Seeking Stories of Female Broadway Performers Who Never Gave Up

[reginamcallen]

Posted: 3/25/25 at 8:19am

I'm working on a dissertation about female Broadway performers, focusing on why they keep going despite all the obstacles they face—things like constant rejection, sexism, job insecurity, ageism, pressure from social media, voice-destroying scores, and more. I’m really interested in understanding what drives them to persist in such a tough career. Does anyone have a specific story (the person doesn’t have to be famous—just one Broadway credit) of someone who faced major challenges but never gave up and was eventually cast? I’m hoping for something beyond the typical examples, like Barbra Streisand’s rejection before being cast in Funny Girl or Bernadette Peters performing while sick. 

For example, J. Robert Spencer wanted to audition for Dan in Next to Normal, but the producers didn’t want to see him for the role, so he used a fake name, snuck into the audition room, and got the part. Actors from Side Show have shared how, as an understudy, he stood in the wings for every single performance, watching and preparing in case he was called to go on. When he won the Tony, his dad gave him a framed picture of his Jersey Boys billboard over the top of the Olive Garden in Times Square where he waitered for so many years before he made it. I’m looking for a similar story about a woman. Maybe someone who went to countless auditions before landing a role.  If you have a story you’re willing to share or let me use, please post or reach out. [e-mail]. Thanks everyone.