Curtain Call Meet and Greet with Rona Siddiqui

Ever since Rona played the role of a daffodil in Alice in Wonderland as a child she was hooked on theatre. In addition to performing throughout her life she began to learn piano at age 4. She shared, “Whenever I was in a show, I would spend hours at the piano learning to play the whole score and teaching myself to sing all the harmonies (I had to have my baby brother sing Christine's high note at the end of Phantom of the Opera though. Too high for me!).” I think composing was bound to fall into her lap. She told me it’s a direction she pursued when entering college. “As a person of color, I thought my chances of success were better there than in performance.”

She has a passion for working with young artists like those of Curtain Call. By having a specific person to write for she can dive deeper into the song and compose a truly special piece. For the Cabaret this April she worked alongside first year Curtain Call member Jenna. They dove into the topic of mental illness and how far it has come and where it needs to go. Rona shared, “From there we sought to create a very intimate, very personal story that will hopefully convey to people that whether they are going through mental health issues themselves or are a friend or family member of someone going through them, they are not alone.”

I look forward to hearing Rona’s piece on April 29th at 7:30pm on the Dillard Main Stage for Lynchburg College’s Curtain Up Songwriting Workshop. It will be surely be an unforgettable evening for all involved.

Information Regarding Lynchburg College’s Curtain Up Songwriting Workshop: This inaugural program was created by the Lynchburg College Theatre Department and James Ballard, the program’s Artistic Director, featuring the new musical theatre ensemble, Curtain Call. The program will connect students to musical theatre songwriters in the business. The composers/lyricists are writing songs specifically for the group that will be performed in their April Curtain Up Writers Cabaret.

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