WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – A legally blind pianist is making the music look easy in “Dwight Christmas,” the holiday show now open at Roxy’s Downtown.
Ashlee Thao serves as pianist for the original musical comedy that features Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower at the White House.
When Thao first received the call about the show, she learned it would be similar to “White Christmas.”
“As a kid, I really enjoyed watching the stuff from White Christmas,” Thao said. “I was like, ‘Okay, I think I might actually be familiar enough with the musical numbers to figure out my way around this and enjoy it.’”
Thao received the music ahead of time through music XML, a technology that has made musical scores more accessible.
“This stuff used to really only be accessible to a few people,” she said. “I think it only started becoming accessible for people who were blind or visually impaired about 10 years ago.”
Thao encourages others in similar situations to remain curious and open-minded.
“If you ask questions and be curious and open minded about the whole situation, honestly, I would be happy to talk with you,” she said. “Hopefully for both of us, like this show suggests, we can break down some presumptions together.”
“Dwight Christmas” runs through Dec. 23 at Roxy’s Downtown. For tickets and showtimes, visit: www.roxysdowntown.com/events
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