What sparked your interest in musicals or movie musicals etc.?

What and/or who introduced you to musicals, Broadway....well, just theatre in general?

For me, it was my mother. My parents divorced about a year after I was born, so my mom enrolled me in a private school that didn't have an attendance policy and would take me along on business trips. Since I was so young and she was just starting her career (she's a lawyer) she'd bring me to museums, and theatre so I'd learn about the arts and be able to follow discussions about such things. She'd even bring tapes of movies when we were away so I wouldn't get bored.

Two of those movies was "Annie" and "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang". I would watch "Annie" all the time until it got to the point when my grandfather would turn off his hearing aid because he couldn't stand it anymore (I'm talking like I'd watch the movie, rewind it, then watch again).

Ann Reinking totally stood out for me. I remember thinking that she was absolutely the most amazing dancer and I'd try to copy her (I'm no pro dancer or anything near but I can dance).

So, I rented "Annie" this evening because I hadn't seen it in forever and looking at Ms. Reinking's dancing in the film...she nailed every step but now, after seeing her in Fosse, I wasn't as impressed as I was as a kid. I mean, Ms. Reinking only did less than half a dozen films, so it confuses me now as to why she decided to do the film.

Am I the only one who would love to see her perform again, even it's only a one night event? She's supposed to perform at the Town Hall concert this Friday but I can't seem to find out if she's still performing or not. Anyone know?

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i started attending a performing arts school full time when i was about 6. yes - thats right - 6! i was studying classical spoken word theater, but i was literaally forced to audition for the school's mid semester showcase musical - Salad Days!

any of you who know me personally will probably not believe that i never had any inclination to dance, let alone sing when i was younger until i was literally made to. my, how time can change things. years later and after two ballet schools in two separate countries and a bachelor in voice, i clearly don't regret being made to audition at ALL!

so, in other words, my interest was sparked by one of the musical directors at my then school. hated her at the time and admire her now...

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Updated On: 10/19/05 at 10:21 PM

a friend dragged me to the Mikado........and I was transformed, and musicals followed next

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my junior high drama teacher.
he took us to see "dreamgirls".

When I was in grade four or five, my best friend was the daughter of the principal of the high school. She was involved with the show they were performing that year. My friend and I tagged along to rehearsals quite often, hanging out with the actors backstage, and then running out to sit in the audience for the group numbers. The show was a locally written musical featuring music of the 50's, and it was a big hit in the area.

I think we went to every show that weekend! On closing night, we helped clean up backstage and then went with the cast and crew to the party at a Chinese restaurant next door to the theatre. I remember how much fun I had that... month, I guess it was. That was the first show I was ever "involved" with, and I loved it so much!

Then, in grade eight, my band trip was to go see Jesus Christ Superstar (with Heather Rankin of the Rankin Family playing Mary Magdalene!). THAT'S when I REALLY fell in love with theatre. I remember thinking back to the first experience, and about how at one time I had actually BEEN on a stage when the lights were shining, and been backstage with the actors, and how much fun it had been.

At the end of grade ten, the school announced that they'd be doing that same 50's musical that had been such a big hit in its first go-round. I auditioned, got a lead role, and spent the summer reading my script over and remembering the fun I had in grade four with it! We performed it in December of my grade eleven year, and even had some of the original cast come back to join us in the finale!! Looking around the stage on closing night, it all came together: thinking about how BIG these people seemed to me the first time I met them, thinking about how cool it was that I was actually on stage, receiving the applause I had so passionately delivered when I saw JCS, and thinking about how I could do this many, many times over!

If you hung in there for that whole post, thanks! And thanks for this thread, bronte. It was fun to reminisce!

There was a little show in NYC called "Sneakers" that my dad took me to when I was about 8, and I absolutely loved it. There was also another musical that my dad and I attended that had oldies music in it (I remember the song Young Girl), and some alien green things came out of the ceiling and waved around. Anyone know what I am talking about?

When I was 9 my mom bought the movie GREASE and it changed my life....Dont know why but it totally made me fall in love with the whole musical theatre/musicals world.

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The very first film my parents took me to when I was six years old was Mary Poppins. I absolutely adored that film. Other musical films followed -- Oliver, Sound of Music, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Chitty... but I firmly believe that it was mainly because of Mary Poppins, and Julie Andrews that I have such a strong love of musicals to this day.

Back in the early 80s, I watched the Sounds of Music and was instantly hooked.

I always had the inkling I enjoyed that kind of thing if it was on TV or whatever but no real passion for it. Recently I was asked to join the cast of a communtiy theatre project as they were short of dancers and now I cant get enough.

war movies.. then came 'miss saigon'. been listening to the OLR before actually saw the play... then other plays follow rent, FDS, lion king, etc...

I became addicted to acting in theatre when I was put into a drama class in school last year. And I've always enjoyed watching live productions.

The previous summer, I discovered Broadway through Disney, more specifically "Beauty and the Beast".

Updated On: 11/6/05 at 12:47 PM

Seeing the Wizard of OZ on TV when I was kid. It was a big deal broadcast once a year, usually on a Sunday night. When Dorothy opens the door into Munchkinland and the whole world is drenched in color, I was hooked. Bert Lahr wearing a broken flower pot on his head and singing about courage is one of the great moments in Movie Musicals.

Also seeing the Sound of Music, and Mary Poppins. Then years later seeing A New Brain as an adult got me hooked all over again

Lions and Tigers and Bears Oh My!!