I NEED ADVICE

[sweetcharity18]

Posted: 3/4/09 at 12:14am

Hello broadway world...
i am currently a JUNIOR in higschool and i am registering for senior year tomorrow. I have held a love for theatre since i was little, but it's never been my main point of interest, at least, not till this year. I think i could soar in musical theatre but i cant decide how rewarding it could be because i know chances are slim and getting your foot in the door can be hard when it comes to broadway and large productions...right now i am playing charity in my highschools' production of sweet charity, and we open this weekend. I love it and i could definitely see myself acting for a living...i just dont know how any of it works, in college or out of college. Soooo
please offer me any tips or advice, especially about what musical theatre specific colleges look for when it comes to highschool transcripts and such...thanks!

[broadwayfan7]

Posted: 3/4/09 at 9:58am

Find a college either in your area or a college you are thinking of going to that is out of state, and tour there for a day. I think the best way to figure out if musical theatre or theatre would be right for you is to see what happens on a daily basis while going to classes or following musical theatre or theatre majors. Some schools call it "shadowing". You hang out with a person of the major you're interested in pursuing.

Good luck with Sweet Charity!

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 3/4/09 at 10:06am

broadwayfan7 offers some wonderful advice. I'll second that.

If theatre is your passion, stick with it. Don't let anything stand in your way, and don't give up.

Broadway isn't the end all be all of theatre, either. There are performers who make successful livings in regional theatre only. Look at Deanna Dunagan who spent her entire career doing Chicago theatre, and then, in her 60s, last season, made her Broadway debut, and won a Tony Award.

Go to school for it. Get the degree. You will find work somewhere, always, and you will be happy.

I also recommend posting your question on the Student Board here at BroadwayWorld. That board is made up of students just like yourself pursuing and looking into theatre programs.
Student Board

[PRFRMR20]

Posted: 3/4/09 at 10:22am

Post a video of you from Charity and I'll tell you if you will work in this business and if you should pursue theatre. I'm serious.

[mybigsplash]

Posted: 3/4/09 at 11:25am

My advice is Try and apply for a theatre internship, and then Join the American Theatre Wing's Theatre intern group. Its $10 for a whole year, and you'll attend monthly seminars on different theatre industry topics, with really high profile guest speakers. And there are often free ticket offers. Of course, you'll have to be in New York. I know that at NYU, if you're in the Tisch school theatre program, talent agencies have representative come to EVERY SINGLE production whether is be a school production, student production, or club production. Thats just the school they look at. You can find internships in theatre through whatever college you go to, but also on Playbill.

[Byron Abens]

Posted: 3/4/09 at 1:55pm

I won't sugar coat it, it is an extremely tough profession to be in. You will most likely face a lot of financial hardship along the way. In the beginning you will end up in showcases and low budget productions where you are working for a small stipend (think $300 for six weeks of work) and, if you are lucky, a Metro Card.

This being said, if it is really what you love, then do it. If your heart and soul are entirely devoted to the craft then even dealing with some of the hardships listed above (and that's just a very short list) will make you happier than anything else will.

But above all, do NOT bypass college, even if you plan on getting a BA/BFA in theatre. In this world, should you change your mind, any college degree when applying for another job is far superior to none.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 3/4/09 at 3:34pm

I'm a senior in high school right now so I'm not that much older than you, but my BIGGEST advice is to start applying and get your auditions out of the way first thing at the beginning of the year. It's a lot less stressful that way. As for the issue of how hard it is to make it on Broadway, my philosophy is that I don't have to be the next Norbert Leo Butz or Jerry Orbach. As long as I'm making a living doing what I love it will all be ok. Whether it be on Broadway or in regional theatre. I wish you the best of luck!!! And break a leg in Charity!

[dramamama611]

Posted: 3/4/09 at 3:51pm

Don't ever listen to any ONE person's opinion about your chances of success.

Do it because you love it, and you can't live without it.

That being said....there are tons of programs that exist and, frankly, you will get OUT of it what you put into it. Read plays, read musicals, see as many as you can. Begin thinking critcally about WHY you do and don't like a particular show. You learn a lot about acting both from the good stuff as well as the bad stuff!

[TheCharleston]

Posted: 3/4/09 at 3:56pm

"get your auditions out of the way first thing at the beginning of the year."

Are you referring to the calendar year or school year?

The vast majority of programs don't begin the audition process until the end of Jan (and into early March) for perspective Freshmen.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 3/4/09 at 4:26pm

I meant beginning of the school year, if available. Just asap... don't wait until the end of March like I'm doing... not fun at all. The earlier the better.

[sweetcharity18]

Posted: 3/4/09 at 10:51pm

ha i had just posted this when i realized there was a student section.
Thank you all for your advice it is helping a TON.

its funny because i was born in new york but never thought of attending the east coast for college because im much more of a california person but now that im gaining so much more interest in theatre im really seeing somewhere like NYU as an option...

my best instate option is colorado university (CU) which has a theatre program of about 200