letter to Broadway Actors

Dear Broadway Actors,

For every show that comes through town, I find myself scanning the cast list.  I’m always on the lookout for anyone who was in a production of Newsies, but I’m also curious about who’s here to bring the story to life. Every time, with every show, I’m reminded that behind each name is a person with the power to change an audience member’s life.

For me, that life-changing moment happened with Newsies.

I fell in love with the movie back in 1992. I wore out two VHS tapes watching it and even tried to learn the dances (though my lack of a dance career tells you how that went 😊). I thought nothing could ever top that movie. But years later, in 2018, when I stumbled across the filmed Broadway production on Netflix, I realized how completely wrong I was. From the first note to the final bow, I was captivated—enthralled, entranced, enchanted.

But when the trumpet played the very first notes, something in me went still.*

Soon after, I got the chance to see a live production of Newsies. I will never forget that day. From the moment I woke up, I was floating, every cell within me bouncing around with untold excitement. But when the trumpet played the very first notes, something in me went still. I felt the music sink into my bones and wrap itself around my very DNA. It was right then, in that moment, that Broadway became magic for me.

That night, I realized that live theatre is more than entertainment. It’s connection. It’s transformation. It’s joy and heartache and discovery all rolled into one. And it’s because of you—the actors, the musicians, the storytellers—who step on stage and give everything you have.

Not every show will strike me as deeply as Newsies did, and that’s okay, because every show holds its own kind of magic. Every performance is a gift. And I need you to know this: in every audience, there is at least one person—sometimes more—who connects with your work on a soul-deep level. Maybe they’ll tell you at the stage door. Maybe you’ll never know. But it happens, every single night.

So I just want to say thank you. Thank you for your training, your rehearsals, your sacrifices, your travel, your courage. Thank you for giving your whole self to a story so that we, in the audience, can discover something in ourselves. Thank you for being brave enough to share your heart with strangers who leave forever changed.

You are, without a doubt, magical.

With deepest gratitude,

Your Forever Fan

* Photo by L. Bento from Pexels.