Short Month, Short People

February is the shortest month of the year. It only has 28 days (29 if it's a Leap Year), and the sun isn't  even out for half of the day. So it's fitting that it has also been designated as Turner Syndrome Awareness Month.

Turner Syndrome is a chromosomal disorder that affects one in every 2,000 living people who were assigned female at birth due to a partially or completely missing X chromosome. It is not genetically inherited, as one of the many symptoms that can come along with it is infertility due to nonfunctioning or even missing ovaries. However, those with TS who do have part of the chromosome that start their period on their own (without the help of HRT to induce them) have a chance at conceiving, though it is not recommended as heart conditions are also common amongst folks with TS.  IVF is a possibility as well, though it is also not recommended. Other symptoms include short stature that requires growth hormone treatment, hearing issues or even loss, puffy hands and feet at birth, many moles, social difficulties, learning difficulties (math especially), delayed puberty, and scoliosis, among many others.

There are two types of TS: classic (45 chromosomes) and mosaic (where part of the 46th chromosome is present).

It's also very important to point out that while TS is only found in AFAB people, not everyone who has Turner Syndrome identifies as a woman, and they have just as much right to space in the TS community (and a sense of safety in said community) as cis women (people assigned female at birth who identify as female) with TS.

I was diagnosed with Turner Syndrome in utero via amniocentesis (where they take embryonic fluid and fetal cells are grown in a culture medium, then looked at under a microscope). It started when my mom went in for an ultrasound and the tech found something out of sorts. Originally, they had thought my skull hadn't fully formed yet in the back and were concerned that it was Down Syndrome or that my brain could possibly hemorrhage. My mom got a second ultrasound to check at Norton Hospital in Louisville. It was determined that it was a sac of fluid on the back of my neck known as cystic hygroma. She then went to a geneticist who said that it could either be TS or Down Syndrome. That was when the amniocentesis was ordered and I was officially diagnosed with Turner Syndrome that day.

My mom and aunt did a great deal of research online to find out as much accurate information on TS as they could, as a lot of the information in books was inaccurate. They found the Turner Syndrome Society of the United States website, which today is still the most trusted source of information on the subject.

I arrived September 25, 1994 at 6:01 pm Eastern Standard Time at Norton Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky and was rushed over to Kosair at two days old for my first heart surgery. At three weeks, my diaphragm was fixed due to paralysis on the left side. At six weeks, I had my second heart surgery. The last one was when I was 3 and a half, and aside from being diagnosed with hyperthyroidism that went to hypothyroidism, I've had nothing serious TS-related since.

I won't deny that having Turner Syndrome can be highly irritating. I have to take a lot of medicine, I have a small army of doctors that I go to, I occasionally get stuck sitting behind very tall people and can't see, I have a tough time with numbers and visualizing things, and can't read physical social cues to save my life. At the same time, I'm also aware I wouldn't be who I am if my DNA wasn't how it is. I also wouldn't have the amazing friends I've made through the annual conferences.

For parents who have just had their kid diagnosed; tell them immediately, and give them full disclosure on what having TS entails. My mom was honest with me about my TS from the beginning, and I doubt that the trust I have in her would be there if she hadn't. And for the love of God, please put your kid on growth hormone as soon as it's allowed. Give them the chance to be as tall as they can be. Understand that routine can be important for some of us, and that a lot of us understand words better than actions when it comes to socializing with others. Even then, it's best to be straightforward when talking. My father is pretty sarcastic and I couldn't figure out when he was being so until I was 18.

Most of all, remember that this diagnosis isn't about you. It's about your child and what they need to live a healthy, happy, productive life. Make sure that your kid determines who knows that they have TS and when they find out. It's not something to be ashamed of, but it's still important for the person with TS to have control over how and when the information about it is disclosed.

Be patient. Be supportive. Be there.

But I would need no memories there if I could share my life with you...

January 4th, 2015 will probably always be one of my least favorite days. That's because as of today, the first ever Broadway revival of Stephen Schwartz and Roger O. Hirson's Tony Award-winning musical Pippin closed, a few months shy of running for two years at the Music Box Theatre.

In short, it's very loosely based on the life of Pippin, the son of Charlemagne, leader of the Holy Roman Empire, as he tries to find significance in his life and make it "Extraordinary." The show is meta-theatrical in a sense, as it uses the idea of a performance troupe (or in the revival's case, a circus troupe) to tell the story. It was originally directed and choreographed by Mr. Bob Fosse and the revival was helmed by Diane Paulus and Chet Walker (choreographing in Mr. Fosse's signature style). Gypsy Snider presided over the circus aspects of the revival.

I was in my high school's production of Pippin in the spring of 2004 (yes, I was nine at the time-BHS does an annual day camp where kids grades K-8 put on a song and dance along with the opportunity to audition for the show if they wish). I had never done a real musical before, just some random church Christmas shows, and on finding out I'd been cast, I was incredibly excited to be a part of the troupe. I'm fairly certain the VHS tape of it is around somewhere.

I recall being absolutely amazed by the dedication of the high schoolers in the show, especially one girl named Shayla (who played Fastrada, Pippin's stepmother). She's remained a role model ever since that show, and her work ethic still amazes me. I remember also being mighty jealous of Alex, the boy picked to be Theo (I mean come on, how often do you get the chance to hold a live duck?!). In addition, I met Weston, who became somewhat of an older brother to me for the next several shows we did together in my time at BHS even after he graduated (he helped with shows up until my senior year).

Pippin has done a great deal for me over the years: made me fall in love with theatre and got me to explore what modicum of talent I possess as a singer, but perhaps the most important and, frankly, the best thing it has ever done for me is this:

It provided me the opportunity to meet the girl that I still call my hometown best friend.

Keri and I met at the drama day camp that January, bonding over the Cheetah Girls and a fear of the dark (we regret the Cheetah Girls admiration now). We waited in anticipation in the wings for our cue to go on stage and dance our nine-year-old butts off to the sounds of Steppenwolf's "Magic Carpet Ride."

It's been our song ever since.

To those who have made this show happen; thank you for giving me Pippin. My world would not have been the same without you. Here's hoping I make like the title character and find my own "Corner of the Sky."

No Matter What

14 was a hectic time for me: I lost my paternal grandmother along with undergoing a biopsy and being diagnosed with a (strangely not Turner Syndrome-related) kidney disease.

That was also when I found out that my father and I are not blood relatives.

Mom and I were on the way to an appointment I had (either an endocrinology one in Indy or a nephrology one in Louisville, I can't recall, I just know that I got to skip school which was a win in my book) when she told me the news.  Shock and numbness were really the only things that I felt at the time, until a little while later I had her pull over because it was finally setting in and making me feel sick.

Dad and I had very different personalities back then; him restrained and aloof, where I was open and uninhibited with how I felt, both of us products of our upbringing. This caused us to butt heads often and, as much as I hate to admit it, really made me question if he loved me as much as he loved my brother and sister, or if he even loved me at all. And I still sometimes hate myself for thinking that.

So that's why he treats me differently from Jonah and Grace was a thought that stuck with me for a long time, even though it wasn't the truth.

Whether by the grace of God or the fact that we both just wised up, things changed. Dad learned to be more open and affectionate and I learned how to pick up on his sarcastic humor (a feat I finally perfected at 18) and have finally developed his thick skin. Now, he's probably one of my favorite people on this weird and occasionally wonderful planet, if not tied with my little sister and mom at number one.

Over the years Mom's told me more about her story and how she ended up pregnant with me, and after hearing it I don't think I could ever say "thank you" enough that God decided to give my old man the chance to be a part of our lives (not to mention getting two siblings out of it).

Dad, I know I've said this a lot before, but you are definitely one of the best things to happen to Mom and me. Thank you for being so good to her and being someone who's actually worthy of her love, and thank you for loving me. I'm so sorry I ever thought you didn't.

It just takes practice...

Today I saw my first article for my school's newspaper on its website, and I couldn't have been more pleased.

I've always liked writing, but had very little experience with AP style and journalistic writing in general, as my high school's newspaper class wasn't very structured and any English classes I had were based in creative or academic writing. Retraining myself to write objectively (I can be pretty opinionated on certain things) and not put the question back into my answers as I was taught when learning how to write research papers has been a challenge, but I'm getting better at it each time I write, and at the end of the day that's all I could ask for.

I still have 6 more articles to write before I end up on the newspaper's payroll, but as far as I'm concerned that's alright as long as I'm getting some much-needed practice and building up a portfolio of work samples to show off when I apply for internships and (once I'm finished with my university career) jobs.

I'm not a perfect writer, and frankly, nobody is. But as long as I keep aiming to be better than I was the day before, I'd like to think I'm on the right track.

Top 10 Opening Numbers

As many of you might know, I'm a big musical theatre fan, and nothing pleases me more than a good song to start the show, so I figured that I would share a few of my personal favorites with you (most of these can be found on YouTube and/or Spotify).

1. "Magic to Do" from Pippin:

My first experience being in a proper musical, I was in Pippin at the age of nine. Seeing the high schoolers (who were basically rockstars in my eyes) with their white gloves all aglow from the backlight and moving around in the darkness was mesmerizing. Also, Stephen Schwartz is to me what Shakespeare is to Kevin Kline.

2. "There's No Business Like Show Business" from Annie Get Your Gun:

Honestly, how the Tony Awards haven't opened with this song in a while is beyond me. It's the perfect love letter to the theatre. You can't help but want to hop on stage with the cast and dance along.

3. "There You Are" from Drood:

Another wonderful get-on-your-feet number, all I wanted to do when I heard this was to break out into a can-can. I need to purchase this album on iTunes ASAP.

4. "Let There Be" from Children of Eden:

Again, I am completely and utterly in love with Mr. Schwartz's work and Children of Eden is no exception; the harmonies in this song are just gorgeous, and I'm shocked that it hasn't had the Broadway run that it deserves. It never ceases to bring tears to my eyes with its beauty. I hope to see it again, or better yet, have the privilege of being in its cast.

5. "Come and Look at the Freaks" from Side Show:

Again, I'm very fond of good harmonization, and "Freaks" definitely fits the bill. It definitely gets me to want to finish the soundtrack and look forward to the upcoming revival.

6. "Overture/Work Song" from Les Misérables:

Frankly, the one thing I like almost as well as good harmonies is a song that I can belt my lungs out on, and this is one of them. Another show I'd like to be in someday.

7. "Carrying the Banner" from Newsies:

Alan Menken, anyone? Hearing this song makes mornings a lot less awful, and remembering that Christian Bale was in the movie version of this show never ceases to make me chuckle.

8. "All That Jazz" from Chicago:

"Well behaved women seldom make history." This is definitely true for Chicago's two leading ladies, Roxie and Velma (who sings this song). A big booming number, "Jazz" makes you wish you were in a speakeasy back in the '20s.

9. "Let Me Be Your Star" from Bombshell:

I know, it's not a real musical (though I and many other SMASH fans wish it was), but it's still gorgeous and wishful and hits very close to home given my desire to be a successful actress. And Megan Hilty sings in it, so of course it's fantastic.

10. "No One Mourns the Wicked" from Wicked:

I tried to not include this one. Really, I did. But the fact remains that this is a dang good opening number, and Wicked is a good musical regardless of its popularity. (Also, another Schwartz song? Why, yes it is. I already told you that he's my favorite musical composer.)

Feel free to share some of your favorites in the comments!

IU Theatre solves The Mystery of Edwin Drood

Last night, Indiana University's Department of Theatre, Drama, and Contemporary Dance began their  2014-2015 season with the opening night of their production of The Mystery of Edwin Drood, currently running at the Ruth N. Halls Theatre. Based on the unfinished novel by Charles Dickens, the Rupert Holmes-penned metatheatrical tuner tells the tale of a small English town shaken up when the eponymous young Drood goes missing and is presumed dead. It is up to the remaining characters to find out who the guilty party is.

However, they are not alone in their quest; given that Mr. Dickens died before he could finish the novel, the audience is asked to vote on who they think the murderer is, in addition to who is disguising themselves as Dick Datchery during the second act and which two suspects will be paired together romantically. This opportunity leads to some very confusing, hilarious, and occasionally disturbing endings.

Another important aspect of the show involves a long-standing theatre tradition; Edwin Drood, a man, is portrayed by a woman (in the guise of a popular male impersonator; the plot of Drood actually being that it is a show-within-a-show). In IU's production he is portrayed by senior musical theatre student Maddie Shea Baldwin, and it is easy to see why; her voice glides gracefully over the mezzo-soprano notes one must sing to play Drood, and she manages the belting portions of her role with admirable gumption, not to mention her brief stint as Datchery prior to the voting and when she is in the character of Alice Nutting (the actor in the company of the Music Hall Royale who plays Drood). Truly a role well cast.

Speaking of well-cast roles, one of my personal favorites was junior musical theatre student Nathan Robbins as the Chairman William Cartwright and Mayor Thomas Sapsea. I was delighted the entire time by his showmanship and comedic timing. Well done, sir.

Other performers of note are Berklea Going as Rosa Bud, Drood's intended (with a lovely soprano that could easily land her in the roles of Cosette in Les Misérables or Christine in Phantom if she so wished). In all honesty, I wished it had been Rosa who was voted as the killer; that would have been a lovely twist. Markus McClain as Durdles could have been a class in slapstick, and Scott Van Wye as John Jasper was wonderful as well; the same for everyone involved in the cast and crew (though I must admit some bias to Emily Schultheis as Princess Puffer due to the fact that we're both native to the southwestern Indiana area and I rather liked her performance when I saw her as the Narrator in Joseph).

Drood was a wonderful experience, and I wish them all the best on their run.

...WHAT

Honestly, that's the only thing I can think right now having just watched the trailer for the fourth book (season for those not in the Avatar fandom) of Legend of Korra. Following the events of book three's finale (which was a giant bundle of WHAT ON EARTH?!), Korra has to deal with some tough changes and feeling helpless. Also, one of the best lady characters in all of animated history may or may not be making a return. I can't wait.

But enough about that.

Long-ish intro: Hey! I'm Kelseigh. I'm 20 and a sophomore journalism student here in Indiana, of which I'm an (occasionally) proud native (though I was born in Louisville, Kentucky for medical reasons). Ideally, I'd like to be an entertainment critic and live in New York City, but a bigger town here in the Midwest will do starting out. I've had plenty of people tell me I'm smart, which anymore basically means I can regurgitate information at the drop of a hat (most of it pointless and regarding my one true love, musical theatre). I would aspire to be an actor, but I'm not yet comfortable enough with my abilities as such to try making a living out of it. Hopefully, that will change.

Activism is something that has become important to me lately. My senior year I decided that I was a feminist of the third-wave variety (meaning I try and take racism, classism, heterosexism, cissexism, and ableism into account when looking at women's rights issues, among other things), and do what I can to alter the way people in my world view women's place in society-especially when it comes to religion.

I grew up in a nondenominational Christian household, and while I still believe God exists (though not in the form of an anthropomorphic male) and Jesus is a primary example of how I try and live my life, I believe that his message matters a lot more than the stories told about him. I also get really bothered by how a lot of more noted Christians portray God and Jesus and will more than likely use this blog to call them out. I've learned more about God from John Fugelsang and Mark Sandlin than I've ever learned from any sermon or blurb on KLOVE.

I also try and do a lot of work to raise awareness for Turner Syndrome, a chromosomal disorder that affects one in every 2,000 people who are assigned female at birth that is not generally inherited (for more information, please visit the Turner Syndrome Society of the United States' website). It results in short stature, heart and kidney issues, infertility, and many other health conditions, though like the name says, it's a syndrome-a grab bag of symptoms and not all of us have every trait and even then a lot of us are quite healthy-I haven't had any major concerns due to TS since I was 3, though I do have heart problems and have lost a kidney in the process. As far as I'm concerned, those are prices worth paying to be where I am right now.

That's all I can think of for now. I hope you enjoy whatever time you spend here! :)