our show date is ticking closer and closer and I'm getting nervous. everyone says its like magic...but I want other opinions. we r expected to bring an audience of 1500 a night. we r just a high school musical too!gosh im sooo nervous!
Almost every performer gets nervous, and you will probably feel nervous until you first hit the stage to actually perform! A crowd that large is exciting! Don't feel more nervous just because it's a larger audience - I always feel nervous no matter what the size. I would definitely say that the bigger your part, the more nervous you get! Once you hit that stage (at least for me), you stop thinking. Your adrenaline's pumping (which may actually help with singing, at least it did when I had to get some really out there notes, like E above high C at the end of the show). You'll feel a complete mix of emotions - a lot of nervousness, excitement, happiness, and some stress. No matter what you feel, don't let it affect your performance! One of the major rules - never let the audience see you sweat, no matter how much goes wrong. Don't worry about what could go wrong backstage - shake everything out, check to see if your mic is on, take a sip of water, fix your costume and hair one last time, and go have the time of your life!
When I was in your position, I would go through entire mental stage fright symptoms. I'd get visual distortion--everything like I was looking through a fishbowl--and I'd have trouble remembering things and I'd feel kind of numb. After fighting my way through it a few times, it got better. Now, when I'm on stage, it's just like I am when I'm off--I'm concentrating but relaxed, I can look at everything like there is nothing special going on, make eye contact with the audience when appropriate, even advise the lighting crew about any irregularities I noticed in the illumination.
It's all nerves until it's done. Then you can mourn over your poor performance or celebrate an amazing night. But the feeling when you're onstage and you know that people are looking at you like they watch a movie star onscreen... it's exhilirating. Scary, but because you're scared, you want to do a better job. For me it's like riding a roller coaster, and it's so much more. My heart flies and I feel like almost nothing else matters. And then when people clap and it's over, you're sad and you want to go back out there again. But you just have to wait until the next night. I hope you feel the same way (or close, anyway). Break a leg!!!
Well depending on your personality you may experience a variety of feelings and emotions but some common ones are: Butterflies in the stomach, dizziness, shortness of breathe, adrenaline rush (racing heartbeat), tunnel vision. Generally once you start performing the extreme ones will go away but until you are offstage you will probably feel quite nervous. Best advice: Be prepared- the more you are ready the less nervous you will have to be. Good luck!
When i took theater I loved it but we had a small class so i wasnt too nervous because i didnt have to preform in front of a lot of people then we had a bigger play to do and we had lots more people come and watch us and i was ssooo nervous but i did fine in my performance better than what i thought i was gonna do Good Luck
