What sparked your interest in musicals or movie musicals etc.?

[Lorelai]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 9:34pm

What and/or who introduced you to musicals, Broadway....well, just theatre in general?

For me, it was my mother. My parents divorced about a year after I was born, so my mom enrolled me in a private school that didn't have an attendance policy and would take me along on business trips. Since I was so young and she was just starting her career (she's a lawyer) she'd bring me to museums, and theatre so I'd learn about the arts and be able to follow discussions about such things. She'd even bring tapes of movies when we were away so I wouldn't get bored.

Two of those movies was "Annie" and "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang". I would watch "Annie" all the time until it got to the point when my grandfather would turn off his hearing aid because he couldn't stand it anymore (I'm talking like I'd watch the movie, rewind it, then watch again).

Ann Reinking totally stood out for me. I remember thinking that she was absolutely the most amazing dancer and I'd try to copy her (I'm no pro dancer or anything near but I can dance).

So, I rented "Annie" this evening because I hadn't seen it in forever and looking at Ms. Reinking's dancing in the film...she nailed every step but now, after seeing her in Fosse, I wasn't as impressed as I was as a kid. I mean, Ms. Reinking only did less than half a dozen films, so it confuses me now as to why she decided to do the film.

Am I the only one who would love to see her perform again, even it's only a one night event? She's supposed to perform at the Town Hall concert this Friday but I can't seem to find out if she's still performing or not. Anyone know?

[moowithme111105]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 9:44pm

For me, I was in dance class last year, and my teacher started playing "Seasons of Love," and I fell in love with Rent, then, Les Miz, Godspell...and now, it's pretty much anything. Updated On: 4/16/06 at 09:44 PM

[stage_door76]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 10:21pm

i started attending a performing arts school full time when i was about 6. yes - thats right - 6! i was studying classical spoken word theater, but i was literaally forced to audition for the school's mid semester showcase musical - Salad Days!

any of you who know me personally will probably not believe that i never had any inclination to dance, let alone sing when i was younger until i was literally made to. my, how time can change things. years later and after two ballet schools in two separate countries and a bachelor in voice, i clearly don't regret being made to audition at ALL!

so, in other words, my interest was sparked by one of the musical directors at my then school. hated her at the time and admire her now...

Updated On: 10/19/05 at 10:21 PM

[freeadmission]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 11:20pm

Gwen Stefani (lead singer of my then-favorite band, No Doubt) had mentioned that her favorite movie was The Sound of Music so, when I was around 10ish, I asked my mom if we could rent it. You have to understand that my mom was all into the "classics" and such, and had oftentimes tried to get me to see the movie, so she gave me a little flak for it. But I watched it and fell in love with Julie Andrews, and the music, and the scenery, and the story, and I haven't looked back since.

[Elphaba]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 11:29pm

a friend dragged me to the Mikado........and I was transformed, and musicals followed next

[gavrochegirl]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 11:41pm

Hm.

How far can I remember?

I think it all started from the Les Miserables 10th Anniversary tape.

[Marquise]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 11:50pm

my junior high drama teacher.
he took us to see "dreamgirls".

[WickedOne2]

Posted: 10/19/05 at 11:52pm

My mom and dad love musicals so I grew up watching movie musicals. My favorites were Annie, Grease, Wizard of Oz and Mary Poppins. When I got old enough, my parents took me to see my first musical, Starlight Express. From there I have loved them. I'm kind of tone deaf so I have only acted in non-musical theater. My boyfriend is an actor so he loves them too...most of them. I often have to see the more "girlie" musicals with my mom or one of my girlfriends.

[Allie]

Posted: 10/20/05 at 12:38am

When I was in grade four or five, my best friend was the daughter of the principal of the high school. She was involved with the show they were performing that year. My friend and I tagged along to rehearsals quite often, hanging out with the actors backstage, and then running out to sit in the audience for the group numbers. The show was a locally written musical featuring music of the 50's, and it was a big hit in the area.

I think we went to every show that weekend! On closing night, we helped clean up backstage and then went with the cast and crew to the party at a Chinese restaurant next door to the theatre. I remember how much fun I had that... month, I guess it was. That was the first show I was ever "involved" with, and I loved it so much!

Then, in grade eight, my band trip was to go see Jesus Christ Superstar (with Heather Rankin of the Rankin Family playing Mary Magdalene!). THAT'S when I REALLY fell in love with theatre. I remember thinking back to the first experience, and about how at one time I had actually BEEN on a stage when the lights were shining, and been backstage with the actors, and how much fun it had been.

At the end of grade ten, the school announced that they'd be doing that same 50's musical that had been such a big hit in its first go-round. I auditioned, got a lead role, and spent the summer reading my script over and remembering the fun I had in grade four with it! We performed it in December of my grade eleven year, and even had some of the original cast come back to join us in the finale!! Looking around the stage on closing night, it all came together: thinking about how BIG these people seemed to me the first time I met them, thinking about how cool it was that I was actually on stage, receiving the applause I had so passionately delivered when I saw JCS, and thinking about how I could do this many, many times over!

If you hung in there for that whole post, thanks! And thanks for this thread, bronte. It was fun to reminisce!

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 10/20/05 at 1:09am

Way back in 1980, in a little country town in Australia, my english teach made us listen to "Evita" from that moment on have been hooked.But have never seen "Evita" live, still the one show more than any, that i would love to see.

[liotte]

Posted: 10/20/05 at 1:14am

There was a little show in NYC called "Sneakers" that my dad took me to when I was about 8, and I absolutely loved it. There was also another musical that my dad and I attended that had oldies music in it (I remember the song Young Girl), and some alien green things came out of the ceiling and waved around. Anyone know what I am talking about?

[PJ]

Posted: 10/20/05 at 1:16am

Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, Beauty & the Beast. 'Nough said.

[~*Triple Star On Broadway*~]

Posted: 10/20/05 at 1:17am

When I was 9 my mom bought the movie GREASE and it changed my life....Dont know why but it totally made me fall in love with the whole musical theatre/musicals world.

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 10/20/05 at 1:57am

Oh yay! I had to think about this one, and then it all came rushing back...

My first real crush, summer before my freshman year, was on my church camp counselor. She was also the camp's musical director. She performed at Opryland in a show called "And The Winner Is..." I probably went 15 times that summer. I felt so special, because she always came out after the show to give me hugs. (And in retrospect, it was hilarious. People would actually stage door these people and bring gifts and such. And I was right there with them, I guess.) This show featured award winning songs from all the major award shows. They went by Grammys, CMAs, Dove Awards, Oscars and ended with the Tonys. The big closing number was "One Day More." It really touched me. They made SUCH a production out of it. I went out and bought the OCR. I eventually grew out of the stupid crush, but not my love of musical theatre.

[kec]

Posted: 10/20/05 at 3:53am

The very first film my parents took me to when I was six years old was Mary Poppins. I absolutely adored that film. Other musical films followed -- Oliver, Sound of Music, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Chitty... but I firmly believe that it was mainly because of Mary Poppins, and Julie Andrews that I have such a strong love of musicals to this day.

[farfrombway]

Posted: 10/20/05 at 6:49am

Well. It all started way back in 1994. When I was ten. My favorite Aunt took me to NYC. I had been driving my family nuts after seeing a commercial for Beauty and the Beast on the Disney Channel. I wanted it so bad I guess they figured I should see it. My Aunt and I took the train from Virginia to NYC. We got in the cab and and will never forget this, she said "The Plaza, please"!!! I thought we would be staying at Holiday Inn or something. I was a fan of the "Eliose" books. So I said "Oh are we going to look around". She said "No, were staying! That night we saw Beauty! I will never forget that feeling of looking at Broadway at night or the tingle of excitement when the theatre doors opened. I sadly can't remember much of that performance. I do remember getting chills when Terrence Mann sang I can't love her. It was worth the months of hoping and dreaming! The next day my aunt took me to the Metropolitan to see the works of Raphael etc. Needless to say I was a little distracted. I never had a chance. I have been hooked on theare ever since.

[Forester]

Posted: 10/20/05 at 7:35am

Back in the early 80s, I watched the Sounds of Music and was instantly hooked.

[fiatlux]

Posted: 10/20/05 at 7:49am

I learnt to spell the words off the record labels and covers of my Grandmother and Mother's records - I was a dab hand at spelling Oklahoma at four and I was hooked by 6....(I was taken to see the movie of WSS in Italy around about that time as well as Forum and I loved them) Updated On: 10/20/05 at 07:49 AM

[Lizziemonster]

Posted: 10/20/05 at 7:57am

I always had the inkling I enjoyed that kind of thing if it was on TV or whatever but no real passion for it. Recently I was asked to join the cast of a communtiy theatre project as they were short of dancers and now I cant get enough.

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 10/20/05 at 8:16am

you're asking me to think back close to 40 years - but I remember seeing The Sound of Music on the big screen and being really enthralled with Julie Andrews' performance. Then my parent's divorced and my father bought season tickets to The Kenley Players, who toured musicals in our area, usually with a star or personality in the lead (I remember seeing Betty White in Hello Dolly, John Gavin in Dracula).
I saw so many shows that way - and I was only in my preteen and early teen years - it was really wonderful.

[augustine73]

Posted: 10/20/05 at 8:30am

war movies.. then came 'miss saigon'. been listening to the OLR before actually saw the play... then other plays follow rent, FDS, lion king, etc...

[Lorelai]

Posted: 10/20/05 at 10:41am

P.S After watching "Annie" last night (I kept rewinding so I could watch "We Got Annie" a million times), I totally forgot that "Easy Street" (Bernadette Peters, Tim Curry and Carol Burnett) was another one of my favorites. I guess I never really thought too much about it but this movie has an AMAZING cast!

[leap_of_moo]

Posted: 10/20/05 at 12:47pm

I became addicted to acting in theatre when I was put into a drama class in school last year. And I've always enjoyed watching live productions.

The previous summer, I discovered Broadway through Disney, more specifically "Beauty and the Beast".
Updated On: 11/6/05 at 12:47 PM

[Enjolras77]

Posted: 10/20/05 at 1:00pm

In high school, I was cast in a community theatre production of The Sound of Music after my mother forced me (lovingly) to audition for it. I was only in the chorus, but it was such a fun experience it got me hooked. Captain Von Trapp in our production was played by Dan Truhitte, the actor who played Rolf in the movie version. Needless to say that caused our production to garner lots of attention. It was sold out for the entire run. The next season I auditioned for a role in Forum and was cast as Hero. Those two shows sparked my love for performing in shows. In between those two shows I saw a touring production of Les Miserables and that defintely got me hooked on Broadway music. I have since majored in music and minored in theatre, taught 5 years of theatre arts/chorus, and now work for a professional theatre. Thanks Mom!

[GetsFan]

Posted: 10/20/05 at 1:11pm

Seeing the Wizard of OZ on TV when I was kid. It was a big deal broadcast once a year, usually on a Sunday night. When Dorothy opens the door into Munchkinland and the whole world is drenched in color, I was hooked. Bert Lahr wearing a broken flower pot on his head and singing about courage is one of the great moments in Movie Musicals.

Also seeing the Sound of Music, and Mary Poppins. Then years later seeing A New Brain as an adult got me hooked all over again

Lions and Tigers and Bears Oh My!!