WHILE I am generally known as a Journalist, among other things, I am certainly not known as a singer. However, in turning the clock back a few decades, history will reveal that I was once a church choir member. More of my personal history would reveal that I sang in musical theatre productions in Guyana at the Theatre Guild and the UK during my studies at the Middlesex University in London, England.

I can recall auditioning for a role in a lavish musical production, which I really wanted to be a part of since I knew that my performance would earn me higher grades, and my efforts to earn my degree, which I subsequently gained with Honours. The character written in the play was a Norwegian named Count Olstoff. I discussed the need for a change with my Professor, who agreed with my suggestion that the character should be an African called Chief Odungo. There are those instances when it is prudent to stay within the practical comfort zone and not to stretch reality too far.

A great audition test piece

At the audition, the test piece was…wait for it…HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU. The Music Professor used that well-known birthday song to classify the singing voices quality and classification of the students by having them sing “Happy Birthday to you.” But on reflection, it is reasonable to agree that “Happy Birthday to you” is just correct to assess the singing standard of someone. Nonetheless, we would all agree that singing, more often than not, brings us joy; maybe that’s why we sing in the shower while we wash away not only the dirt from our bodies but also our problems.

We can recall that song, “I’m gonna wash that man right out of my hair” from the Musical South Pacific. I mention this because I am using this article to encourage you to step out of your comfort zone now and then. You can console yourself if you fail in your effort by saying, “Well, I was out of my comfort zone.” However, if you succeed, you can claim great success and enjoy your achievement.

There are, of course, instances when you would fail miserably. Here is one such experience of mine. It was one of the Club Nights at the Theatre Guild in Georgetown. As would be recalled, TG Club Nights were extremely popular back in the 1960s and 1970s. They were usually held on a Thursday night and were usually outrageous presentations for the better part. Performers did experimental things.
My Club Night was to experiment with songs from Broadway Shows, and yes, I was boldly stepping out of my comfort zone, trying to be a singer of Broadway songs. My first chosen song was, “Younger Than Springtime” from the Broadway musical, South Pacific. I had rehearsed for weeks, however, not with my piano accompanist. Nonetheless, it would be the event in which I stepped out of my comfort zone and conquered the musical world. I was already hearing the resounding applause resonating in my ears from a packed Theatre Guild audience. The Theatre Guild Playhouse was indeed packed to capacity when the night came. That audience was a tough lot who apparently came with fangs and were ready for blood.

Yes, I was a bit nervous as I stepped out onto the stage.

Somehow, I sensed that I was wading into deep, turbulent waters. By the second line of the song, I distinctly heard giggles. By the chorus, the giggles from the audience had increased into unabashed laughter…then rude comments were hurled at me; “The song, not the singer!” My ego was brutally assaulted – actually, stamped upon. I stopped ‘singing’, glared at the audience, and walked off the stage. It was the worst experience I’ve had in theatre…and the worst thing I ever did on a stage.

Shame on me! Drowning my sorrows at the TG Bar with a nice cold Banks Beer, a gentleman came up to me, and with a glint in his eyes, and a smirk on his ugly face, he said with a guttural tone, “I was there the night when Farrier died.” I wanted to punch him in his mouth and have two or three of his cavity-riddled teeth extracted free of cost. However, I wisely constrained myself since the guy was almost three times my size.

Everything that night proved to be a great learning experience. I have since gained many other theatre successes and accolades, including winning the Best Actor Award at the 1965 British Guiana National Drama Festival and many more over the years. The Theatre Guild Lifetime Achievement Award 2023 was the most recent. It was the great Guyanese and Caribbean Theatre personality Ken Corsbie, AA, who said, “Theatre is life, and life is theatre.” Indeed, we can all live our lives in a safe corner of this “Wonderful World” yet, from time to time, step out of our comfort zone and do interesting and unusual things which give lots of fun to ourselves and others.