Show Reviews Part 1!

Hey guys!

 So this past week I went to New York, and I was lucky enough to see four Broadway shows (yay for discount ticket booths!), so I decided that I would write some reviews for the shows! The reviews turned out to be a little long, so I’m going to make two posts out of it. This week will be Matilda and Fun Home, and next week will be Something Rotten! and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time! Hope you enjoy!



Matilda

Matilda has been the musical that I have consistently been obsessed with for the past couple of years, so I knew that this was one show that I wanted to see no matter what. I’m so happy that I was able to see it before a lot of the current cast leaves (especially Lesli and Matt, who were amazing as usual). I don’t know why, but for some reason I found that Lesli sounded different, I almost didn’t think it was her during her first couple of lines in Miracle. Maybe it was the Americanized British accent, but she sounded different than other performances I’ve seen of her.

I was pleasantly surprised that Mattea was on as Matilda that show (I had a hunch and thought it was going to be Alexandra, but that hunch was obviously wrong). She is so small and adorable (I even heard an audience member say “Oh my gosh, I can’t handle how cute she is!” in the middle of the show), and very, very talented! Her voice is so strong, and you can definitely tell that she has a dance background. After Mattea imitated Miss Trunchbull during one of the stories, her hair had gotten stuck in her bobby pins and was sticking straight out, but both her and Karen Aldridge (Mrs. Phelps) didn’t miss a beat. Although she was a little hard to understand during Story 2, her accent was for the most part consistent. Some of my Mattea highlights were her “Big, Fat, Bully”, Quiet (especially the big note during “Everything everything IS”), Naughty reprise and her acting in the scenes around My House.

Alison Luff was incredible as Miss Honey, her emotions were so heart wrenching, especially during Bruce, which was a scene that I had never noticed Miss Honey in before. You could tell that she wanted to help him so badly and that she felt horrible for what was happening, but she knew that she couldn’t do anything to stop it. It was so heartbreaking to watch, as was My House. Christopher Sieber had the audience in the palm of his hands, he was hilarious! He really brought the Trunchbull to life. All the kids are so incredibly talented and high energy, it was so much fun to watch them perform, especially in Revolting Children.

By the time bows came around, I was really struggling to hold in my tears, it’s such an emotional rollercoaster of a show. It was so entertaining and uplifting, and I am extremely happy that I can say that it was my first Broadway show.





Fun Home

Okay, I’m going to be totally honest, this is my all time favourite show. I actually splurged and bought tickets to Fun Home before I left, because I knew that I couldn’t miss it. I ended up considering the ticket my high school graduation/18th birthday present because it ended up being so expensive that my parents asked me if I was crazy for spending that much money on one ticket. But it was in the second row. THE SECOND ROW. It was 100% worth it though, especially in the Circle in the Square theatre. It was so fascinating to watch the actor’s stage business when they weren’t being focused on. I even caught Beth Malone eating something out of one of those squeeze packs that little kids will eat apple sauce or something out of during one of Middle Alison’s scenes!

Being in the round and that close to the stage made it so much more personal, which I think is very important for a show that is so emotionally taxing. Every single person in that show is so talented, there isn’t one actor who’s a little bit weaker than the rest. The show runs so smoothly and seamlessly, and each new scene had me impatiently waiting for whatever was going to happen next, even though I usually knew what to expect.

Nicole Van Giesen was on as Helen, and she was spectacular, especially since her first time going on as Helen was only two days before! I almost started crying when Sydney sang her first note, and my emotions were so profound for the duration of the show. I cried during Telephone Wire, laughed during Raincoat of Love, my heart was so full during Ring of Keys and Changing My Major and then I cried again after the show when my parents asked how it was. The stage was unbelievable, and the staging of the show in The Round was so well done, I never felt like I missed anything because an actor was facing the wrong way.

After the show Sydney unfortunately had to leave right away and couldn’t stage door, but everyone else did! Zell was so adorable and outgoing, I had brought all the kids maple lollipops (because the house is on Maple Avenue) and he was SO excited, and kept on talking to me the entire time until I left. I learnt that his older sister had actually been in the Original Broadway cast of Matilda. Emily Skeggs was so sweet and friendly, and Michael Cerveris was really nice and humble. This was easily one of the best nights of my life, and Fun Home is overall an amazing show.



I hope you found my reviews both interesting and helpful, make sure to check back to read my reviews for Something Rotten! and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time!



What are some shows on Broadway that you wish you could see? Mine are Hamilton (I actually got offered a ticket to see it, but I was leaving three days before the day of the show so I couldn’t), Spring Awakening and School of Rock (even though they haven’t opened yet).



Until next time!

Sarah

Twitter: @sarahvandale

Instagram: sarahvandale

You're New To Theatre

Everybody knows the stereotypical theatre kid right? Loud, Wicked over dramatic, has a huge heart and can turn every sentence into a musical reference (notice the Wicked pun in the one you just read). You're probably smiling right now because you know all those things are so true, and if you did, congratulations you are the typical theatre kid!

But all these qualities can be a little intimidating if you aren't a typical theatre kid or you're new to the arts. You want to talk to your cast mates and have fun at rehearsal but you just might not know how to connect to them. I get that, because I have been there. I think we have all been there. So here are some ideas to help you connect.

1. Do some research- Broadway.com is a great place to start for some general information about what's going on in the theatre world. You could look at the news about shows and actors and spark up a conversation about what's going on on Broadway right now.

2. Learn some names- You should know the big names in the business because no matter what show or subject you're talking about I bet you will hear some of these names. Also, as you start to learn more and more about your favorite stars you are sure to pick up tons of information about shows. Some of my favorites: Idina Menzel, Sutton Foster, Kristin Chenoweth, Patti LuPone, Darren Criss, Jeremy Jordan, Matthew Morrison and Aaron Tveit

3. Don't be to basic- Please don't say your favorite movie musical is High School Musical and don't make your favorite musical The Lion King just because that's the only one you know. These things just get on theatre kids' nerves for obvious reasons. It's fine to love popular musicals, don't get me wrong, just make sure you do research on other shows as well.

4. Have a favorite show- Having a favorite show allows you to have some sort of a stance on things. Pick a show that you love the story or the actors. But make sure you love the soundtrack! My personal favorite is Wicked (but picking a second favorite is like picking a favorite child). I can listen to the soundtrack on repeat, actually that's basically all I do. Some more shows that everyone seems to love are Newsies, Pippin, Rent, A Gentleman's Guide and basically anything that has had a substantial run on Broadway.

So those are my tips to fitting in with the theatre kids! I'm sure you will be just fine. When in doubt do jazz hands (no don't). Good luck!

Nick Esposito
Instagram- nick_esposito71

Twitter- nickesposito71

So, It's your first rehearsal

Here are some of the do’s and dont’s of your first rehearsal with a new theatre company!

BE EARLY!

Being early shows the directors that you are prepared and take their production seriously.
There is a saying in theatre: “Ten minutes early is on time, on time is late”. 
Rehearsal starts promptly at the time called. If call time is 6:00, rehearsal begins AT 6:00. I cannot stress this enough.

DO NOT BE ON YOUR CELLPHONE.

Being on your phone is distracting to other actors and to yourself. You could miss important notes or your entrance. It is also very unprofessional. So, turn your cellophone off when you enter the rehearsal space.

WEAR CORRECT CLOTHING!
If you know you are going to be dancing, don’t wear your favorite pair of skin tight
jeans and a crop top. Wear something you are comfortable moving in. If you know you are going
to be doing intense dancing or acrobatics i suggest a leotard and booty shorts or leggings and a tight exercise shirt.

BRING YOUR SCRIPT AND A PENCIL!

At any rehearsal, you will most likely be given notes. Whether you like to keep your notes directly
on your script, or with sticky notes, or a notepad, ect.. 
You always need your script and a PENCIL. Blocking is often changed especially early on in rehearsal, so writing in pen would not be advised.

And the biggest tip for going into a new theatre company;
Keep and open mind!

Hope I helped some of you out! ~Elizabeth Hampton!
Twitter @paresseamant ­Instagram @mickeymousetache 
Have a lovely day! <3 

How To Be An Audience Member

Obviously a big part of being an actor is acting, but another big part is a love of theatre. This love is usually satisfied by being an audience member at other people’s shows. We’ve all seen millions of shows, whether they are professional theatre, community theatre, or school theatre. Because of this, we know that there are three rules on how to be the perfect audience member:

1. Laugh at the funny parts.
2. Clap at the parts when it’s appropriate.
3. Stay seated and quiet for all the other parts.

I know you know this, because you are a tried and true theatre patron, and as an actor you know how you would want an audience to act. So the real question is: Why does it seem like audience members have been having an especially difficult time with these rules recently? Over the past few months, the theatre world has been in a frenzy over audience members who can’t behave. First, the guy who went onstage during a performance of Hand To God, so that he could use a (fake) outlet to charge his phone (read about it). Then, Patti LuPone took an audience member’s phone as she was exiting stage, because he was using it while she was performing (Patti is the queen). And most recently, an audience member stormed the stage during a performance of The Fix at the Signature Theatre looking for a bathroom (ok seriously?). This has apparently become a really big issue.

Personally, I think that being able to experience live theatre is one of the most amazing things in the world, and I think part of being an audience member is having the utmost respect for the performers. Every person on the stage in front of you has put in so much work to be there and to do their best, and that’s the case for any type of show you go to see. They’re there for us just as much as we’re there for them, and we all have to respect each other in the theatre.

Having said that, I want to know if you have any bad audience member stories! Let me know in the comments or on twitter, I would love to hear them.

-Alex Bosworth

Twitter: @alex_bozzie

Instagram: alex_boz

Why Theatre Friends are the Best Friends

Let’s be real here, hanging around with your theatre friends is a blast. Whether it’s jamming out to show tunes, crying while watching the Tonys with a bag of popcorn or just hanging out at rehearsal, your theatre friends understand why you’re crazy, because they are too (in a good way, of course!).

Here are some of their best traits:

They understand when you can’t hangout.
Unlike some of your other friends, your theatre friends understand that you can’t hangout because you have rehearsal and that no, you can’t “Just skip it”. They get that theatre comes first for you. Because odds are, theatre comes first for them too.

They’ll (willingly) go see shows with you.
You won’t need to drag your theatre friends to The Book of Mormon tour with you, because they’ll be just as excited as you are! While other friends would probably fall asleep ten minutes into the show, your theatre friends will be having a blast right there beside you!

They’ll run lines with you anytime, anywhere.
Whether it’s in line at Starbucks, during finals week or in the middle of rehearsal, your theatre friends are there to help you memorize that scene that you just can’t get to stick in your head, and don’t mind hearing it over and over again until it’s perfectly memorized.

They make rehearsals 1000x better.
It’s not surprising that most theatre friendships are made at rehearsal- you’re constantly around each other! Whether it’s passing time during breaks or helping you survive that crazy fast quick change, they help keep you going at rehearsal- especially during tech week.

They understand your love for Broadway.
Unlike your regular friends, your theatre friends understand how emotionally exhausting being a Broadway fangirl/fanguy can be. They were your shoulder to cry on when Newsies closed, they celebrated with you when Kelli O’Hara won her Tony, and they’ll be right by your side at the stage door when you meet your Broadway idol (Hello, Queen Lesli!).

Show tunes. All. The. Time.
Your theatre friends won’t tell you to stop singing while you’re in the middle of performing Defying Gravity in your bedroom, because they’ll be the one singing Glinda’s part for you. Whether it’s in the car on the way to rehearsal, preshow jam parties or just hanging out in your room, it’s all show tunes, all day, everyday.

And if you’re really close, they might share some bobby pins with you. Maybe.

Why are your theatre friends your favourite? Let me know in the comments!

Sarah
Instagram: sarahvandale
Twitter: sarahvandale

Audition DO's and DON'Ts

DO  be on time! One of the worst things you could ever do at an audition is be late. You don't seem reliable and how will the directing team be able trust you to be on time to shows and rehearsals?

DON'T apologize if you mess up or are not as prepared as you would like to be. Directors know that sometimes your audition gets booked at the last minute.

DO  be confident. Even if you have no idea what you're doing, pretend like you do. You know what they say: Fake it 'til you make it.

DON'T  Sing a song that you've already sang for someone on the directing team.  Choose something new. They don't want to see you do the same old same old. Choose something different to show the directing team how you've grown from the last season.

DO  Look presentable. Now, you don't have to wear a ball gown or anything, but definitely don't wear sweats. Treat your audition as you would a job interview. Dress like you care about being there.

DON'T  just sing. Act while you sing. Yes, pretty voices are awesome, but in musical theatre singing and acting go hand in hand. You are trying to tell a story through song, so don't forget to act in your singing!

DO  be polite to everyone you see. You just never know who you're talking to, who knows who, etc.
And.... being a good human is always just a good thing to be.

DON'T  try to shake the director or anyone on the directing teams hand. Especially during flu season. You can probably guess why.

These are just a few Do's and Don'ts for actors when auditioning. Whether you're new to the theatre world and needed to know, or you've been doing this for a long time and needed to be reminded. I hope this helped!

Thank you for reading and following TheActorProbs.

For more from me, you can follow me on Twitter, Instagram, or view my website!

What kind of food should I bring to rehearsal?

I love to eat, whenever I can get a chance. However, usually the food I like to eat does not last me all of rehearsal and usually makes me feel even more tired and grumpy. Here's a list of snacks I like to bring to rehearsal to keep me in tip top shape. Please let me know some of your favorite rehearsal snacks!!

SkinnyPop Popcorn

• This is the holy grail of all snacks. This popcorn tastes EXACTLY like movie theatre popcorn, and it is only 39 calories per cup. PER CUP! Seriously I can buy a Costco size bag and bring a quart size baggie of it to rehearsal, it's like I'm treating myself but it's actually natural and healthy. 

Apples and Peanut Butter(And Nutella)

• Alright apples and PB are a classic filler upper, however if you swirl a little nutella into it it makes a mediocre snack feel like a dessert! The only con to this is that it can be a little messy, and apples are better refrigerated, so pack your lunch with an ice pack. 

Cinnamon Almonds

• Okay, obviously you can now tell that I've got a sweet tooth. At your local grocery store by the nuts, there are little things called cinnamon covered almonds. If you need a pick me up with some protein, these are the things to eat. But, just pack a few in a snack size bag because these are dangerous!

Pineapple

• Pineapple juice is great for your voice if you're feeling phlegmy, and pineapples are also a little tart so they wake you up if you start to snooze off. If you have an early rehearsal after a long night of tech, bring a snack of pineapple, your tired worn out voice will sound better and you'll wake right up! 

WATER

• I shouldn't really have to say this, but water is the best thing, all the time. Drink your water kids. 

Please tell me your favorite snacks, my twitter is @Campbellalie. 

Rock on!

Alie