The End of an Era

I keep using that (the above) phrase to mean my last night at Kimonos (which was tonight), but given that Webster's defines the ultimate word in that phrase as the following:

era: a stage in development (as of a person or thing), or a memorable or important date or event; especially one that begins a new period in the history of a person or thing

the term seems appropriate for this situation (and, yes, I did just use a dictionary definition to open my "five-paragraph essay" like a sixth grader).

The past year-and-eight months at Kimonos have been an amazing time of growth for my voice and performing skills. As a result of having this opportunity to choose whatever songs I want and performing them for an audience two or three nights per week, my repertoire, confidence, presence, and improvisational skills have grown immensely. Just last week, I got two--count 'em, two!--call backs from Disney, strictly by auditioning with songs I would never have in my bag o' tricks if it weren't for this job.

Although I am wistful for what I am being forced to leave behind, I am appreciative of what this opportunity has given me. I have a (precious) few prospects on the horizon, so who knows what's in store for me next? Hopefully, what's in store are bigger and better things which have even more valuable experiences and lessons to offer. But for now I am grateful for:

• the managers (especially Doug, Carson, and Andy) for being awesome at their jobs and considering helping and protecting we emcees a part of their jobs
• the venue - who could ask for anything more? An upscale, family-friendly venue in the heart of Walt Disney World, with an excellent sound system, 1000s of quality tracks, and pretty much the best guests we could ask for...
• the girls (our fearless leader, Madell, and all my other fellow emcees) who are handling this (decidedly crappy) situation with dignity. Here's hoping the economy gets better before it gets worse. Best wishes!