Limitless: The Second Edition

Hannah

After a fifteen minute intermission, Act Two begins. I follow Oliver and Sadie out on stage. The curtain rises, and we begin the next scene. I catch sight of Derek watching from the front row out of the corner in my eye. He and Courtney are both smiling, so we must be doing well. I pull my focus back to the scene, delivering my lines with confidence.

Scene after scene, we sing, dance, and act until we get to the biggest number - "Winner". This isn't Oliver's first solo or dance, but this number has become the trademark song of the show, so this is really his moment. I watch and choke back proud tears as he begins his monologue. He recites the most famous lines from the show as if they were his own words. Then he starts rapping the first verse of "Winner", and the band starts up the music from the pit.

The raw power in Oliver's voice echoes across the auditorium, sweeping up everyone whose ears it falls upon. The beat drops, and he advances to center stage, singing his heart out. We move into position around him and begin dancing. The energy in the room is uncontainable. The walls and stage are almost vibrating with the heart and soul of the actors and the music. The song has a pulse of its own, and the room is alive with it.

I feel like I'm flying as my feet move almost involuntarily. I'm twirling and leaping into the air like a gazelle galloping across the savanna. And although Oliver can't dance the way we can, he's dancing in his own way, allowing the song to take him over. By now I've joined in, and Oliver and I are rapping in turn. Soon the rest of the ensemble joins us, and the cast explodes in a lively burst of song and dance again.

When the song ends, the cheers rise from the audience. The show isn't over yet, however. We're all a little winded from "Winner", but we don't show it as we progress through the last two scenes.

At last, after two hours of exhilarating work, it's time for bows. The ensemble goes out first, followed by the actors for Kanji, Tanu, the merchant woman, and David. Then Sadie, Oliver, and I go out onstage, and we're greeted by a screaming audience, all of whom are on their feet, applauding. Their cheers and excitement rise to a deafening crescendo, and Oliver waves at the audience before putting an arm around me.

"Can I have everyone's attention, please?" he calls out over his mic. Within seconds everyone is quiet. Once he has everyone's attention, he speaks. "I just want to say that this show has been the best experience of my life. Not only did I gain more self confidence and learn to be proud of who I am and meet my idol, but I also met this lovely girl beside me. If you read your program, you know who this is. This is Hannah McFloyd, otherwise known as my girlfriend. Without this show, I might never have met her. She changed my life for the better. I love her more than words can express. She's the reason I've come so far in the past few months. And so now, I'd like to present her with a gift I've been meaning to give her ever since she told me she loved me."

And as the crowd goes wild, Oliver Carowski kisses me.