A Back Breaking Performance, or, The Show Must Go On

It seems that Melissa Gilbert was performing on tour in “Little House on the Prairie- the Musical” with a broken back. Her back had been bothering her, but she put off seeing a doctor, because she knew that the show must go on. When she finally saw the doctor, he said that her back was broken, and had been for months. Now, THAT’s spunk! Melissa obviously thinks she really is that plucky little pioneer girl that she portrayed on “Little House” all those years. Or maybe it’s just that strong work ethic that Michael “Pa Ingalls” Landon instilled in his little protégés on the set. Whatever, she’s a rock star in my book.

Not that she’s the first performer to work hurt. A lot of us who perform, both as amateurs and professionals, take that theatrical expression “Break a leg!” far too literally. In fact, I got into theater as a hobby because of a broken pelvis. I decided to take an acting class to give myself a diversion during what was going to be a long and painful recovery period.

My husband once performed in a musical revue despite having shattered his ankle early during the rehearsal period. One of the first calls he made from the emergency room was to his director. A fellow cast member was nice enough to give him a ride to rehearsals, and the director choreographed the “Smokey Joe’s Café” number so that he was in the center and everyone danced and moved around him. By the time the show went up, he was using a cane, and he was able to use his prop rifle like a cane in the “Les Miz” medley. It’s all about being innovative.

The appropriately named “cast” of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” put on by Stage 62, a community theater in Carnegie, PA, a few years ago took this “show must go on” thing to an extreme. Four of the cast members in a show with 29 performers and a children’s chorus performed with an injury, and those were just the ones we knew about.

I had auditioned for the show and was “cast” as assistant stage manager, an important behind-the-scenes "role," and one I accepted because I knew I would be working under the tutelage of an experienced stage manager. It was a Murphy’s Law kind of show from the start- everything that could go wrong did. The director exercised the patience of Job as we faced one obstacle after another, obviously taking his inspiration from another Biblical story. He became very adept at keeping his head when all about him was losing theirs. First, he had to replace Joseph before the show even began rehearsals, but during the rehearsal process we lost and replaced the music director, the choreographer, and the costumer.

When I returned to rehearsals after a few days off while we determined that we did in fact have the rights to do the show, the director matter-of-factly told me that I had been promoted from assistant stage manager to stage manager. The actor playing Reuben had to drop out, and the stage manager was now Reuben.

Did I panic? Well, as a matter-of-fact, I did, but the promoted stage manager pledged that he would continue to mentor me, and he did. My friend Marilyn, who also had no stage management experience, agreed to help me, mostly because we bonded when we played Pick-a-Little Ladies in “Music Man” a few years earlier and had been show buddies ever since. It was a very young cast, and they started referring to us as the “Stage Moms,” but I am sure there was nothing but affection in the term.

Ah, but I digress. About those injured cast members….

One of our children’s chorus members had broken her thumb prior to the show, and was sporting a colorful cast when she showed up for rehearsal. Luckily, the children’s chorus members were wearing colorful t-shirts, and we just made sure to put her in a shirt that matched her cast.

One of Joseph’s brothers was also working as a camp counselor that summer, and had had an unfortunate freak accident where he cut the area between the thumb and forefinger of his right hand with a knife when opening a large cardboard box full of camp supplies. He was also a pianist, and so it was especially important that he heal completely and properly, and he was fitted with a metal contraption that held his hand together while elevating it. This contraption was decidedly new-age, and definitely would have been out of place in ancient Eqypt, but the young actor just took it off before taking the stage and put it back on when exiting.

During the dress rehearsal, one of Joseph’s brothers' wives sprained her ankle, but went on to perform in the show with some slightly modified dance moves. When I was giving her a ride home that night, she let it slip that Potiphar/Jacob had broken his foot but hadn’t wanted to mention it to the director or me. I asked him about it opening night. He explained that he had gone to the doctor but his options – a cast or surgery- would have meant that he wouldn’t be able to continue in the show, so he was putting them off until after the show was over.

Anyway, the show was just as glorious and joyful a production of “Joseph” as there ever was. I’m sure that the audience never even noticed the cast, or the strangely elevated arm, or the modified dancing. The director didn’t even know about Jacob until months after the show closed. I have seen many amateur and professional productions of “Joseph” since, and it is still my favorite- Donny Osmond’s nephew and company had nothing on this cast. Since I have seen all the productions of “Joseph” that I think I need to see in this lifetime, it will undoubtedly remain my favorite.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I now wish actors “Good show!” instead of a “Break a leg!”