We did it

Erik Austin
May 16
1 min read

Updated: May 21

Well, color me stunned and toss some glitter in the air because somehow—somehow—the show actually opened today.

After weeks of flying monkeys, frantic set changes, emotional breakdowns (mine, mostly), and enough late nights to qualify as a sleep study, it happened. Curtain up. Lights on. People clapped. Magic? Maybe. Madness? Absolutely.

I’ve been at the theater since 10 a.m., hyper-fixating on Act 2 transitions like my sanity depended on it (spoiler: it kind of did). Last night I was crying, convinced we were barreling toward disaster with a tornado at the wheel. But somehow, we made it through. Not perfectly—unless you count glitter smudges and missed cues as part of the charm—but it worked. And I think that's enough.

After the show, I saw so many familiar faces in the audience it almost felt like a reunion episode. My mom and Kelley even flew from San Diego, which meant everything. We stayed at the Madonna Inn afterward, where the walls are pink, the ceilings sparkle, and nothing makes sense—kind of like this entire production process.

It’s been a long, emotional day—my feet hurt, my soul’s tired, and I may or may not be held together with spirit gum and willpower—but my heart? Full. One more show to go. For now, I'm just letting it all wash over me like a technicolor dream that somehow came true.