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This past weekend I attended a Broadway production at the Victoria Theatre with some friends from work. It was called Broadway Holiday and it was enjoyable. A handful of famous Broadway singers sang a smorgasborg of Holiday and Broadway music (as the title suggests). The performance was good but I was a bit disappointed. This is due to a few reasons.

First off, my expectations for the show were a bit high. I went in expecting to be awed and wowed. And while there were one or two moments during the show that I was amazed it was not nearly as impressive as I was hoping. Don’t get me wrong, the singing was great and the performers did a good job of entertaining the audience. However, it seemed to me that they weren’t trying very hard.

This brings me to my second point, effort. The performers were good at what they were doing. Heck, they mentioned they did the show in over 100 cities this year alone so I’m sure they could perform with their eyes closed. However, the performance was missing that special something that comes with putting forth all ones effort. It was missing a life or realism that usually draws in an audience. It seemed like they were just performing their jobs and reciting an act.

As a comparison, a few months ago I went to a Muse Machine performance a few months ago and was blown away and astonished at the show. The Muse Machine is composed of High School and College age kids from the Dayton area. For the show they put on a variety of musical numbers just as in the Broadway Holiday show. However, the performers from Muse were much more into their songs and were really achieving and overcoming their fears by performing in such a venue. It was exhilarating and very enjoyable to partake in such a triumph.

I will admit, my expectations for the Muse Machine performance were very low. I didn’t expect the level of singing and professionalism I saw in the performance. So this definitely played a roll in me enjoying the show.

But going back to the point of effort. It is amazing to me that such famous Broadway performers can get away with slacking at their jobs. They are professional entertainers at the top level of the business. I expect more from them.

Looking to the future, I am going to see Phantom of the Opera and Wicked as well as a handful of other performances this year and I’m a bit anxious about the experience. Ever since I was little I have been listening to music from Phantom since my parents went to a show and bought a CD. I love the music and what pieces of the story I have been able to piece together.

I fear my expectations for the live performance will be through the roof. And expectations are a tricky beast. How can one diminish or curb such thoughts? I have planned on not listening to the Phantom recording in the 2 months leading up to the live performance in hopes that I will not compare the two. This seems an effort in futility but I can’t think of what else to do.

I want to enjoy the show and the performance by the actors. But if it doesn’t live up to my expectations I know I will be dissatisfied. So what to do?