A down-to-earth musical: The Horizon Theater presents "Ordinary Days"

Musicals aren't always seen as "realistic," since people typically don't burst into song in their daily lives or sing every conversation. However, despite being completely sung through with no spoken dialogue, "Ordinary Days" strives to present a realistic and relatable look at everyday life.

The musical gives a slice-of-life look at four New Yorkers and follows their stories as they intertwine and connect.

"It's very much real people with real stories and real lives," Sarah Schaeperkoetter, the show's director, explained. "You can connect with the characters on a much more personal level because it's not big or flashy, and it's not supposed to be. It's a very down-to-earth, realistic show, which is really nice."

"Ordinary Days" is the newest production from The Horizon Theater, the company Sarah started with her husband Cory Schaeperkoetter.

A double-cast dream show

For this show, Sarah is not only directing but also acting.

"Deb in the show has been one of my dream roles for a while," she said. "And this is one of my favorite shows. So I knew that this was a show we wanted to do and I knew when we picked it that I wanted to play that role. So it's been so much fun."

However, Sarah isn't the only one playing Deb. Because the show only has four characters, Sarah and Cory decided early on to double-cast the production, choosing two actors for each character.

"Our theater is all about giving people opportunities to perform," Sarah said. "And so we figured if we double-cast it, then we can do six shows in one weekend and give each cast three performances. And that way we've got more people playing all the roles."

Having two casts not only gives more opportunities for people to perform, but also ends up creating more opportunities for experiencing the show, since every performance is unique.

"It gives a different perspective each time you watch it," Sarah noted. "If you come back and watch the show different nights it's going to be almost a different show, because it's got different people playing the roles, and so that opens up new perspectives and new ideas into the characters in the story."

The performances will be split between "Cast Picasso" and "Cast Monet."

Character connections

Joining Sarah in Cast Monet are Zack Anderson, Kaley Sikora, and Jeremy Cain, who all have found different ways to connect to their characters.

For Cain, the connection with his character Warren was easy.

"I think I'm very similar to Warren," Cain said. "He's very high-energy. Best two words to describe him: Golden Retriever. He's very happy, very outgoing and everything. He just always tries to look for the good and everything and tries his best to make people's day even if they're random people."

Throughout the show, Warren also gets a "reality check" when he realizes he can't make everyone happy all the time, Cain explained, adding that he's had to face the same lesson.

Anderson also relates to his character, Jason.

"He's a very charismatic character," Anderson said, explaining Jason tends to go with the flow. "I'm similar in that I am kind of carefree."

Sikora did find similarities to her character, Claire, such as being a little bit of a "control freak" and not liking people invading her space. However, for Sikora, connecting to a character a decade older than her also presented unique challenges.

The musical takes place in the early 2000s, so the events of September 11, 2001 are referenced. For the character Claire, the day was something deeply personal that she experienced. For Sikora, who wasn't actually alive at the time, finding that connection is a little more difficult.

Challenges and rewards

The production has had other challenges for all the actors, especially when it comes to the music.

"It's a lot of songs, a lot of music to learn," Anderson said. "I haven't ever done a show where I've sang a lot of the show."

Sarah explained that the music-heavy nature of the show meant spending extra time on the songs to make sure they had them right. She also said the music style is different than many traditional musicals and has a more contemporary feel, which also means the actors had to adjust to a style of singing they weren't as familiar with.

"This is my very first show where it's been just an accompanist," Cain said, noting this is also different from many musicals and has required him to trust himself with the music more.

But for Cain, the challenge was also the reward, since he had the chance to do something he's never done before.

For Sarah, watching all the actors grow throughout the production has been one of the biggest rewards, especially as they adjust to things they aren't as familiar with.

"Everyone is so incredibly talented, but it was so rewarding to see them grow and change into this role or this style of music," she said.

Meaningful messages

As they've worked through the challenges and connected with their characters, every cast member has also taken away their own messages from the show.

For Cain, the main message centers around the concept of change. He explained that each character has an introductory song and gives off a specific first impression, but over the course of the show they become different people - something that happens to everyone throughout life.

"We've all been changed for better things," Cain said.

"I think it's a lot about finding who you are, finding out your person in the whole big world, whether that be finding it with someone or someone helping you find what you're looking for," Anderson said, explaining the main message he has taken from the show. "It's really a lot about self-discovery."

The biggest theme for Sikora is "finding the joys in the little things of life." She explained: "Everything's always connected. Everything always happens for a reason. So it's important to focus on the good moments of what's happening right now rather than what's happening in the past or in the future."

Similarly, the message that Sarah said she's been hanging on to is "find the beauty in everyday" and "focusing on the little things."

Sarah added that some characters in the show only look at the big picture, while others focus too much on small details, so the show is also about "figuring out the balance in your ordinary lives."

"Ordinary Days" opens tonight at the Broadway Theater in Rock Springs. "Cast Picasso" will perform June 1 and 3 at 7:30 p.m. and June 4 at 2 p.m. "Cast Monet" will perform June 2 and 4 at 7:30 p.m. and June 3 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for kids and seniors, and can be purchased by calling (307) 352-1434 or visiting http://www.broadwayRS.com/upcoming-events. Due to some adult language, this show may not be suitable for young children.