Theatrical Bucket List

Manette from Music & My Mind challenged me to the Bucket List Tag. The task is to list ten things you want to do before you die, and then pass the challenge on to your fellow bloggers. Seeing this is a blog about theatre, I'm going to give this tag a theatrical spin.

Here are my top ten theatre-related dreams I want to achieve in this lifetime.


See a musical in each of the Nordic countries.

Finland, Sweden and Denmark done. Norway and Iceland to go.

Write the text for a musical programme.

I love theatre programmes. I buy one each time I see a show and enjoy leafing through my collection every now and then. Good, interesting articles and cast and crew introductions are of course always a part of a great programme – and I'd like to try my hand at writing some. I've already written the texts for a programme for Molière's Tartuffe, and doing the research for that was really interesting. But I'm sure writing about a musical would be even better!

Have my art appear in a theatre programme.

I love programmes so much they deserve two entries.

Turun kaupunginteatteri's recent production of Rocky Horror Show had comic panels in their programme. That's such a great idea! For an enthusiastic fanartist like me, it was so nice seeing the characters portrayed not only by the actors onstage, but also by a visual artist in the programme. One day, I want to be the artist sharing their vision in a programme.

Clearly, this is serious programme material.

Work in a theatre during a musical production.

Whether it's being a PR woman, a box office saleslady, the person who pours coffee during the intermission, or indeed any profession related to live theatre... One day, I want to be employed as one of the people who bring the thing I love the most in this world onstage for others to enjoy.

Learn (at least some basic) German.

I'm way too into German musicals for someone who hasn't ever studied a word of the language.

Learning languages isn't my strongest point. I'm good at English because I have the chance to keep it up and use it a lot. But other than that... I've studied Swedish and French, and really try to keep especially the former up, but I feel I'm forgetting more and more each day. So I'm a bit afraid of adding a new language into the mix! But I think a good bucket list always includes something that's really challenging yet rewarding. So, one day, it's German 101 for me.

Appear onstage in a real (indoor) theatre.

I love watching theatre so much – so it'd be an interesting and probably a rather scary experience to feel how it's like to stand onstage myself, with all the people looking at me.

Would I like to appear in a play? Not really. Even though my sixth grade performing arts teacher once told me I could be an actress when I grow up, I've never really wanted to pursue acting. Rather, I'd like to try my hand at hosting some sort of an event. Though, really, any sort of onstage appearance would be fine here!

(I've already gotten a taste of this by hosting an outdoor improvisation theatre contest this summer. It was great! But I'm sure the experience would be much bigger and more terrifying if it happened inside, with a real dark auditorium and all those bright lights shining in my eyes...)

This is my Serious Theatre Watching Face.
I'd probably cry if a whole audience of people looked at me like that.

See Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame onstage.

Hunchback is my number one favourite Disney movie, and I hear the original German production of the musical was fantastic. It's apparently soon premiering in the US, even. I've been wanting to see this one revived for years, and will continue obsessing over it until I'll actually get to see it for myself.

See (an awful production of) The Scarlet Pimpernel onstage.

Judging by this hilarious-from-start-to-finish full video, this musical is so horrendously awful it takes a U-turn and turns right into fantastic again. If I'll ever get to witness a production half as crazy as the one I linked, I shall be happy. For all the wrong reasons, of course. It shall be wonderful.

If you're not familiar with the musical... Watch this bit with a crazed French revolutionary in some fabulous boots climbing on tables, defacing the flag of the republic and pretending to be a bird of prey. Watch it, and try to tell me you didn't feel the slightest amount of true joy.

I love this awful musical so much I draw pictures
based on it. Please send help. Or more bootlegs.

Be involved in the direction of a musical. Somehow.

I have lots of ideas! One day, I want to at least whisper a couple of them in the ear of some understanding director and see them turn into real onstage action...

Wear a real Enjolras vest.

Like this needs any explanation.


This time, I challenge the following three bloggers to reveal their bucket lists (theatrical or otherwise): ensign_beedrill from rough tough, real stuff, Elina from teatraalista and Laura from One Night in Theatre!