Hello-- i am planning on moving to new york and being on broadway when I graduate from high school. questions!

i know talent is vital to the stage, and i have it. talent agents often look at appearance and ur talent. r there specific physical traits? here%26#039;s what i have to work with-5%26#039;2, 103 lbs skinny. slight build from running and dance. long arms, torso and fingerstoes. short legs caucasian, tans easily. brown hair in a pixie cut like shirley maclaine%26#039;s used to be, curly. brown eyes. no frecklesacne. 1 freckle on forehead. big lips straight teeth huge smile. no tattoos ears pierced. look like shirley maclaine (minus the legs!) and lily tomlin. bust is normal. size 8 feet. here%26#039;s the theatre work. 15 years old. ballet for 11 yrs 1yr jazz 4 yrs on pointe. singing mezzo alto. not american idol!performing arts academy at high school-anything goes godspell annie robin hood fiddler on the roof etc. worked with %26quot;company of fools%26quot; (bruce willis theatre company) on the effects of gamma rays on man in the moon marigolds. trained with jim reinking, and i know ann reinking. ask questions if i forgot them

Hello-- i am planning on moving to new york and being on broadway when I graduate from high school. questions!
it is so difficult to make it on to Broadway in New York City. There are so many people aspiring with the same dream as you. It will not be easy... close to impossible! You need to know that it is a difficult field to break into. The number of unemployed music theater seekers in the city is unbelievable. The joke in NY is that we are fortunate for all these music theaterites! They keep the restaurants in service as waitresses and busboys!





The competition is fierce and agents are practically useless. They will find auditions for you, but they also find auditions for everyone else. One agent will represent many artists. However when they find an audition they will let their entire roster know. They play no favorites because whomever gets the gig, the agent gets paid. So therefore they%26#039;ll send their entire roster in. And these auditions are not for major roles! These are for small roles, not even individual roles - these roles are stand ins, chorus, company dancers. One audition will attract 200 to 300 auditionees of which 1 person will be chosen... maybe... if they don%26#039;t like anyone they don%26#039;t call anyone back.





It%26#039;s not your looks. Its whether you can do everything they want! That includes singing, dancing and acting. However if you don%26#039;t attend school for music theater to train in these areas, you stand absolutely no chance. Having community theater and dance experience is good but, not enough. People goto college and train for this profession, of which many never ever get placed in a company or ever sing a role outside of University. You need to realize that this is not a career field. This is a pipe dream and for 95% of people out there who want this, it will always be. I know so many people in NY who are trying to do this and supplement their income by working menial part time jobs that barely pays. It is expensive to live in NY - Rent, food, utilities.... so many like you live paycheck to paycheck. You work so much you have little time to practice your skills. However, living paycheck to paycheck is no way to live! I know some who couldn%26#039;t cover rent and had to move out and live with others for months at a time. It is definitely a hard life. And all this for a dream. I have friends who are very talented! Very gifted but for every one who is gifted, there are those are just better than you. This is reality.





The best roles - leading roles are signed to top names... Jason Alexander (George on Seinfeld) trained in music theater as a child, has dance training and he lands one of the lead roles in The Producers! This is a man who didn%26#039;t use his music theater skills for over 20 years but they gave him the role because of who he is.





This is reality, it is the truth. If you are banking on this field I would think of something else. You need to have a post secondary education in this area but even with that, your chances are slim. And do you really want to live paycheck to paycheck?????





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Well if you know that you already can make it, then why are you asking us. Yes, have a dream but understand reality! It is not an easy world. You say you can live paycheck to paycheck now... we%26#039;ll see about that when you actually have to do that! Try to rehearse on your own, learn lines, practice everything you need for an audition when you have to work two or three jobs to pay for your rent, utilities and food. Its not easy, but you think it is.





You obviously don%26#039;t know the statistics of getting hired in New York. I%26#039;m not telling you to not do this... I%26#039;m just warning you of the hardships of it, but it seems to me that you think that you will be one of the millions who have this dream and will make it. Yes, you might actually do it... yes, you may make it with out school... but what do you do after the career. After 10 years what do you do? No education, means you can%26#039;t teach. No education means you can%26#039;t have a decent job. Music Theater careers don%26#039;t last long! You could be on stage, break a leg and be out for 3 months - they%26#039;ll replace you and you%26#039;ll be back to looking for auditions. You need a back up plan and most importantly, you need to go to school. At least you have credentials afterwards. You are no different than a million others that have this dream....





I%26#039;ve seen it all! Say they can live pay check to pay check, they think they have the whole thing figured out, they think that they can room with others and find security in that. Listen - maybe you are right... maybe I%26#039;m wrong.... but chances are I%26#039;m not. I have so many friends in NY who have this dream. Some with school, some with out. All with tons of theater experience... but all struggling to survive in the Big Apple.





Doesn%26#039;t matter who did what and made it.... you cannot count yourself amongst that group until you do. The group you belong to will be those with dreams, fighting for a chance to sing or dance on a stage and fighting to make enough money to survive.
Reply:What%26#039;s your %26quot;plan B%26quot; job or school wise in case your %26quot;plan A%26quot; doesn%26#039;t work out?
Reply:. . . and I am planning on winning the Lottery.





I have been a music director, and have taught people your age, since 1971. You may be VERY enthusiastic - but you are also naive. As other people have told you, EVEN IF you have a lots of talent, you will need a MINIMUM of a degree from a very respected theater program to even get a LOOK at an audition. Times have sure changed form people thinking they cold be *discovered* because they were so perky!!! If you go to NYU - which has a graduate in EVERY SINGLE SHOW running on Broadway - it will cost you over $200,000. Then you have NO guarantee of getting into a show - because there are hundreds and hundreds of even MORE qualified people at the same audition. Just because YOU think you are cute and talented - and some people in your home town might agree - this does not mean you are ready for New York. I ought to know - I live and work here, and have been full-time employed in the music business since 1971.





You need a Plan B - and C, and D, and E - no matter how much you WANT something, that does not mean it comes to you. This is NOT what you wanted to hear - sorry! - but it is the truth.



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