Spotlight
Stories that deserve your attention
Ranking Disney Live Theatrical Musicals
“Over the years, Disney Theatrical Productions has brought beloved animated films to life on stage, capturing the hearts of audiences with stunning visuals, memorable music, and heartfelt performances. Here's my ranking of Disney's live theatrical musicals.”
Sometimes In Theatre, We Forget To Take Care Of Ourselves
“Ambition, motivation, and determination are all great qualities to possess. They help us keep fighting for our dreams. It’s important to fight the good fight. But it’s important to care for yourself as well.”
What are the best ways to warm up your voice to sing?
“Remember, warming up your voice should be a gradual process, starting with gentle exercises and gradually increasing the intensity. It's essential to listen to your body and avoid pushing your voice too hard during warm-up routines.”
How 'Hamilton' Changed Broadway
“I don’t think I would go so far as to say that “Hamilton” changed the art form. What it did do, however, was, as “Hair” and “Rent” had done before, drag the American Musical kicking and screaming back into alignment with popular culture without sacrificing any of its storytelling power or quality of craft.”
6 Easy Audition Fixes You Can Make Right Now
“Many audition tip lists will share things you should have done weeks or months before stepping into the room. And while training, research, rehearsal, and resume cultivation are essential pieces of the auditioning puzzle, here are six suggestions that I, as director, encourage you to follow if you’re stepping into the audition room today.”
Strategies to Attract Boys to Audition for School Productions
“One challenge that persists in many schools is the underrepresentation of boys in theatre programs and productions. Here are some ideas and strategies for educators and directors to get more boys interested in school theatre.”
How “Carousel” Changed Broadway
“Carousel is an extraordinary show with problematic elements but I believe it codified the musical drama.”
Competitive Dance Should Be Embraced As A Team Sport By Schools
“I have friends and family who push their kids away from dance, gymnastics, theatre, and into sports, even if their kids don’t have much organic interest in it. This could not be more wrong. Dance takes as much practice, good cheer, sportsmanship, and fitness as any of the other sports.”
10 Tips for Incoming 1st-Year College Theatre Students
“While some college theatre programs are more rigorous than others, there are definitely tips that can help make the first year both fun and enlightening.”
I Can't Stand Censorship in Community Theatre
For over forty years, I have been performing and directing in community theatre, and one thing has been a real concern to me…censorship of a published work.
I guess for me; it is about presenting the piece as it was written for the stage. By not doing this, you are not giving an audience the real product as it was meant to be. I was involved in a production of The Full Monty, and we did THE FULL MONTY at the end of the show. Audiences loved it! You do need to have the right lighting effects in order to pull this off, of course. But we did, and it went off without a hitch.
When allowed to direct it for another theatre company possibly, I asked if they would be going all the way. Their answer was, “No.” That cemented my answer for that opportunity.
Ranking All the “Descendants” Movie Soundtrack Songs
“Descendants” is now adapted and licensed for schools to perform. Because the musical left off so many good songs, we wanted to get into the entire catalog and rank from best to worst. “
How “Hair” Changed Broadway
““Hair” forced Broadway to reckon with rock music and introduced the rock musical as a Broadway genre.”