Are you a doer or a watcher?

[boborunstheshow]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 1:28am

I gotta say its pretty cool to find this little site full of people who like to discuss nothing but broadway. Here in south Texas, there aren't a lot of people who will talk about it for extended lengths of time without getting perturbed.

Anyway, i was planning on having my first introductory question be favorite musical, but someone has already played that song, so i will ask different one.

What stage expierience do you all have? What goals do you have? Or are you just a broadway enthusiast with no desire to get in front of crowds?

[CJR]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 1:42am

Y'know, when I read the title, i was about to say "what am I watching or doing?"

Um, I act, sing and dance. I love seeing shows and supporting my friends, but I also love to be in the spotlight myself. There's nothing more exciting than hearing a sold out house cheering wildly for you.

Welcome to the cult, er, boards! Enjoy yourself, and try not to take it all too seriously!

[Matt_G]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 1:45am

This could be a fun little thread to learn more about everyone. I used to act, but now am working to become a filmmaker. I'm also working on writing two screenplays, a stage play and a novel. I love the theater and go see everything and like CJR really enjoy supporting my friends who are on stage. I love seeing them getting all that applause.

[son_of_a_gunn_25]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 1:53am

I am a sophmore in college who is still undecided, but I'll be decided as soon as I get back up to school. (Music Ed with a minor in theatre.) I love going to see theatre at all levels from High school to professional. I have only done high school and community shows, but I love the stage I get depressed when I am away from it! I enjoy all aspects of theatre and hope to get experience in as many areas as possible. I like EVERYTHING about theatre so I hope to be able to have experience doing as many different jobs in the theatre as possible. I think that would really give me great insight into the craft but I am rambling now. I am both a doer and a watcher.

Updated On: 5/17/04 at 01:53 AM

[Plum]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 2:01am

I play piano and viola and sing- but only in choirs. Strangely, I'm okay with doing solo piano concerts but I won't do anything vocal by myself. So a career in musical theater is out of the question, unless I join pit orchestras. :) I'm a watcher and a listener. Being a musician helps me hear, and I'm forever thankful for that.

[racerchiquita76m]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 2:25am

I'm very similar to Plum. I play piano and have been musical director in many shows. I have had a line in one show...and was so nervous (not in a good way) that I don't know that I'd want to ever do it again. I'll stick with the pit, teaching acting methods to my kids, and going to see tons of fabulous (hopefully) shows, because I do love going to see a show.

[boborunstheshow]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 2:30am

Um, just in case you all wanted to know: myself, i am an 18 year actor working on my first out-of-high school show in community theater. But i have lofty goals. I am going to serve a two year mission for my church and then get back on that horse.

[seymour krelborn]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 8:15am

Welcome to the board!!!!! I'm both! I am a Junior in college and I have been acting in theater since I was a freshman in high school. I sing, act, and with A LOT of practice I dance.I do mostly community theater and college shows. Like CJR said there is nothing like hearing a sold out house cheering for you. I love to make people laugh as well, that is the major reason I do theater, to be able to hear that reaction is just wonderful. Ok, I'm getting sappy on everyone.... I am a huge fan of the theater as well. I am at a play or musical just about every weekend. I live about an hour and a half away from NYC, up in CT, so I'm constantly taking the train in to see Broadway shows.

[jezzebelle]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 9:01am

Welcome to the boards ! I act and sing and I plan to persure a professional career after I graduate college. I also want to be a casting director in the future. :)

I love performing live theatre and seeing live theatre is just about as amazing of an experience you can possibly get. Especially when it's good theatre ! I'm moving to Long Island in the fall for school (transfering there) and I plan to see a lot more shows in NYC.

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 10:40am

Hi!
Well, I'm both a doer and a watcher. I sing, act, and dance and my ultimate goal is in my screen name. But honestly, I wouldn't care at all if I never become a star. I'd love to be in Broadway show even if I'm third chorusgirl from the right. I just love Broadway so much.
I think every doer is a watcher too. I love watching shows. I love that the spontenatity of it. That the performance you see is the only time that performance will ever happen again. That anything can happen and you can't just stop and start over (usually). That it's live and happening right before your eyes. To me, theatre is just the most exciting thing in the whole world. I wish more people were aware of it, or rather, I wish it was more apart of pop culture today. I feel kind of sorry for people who have never been to see a Broadway show or have seen theatre at all, because they don't know what they're missing.
That's two cents anyway. Take it or leave it.
Again, boborunstheshow, welcome to the boards!

[redhotinnyc2]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 10:46am

I'm not exactly sure how to answer this one!...I sang and acted for about 10 years professionally and then took a few years off to attend to some other aspects of my life - but I sorely miss it and want to start auditioning again. At the moment I am putting together some ideas for a cabaret act to do here in the city (hopefully this fall if all goes well)..thats about as clear as I can be right now - so I guess ultimately I'd say I'm a doer who likes to watch!LOL

[BakersWife3]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 11:32am

Yay new folk!!

I'm both as well - I'm an actor/singer/dancer as well as a costume designer/stitcher/wardrobe crew but really any job in the theatre (besides building scenery) I will do and i also LOVE to see as many shows as humanly possible.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 11:51am

Well, my parents took me to see my first Broadway show when I was six. From then until I was about 12 they took me two or three times a year. I always enjoyed it, but I was never infatuated as I am now. As I got older I began to appreciate theatre much more, and now it's become a huge part of my life. I've never been a singer or actor - I guess you could say I'm devoid of talent - so I basically always accepted that I would just watch, but in high school I started playing in a pit orchestra, and it's been so, so fulfilling. So if you consider playing in a pit "doing," than yeah, that's me. But I'm still mainly just a watcher, and happily so.

[dano]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 2:15pm

I do and I watch.

I enjoy performing in community theater. I'd love to quit my day job and try to make it in professional theater, but I have a really good job, not to mention a wife and two kids.

I also love going to the theatre. Professional or amature, I go see it.

I also collect CDs from shows. It's an obsession. I love when ai have a chance to see a show that I've listened to, but never seen. I finally got to see Chess recently (the book isn't up to par with the music), and I'm seeing A New Brain in June.

I also wish I could write better critiques of shows, I'd be a professional reviewer. To be able to see all those shows AND get paid for it!

[~*Triple Star On Broadway*~]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 2:40pm

I'm a BOTHer I'm an aspiring musical theatre performer from a very unknown city in Canada, and I'm planning to move to NYC in a bout a year or so.
Some shows I have been in include : ThreePenny Opera, HAIR, A Day In Hollywood A Night In The Ukraine, The Pajama Game, Annie, The Wizard Of Oz, and Little Shop
And I cant wait to get out into the big world to see what I can do for performing.
WELCOME TO THE BOARD

[sharonkurland]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 3:11pm

I'm a watcher.

I can carry a tune and can harmonize pretty well...I'm the QUEEN of singing with my Toxic Audio CDs in the car...but by NO means do I delude myself that I'm a singer (grin). I was in chorus in high school (20+ years ago) and in the local Sweet Adelines chapter when I lived in Tampa, but that's as close as I ever got to singing for "real."

Watching is fun!

-Sharon-
Orlando FL
(Brooklyn to Staten Island to Tampa to Orlando and what a show it's been)

[marincrazy11]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 3:21pm

I'm both! I LOVE being on stage. I am a sophomore in college studying musical theater and I have been doing theater since I was 8. I've done community, high school, and college productions and my goal is to end up on broadway some day. I also love to watch theater, of all levels.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 3:37pm

I used to be a doer. Now I am a watcher. I got sick of all the political and game-playing crap. Maybe someday I'll be a doer again, but right now. I'm enjoying earning a living wage.

[BroadwayDiva]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 3:49pm

I'm both, too. I've been dancing since I was 2, and acting since I was 3. I'm always singing, and I also play piano, guitar, bass, and drums. I love acting, and I do a lot of theater with local companies. Unfortunately, my school doesn't have a drama program , but I audition for almost every company that's looking for people.

I also love watching shows. I try to see 1 or 2 Broadway shows a month, and I also watch local productions. I hope to be a professional someday, or just maybe be a drama teacher- I also love teaching people things! Either way- I think I'm definatly going to do something musical related with my life.

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 4:39pm

I wish i was a doer but im more of a watcher. haha I wish i had a great voice and acting skills..but mine are not to be desired. haha But my dream is to be a doer behind the scenes. I would want to do coustume, lighting, or set design. Or working as a stagehand as a hobby or a stage manager. If none of that happenes i would want to get into business! =D

[PB ENT.]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 5:13pm

wife/mother/entertainment agent-mgr./promotor/producer/BW.com reviewer. Some days I can even chew gum and walk simultaneously... if I only remembered where I need to be each day without asistance.

Doer? Watcher? Well, I watch what what I do. Does that count?

[citylights]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 5:34pm

Both! I act, sing, dance ballet & jazz, and I just started taking piano. Whenever I can't do that I work backstage- stage managing or tech-ing school shows. Also I see as much theater as I possibly can, I think I've seen at least one show a week for the last 2 months or so...I just love being in theaters, whether I'm onstage, backstage, or watching. I agree with what a lot of broadwaystar2b said,

>>I'd love to be in Broadway show even if I'm third chorusgirl from the right. I just love Broadway so much.
I think every doer is a watcher too. I love watching shows. I love that the spontenatity of it. That the performance you see is the only time that performance will ever happen again. That anything can happen and you can't just stop and start over (usually). That it's live and happening right before your eyes. To me, theatre is just the most exciting thing in the whole world. I wish more people were aware of it, or rather, I wish it was more apart of pop culture today. I feel kind of sorry for people who have never been to see a Broadway show or have seen theatre at all, because they don't know what they're missing.

I know I'd love love love to be on Broadway, anonymous chorus girl even! It's sad that theater isn't seen as the cool thing, and people don't go very often. I think it's much more human than movies. An audience can connect with not only the story- without special effects and fancy computer stuff- but with the actors and the fact that it's playing out as you watch, not three months ago with a small country of people helping with mikes, wardrobe....

[iruvyou]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 6:46pm

OH GOD i ruv to do plays! I was just marian in the music man and i also ruv to watch plays (especially bway)

[tappedout]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 7:26pm

Hey boborunstheshow!!
To answer your question: i'm both for sure. depends on the month which one i will tell you i do more of. i live in CA so i initially got into acting because of film. about 2 years ago i was doing only commerical and print work...then i took a really great acting class and my eyes were opened to all the great theatre work out there and i left commercial work entirely. before you all say that wasn't a smart move or whatever money-wise i'm still a junior in high school so i don't have to be thinking about that quite yet. i decided i want to train all i can also before i start going out on huge auditions also....so now i'm taking voice lessons and in acting circles and watching all that i can. I made my professional debut in local theatre just recently( which means i got paid but really it was more of a token than an actual payment)anyway i'm just trying to absorb all the theatre i can in all forms...although i must say i LOVE musicals...i don't know there's something about tthe good ones. Oh and broadway-wise i don't think i want to make a living out of being an actress, i'd rather produce or direct or even be a casting director. Ok whew so that's me.
p.s. i love all the applause too but for me what's even better is hearing the audience really respond to a joke or moment or something. Definitely one of the best feelings in the world, besides a really nice bed when you are tired and a long shower after working out or playing soccer.

[My Fair Lady]

Posted: 5/17/04 at 7:33pm

I'm one of the youngest people on the boards. I sing and act and I (kind of) dance but I'm like Ann (Harada): I sing and act better than dance. I also play piano and I used to play flute. I'm a good student and write A LOT. So i'm just rambling on and on so i'll stop now.