I’m not ashamed in the least to confess that I love musicals. Some of my fondest memories growing up were made sitting under the moon at an outdoor theater, watching some of the best musicals in history performed right there in my hometown.

I credit many of my loves and passions to these productions: My esteem for a man who can dance, the idea that a song can make your entire day better, the way men had interest in women for admirable reasons – and some of my most favorite, tender songs.

“Crazy for You,” a story that features two of my favorite songs, “They Can’t Take That Away from Me” and “Embraceable You,” is a tale of a well-to-do young New Yorker who fulfills his dream of singing and dancing all the while saving his family business. This is also where I developed my dream to become a Ziegfeld Folly girl. Still working on that one – I’ll keep you posted. Thanks for this one, George and Ira Gershwin!

“Kiss Me, Kate,” I felt particularly connected with. It’s likely due to the fact that that summer, my step-sister, who has an unbelievable singing voice, got the part of Kate, and her name, too, was Kate. Coincidence? No – just utter talent. This production will offer you gangsters, gambling and romance. Does it get more enticing than that?

“Anything Goes” is a shining example of classic musical theater. If you’re into love triangles, tap-dancing sailors and a luxury liner sailing across the Atlantic, get yourself a ticket for the show. Favorite musical numbers include “I Get a Kick out of You,” and the title track “Anything Goes.” Encore, Mr. Cole Porter!

It’s no mystery these great musical tales have become muses for other shows, books, and plays throughout history. The productions allow for a distinctive window into other eras that we maybe didn’t get to be a part of, and it’s a mighty fine thing that they take us along for the ride.

Trollwood Performing Arts School in Moorhead.

Should you get the chance to enjoy these or any other classic musical production, let go of your inhibitions, and pick up the playbill! You’ll walk out with a pep in your step and a refreshed understanding of this genre of theatrical showbiz.