The last show I saw with my father was The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. It was an early October evening in 2014, and it was the first time I realized he was sick. He coughed all through dinner and the show, insisting it was just a cold, but his pallor and inability to focus indicated otherwise. He died of a rare cancer the day after Thanksgiving that year.
Read MoreAre accents important and integral to productions? I say yes.
I recently attended a production of “Titanic” where the vocals were good, the acting good, but the accents required were barely there (if at all) and when they were present, most executed it poorly. In a show like "Titanic", accents are non-negotiable.
Read MoreI have the perfect Broadway trivia question for your next party. Throw out the following question to your guests,
"Name a Tony Award that was created but never awarded?"
You might get a multitude of answers but a correct one would be, Best Performance by an Actor or Actress in a Recreated Role.
Yes, back in 2005, the Tony Awards Administration created the new category. However, less than a year later, it was removed and never awarded.
Read MoreWhat began as a casual thought about standing ovations these days, became, as I sat down to write, something of a tricky process, because standing ovations are a highly subjective response to theatrical stimuli; individual to the person on their feet. I watched a performance recently which, in my opinion, was very well done, although the script (again, in my opinion) did not lend itself to a standing ovation. Heartfelt, though seated applause, and quiet reflection on what's just been seen, perhaps. Yet all around me, people were getting to their feet to applaud in what seems these days to have become a meaningless, borderline trivial gesture. Something you're expected to do when a show is over.
Read MoreHere at OnStage Blog, we spend months compiling, researching and comparing college theatre programs to come up with what we feel are the very best colleges in the country. While names like Tisch, Juilliard, Emerson and Baldwin Wallace get plenty of attention, there are a ton of schools out there with incredible programs that deserve more.
So we wanted to highlight some of these underrated programs. Whether they are programs that have amazing facilities and curriculum or have a ton of value when it comes to their cost, these are schools that are doing tremendous things in theatre that might not be known on a national level.
Read MoreHere at OnStage Blog, we spend months compiling, researching and comparing college theatre programs to come up with what we feel are the very best colleges in the country. While names like Tisch, Juilliard, Emerson and Baldwin Wallace get plenty of attention, there are a ton of schools out there with incredible programs that deserve more.
So we wanted to highlight some of these underrated programs. Whether they are programs that have amazing facilities and curriculum or have a ton of value when it comes to their cost, these are schools that are doing tremendous things in theatre that might not be known on a national level.
Remember, we're talking about schools we feel are underrated. If you don't see certain programs here, it's more than likely that they're already getting a ton of credit.
Read MoreImagine that Hairspray is being produced in a local theatre near you. And after the auditions were completed, you notice that the show has an all-white cast. How would you react? Would you be angered? Insulted? Confused?
Read MoreNow it’s time to delve into the necessary steps to prepare the audition materials. Besides preparing audition material, you will have to apply to the actual school as well if you’re looking at a college or university. Academics count here. Colleges and universities will demand that you be academically accepted to the school before you are allowed to audition, so be careful how much you daydream about the stage in biology class!
Read MoreTime is key in many aspects of theater when it comes to putting together a production. You have the time period of finding a director for the show until closing, strike and everything in between. It is a word that is thrown around a lot within and about a production. Time for auditions, time for a production meeting, time for opening night, and sadly (for those of us who love what we do) time for the show to close. But most importantly the word time is key when it comes to the running time of a theater production.
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