Frantically searching for sheet music online? Planning to leave your house at 5 am just in case? Fantasising about stepping into the room and the casting director immediately offering you the leading role? Sounds like you’re planning on attending an open audition.
Read MoreWhether it’s for a professional show or your school play, auditions are a difficult and panic-inducing process. Throughout my 14 years of experience within the world of theatre I have had countless auditions for everything from professional touring musicals to Am-Dram (the British term for community theatre) plays and pantomimes, encompassing acting, singing, dancing and even juggling once! No matter what the audition is for, I always find I have that shaky, butterflies feeling leading up to it, though I must admit I have much more control over my nerves than I did as a child.
Read MoreAbout a year ago, pop sensation Ariana Grande sang Carpool Karaoke with Family Guy’s Seth MacFarlane where she explained her heavy musical theatre background, after which she and her duet partner had sung “The Song That Goes Like This” from Spamalot. If you know pop culture, you know Ariana Grande and that she’s a belter; she has the range and she proves it. That was why it came as a shock to me when I heard her sing in this beautiful operatic voice, because this whole time, I had boxed her in as this pop singer who always belted because she was a diva. As someone who is not a fan of her music, I will admit that, in another world where she chose a path to sing opera instead, I would be an Arianator. Unfortunately for me, she chose the pop angle—which is perfectly fine, since that was the vocal sound she wanted to build for herself— but because of this decision, she has a huge fanbase now and makes millions.
Read MoreActors have a long association with alcohol. There are many famous actors with a history of alcohol abuse, including Peter O’Toole, Richard Burton, Errol Flynn, and Humphrey Bogart, to name just a few. Gerard Depardieu once famously claimed that he could drink up to 14 bottles of wine a day! But famous actors often live by a different set of rules. I wondered how community theater or regional actors would answer the question: Have you ever rehearsed or performed on stage while "under the influence"?
Read MorePre-Casting sticks in the craws of every unprofessional theatre artist, and probably in a lot of professional ones, too. Spawning drama that makes every stage manager worth their kit roll their eyes into next weekend, pre-casting somehow manages to worm its way into any given conversation about theater.
High school and undergraduate university productions, regional theatres, children’s theatres alike, all seem to struggle with this one concept that actors all loathe somewhat equally. Of course, being pre-cast is flattering, but no actor is happy knowing someone else got a part we were right for, too just because somebody knew somebody else; our egos are too big to allow it. But how do we survive pre-casting and all the evil that comes with it?
By calming down for two seconds, and thinking critically about why it happens.
Read More“I’d say the most important thing is to keep your accent sharp. Keep practicing, otherwise, it can get rusty very quickly,”
Read MoreDo you dream of starring in the West End or on Broadway? Or directing the next record-breaking musical performance? Or even working in theatre design? Well, it sounds like you’ve working within the performing arts.
The performing arts industry is a truly rewarding career. You can express yourself and show the world your creativity, all with the benefit of getting paid! However, to succeed in this industry, you’ll need to work hard. But, once you’ve made it, it’ll be the best feeling in the world.
Here’s everything you need to think about when considering a career in the performing arts.
Read MoreSo, you want to work in professional theatre? That’s a question that I have been asked many times but didn’t always know how to answer. And up until recently, was also something that I didn’t realize that I really wanted. Mostly because for me, doing theatre at any level besides community was just a pipe dream. I used to say that someday when I am working on Broadway but didn’t believe it.
Read MoreBy now, you’ve completed some auditions and may still have a few more to come. Depending on the school, you may have already received acceptances and rejections. If this process didn’t seem real to you yet, the moment is about to arrive. Don’t worry--I’ve got your back on this, parents. You and your student will survive and thrive, although you’re probably both going to have some scars to prove it.
Read MoreEvery odd numbered year, the American Association of Community Theatres hosts AACTFest, a nationwide theatre festival showcasing the best of community theatre around the country. It is a culmination of months of smaller festivals, starting in the individual states, then moving on to surrounding regions, with the Regional winners being invited to a host city to perform their 60 minute show in front of appreciative audiences of like minded theatre aficionados.
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