Performers who DIDN'T go to college?

#1

Performers who DIDN'T go to college?

Posted: 10/28/07 at 8:29pm

What are some Broadway performers who didn't go to college for musical theater/voice/etc.? I'm sure there must be a bunch, but who actually makes it to the stage and is successful?

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I want to apologize for some offensive messages posted on this board under my name. The night 0f 12-15-08 I did not have internet access, and someone had used my name to post something offensive. My avatar was also changed. I dont' know what else was posted, or if anyone recieved bad PMs, but I want to apologize for that. I've changed my password, and even though I was not the one posting these messages it still needed to be corrected.

Updated On: 10/28/07 at 08:29 PM

#2

re: Performers who DIDN'T go to collge?

Posted: 10/28/07 at 8:38pm

I could be wrong, but I remember reading an interview with Eden Espinosa one time and she said she hadn't gone to college.

#3

re: Performers who DIDN'T go to collge?

Posted: 10/28/07 at 8:40pm

Ali Ewoldt (Cossette in Les Miz) has a bachlors in psycology from yale, and no degree in acting, singing,etc...

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What a night! I was in more laps than a napkin!

#4

re: Performers who DIDN'T go to collge?

Posted: 10/28/07 at 8:41pm

Carolee Carmello went to school for business. I believe she's never taken voice lessons, either- which is incredible

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#5

re: Performers who DIDN'T go to collge?

Posted: 10/28/07 at 8:44pm

yep eden worked at disneyland & universal instead
from a broadway.com interview:
I never went to school; I spent my college years working. These jobs helped me to find my own way, in terms of performing."
http://www.broadway.com/gen/Buzz_Story.aspx?ci=42348

#6

re: Performers who DIDN'T go to collge?

Posted: 10/28/07 at 8:57pm

"Carolee Carmello went to school for business. I believe she's never taken voice lessons, either- which is incredible"

-wow!

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What a night! I was in more laps than a napkin!

#7

re: Performers who DIDN'T go to collge?

Posted: 10/28/07 at 9:07pm

i dont think jon groff or jonathan gallagher went to college.

#8

re: Performers who DIDN'T go to collge?

Posted: 10/28/07 at 9:14pm

a lot of the spring awakening cast didn't go to college, prob because everyone is so young. some are in school currently though.

#9

re: Performers who DIDN'T go to collge?

Posted: 10/28/07 at 9:16pm

Many, many performers are and were very successful onstage without college degrees- not just the people of the most recent generation listed. Some people have "it" naturally. Ethel Merman never got a freakin' Tisch degree.

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Like a firework unexploded
Wanting life but never knowing how

#10

re: Performers who DIDN'T go to collge?

Posted: 10/28/07 at 9:22pm

A lot of the SA cast are still too young for college!

#11

re: Performers who DIDN'T go to collge?

Posted: 10/28/07 at 9:29pm

At the risk of annoying a lot of people who have their degrees in this field...it isn't a necessity to have a degree in something theatre related to make it, at all. If you've got it, you've got it.

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And hang on, when did you win the discus?

#12

re: Performers who DIDN'T go to collge?

Posted: 10/28/07 at 9:38pm

Eden did go to college...I don't know if she completed her degree, but she did go. Cause she went to my college.

Here is a video of her as an alumni sponsor:
http://theatre.fullcoll.edu/alumni.asp

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#13

re: Performers who DIDN'T go to collge?

Posted: 10/28/07 at 9:41pm

Many of them even learned how to spell "college," too.

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#14

re: Performers who DIDN'T go to collge?

Posted: 10/28/07 at 9:42pm

I don't believe NORM LEWIS (Les Miserables Revival (Javert), Little Mermaid(King Triton)) went to college for theatre, but I could be wrong. I thought I read an interview somewhere that said he did something with journalism.

#15

re: Performers who DIDN'T go to collge?

Posted: 10/28/07 at 9:46pm

That's very true but its becoming much more standard.

#16

re: Performers who DIDN'T go to college?

Posted: 10/28/07 at 9:46pm

"Many of them even learned how to spell "college," too."

My keyboard sticks sometimes. Sue me.

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I want to apologize for some offensive messages posted on this board under my name. The night 0f 12-15-08 I did not have internet access, and someone had used my name to post something offensive. My avatar was also changed. I dont' know what else was posted, or if anyone recieved bad PMs, but I want to apologize for that. I've changed my password, and even though I was not the one posting these messages it still needed to be corrected.

#17

re: Performers who DIDN'T go to college?

Posted: 10/28/07 at 9:50pm

sutton foster attended carnegie mellon for not even a year.

#18

re: Performers who DIDN'T go to college?

Posted: 10/28/07 at 9:55pm

yes, i remember her saying on the American Theater Wings, Performing In The Theater and she said that they told her that she will never make it on Broadway and she will get no where.

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"In the U.S.A. You can have your say, You can set you goals And seize the day, You've been given the freedom To work your way To the head of the line- To the head of the line!" ---Stephen Sondheim

#19

re: Performers who DIDN'T go to college?

Posted: 10/28/07 at 10:02pm

"A lot of the SA cast are still too young for college!"

yea i know, thats why i said, b/c everyone is so young. don't have to get harsh:
a lot of the spring awakening cast didn't go to college, prob because everyone is so young. some are in school currently though.

#20

re: Performers who DIDN'T go to college?

Posted: 10/28/07 at 10:27pm

Neither Nathan Lane or Matthew Broderick attended college.

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#21

re: Performers who DIDN'T go to college?

Posted: 10/28/07 at 10:27pm

Laura Benanti didn't.

#22

re: Performers who DIDN'T go to college?

Posted: 10/28/07 at 10:31pm

Christine Andreas told us at the stage door that she didn't go to college.

#23

re: Performers who DIDN'T go to college?

Posted: 10/28/07 at 10:41pm

I only ask because I've recently discovered how disappointed I am in the american schooling system. However, I wanted to go to college for the extra training.

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I want to apologize for some offensive messages posted on this board under my name. The night 0f 12-15-08 I did not have internet access, and someone had used my name to post something offensive. My avatar was also changed. I dont' know what else was posted, or if anyone recieved bad PMs, but I want to apologize for that. I've changed my password, and even though I was not the one posting these messages it still needed to be corrected.

#24

re: Performers who DIDN'T go to college?

Posted: 10/28/07 at 10:53pm

There are probably just as many actors with degrees out of work as there are without. The only difference is the ones without aren't $180,000 in the hole.

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Like a firework unexploded
Wanting life but never knowing how

#25

re: Performers who DIDN'T go to college?

Posted: 10/28/07 at 11:13pm

Josh Groban dropped out of CMU.