Last October I was in a production of Oh! What a Lovely War. This piece is a collection of songs from the early 1900s and WWI era following the journey of the war. The characters were mostly done pierrot style, so each actor took on several personas.
I played a sassy French woman, a silly German girl, a music hall singer (singing "Roses of Picardy"), and a nurse (singing "Keep the Homefires Burning"), among others.
After Oh! What a Lovely War! I took on my senior recital. I sang songs by wonderful Golden Age composers, some more contemporary pieces, and some French art songs by Claude Debussey. The second half was a character study of Daisy Gamble from On a Clear Day, You Can See Forever. It was quite stressful, but ultimately one of my favorite experiences at NYU.
After the winter break, we started rehearsals for Carousel. I played Carrie Pipperidge. Not only did I have the opportunity to work with wonderful directors and a fantastic cast, but we also performed the show with a 39-piece orchestra! It was incredibly beautiful, and an experience I will never forget.
In March, I had the opportunity to originate a new work by Nick Lukenbaugh entitled Royal Fables. The piece was a song cycle that involved folk music with dancing. I played Thumbelina, with a twist! It was a wonderful experience to work with a talented new composer, as well as a wonderful choreographer and music director.
Up next is the senior showcase on April 29th, and graduation in May! Check out my website for more information on that!
www.emilysenkowsky.com
