One the more prestigious performing art colleges in Chicago today is reeling over allegations by former students. The allegations against Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University range from the treatment of students to unethical behavior and racial discrimination. Multiple former students have also come forward with allegations of sexual harassment against a current faculty member.

To our dearest love,

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day, or simply the M to our Mission Impossible.

Little do the audiences know the work behind the face they see stuck with velcro on the board in the lobby - and with a picture as large as the director, the choreographer and the MD!

Producer…

Prior to the dress rehearsal, I had a little moment where I thought I wasn’t good enough: I wasn’t talented enough to be on that stage. It didn’t matter what anyone told me; I was adamant that I didn’t belong in the theatre. But then something changed.

This Sunday marks the 73rd Annual Tony Awards, broadcast live on CBS from Radio City Music Hall. And while the Tonys is theatre’s biggest night for a myriad of celebratory reasons, the real woman and inspiration behind the ceremony is often overlooked and forgotten. 

The news just went out that Colleen Ballinger, who is famously known for creating the internet sensation Miranda Sings, will be making her Broadway debut as Dawn in Waitress for a four week run from August 20th through September 15th. I think that is wonderful.

Performing in a Broadway show should be a dream come true for anyone stepping on the stage. But according to one actor, the last months of working on Broadway’s Anastasia were a nightmare.

On Sunday, Broadway’s biggest and brightest will converge on Radio City Musical Hall for the 73rd Annual Tony Awards. While many may disagree with me and the nomination totals might say otherwise, I don’t see any one show dominating the evening.

The 2019 Broadway season has been filled with theatre that speaks directly to the culturally relevant shifts shaping our world.  From diversity and inclusion to feminism and politics, this season’s shows have tackled some tough subjects telling the stories that need to be told.  I had the pleasure of speaking with a few of the Tony award nominees on June 3rd at the 2019 Honors for Excellence in the Theater and 2019 Special Awards recipients about the power of theatre to affect change, both personally and culturally.

Community theatre is forever thriving and expanding, with a wonderful mixture of big, bold productions and small, intimate performances across the country. But putting on a show doesn’t come cheap. Why is it so hard to make a profit in community theatre?

While theater aficionados are familiar with many titles and shows the average theater goer can only name a handful of show titles that aren’t musicals.  Bluntly put, musicals fill seats, for the most part they are less risky as well. 

It’s safe to say that people in the world of theatre tend to have particularly strong feelings about the artform. Fans and critics can (and will) loudly and vehemently debate everything from the merits of a particular casting decision, to the trends of the day, to who deserves the Tony.

Someone else’s successes doesn’t equal your failures. You are worthy, you are talented, and you belong right where you are. Do not let self-doubt control your life.