Sleeping Beauty
Lauren Lehman

On April 21, 2014 I watched the online performance of Sleeping Beauty performed by the Jacobs School of Music at the Musical Arts Center in Indianapolis. I have never personally been to the Musical Arts Center, but from the online streamed video, the place looks magnificently huge and phenomenal. The stage was absolutely stunning. It was big, vibrant, and breathtaking. It made it look as if you actually went back in time and were a part of the performance. The stage was enhanced with beautiful cool, calming purples, pinks, and blues that matched the performers’ outfits to a tee. It reminded me of royalty. Each performer had gorgeous outfits for every act, and I must say, the designer did a fabulous job. I also liked how the musicians were not very visible to the audience. For me, it helped with paying attention to what was actually being played and performed. I can remember in past plays, I would always watch the musicians, and it would take away my attention from the performers. During this play, I had my focus on the dancers and it was much easier to listen for certain musical instruments instead of looking for what was being played. Doing this actually helped me realize exactly how much I have learned in this class, especially the different types of instruments and what type of sounds they produce. The whole performance from the dancers to the music and lighting blended together like sugar and Honey Nut Cheerios; in other words, perfection.
The lighting of the stage matched the musical performance amazingly as well. It was as if when there was a solo, such as the piano, the lights beamed with brightness on the performer; making it very easy to fall into the rhythm of the music. If the music was played at a slower rhythm, the lights were dim as well; making the stage attractive and deep. When the music was performed in