BWW Blog: Meggie Cansler and Casey Hebbel - Final Season Wrap Up
By: Guest Blogger: Meggie Cansler Sep. 20, 2016
Here we are... 4 amazing concerts, nearly 90 artists from across the country, over 300 volunteers, and too many magical moments to count later, and we have reached the end of our FIFTH season of Broadway Under the Stars!!
It was truly transcendent in every way, and we hope you have enjoyed coming along for the journey with our Transcendence Artists, Meggie Cansler and Casey Hebbel.
Both ladies are here to give you one last look at our amazing 2016 season with reflections on their incredible experiences here in Sonoma.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts from ALL of us at Transcendence Theatre Company for the many ways you support our company and what we do. We are grateful beyond on words!
And be sure to check out the SURPRISE at the end of the blog!!!
FROM CASEY...
How do you even begin to put into words four months of endless hours, constant magic moments, friends that became family, and working harder than you even thought you could? How do you widdle all of that down to highlights and snapshots? I am not sure, to be honest, but here is my best attempt:
And now, looking back, I can't explain how we fit so much into these few short months. The time went flying by like a train barrelling down a mountainside with no breaks. We left the station in May and haven't looked back since... until now.
Now, as the Gala closed on Sunday, we have spent this week in reflection. Reflection of all that has been accomplished, all of the lives that have been touched, all of the art that has been created and will never exist in the exact same way ever again. It's been magical.
You all know about ALL of the AMAZING performances this summer. The creative teams of each show really raised the bar this summer bringing Broadway Under the Stars to new heights. I watched my fellow castmates soar (literally and figuratively) through the beautiful, heartfelt shows that were created in the field of dreams. We would be remiss not to mention our Wine Country Speakeasy; this incredible Transcendence Experience was a whole new level of awesomeness for the company! If you were there, you know what I mean!
Now, of course, I hold all of our Transcendence Connects community outreach projects near and dear to my heart. These are some of the biggest highlights of the season for me. Our first, with 100 children from the Boys & Girls club was outstandingly fun! And then to see all of their sweet faces at the show that next weekend was amazing! Becoming Independent is an organization that I so strongly believe in; this was actually one of those life-changing days for me. I always knew that I had a passion for bringing arts to people with developmental disabilities, but seeing it in action and seeing how it moved not only the participants but also the teachers (our cast members) truly blew me away. I have every intention of continuing this work as much as possible. Then we had performances at the Red & White Ball and the Sonoma Wine Country Weekend Auction where we got to connect with the community even more and see the incredible generosity of all who call Sonoma home.How could I not talk about Kids Camp when talking about summer highlights? Those sweet campers light up my life more than I can possibly say and did so, not only for the week of camp, but well beyond when I would see their darling faces at the park or Skits Under the Stars or any other various Transcendence events throughout the season. I came to know and love their entire families. I feel so blessed to have so many wonderful mothers, fathers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, sisters, brothers, and more in my life! Huge thank you to all of the families for sharing their kiddos and their hearts!
For me, however, the thing that makes Transcendence transcendent are the people: the cast members, the staff, the community, the volunteers, the donors, everyone. I know that I have made lifelong friends; actually, "friends" isn't a strong enough word for what these people are to me. They are, in fact, family. The beautiful souls who have drifted through our gorgeous Sonoma over the past few months have left a mark on my heart and soul that shall not soon be erased. We have stood next to each other through trying and joyous personal times and lifted each other up in light and love. Because of these people, I believe in myself in ways I didn't know I could. They have taught me to laugh more fully, love more deeply, smile more sincerely, and never, ever hide the light of my soul; for that I am forever filled with gratitude.Really "gratitude" is the best word to describe how I feel as this summer comes to a close. I simply feel grateful. It has been an amazing four months. As I head back to Nashville on Monday, I know that a piece of my heart will stay in Sonoma and that I will be carrying a piece of Sonoma with me. As a lyric to one of my favorite songs says, "I am grateful, grateful, truly grateful. Truly blessed and duly grateful."
Signing off until next time! Remember to use your magic!Casey
FROM MEGGIE...
I have had the pleasure of performing with so many people that I adore from my past, and was able to meet so many new faces that I had never encountered in New York. This business is as small as it is large.
I see so many people come into this company to be involved in our summers and get the much needed respite from "pounding the pavement". They come into this beautiful place and they can can breathe. Their hearts open and they can create from a place of love and confidence, as opposed to this fear-based land we inhabit. We go into our younger selves that knew anything was possible. We start from a blank canvas and paint a show together in a joyous way.
Long running shows are wonderful. I have learned so much from them. And then I look at doing five different shows this summer and how much of me was ALWAYS trying new things, new material, new INSTRUMENTS even... it was freeing and frightening all at the same time. That's called LIVING! Challenging ourselves each and every day to be better than the day before. It's not easy, but it sure is freeing.
We have such an incredible team all around us. Be it the events team, musicians, performers, volunteers, supporters... it all adds up to the best summer ever! So many memories of looking around at each and every face feeling a part of something so special. What can I say about a season that was so diverse? So well-lived? Unending it it's energy, lessons, teamwork, connection, inspiration, and JOY!
If you want a sample of how many things went on this summer, check this out:
Don't worry, you don't have to miss us for too long. Transcendence is bringing back their holiday show, Joy to the World: A Holiday Extravaganza in Santa Rosa. ANNNNNNNDDDD we have some very exciting news about 2017 that we will be announcing soon!! All Transcendence ALL THE TIME! It is happening folks!
Son-home-a, you have my heart. Transcendence, you have my soul. So grateful to be here and apart of this magic journey that we will all continue to create together.#bestlifeever #wellliveddays #wheredidthesummergo
Meggie Cansler is a Resident Artist and Artistic Coordinator with Transcendence Theatre Company. Casey Hebbel is a Performing Artist and Education Coordinator with Transcendence Theatre Company.
Transcendence Theatre Company produces Broadway Under the Stars every summer season from June through September in Jack London State Historic Park in Glen Ellen, CA, only 45 miles north of San Francisco in Wine Country. More information available online at BestNightEver.org or call 877-424-1414, Ext 1.
Joy to the World: A Holiday Extravaganza will be performed at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa, CA on December 2-4, 2016. For more information and tickets please visit BroadwayHolidayShow.com.
Videos
