Allegro
Making a Wish Come True
Volume CVIII, No. 4April, 2008
Caitlin Case (left) brushes up on her “Lion King” part with principal cellist Eliana Mendoza. Photo by Walter Karling. |
If you were a 17-year-old musician and were granted a wish, what would you choose? How about performing in a Broadway show?
Thatâs what Caitlin Case chose in February when she played the second cello part during the first three numbers of a matinee performance of âThe Lion King.â
âIt was a really amazing experience,â Caitlin told Allegro. âIâve done a lot shows in school, but none of them really came close to this. It was really fun.â
Caitlin has a rare condition that causes recurrent growths on her vocal cords. She has to go in for surgery every three months to get them removed. She had her first surgery when she was six months old and since then sheâs had over 60.
When she was in the hospital recently, Caitlin met a fellow patient who was granted a favor from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The organizationâs mission is to grant the requests of children and young adults who have life-threatening medical conditions
Caitlinâs mom found that Caitlin was eligible to apply. Thatâs how she ended up on Broadway.
Karl Jurman, the music director for âLion King,â liked making the wish come true.
âI enjoy supporting the growth of young musicians,â Jurman told Allegro. ââThe Lion Kingâ has worked with the Make-A-Wish Foundation before and I wanted to support a worthy cause. It was easy and fun to do. It became a very proud and satisfying musical endeavor.â
Before her performance, Caitlin rehearsed with âLion Kingâ principal cellist Eliana Mendoza.
Mendoza feels that it was âa very rewarding and moving experience to see a dream come true for a young and talented musician. Caitlin was wonderful to work with and her performance was definitely outstanding.â
A BACKGROUND IN MUSIC
Caitlin has music in her soul. Sheâs only been playing cello for three years, but she started violin in fifth grade and ever since then has been picking up more instruments, like viola, piano, guitar and electric bass.
Why did she take on the cello?
âBecause violinists are mean,â she says with a laugh. âI donât know: I just always liked the sound of it.â
Caitlinâs dad plays guitar, and he and his daughter jam together.
âMy family is very musical,â Caitlin notes. âI think everybody plays at least two instruments.â So becoming a musician herself was a given.
Caitlinâs iPod has opera on it â ââcause Iâm a nerdâ â but also alternative metal music like the band System of a Down.
She hasnât had any training in improvisation, but hopes to get into that in college. She plans on attending a liberal arts school and is currently thinking of majoring in biochemistry or music education.
Caitlin attends Central Dauphin High School in Harrisburg, Penn., where she lives with her family. Sheâs played in community ensembles as well as musicals and her schoolâs upper-level orchestra. As an âintern,â she gets to teach students and occasionally conduct the first-year orchestra.
Caitlinâs âLion Kingâ performance was the first time she had played behind a microphone. Itâs also the first time she had worked with professional actors.
âMost of the singers in high school do their own thing and donât worry about the pit,â she said. âOn Broadway, you can tell that the actors were trying to be with the musicians.â
Caitlin said that her fellow musicians â all Local 802 members â seemed relaxed and professional. âThey were very comfortable with the music,â she said. âThey have all the music memorized. They werenât nervous at all and very prepared.â
Thinking back, Caitlin says that she didnât have stage fright. âYou canât really see the audience from the pitâŚit was kind of like there wasnât an audience,â she remembers. âI wasnât nervous â just excited to be there.â
For more information on the New York City chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, see www.MetroNY.wish.org or call (212) 505-WISH.