A devised solo cabaret from U’s lived experiences.
Scene 1 – The Cheetah Girls
(Lights up on a tall stool, microphone, and small table adjacent to the stool. Upstage right sits a grand piano)
Girl, I love The Cheetah Girls. That movie raised me, literally like if I ever had a terrible day, still to this day, I’ll play the Cheetah Girls. Disney Channel really did something with that. They had the Latinx community represented, the Black community represented, they just had a lot of representation. And you know what, it wasn’t all skinny bitches on this screen. And that was really important for me to see. And they were singing and dancing and you know that’s what I love – musical theatre – and that really was the first time I saw myself represented. (music vamps under dialogue). And you know, from there it was really slim pickings. It wasn’t all Black curvy girls after that. I’m really glad I watched that movie because it made me who I am today.
#1 – The Cheetah Girls Medley (Amigas Cheetahs/Strut/The Party’s Just Begun)
Scene 4 – What’s Next? *Midway through
I just don’t think there’s time for a fallback plan, nor do I have the energy to give to a fallback plan. I’m also in the mindset that failure in this industry is not an option for me.
#5 – Forrest Gump Suite [aka The Feather Theme] (underscores the dialogue)
I want to never have to worry about getting a performing job. It doesn’t even have to be Broadway. I just really want to storytell and obviously be financially stable while doing that if I’m being real. Just to storytell everyday. To impact everyday. To have my parents not have to worry about anything. And to have other Black little girls not have to go through what I have to go through in this industry. Not that I’m like – I’m saying this like I have ten Tony’s under my belt. No, but just like what I had to go through just to get to college. I don’t want anyone to go through that. I also want an Australian Shepard, really bad. It’s my dream dog. (music segues into…)
#6 – Since I Gave My Heart Away (from Gepetto)(link starts at 7:08)
(Blackout. End of Cabaret)
U is…
- 20 Years-Old
- Female, Cisgender
- Black
- Southern African
- Christian
- Bisexual