Thursday, March 21, 2019
A Funny Thing Happened On Her Way to 'Kiss Me, Kate'
Theatre Development Fund – TDF: "This may be my first time on Broadway, but a lot has led me to here," says Stephanie Styles, the 27-year-old triple threat playing Lois in the Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of Cole Porter's musical comedy Kiss Me, Kate. A Houston native who's been performing professionally since her teens, Styles was originally poised to make her Broadway debut five years ago when she was cast in a revival of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum starring James Corden. But when the British funnyman landed The Late Late Show, the production was postponed indefinitely .
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4 comments:
It’s funny how things work themselves out. And I say that as someone who loves to plan. I find comfort in a set schedule with goals that build up to deadlines because I know exactly what I need to do and when to do it. Yet there is an element of uncertainty in life that I cannot control. I used to just think of it as “luck” and that some people are just “lucky.” And while many things are left up to chance, there are strategies to being in the right place at the right time. This article speaks on this theme by exploring the story of how one actress made her way to Broadway, even though she was supposed to have been there earlier on. Stephanie Styles’s opportunity earlier on may have not worked out (for reasons unrelated to her), but she did not let go of her goals, and made herself available for other roles. Her persistence did not go unnoticed, which ultimately put her in a role that was wonderful for her.
In middle school, I had a class about the history of drama, and our teacher would always talk about the path you take in life. She said that she had her mind set on one thing, and ended up doing 7 different things in between, and then completely changed her mind. She would always talk about how you should not be afraid of taking risks because you wouldn’t know the outcome until you tried it. This article reminds me of that and the saying “everything happens for a reason”. The path that Styles thought she would take ended up being the complete opposite of what she is on now. And in a way, the path she’s on now is better than the one that was planned or anticipated. If the show never got postponed she would’ve never been able to get Kiss Me, Kate and so on and so fourth for the rest of her achievements. Although the path wasn’t perfect or didn't go as planned, there is still success and joy that came out of it , which was the initial goal when pursuing your dreams.
I love hearing stories like this where things all work out in the end. Considering that being in a musical on Broadway has been a dream of Styles since she was very young, I cannot imagine how disappointed she must have been when she learned that the show she was booked for was postponed indefinitely. So I am so happy for her that it all eventually worked out and how she is getting her dream. It also sounds like she is perfect for this role so that is really good too. I don’t think I am a believer that everything happens for a reason and that everything will work out in the end, but it this case it seems as if it did. I know that I am a believer that some shows are just outdated and should not be produced anymore in their original state no matter how classic they are, so I am glad this show is getting a little revamp and the blocking is done in such a way that helps fix the sexist issues of the shows. I would like to hope it fixes them all the way but I cannot be sure unless I see the show or really talk to someone who has.
This is a great story about how things will work out in the end for good people who put in the time and effort into their craft and want to succeed. Having something like having your dreams so close and taken from you as in Style's case is really a truly horrible feeling. The emotions and the thoughts going through your head after a major disappointment like that can sometimes halt a career you see it all the time in theatre and in the rest of the professional world. People sometimes go into a slump and a state of depression that they simply can't get out of. People like her should be rewarded for their effort to make it back to the peak of their craft and she certainly is with the ability to play in such a powerful role. Her work ethic and drive is what got her to broadway the second time and theres a lesson in just how much you have to work to get what you want even when it is so close.
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