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An unseen advantage

David Schlachter

Life is full of surprises, and with the pressures of today, following your dreams may seem difficult. The one thing I have learnt, though, is that when you bring the Lord into the equation, tomorrow’s uncertainties are eclipsed by hope, and today’s challenges are filled with joy.

What do you do when an opportunity falls into your lap, unexpectedly, that could change your life in an instant? Most of us would take it and run, although not all opportunities turn out as we think they should and not all life-changing scenarios can seem to be for the better.

Only the Lord could have created an opportunity that was perfect in every way, and met all the desires of my heart.

My short journey of 22 years may not have included many huge decisions as of yet, however, many small decisions have led to big changes. I was told once that we might not see what the puzzle looks like holding one piece – but put them all together and you see the whole picture.

Life is a day to day experience, and while things like money and an academic degree might help in some areas of our lives, there is still a part of us that longs for true happiness and contentment.

My life has definitely been full of surprises and unexpected twists and turns, and yet, right now as I sit typing this, I can honestly look back and see how the Lord has had his hand over me all of the way, and how, without Him, there is no way I would be where I am now.

I want to go back about two years and share with you how quickly the desires of your heart can be met, and hope that you will see how intricate the Lord is, and how He has the best in mind for us.

After finishing school and then going into a year of Architecture, I was at a crossroad as I realised that Architecture wasn’t for me. Should I drop Architecture and hesitantly take up another degree, or should I dive into the unknown and chase a dream lead by hope?

I know that the Lord is in everything, but I knew that if I were to venture on a path with which I was not familiar, it seemed as though I would have to know for sure who He was and what role He played before I just carried on playing in this game we call “life”. You see, singing had always been my number one passion, and I can remember now that feeling of being uncertain about whether I was in the right place in my life, making the right decisions, etc, and I knew something had to change.

I decided to take a step of faith and stop my degree, and rather take a gap year that was focused on singing, but also had the purpose of clarifying whether there was something else I loved as much as singing, and whether it was worth pursuing. The year started off well, I was involved with singing teachers from Reach for the stars, Cindy Dickinson and Denise Ostler, whom I had met halfway through my first year at architecture. They were the ones that helped me act on my love for singing, and continuously fuelled my decision to pursue it, by getting the odd corporate engagement and landing our first residential restaurant gig, every Sunday night for about three months. I was also working at the Physiotherapy department at St. Augustines Hospital to see if Physiotherapy was something I could see myself studying. This was something I had always been interested in, but could never see myself doing for very long. I also got stuck into my studies, which was me trying to complete the matric higher grade physical science syllabus in four months, and trying to get an “A” after not having done it since Grade 9, which I thought was a bit optimistic, but I was going to try anyway. Little did I know that this year and all these new experiences I was embracing, were just stepping stones to what would be the main reason as to why my all important gap year had occurred.

So with the year running smoothly and going as fast as time does, the first five months flew by and almost halfway into the year I had finished my science course, the Sunday gig was coming to an end and I had pretty much stopped going to the hospital, as I learnt that as much as it interests me, I definitely did not love it more than singing.

With everything now ending, and with six months left of the year, my plan of action was inconclusive. I did know, however, that I was going to focus all my attention on singing, as that was the main project for my gap year.

Then, on the Friday morning of 27 June 2008, I woke up and was organising my plan for the day. I was going to the first day of the Mr Price Pro competition. My friends were going to pick me up around 10:00 and we were going to spend the whole day there.

How my day ended up, though, came nowhere close to a relaxed day on the beach. My friends phoned at around 10:30, and told me they were running a bit late, due to them waiting for their cousins.

With that, I decided I would give Denise a call to see how she was doing and to chat about our gig that Sunday night, also about what I was going to be doing in the next six months, etc. While speaking to her my sister asked if I would be around to pick her up at 12 30, as she was going out to lunch with a friend, but due to my friends picking me up sooner, I told her I was not going to be able to pick her up.

So I carried on with my phone call, which was turning into quite a lengthy conversation, when somehow we got to the topic of auditions, and Denise told me that one of their other students from the school was down at the Bat centre, auditioning for the High Shool Musical reality show which was going to air on MNet in August.

I didn’t really know anything about it, and decided I had to go look on the website for more information, where I remember clearly reading, “If you want to sing, dance and act, then this is for you”. Something sparked inside of me, and I just knew I had to go and do this. Not knowing what song to audition with or what to wear, I said goodbye to Denise, SMSed my friends to say I was not going to make it to the beach, got changed and brushed pass my father (who had just got home) with a comical “bye Dad I am off to an audition in town”.

So, eventually, I arrived at the Bat centre, and thanks to them keeping it open for people still in school, I could still sign up and audition. I was the last person to fill out a sign-up form and was told to go and wait outside audition room C. I was under the impression that I should sing a musical number, and thought “Come what may” from Moulin Rouge would have to suffice. So, because I had arrived rather late, it never took too long for me to audition, and I was told after I had quickly sung my song, that I should immediately go to where everyone was waiting, as they were waiting for the lady’s forms whom I had auditioned for, to see how many people were going to be put into the next round. Once I got there, I waited about five minutes before I heard my name called out, and due to me being the last one to audition, it was a surprise! I was the first one to be called out. It was all a bit surreal for me to know exactly what was going on, but I was excited as ever, and was one of about 50 contestants in Durban to make it through to the weekend workshop round. So I arrived home with good news for my family, who were all a bit confused as to what was going on (due to me not giving them much information before I left), but they were all so supportive and also knew this was something special.

The next day, I arrived with lots of excitement, and we had to learn a hip-hop dance routine, a high school musical song, as well as sing our audition song from the first round, this time with the adjudicator panel and several TV cameras – not so easy anymore.

I felt like I was in one of my dreams, as I had always watched shows like Idols and So you think you can dance and thought how awesome it would be to learn a dance routine and learn new songs.

We had the Saturday to learn these numbers, were put into different groups and were taught the choreography. Fortunately my group was full of spunk and willing to work hard and eager to stand out from the crowd, which was obviously very important in this competition, as the judges weren’t fooled by people who were lazy or not taking the competition seriously. So, after lots of rehearsing, we ended the day on a high and were all excited for the final day of workshop, and to see who would make it into the top 40.

The way it worked was that each group would dance for the judges, after which each one would come out and sing his or her audition song. Once that had happened, the judges would decide whether we were in or out. Out and we went home. In and we stayed for the next round which was later that afternoon to sing the song they had taught us.

It was time to shine, and our dance number seemed to sit well with them, my song did not go as well as I had planned it too. It didn’t help that I had started it about two keys too low. I just hoped that they had seen something in me. Fortunately they did, and after making it through to the final round in Durban, I sang the High School Musical song they gave us, and after about an hour of the judges deliberating once we had all sung, I found out I had made it to the top 40, which was going to be held in Cape Town.

The week in Cape town was gruelling, but I managed to make it through and was announced as one of the top 18, which meant the initial auditioning phase was now over, and we had now made it onto the show, and were going to be performing for the public, who would ultimately determine where we would come in the competition.

Apart from the show being live and dealing with real situations and people, the reality show certainly didn’t disappoint when living up to what it makes out to be.

My reality had been swept from under me and I had all these new pages that needed to be filled, all these other desires that I had hidden away, not knowing when they could become a possibility, had suddenly been handed to me all at once. Excitement kept the actuality of the situation at bay, and the Lord kept me from thinking about it too much, and therefore not allowing any form of doubt to creep in and sabotage these new opportunities that lay ahead of me.

One of these was me beginning to feel what independence felt like, as I had started to wonder at what age I would experience it, and with me being out of the home, it was definitely a start of what was to come. The obvious desire being met was that I was now singing every day, and working and growing towards something substantial, rather than just singing around the house. Another advantage was that I had also really wanted to start earning some money to support myself and, in turn, help my father out, and whether I were to win the show or get other opportunities through it, I really believed that this would be a great possibility once the show was over.

The reality show itself presented many challenges: my love for music and singing was strengthened by me leading the praise and worship at my father’s church for four years, and landing the odd corporate engagement and restaurant gig with my singing coaches, Cindy and Denise.

To go from singing in your shower, to having to pour your heart out in front of complete strangers and TV crews, is definitely not as easy as I used to think while watching these types of shows on TV.

So, here I was, having the time of my life: singing, dancing, acting and working with professionals every week, day in and day out and even though I had this constant sense of pressure that I couldn’t seem to shake, I was fully aware of the amount of experience I was gaining and the opportunities that would come from this, so it never became an issue. Every week brought new challenges, and although the stakes got higher every week that I stayed in, it also seemed more natural for me to be in the competition, and all the TV cameras seemed to make one feel at home after a while, unlike the different universe we all felt like we had landed on just a couple of months ago.

It took six weeks for the top 18 to become the top 6 and in those weeks of learning new songs and dance numbers, as well as performing to live audiences, I just knew that this was the beginning of greater things to come. It all happened so fast and to think that I came out winning the role of Troy is still too surreal for me to comprehend.

All I know is that I tried my absolute best, worked really hard and the rest was in the hands of the judges and public – and more importantly the Lord’s. Even on that final night, I really wasn’t sure who was going to win, though some people might disagree, but it was only until just before they announced my name, that I had this peace come over me. I think back at how grateful I was at winning the role of Troy and thinking how my dreams were coming true. The Lord was definitely smiling as He knew this was one dream that had just begun.

The week after Carmen and I had won, we had to stay in Johannesburg for a week to be available for press and media calls. In this week, it all started to slowly sink in what was happening to me. We also met our new agent for the first time, as well as did our last video blog for the High School Musical website.

After that week, I returned home where I was asked to do an interview for a local magazine called The Ridge. Seeing myself and my dog’s face on the cover of that magazine, and seeing all these newspapers articles, just reminded me of everything I had just been through, and that the bubble that I had been tucked away during the reality show had now burst, and I was beginning to realise that I would soon be performing on a massive stage, to over 2000 people a night, in what would become my musical theatre debut.

All I can say when thinking about this, is that living life knowing that I can just relax in knowing the Lord is leading me and creating opportunities right in front of me, has allowed me to enjoy every day for what it is, and constantly grow more in trusting Him and allowing Him to just have His way in my life. I mean here was, little ol’ David, embarking on all these new adventures and daily events that were all so new and exciting. Still now, more than two years later, I am constantly humbled by the realisation that I can take no credit for what I have achieved so far, as I can clearly see it has been the Lord who has paved the way for all this to happen and that no amount of luck or chance or me avoiding ladders or smashing any mirrors could have resulted with me in what I was going through.

There are some things I am so glad to have learnt sooner rather than later. One of those things is how time flies by so fast that if we are caught worrying about the future, or focussing on what we missed out in the past, we lose the opportunity to grasp the present and make every moment in our life as special as it can be.

I know I still have so much to learn and haven’t grasped that concept fully yet, but the Lord keeps on showing me how faithful He is. He is just so detailed when it comes to fulfilling the desires of my heart. When I thought there was going to be no way that I would be able to sing, suddenly I find myself engulfed in it. I am sure, like many of yours, my desire to travel had been developing since the day I was born, and an awesome sports tour to Argentina, only confirmed how much I wanted to travel.

Otherwise, I had only travelled in South Africa but that was about to change.

While performing High School Musical in Johannesburg, the producers came to us with exciting news, that China apparently might be interested in taking the show over there, and because of this, their team would be arriving to watch the show. It wasn’t long after they had seen it that we were handing our passports in to get Chinese visas, and in June of 2009, I embarked with the company on my first Asian adventure. A world so far from ours and yet only half a day away, a place that I thought I would only be able to get to if I dug down far enough in my sand pit, and yet, there I was, getting paid to do what I love and travel the world.

I was also given the chance to pursue my love for dance, as during the run of High School Musical, I auditioned and got a part in the musical Cats. This put me in a position where I would be in a musical built on dance, as well as be surrounded by professional dancers, and after hearing how demanding the show is, I knew it would further prepare me for what this industry requires.

Being cast in Cats, I knew that I had work for the following eight months after High School Musical, and in this industry to have work for even six months after you are done with a current contract, is something that is seen as very fortunate. However, it never ended there.

Before Cats had even started, we were rehearsing High School Musical before leaving for Shanghai, when the creative team from London were auditioning for Grease, which was going to include a run in Cape Town and Johannesburg, as well as a tour to New Zealand and Hong Kong. With me only really knowing the movie, I didn’t really know who to audition for and I just asked around and was told that I should go for either Doody or Roger. After the most exhausting audition I had encountered so far, all we could do was carry on with our lives and wait.

Soon after arriving back from Shanghai, I found out that I had landed the role of Eugene. Even though that was not the role I had auditioned for, I was still extremely grateful that I was going to be a part of such a massive musical. I was, however, a little apprehensive as to whether it would be a good career move, but after finding out more about the role and speaking to a few respected friends in the industry, I realised that this would be a perfect opportunity to show versatility, and a chance to play a comedy role and showcase my acting ability. This also extended my work period from eight months to fifteen months, which was such an awesome way to start off my career as it was just the Lord showing me how He was always going to provide for me.

Knowing I had work for over a year, soon after Shanghai, I went to London, seeing that part of the prize for winning was a holiday trip for two to London for five nights with a West End Show of our choice included. I had decided that instead of only going for five nights, I would wait till I had the time and extend the return flight, so that I could see all my family and friends that I had wanted to see since I was young.

So, three and a half weeks in London it was, seeing as many West End Shows as I could, finally meeting my lovely family and having the time of my life. I also had my 21st birthday over there, which I found so special, as I was in a country I had been wanting to go to since I was very little, surrounded by family, close childhood friends from back home who had moved there, as well as friends that I had made since I entered the industry.

It felt like my past, present and future had all come together on that day, and it showed how quickly things had changed in such a short amount of time.

I remember arriving back on a Friday morning and starting Cats rehearsals that next Monday. The next six weeks would prove to be very tough, rehearsing from 09:30 to 18:00 for six days a week. I had gone from never having been to a dance lesson in my life, to being a part of one the most sought after musicals for dancers, as well as having to now understudying three different tracks in the show. I grew so much and loved being challenged every single day. Whether it was fighting through injuries or standing at the end of each show knowing how much work went into getting to the end.

It was an amazing six months that I will cherish forever. My musical family was also growing, and now, with two shows under my belt. I was starting to feel at home in an industry I had known very little about growing up.

Once Cats had ended, I got the chance to go home for three weeks.

After having time to reconnect with everyone and spend some quality time with my close friends and family, I was off to Cape Town to start with the Grease rehearsal process. With a young and energetic cast, we all knew this was going to be something special, and working once again with a West End creative team, I was excited to see what this show would bring.

We rehearsed for five weeks and performed from February to June 2010 in Cape Town and Johannesburg.

During this season of my life I was going through a transformation from just serving the Lord, to actually knowing Him. I grew so much in my relationship with Him, spending time just allowing him to pour knowledge and revelation into my heart. I can honestly say that has been one of the best few months of my life.

The end of our South African run of Grease came quickly and that meant that touring would begin. We started off in New Zealand, where we performed for a month, after which I stayed to explore the rest of New Zealand for two weeks. Once that was done, I went home for two weeks and then was off to Hong Kong and, being a city that never sleeps, five weeks seemed to fly by and I found myself on a plane to Korea where I was going to see my brother, Paul, sister-in-law, Gerri, and new little niece, Olivia.

They have been teaching in Korea for the past six years and visited South Africa at least once a year. However, I had always wanted to visit them and, being so close, I thought it was a perfect opportunity. So there I was. After having been to New Zealand and Hong Kong, I was spending quality time with my precious family in Korea. Something that had seemed impossible had become a reality. On top of that, while in Hong Kong, I had also been offered the role of Troy again for an up and coming run in Taiwan. What this meant was that they needed me to go there for a five day media call, which just happened to fall right in the middle of my holiday in Korea. The timing couldn’t have been better, and all I did was go to Korea for a week, then Taiwan for five days, then back to Korea before I had to leave to go home.

And so my journey continues, and as I wake up every morning, I am faced with more challenges and filled with new desires.

People often ask me if I worry about my future, or what my “plan B” is. I can honestly say that I am not ignorant to the fact that my future is important, but I just know that the Lord tells me not to worry about tomorrow, as is I can really know what tomorrow will bring.

I am a firm believer now in that if we spend all our time thinking of tomorrow, we miss out on our time that was meant for today. I understand that we are all at different stages of our lives, and that all of us wake up to different situations and circumstances, but one thing still remains the same: the Lord is alive and with us every day.

My desire is that I wake up every day with that fire and passion that the Holy Spirit fuels me with, being afraid of nothing and not just because I know He is alive and loves me, but because I know of the person I am, now that He is in me. He is that unseen advantage and whether it is in the stillness of worship or in making my wildest dreams come true, it is His promise that I hold onto, that He will eternally be with me.