Many actors eschew eating before a performance.

However, sometimes, you need to eat something or suck on a hard candy or have a drink before or during the show.  Sometimes you need the extra energy and sometimes you need to keep your throat and/or mouth from drying out.  (I assure you, trying to perform with your lips stuck to your dry teeth is not fun.)

But, please, be careful.  Even though what you are consuming ends up in your tummy safe from the gaze of the audience, many things leave clear evidence of their ingestion.

Some drinks can leave a lovely little “smile” or “mustache”.

Some foods coat or get stuck in your teeth.

These two things are usually easily remedied by a swipe or rinsing out your mouth.

However – some candies and certain drinks can color your tongue.

Once you have colored your tongue, that’s pretty much it.

At the Fischer Opera Haus, one year, we had the two ladies who staffed the box office, do a couple of songs in the second act.  Great!  They were both very talented.  However, once the show started, there was nothing much for them to do – so they got into the habit of going across the street and having a drink or two at the bar.  Okay, no problem.  Except one performance, they decided to imbibe crème de menthe – specifically, green crème de menthe.  Uh-huh.  Both of them performed their songs with spectacularly (and clearly visible – it was a small theater) green tongues.

Live and learn.

Let their experience be your warning.

Be careful what you put in your mouth!