BYU – Standing “O” in the Marriott Center

I loved performing, and when I heard they were putting together an orientation show celebrating the start of a new school year I decided to audition.  The concert was to be held in the Marriott Center at BYU.  I had never been in the Marriott Center and didn’t know how big it was.

I found the accompanist that had played for me when I toured at Ricks. Her name was Reesa.  She had just gotten married and had moved to Provo with her new husband.  I was grateful when she agreed to accompany me.

When we arrived at the audition feelings of inferiority began to overshadow me.  The place was crawling with people who wanted to be in the show.  There were singers who had even brought their bands to play for them. Everyone seemed to be dressed to the hilt and I had bought my wardrobe from a second-hand store.  I felt like a weed from Idaho!

I auditioned and was thrilled to have been chosen to perform.  I frustrated the director because I didn’t move around the stage while I sang.  She tried to coax me to loosen up a bit, but I told her if I did I might fall down.  So, she let me be.

I was blessed to be able to borrow a beautiful long, yellow gown from a friend I had known at Ricks.

The day of the show came and when I walked into the Marriott Center I was shocked at the size of the beast.  A performing area had been set up on the basketball court facing one side of the stadium.  They showed me an X-shaped piece of masking tape on the floor and told me when it was my turn, to come out on the stage and stand on that mark. I was good to go.

We would be performing for a crowd of about 10,000 people!

I nervously waited.  When the time came and I started to walk to my mark, they hit me with the spotlights and I couldn’t see a thing!  The light was thicker than butter and blinded me.  I had sung under spotlights before, but this was crazy!  I could barely see my X.  I had performed a lot and knew how to act calm, but I felt like I would fall over if I moved.

Reesa started the introduction to “MacArthur Park.”  The song really challenged my soprano voice–the end notes resting two octaves above middle C.  I sang my heart out and it felt awesome!

The light was so bright that I felt like I was singing to a wall in a room by myself.  I put my performance face on and away we went.  At the end of the song the crowd exploded.  The applause went on and on.  I was in shock.  Around the edges of the light I could see people rising to their feet.  They cut the spotlights down and I was able to acknowledge the standing ovation that greeted me.

It was one of the most amazing experiences in my life.

BYU had truly won me over!