Beth arrives at the Inner Harbour riding a scooter with her face painted like a clown.
“Good morning folks, April Fools!” Despite her greeting, Beth says this is no joke. “This is my first time trying to sing in public.”
The busker is preparing to debut her clown version of the Broadway classic Gypsy. “It’s my all-time favourite music,” Beth says.
The movie version of Gypsy will provide a soundtrack from a portable DVD player while Beth performs from her adapted script – playing all the characters.
“It’s a two-hour show,” she says. “I’ll perform the whole thing if I don’t get too tired.”
Beth says she experiences debilitating fatigue – and pain – because of rheumatoid arthritis.
“It feels like stabbing between your joints.”
Both her knees have been replaced, the joints in her toes removed, and her hands have endured six surgeries, including an amputation.
“These two are bad,” she shows her remaining fingers, one featuring a sparkling ring. “That’s my wedding finger. I don’t want to lose that.”
Beth also doesn’t want to completely lose the ability to draw and paint, which she says earned her a degree with honours from art college. “[Creating visual art] is one of the most beautiful feelings I know.”
Although the arthritis has caused her style to change, Beth refuses to quit.
“I’m here to show people you can be happy – right here, right now.”
So despite the struggles with her hands, she keeps creating her original art cards. Despite the pain in her body, she keeps performing her musical.
“We’re here to have fun,” she says. “Live in the moment.” Despite it all, like the famous lyric from Gypsy, Beth is hoping you’ll have a real good time.
“All we know for sure is we got one life, so do it!” she says with a laugh. “Get off your couch!”
