Broadway Legend Joined: 2/15/05
I'm just wondering how she was at U Of M. Did she get the leads in all the shows or was she more of a supporting person or what? I've always wondered how successful broadway stars are in their younger years.
Leading Actor Joined: 11/24/04
From what I believe... Sutton went to Carnegie Mellon and was only there for maybe a year... I don't think she did much while there but I really am completely unsure of this...
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/15/05
Really? I always thought she grad. from U Of M. Or did just Hunter go there?
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
Sutton went to Carnegie Mellon for a year. She dropped out because she wasn't sure if performing was what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. Also, she said in her solo show at Joe's Pub that she was young and stubborn, and didn't want to listen to others tell her how to act/sing/dance, etc.
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/15/05
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
Well, I know she was cast in the national tour of The Will Rogers Follies at the age of 17. I believe that was before CMU, so she obviously didn't need a degree in MT to get a job. Sutton's just one of those people that didn't need a degree from a big name school to make it. (Not that having one guarantees success.)
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/11/03
On Seth's Chatterbox she said that at Carnegie she was told she'd never make it out of the chorus.
I'll bet that professor is smacking himself in the forehead now.
Understudy Joined: 9/3/05
Susan Egan was told the same thing. And I believe that at CMU (at least now) first years aren't allowed to do shows, so she probably didn't do anything big there. But if she had, we might not have her now!
Yeah, I remember hearing that the basic consensus at Carnegie Mellon was that she would never make it out of the chorus.
HA!
It just goes to show that a degree in this field isn't always what it takes.
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/15/05
Just wondering. It seems like she has so much training. Or at least a good voice teacher. she has great placement. Although, I'm not too sure about her range as far as roles.
Seems like Hunter is doing fairly well too. I guess they've got good genes.
Hunter Foster certainly looks good in jeans, so his genes must be good as well.
As someone who is suffering through finals at the moment it is nice to hear how wrong professors can be. Go Sutton!
A lot of star casting depends on sheer luck. Erin Dilly was fired from Millie and this is how Sutton got the part. If Erin was not fired, Sutton might still be in the chorus.
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/12/04
So true, BroadwayBaby6. I often think about that... I have friends out here (in LA) who refuse to take understudy or cover positions out of some sense that it's "beneath" them, and I always think, "If Sutton had turned down being the Millie understudy at LaJolla, who knows where she'd be now?" Interesting.
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/15/05
It worked out for the best. Not sure I see Dilly in the part.
I know Sutton and Hunter were in the same production of Evita together in Michigan in 1991. Hunter played Che and Sutton was the Mistress. She has more control over her voice now, but was still great then as well.
I actually know an AMAZINGLY talented actress who turned down Erin Dilly's cover in Millie. She is working today and is one of the most fantastically talented people EVER, imho, but still... it just goes to show...
Doogie- Care to share?
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/15/05
Yeah, I guess you should take all oppurtunities given to you. I thought it was weird when I saw "The Wedding Singer" to see one of the stars of Altar Boyz in the chours. I was like "he was a leading guy and has an OCR, but he's in the chorus?" - but I guess you take what you can get.
nope, sorry, I was just illustrating the point that understudying can lead to big things.
Not exclusive to Off-Broadway.. Bianca Marroquin played Roxie in Chicago, and then was in the Pajama Game chorus...go figure.
While cleaning out my Broadway stuff this weekend (preparing to move) I discovered I had not only seen Sutton Foster in Will Rogers in 1992, but I also had her autograph in the program as well! Along with Leigh Zimmerman's and Cady Huffman's.
She was only 17 then??
Well its a hard business...But I love Sutton! I wonder who ever told her that.
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/15/05
Yeah, I'm sure there were other explains Blaxx, just that's the only one I knew.
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