Self-made theatre fans

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 8/19/10 at 12:03pm

Well, I was reading one of the posts of Phyllis on here, and she/he was saying she/he was exposed to theatre at a young age.
I might have been exposed to some children's theatre when I was young, but the truth is that I started seeing professional theatre in my teens by myself. And my parents never went to the theatre.
Anyone else is a "self made" theatre fan?

[Drunk Chita Rivera]

Posted: 8/19/10 at 1:29pm

When I was a very young child I was obviously taken a few times to see Lion King or whatever. But when I turned 12 I started going into the city alone and seeing shows. It's rare that I go with my Parents to shows.

[maggiemar142]

Posted: 8/19/10 at 1:34pm

i am! true, my father used to bring us out community productions of Peter Pan or Joseph once in a while but it was more about getting the kids to shut up more than exposing us to art. i was the only one to catch on and really seek out theater. i think my dad sparked it, i (alone) helped my interest survive (for a good 8 years or so) until my best friend came along and really poured on the lighter fluid.

[uncageg]

Posted: 8/19/10 at 1:49pm

I was in just about every school playmusical from grade 3 thru 12. The first professional production I saw was "Purlie" when I was about 11 years old. My best friend's mother took me and him to see it. I always put on shows at home when I was younger.

When I turned 16, I started going to New York with a classmate to see shows. I also saw shows on my own in Philadelphia. My high school would offer free tickets to shows so I would take them and go. I got to see "Platinum" with Alexis Smith, "The Bed Before Yesterday" with Carol Channing, "Robeson" with James Earl Jones among others. After high school I got to see "Private Lives" with Taylor and Burton just a few weeks before he passed. My ex wasn't into theater so I went, when I could, by myself. My dream was to become an actor, "A Chorus Line" sealed that deal for me, but that never happened. I even studied at the Society Hill Playhouse in my senior year.

Since living in Denver I have been very active with the Denver Center and I now write for this site. I get back to NYC as much as I can to see shows.

So I think I am self made. My mother never stopped me from persuing my "dream" but, of course, being an actor was something my family looked at as being a bit impossible. Just a dream. Getting a "real" job was the better bet.

I didn't become an actor but I am proud of what I have done and accomplished over the years being involved with the theatre.

Updated On: 8/19/10 at 01:49 PM

[CandiceElyse]

Posted: 8/19/10 at 2:33pm

My freshman year of college i begged my mom to take me to Hairspray, after the movie came out and I fell in love with it, I don't live in NY and I had never been so it was a big treat to see the sights and then go see Hairspray that night. I pretty much became obsessed upon leaving the theatre. It makes me sad to think that if I had been exposed to it from a young age, I might have been able to get the proper training and such to pursue a career on stage. Regardless, I HAVE to do something in the industry, my life HAS to be in the theatre. So since then, I drag my parents and friends to shows whenever possible, and I eat breathe and sleep all things theatre. TV, Movies, Books, whatever I can get my hands on to make up for time lost that I could've been learning about such a wonderful industry. I'm almost done getting my bachelors in journalism and am hoping to get my masters in theatre/arts administration. Im thinking I would like to go into the PR side of things. its funny for me to think that not even 4 years ago i had no idea that this is what i had to do with my life. I've come so far since then, I feel like a whole different (and better!) person. :)

[twinbelters]

Posted: 8/19/10 at 3:05pm

Oh yeah, definitely. My parents had cast albums on vinyl but I took that and ran with it. They encouraged me to perform too, but my real interest in the history and legacy was completely my own thing. Quite a few colleagues, including musical actors, did not understand my interest in reading scripts and collecting recordings which has always struck me odd. I actually was surprised by how limited their knowledge was of American popular culture. I got harassed for liking David Lynch! They just wanted to audition for, perform in, and see musicals.I wanted to read Promises, Promises and get Donnybrook! on compact disc.

And, yeah, I have performed in many musicals but is has never been where my heart was at.

I dragged my mom n sis to NYC to see Side Show, Triumph of Love and Capeman.

[castlestreet]

Posted: 8/19/10 at 3:49pm

I love this thread!

I grew up in a county know as "Wayne" in New York- very hickish. My parents and my entire family all were into hardcore Country Music (back when it was Country Music and not Pop)

I went to see Les Miz and Phantom both a year apart from each other on school trips and that was all it took. From that point on my entire life revolved around the theatre. I read, watched and listened to anything and everything I could get my hands on, which wasn't easy in sleepy Wayne County.

In high school it was so funny to hear my mom's stories on Christmas morning after we would open presents and hear her talk about trying to explain to the guys at Footlight Records what it was I wanted for Christmas over the phone. One year she almost sent some of the import CDs back because she thought they were "used" because they didn't come in shrink wrapping.

My parents came to every show I was in, but it wasn't until five years ago that I finally dragged them to the city and took them to see their first professional show- Phantom.

[Baine]

Posted: 8/19/10 at 10:35pm

Me too, me to. I still remember the day a theatre friend of mine was shocked when I didn't recognize the name Stephen Sondheim (and now he's my favorite composer). ^^;;

I really wasn't exposed to musicals growing up. My mom occasionally listened to [i]Les Mis[/i] and [i]Phantom[/i], but that was it. In middle school, I was in the ensemble for [i]Annie[/i] and [i]The Wizard of Oz[/i] through choir, but never saw anything outside of a school show until my first year of uni, and even then, it was just because one of my favorite Disney movies, [i]Beauty and the From there on, I could take a five-minute walk across the back of campus across the road and get to the library with all of the cast recordings and the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, which had so many amazing shows touring.

I had to discover shows and composers and all that fun stuff on my own, and slowly made friends with similar interests that helped expose me even further. This board was also a wealth of information that helped me discover new shows; I don't know where I'd be without it! Now, I take the train in from Trenton a couple times a year to see some shows when I can.

And that's my story :)

[hairspraydude1962]

Posted: 8/19/10 at 11:11pm

My hometown is pretty much full of sports fans and... well, sports fans. There aren't too many full-fledged theatre fans around. My parents never were really into it; therefore, I really wasn't exposed to it much. I was, however, obsessed with Peter Pan, specifically the 1960 Mary Martin version. I watched that VHS tape over and over again. It's astonishing that it still plays. After so many views, my dad finally decided to take me to see the show live (the touring production with Cathy Rigby). I just remember being completely and utterly entranced from beginning to end.

Nevertheless, it wasn't until I was sixteen that I became fully interested in musicals and theatre in general.

So, yes, I guess you can say I fall under the category of "Self-Made Theatre Fans."

[BellatrixxLestrangee]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 12:14am

I saw my first Broadway show when I was two and grew up listening to Pippin and Godspell, but it wasn't until this year that I became interested in theatre. My mom and my sisters have never been big theatre fans but my dad, who has a friend who works with the Shubert theatre organization, has seen many shows and enjoyed them. After he took me to see Wicked in January I just fell in love with the whole theatre experience! I've been trying to turn my family on to showtunes, but they just don't want to listen to shows like Into the Woods and The Light in the Piazza. I have however, gotten my sister to listen to Next to Normal so that's a start!

[Elphaba43]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 12:30am

I saw my first Broadway show at age 5 and ever since then, it's been nothing but all the older musicals: West Side Story, Pippin, Godspell, Hair, South Pacific, Carousel, Fiddler on the Roof, etc. I've been in love ever since!

[binau]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 1:05am

I guess I am, in that I don't have any family etc.. into it

But then again I have teh gay, which I probably caught from my parents' gametes. So in a sense I'm not a self-made theatre fan.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 2:46am

qolbinau, most gay guys don't go/enjoy musical theatre.

[binau]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 3:13am

I know, it was a joke. If you need another example see: your taste in musical theatre.



(LOL SNAP. SORRY, I don't want to be part of the "bash muscle23ftl" parade but I HAD to take this easy insult. Again, sorry :).)

Updated On: 8/20/10 at 03:13 AM

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 3:22am

It's ok...if it really got to me, I wouldn't be posting here anymore...so evidently it doesn't bother me that much. LOL!

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 5:01am

I was exposed to theater ever since I was a young kid. My first theater experience was as a kid going to the Henry Street Settlement. I went to a performing arts school when I was a kid and did a lot of theater there. I was also part of the chorus and I also did theater in high school and performed in many productions. I was exposed to musicals/plays through various film versions until my high school drama teacher took us out to see my first Broadway show, which was DREAMGIRLS in 1981. After that I started going to theater on a regular basis. I've always been artistically inclined and I've drawn from a very young age so now I do my graphic designs on the side while holding down an administrative job to pay the bills.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 8/20/10 at 5:01am

I was exposed to theater ever since I was a young kid. My first theater experience was as a kid going to the Henry Street Settlement. I went to a performing arts school when I was a kid and did a lot of theater there. I was also part of the chorus and I also did theater in high school and performed in many productions. I was exposed to musicals/plays through various film versions until my high school drama teacher took us out to see my first Broadway show, which was DREAMGIRLS in 1981. After that I started going to theater on a regular basis. I've always been artistically inclined and I've drawn from a very young age so now I do my graphic designs on the side while holding down an administrative job to pay the bills.

[TIGGOSAURUS]

Posted: 8/22/10 at 12:36am

As a Brit, most of my early theatrical exposure was to pantomimes. As a teenager I saw a few tours in my home town (a seaside town, which helps a lot). As a student I helped form a student society to see West End shows at a discount (not as simple then as it is nowadays in the internet age) and as an adult I have spent years basing my annual leave / days off around theatre schedules.

I have never been a performer myself (apart from narrator duties in a couple of primary school shows), no-one in my family is the slightest bit theatrical and many haven't even been to the West End more than once, let alone seen a Broadway show. I have NO idea where my love of theatre comes from - I'm just grateful that I have been able to share my passion with many of my dear friends / family - especially my Mum.

Amazing experiences abound, and I know I was born to be a theatre fan. I actually find myself feeling sorry for those people who don't 'get it'.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 8/22/10 at 2:49am

Tiggo, I'm the same way, I have taken more people to see musicals for the 1st time than I can count.