10/9/12 –Interview with Sheilah Rae

Like Austin Sheilah Rae also found her life path very young, when at 5 she saw her first musical. During the performance of “South Pacific” Sheilah told her mother that she was “going to do that.” Sheilah’s parents believed that “if you were going to do something you had to have the best teacher,” so when 5 year old Sheilah wanted dance lessons they arranged for her to study with the renowned Edna McRae. Ms McRae also required that her students know music, so 6 year old Sheilah began piano lessons and was soon studying dance, piano, music theory at the Chicago Conservatory of Music and violin. Continuing to benefit from family support, inherent talent and luck Sheilah also got her first role on Broadway in “Fiddler on the Roof” right out of college. Listen to this effervescent woman talk about a career in which she has done everything including write musicals like “Funny You Don’t look like a Grandmother!” and “I Married Wyatt Earp.” And listen to songs from “Earp” with lyrics by Sheilah and music by composer Michele Brourman.