“It was actually easier to work with them than I thought
it would be from my experience with other families because
they rehearsed with each other so well. Danielle didn’t read
yet and had a lot of lines, but she bounced her lines off of
her sisters and had them down,” he said. “It’s great to see
a whole family invested in it, and they’re one of the nicest
families. Rachael is extremely talented. She’s got a gift.”
“Annie” was Tracey’s first performance on stage in 15
years, and according to her, it was long overdue. She has
loved to sing since an early age and inherited the talent from
her grandmother, who was a soprano. Her brother also
played the piano and sang with her at home.
“We were a very musical family,” Tracey recalls. Her
grandmother encouraged her to sing at family gath erings
and took her to see many shows, such as “Peter Pan” and
“West Side Story.”
“I wanted to hop out of my seat and join the production
in that very moment,” she says.
Eventually, Tracey had the opportunity to perform in
musicals during middle and high school. “I’ll never
forget how full my heart was when I sang on stage for
the first time.”
Tracey graduated from Duquesne University with a voice
minor, pursuing a career in public relations. While raising
her daughters, she mainly sang at church and on special
occasions.
“My love for theater took a backseat for a long while,” she
notes. However, she never gave it up completely.
“Just like with relationships, you don’t always go through
life with your first love by your side, but you never forget it,”
Tracey says. “You always keep a part of it in your heart no
matter how much time passes.”
She decided to perform again when her daughters were
old enough. Tracey started training with a professional
instructor and joined the Palisade Community Choir.
“From that point, I haven’t looked back,” she exclaims. “It
didn’t take long to feel at home and in my comfort zone on
stage. I guess it’s just like riding a bike—you never forget
how it feels.”
Tracey urges aspiring performers to look for
opportunities to sing and avoid letting their interest lapse.
She remembers that her grandmother told her to use the
talents God gave her.
“Always find some outlet to keep training and doing what
you love,” Tracey advises. “Don’t ever let it go completely.”
Rachael and Danielle are appearing together in “A Lyrical
Christmas Carol” at the New Hazlett Theater, but the
Parsons family is looking for new opportunities to perform
together in the spring. Rachael hopes to eventually perform
on Broadway. She enjoys singing, dancing and playing the
piano and flute. Nicole competes in gymnastics and plays
cello and piano. Danielle enjoys art and writing.
Tracey feels blessed that her daughters share her love
for performing, but just wants them to pursue their real
passions, whatever they may be.
“They have to have the fire inside of them or none of it
matters,” she says.
For upcoming shows at the Palisade Playhouse, go to
palisadeplayhouse.com. ■
To come back to it,
after all these years,
with one daughter
playing Annie
and the other two
as orphans was a
beautiful experience.
West Jefferson Hills | Winter 2017 | icmags.com 15