Student Blog: A 'Wicked' Double Act

On October 30, 2003, my twin sister, Elise, and I were born. To celebrate, the world-famous musical Wicked decided to open that day, too.  Apparently Stephen Schwartz thought it needed to be an even bigger day than it already was!  I think this little fact is what secured the fate Elise and I both held with musical theatre.  It is so significant to us that on our 18th birthday we got matching tattoos that say "For Good''.  Elise and I grew up doing every activity together which includes dance, gymnastics, voice and piano lessons, musicals, and even most of our academic schedules.  Being a twin is such a blessing, but it does come with the potential for comparison.  I would say, though, our experience in all of these areas has been perfectly complementary which allowed each of us to find our own niche.

Elise may be pursuing a BFA in musical theatre from Otterbein University (whoop whoop!!), however believe it or not, I was once the shining star!  I once played Bagheera in a two-week summer production of The Jungle Book in fourth grade and she was a butterfly.  That may be the only example I can give you, but I still proudly stand by it (totally kidding).  However, we have certainly had our fair share of iconic duos: Flotsam + Jetsam, Elsa + Anna, Ozzy-Lumpa, and Velma + Veronica Kelly to name a few.  We both developed a love for theatre from an early age, so it has been fun to see if and how productions use the relationship within the show.

I think what made Elise and me work so well was our ability to recognize our own strengths and to accept that comparison is always a reality, twin or not.  It is interesting to see where these strengths have become passions for I will happily write an essay on a book or article but if you ask me to sing a solo, I will happily redirect you to Elise.  Sometimes it felt like Elise and I could be interchangeable and it took me a while to unlearn this.  I think college has been such a blessing for, as hard as it is to be without her, I have grown so much as an individual.  Funny enough, my friends at college will often tell me I am such a Glinda and are blown away that I am probably more an Elphaba compared to Elise (to put it in theatre-kid terms).

Just as Stephen Schwartz had planned, Elise and I are now both involved in theatre in our own, beautiful ways.  She is killing it at Otterbein in her program and I love every opportunity I have to go support my favorite performer.  I know her fire and ability to captivate audiences is what makes her perfect for the stage and I have found I thrive in an academic setting.  However, Elise is always the first one to support me in my musical whims as I audition for school or summer stock productions.  My parents always say we behave like an old married couple, quite civil and very complimentary.  At one point I struggled with being a twin, but now, I find it to be the greatest gift.  I could not be more thankful for the Glinda to my Elphaba.

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