Monday could very well be the most important night of their lives.

After bopping around through an exuberant, five-minute mash of songs from currently running Broadway shows – “Tootsie,” “The Cher Show” and “Be More Chill,” to name a few – the 86 nominees stood grinning and red-faced.

“That was an adrenaline run,” said choreographer Keisha Lalama.

Rejection is a big part of the theatrical industry, and it is something that everyone in the business must deal with. However, instead of dwelling on the pain of getting rejected, let’s focus on the ways you can overcome the feeling of dejection, and how to turn it into something constructive.

“Even where consumerism and exploitation want to feed on people’s weaknesses, you can also find a small community shedding the light of empathy and connection into the world.”

Whether you're running backstage or building cues from a tech table, being in tech week takes a toll on your body and mind, no matter how fun it can be, everything hurts just a little more. There are things you can do to make tech week easier, though, and your body will thank you!

Do you love theatre? Yes. Do you love Broadway?  Yes. Do you yearn to be on the Broadway stage? Yes. Do you eat, sleep, live Broadway? Yes. Have you ever seen a Broadway show? …..no… Have you ever been to New York? ….no…. Well, how the hell do you love something that you have never encountered?

This community is big but small at the same time. You'll likely encounter a lot of the same people at auditions. Stick around long enough, and you'll end up doing a show together.

I literally find drama everywhere I go, whether it’s in my own exceptionally dramatic behavior, or in the universal human habits, I notice which are sneakily Tony-worthy. I’m spending my summer in my hometown, and not doing very many theatrical things. But upon returning home, I was almost immediately struck by a rather intrusive recognition of drama in my life. 

Various genres displayed through both plays and musicals have made their mark on Broadway. It may be hard to believe, but each of these musical productions including the ones who came before and to follow, all share a commonality amongst them. They all have participated in a powerful Broadway tradition dating back to the 1950s.

I love a good shock factor in theatre. I love when something really surprises and resonates with me in a production, it makes me admire the work of the director and actors even more; it shows that the cast and crew are not afraid to take risks.

Though I’m a fan of shock factors, I’m not a fan of all shock factors.

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.