The Five "P's"

Ever wonder how those professional entertainers make their concerts look so effortless and why you, the audience, find them so enjoyable? No matter how seasoned a performer might be, the result is an accumulation of hard work, dedication, talent and creativity. It takes a great deal of thought and hours upon hours of time to turn a talented singer and some good songs into a great show.

Once the venue has been set and the dates of the performance confirmed, the event is advertised to the general public. As a singer, I don't have to worry about promotion of my event if I am hired by an organization. (If I were to develop my own independant concert situation then I would be responsible for booking the place, setting the date, renting necessary sound equipment, hiring sound and light technicians and many other details.)

Each year I perform in our city's "concert in the park" series of outdoor, evening concerts. There are a wide variety of participants including clowns, rock bands, ethnic dancers, jazz bands and a wide variety of solo musicians and singers, most from the union of professional musicians and a few amateur volunteers. My particular contribution to this concert series is an evening of music taken from musical theatre and movies. The organizers of the park concerts provide an outdoor stage, sound equipment and technicians and all the advertising. I provide the entertainment.

So how do I get from the rehearsal hall to the outdoor stage? By using my favorite system...the five "P's"...PROPER PREPARATION PREVENTS POOR PERFORMANCE. I have never found it a good idea to throw together a last minute program. Too many things can likely go wrong. Besides the obvious problems of learning lyrics and arrangements, I believe that I cannot give my audience my best performance unless I spend time choosing repertoire carefully and tending to every detail from vocal technique to character development to staging.

Months in advance, I begin the selection process. I sing through numerous scores, looking for songs that I believe will please the diverse crowds while allowing me to give my best performance. The final selections may include old standbys, ballads, upbeat tunes and current, more popular selections. Then, I begin learning the pieces and deciding how I might like to present them to my audience. I sometimes find it useful to picture myself on the stage delivering the number. That helps me to settle on some simple but effective staging. Finally, adding a few simple props transforms me from one character to the next with minimal costume changes.

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