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Interview with Celia Keenan-Bolger, Now Appearing in The Glass Menagerie on Broadway!

Note from the Editor: The Glass Menagerie is considered a literary classic. At this time, the show’s producers are recommending the show for audiences aged 12+. However, as we advise with all shows, be sure to review a production’s website and promotional materials to determine whether or not a show is right for your family.

I got to sit down with the amazing and wonderful Celia Keenan-Bolger, where we talked about her upcoming Broadway role as Laura in The Glass Menagerie, and then we even got to talk about what led her to this amazing world of Broadway! Check out this video about The Glass Menagerie on Broadway if you’re not familiar with it and read on for our convo!

Were you familiar with The Glass Menagerie?

I read it in high school and quite honestly, did not have an immediate connection to it. I grew up in Detroit and came from a very functional family and there was something about it (I was in ninth grade) that I just couldn’t quite latch onto. I couldn’t find the emotional center to it. I don’t think I read it again until the audition came around, so that was a lot of years later. I read the play again and completely fell in love with it and wondered why I had missed so much the first time.

Ninth grade? That’s young. 

Yes! And I also feel like that’s what is so amazing about getting to do it at this point in my life where I’m not a brand new actress out of college, that I do have some life experience behind me and coming to this play at this point in my life, it feels so completely right. A lot of the things that I have been through in my life, both professionally and personally, have lead me to this piece at this time, which is such a nice way to feel.

I don’t know if this will change now that the show has moved to Broadway, but what was your favorite part of playing the role in Boston?

There are so many things I love about the production and I have pre-performance and during-performance favorites. The pre-performance was just building the thing. You think of a play that has existed for so many years and you dust it off and do it again and it felt like rehearsing a new play, to me, which also had to do with the way that John Tiffany, the director, approached our rehearsing it. We spent one week around the table with three different versions of the play. There’s a reading version, an acting version and then a London version. They’re obviously all the same story, but there are marked differences in each version and so we literally went through page by page and read the scenes and then went back and said ‘what line do we think we should use for the Cambridge version?’ So, we made a script that felt representative of how we viewed the characters and the story that we wanted to tell. That first part of the process was really fulfilling.

Then, creating the physical life of it was Steven Hoggett, who worked on Peter and the Starcatcher and has worked with John Tiffany on Once and Black Watch. In his world, we created this whole vocabulary for the play, physically, that I never expected to be a part of. If you read a little bit of the forward of that Tennessee Williams has at the beginning of The Glass Menagerie, he talks about “plastic theatre” and trying to make things a little less realistic. The way Steven Hoggett talked about it he said, ‘I think these characters have things inside of them that they’re not able to express verbally and I’m just wondering how these things can leak out physically.’

We spent a whole week figuring out the ways that we could physically manifest some of what was going on and that gave us this really amazing foundation to be so free when it came to the blocking, when it came to the aesthetic way of telling the story. It was very different from what I expected. That part of the process was so thrilling.

And then getting to do it! Particularly that gentleman caller scene, I looked forward to it every night. I really don’t think I’ve been in a play where the writing was as good as that scene.

So, when you say the blocking was free, do you mean every night, it could be something different?

In the rehearsal, it could be very different. We could change it. As far as doing it in production, it was pretty set, there’s always room in a play within what you’ve built to see where else you can go. But you want to make sure that you’re taking care of your other actors and that you’re not doing anything so crazy that they’re like, ‘wait a minute, what are you doing, we’ve never rehearsed this.’ But during rehearsals, in the best way, directors will be like, ‘well what do you feel here, just move there,’ and that’s not always my favorite. I like when a director has an idea of how the structure of a scene should look and John Tiffany definitely did that. But also, because of all of our physical work, we had all of this freedom to play. That really freed all of us up to do so much more emotionally and physically.

Were you intimidated at all, doing such an iconic show?

Yes, so much! I mean, Cherry Jones, is one of my heroes and The Glass Menagerie is a big play. It’s a play that a lot of people really care about and I haven’t done plays like that before. I’ve done a lot of new work and I’ve done a lot of musicals and I’ve done a lot of new musicals. I felt like I knew I could do it, but I also felt intimidated and scared like I wanted to take care of the play in the way that a lot of people want it to be cared for.

What was Brian J. Smith like to work with, as the Gentleman Caller?

He is extraordinary. I think that his Gentleman Caller is totally revelatory. He was already cast when I auditioned so we got to read together and I remember thinking in the audition, ‘who is this guy? He is so amazing and so present.’ He is not only an incredibly wonderful person on stage, but in a similar way that I talked about myself, so many things have brought him to this place. He is so ready and has so many tools available in himself to play this part. I think it’s a different take on it. I think sometimes the Gentleman Caller comes in and is this super charismatic flick guy and there’s a part of the play where he talks about going to public speaking courses which I had never really thought about before but I was like, ‘maybe he isn’t the most confident.’

He is also learning how to exists in the world. Brian brings this sort of vulnerability and I think [the Gentleman Caller] can often be played as the one who has it all right. He’s the person from the outside world and in this version, I think, Brian doesn’t totally feel like he belongs anywhere either. The effect he has on the Wingfields and what effect the Wingfields have on him is a little more marked in our production.

To have him [Gentleman Caller] come off as someone who is not quite right, that’s an amazing way to look at it because he can be very one dimensional.

Yeah, and even if you read the character descriptions. There are these huge, wonderful descriptions of Tom and Amanda and Laura and then Williams writes the Gentleman Caller as ‘a nice young man.’ So you have to think, how can you infuse that character with as much humanity and complexity as the rest of these characters? And Brian is exquisite at that.

There are so many character dynamics within the show. What is your favorite relationship in the show?

The one that was most unexpected for me was the one between Laura and Tom and because there is so little that we say to each other, and that is another amazing way that the physical vocabulary of the show plays out. We take care of each other in physical ways and we connect in physical ways that aren’t written into the script, but the scenes with Zach [Quinto], I just I love them so much. Something that people, or at least that I’ve heard about The Glass Menagerie, is that it feels a little claustrophobic, it feels like it’s a family that is still fraught and miserable.

We all approached it, and didn’t even talk about it that much, but ended up making, I hope, a play about a family that really really loves each other but cannot figure out how to help one another or to give each other what they need. So I think that relationship, for me, between Laura and Tom is, in a lot of ways, the most tragic of the whole piece but also because there is such deep and real love. The way that Zach plays the character, I feel so taken care of, by him in the play.

It’s funny, when we were doing that whole process of sitting around the table and picking what lines and which versions we wanted to do, Zach said, “Is there an extra scene for Tom and Laura, I feel like I wish we had more to say to each other,” and someone was like, “I think in the London version, there is,” and there is an extra exchange of probably ten lines, but we were like ‘put it in, please!’ so that we could have some time with each other. That relationship, maybe also because I feel such a deep connection to my siblings, I know what living in a house with a brother and a sister, what that does and how close you can be. So, that’s definitely one of my favorite dynamics.

That’s amazing because it is a tragic relationship. Like you said, they don’t talk very often in the show. But at the same time, you know that they really care about each other. And Zach is just an incredible actor.

I had never seen him on stage. I had only seen him on film and I did think that he was an incredible actor. He really, not only, is a great artist, but he’s a great mind and he’s such a valuable presence to have in a room because the questions that he asks and the way that he processes not just the play but the dynamics of the play are so useful and important in the process. He is an extraordinary human being and actor.

Moving on from The Glass Menagerie, what was your moment when you knew that you wanted to act?

I was so young. I went and saw a children’s theater production of The Sound of Music when I was five years old, in Detroit, Michigan. I told my parents afterwards, “I want to do that.” They were like ‘eh, okay,’ it’s a children’s community theater, we can get you signed up for that in addition to gymnastics and soccer. I think, they didn’t feel like this was what I was really going to do for the rest of my life, but it just stuck. I’ve loved it for so long, I sometimes wonder if I’m ever going to get sick of it, but I just haven’t. In fact, I love it even more as I get older and I get to do it more.

And then you went to University of Michigan and what was that like? What is your take on college and classes versus real life experience?

I think going to Michigan, honestly, in my young life was the best decision I have ever made. You don’t have to go to college, but for me, I had to go to college, not just for the training which was incredible, but to try to figure out the kind of adult I wanted to become. I think college is so good for that. There’s structure and there’s focus, but there’s also way more freedom that I had certainly ever had in my life. I think Michigan attracts really special, interesting, dynamic personalities, so I felt really supported and I felt like the people that I was around were inspiring and had a big view of the world which opened up my eyes. I think, if you want to be an actor, knowing yourself is an important thing.

I think there are plenty of actors who don’t necessarily know themselves and who are amazing actors, but their lives are sort of hard. If you can get in touch with who you are and who you want to be and have something to work towards, it makes it a lot easier to be in this profession. Michigan, really really, gave me that. It was so nurturing and noncompetitive in a way. I mean it was super competitive because the people were so talented but the faculty didn’t really encourage that. The big thing was about supporting one another and that’s something that I have taken with me into my life in New York, no question.

So, what has been your most memorable moment in your acting life?

 Oof, there are so many! I’m just picking one because there are so many. But opening night on Broadway of Peter and the Starcatcher. We had worked on that show for three years, we had done it twice before, once in La Jolla and once off-Broadway at the New York Theatre Workshop and I sort of said to myself that I wasn’t sure that it would do very well on Broadway because it was such a different take on what a Broadway show could be and nobody had ever really heard of Peter and the Starcatcher and I thought to myself, ‘if we open on Broadway, that’s all I care about and everything after that is gravy.’ The first image of the whole show is that everybody walks out on stage and just stands there for a second and we all walked out on stage and the audience clapped and clapped and clapped and clapped and it was like they understood all of the work that it took to get us to that moment; three years of building something and making something. I was on stage with people who I had grown to really, really love and care about I felt artistically bound to and that was just one of the most special moments of my life. It was thrilling. It was so great because it was shared with an audience, like they gave it to us. I don’t even know how they knew but it was really special.

Photo via Backstage

Having An Online Presence

Chances are that since you’ve woken up this morning, you’ve checked your Facebook at least a dozen times, tweeted a few times, and maybe even posted a picture on Instagram. These days, everything can be done with a smart phone, and that can be wonderful for any actor.

Twitter allows people to tell their “followers” everything they need to know about what’s going on in their life in 140 characters or less. Actors can and have used this, to promote projects that they may be working on.  Those people will then go ahead and tell their friends as fast as possible by re-tweeting the information. If you’re telling ten people about a project you’re a part of, then you’re really telling 100 people or more!

Facebook is wonderful as well. Having a “like” or a fan page to promote yourself and your work is critical. It should go on your resume so agents, casting directors and other actors should be able to find you with click of a mouse or a simple search on their Facebook app.

Youtube is also a useful tool. You can upload clips of your past performances, highlight any of the performances you’re especially proud of, or even just post a video of you singing something in your room.

My point is, if you want to have any sort of longevity, or maybe want to be discovered for certain projects, then it is critical for you to have an online presence of some kind. And too many is never enough! You want to have enough out there that someone could look at you and say that they are familiar with you before you walk into the casting call.

Personally I have two different Facebook accounts, a Twitter account, an Instagram account, and a YouTube account. I’m even in the process of building my own website.   If someone wanted to find me to possibly use me in their project, there is no way that they wouldn’t be able to.

In the ever-changing technology filled world, it’s impossible to believe that people will remember you if you aren’t online. So go ahead and make that fan page, open a YouTube account, and post until your heart’s content. Take pictures of your poster and put it on instagram—whatever you do, your career will thank you!

How to Find Audition Monologues

So it’s that time of year again, audition season! You’re hoping to get cast as the lead in the play or musical at your school. As you’re reading the requirements for the audition in a few days, you see that dreaded line and groan. “One minute monologue required.” As a performer, one of my biggest troubles while preparing for auditions has always been finding those perfect audition monologues and memorizing them. This summer, I had the opportunity to talk to some college theater teachers to see what they’re recommendations are for finding the best monologue for you.

The first step might not be very helpful at all but it is the one thing you must do if you want to find good monologues: simply, read plays. Read all kinds of plays; comedies, dramas, horror, classics, anything you can get your hands on. If you don’t know where to start ask around and see what plays your friends, teachers, or fellow actors enjoyed. At my musical theater camp this past summer, in acting class, I decided to write down the play titles for every monologue that was performed. Now that I’m home I have many new works to read and pull monologues from that I can workshop and make my own.

Once you find a play you like or that seems to have characters that fit you, read more plays by that author. Playwrights tend to write the same types of characters into many of their works. So you might be able to find new and more obscure monologues that none of your competitors will know about. It also doesn’t hurt to look at new works created by young playwrights because you might relate more to the modern content.

The key to finding the perfect monologue is to start ahead of time and immerse yourself in as much theater as you can. If you see a show you like, buy the script and try to piece together a monologue from there. Find pieces that you could see yourself saying or that you could create a believable character for.

Hope this helped and happy monologue hunting!

The Road to Broadway

by Chase Gosselin

To call something a “long and winding road” is so cliche.  Yet, I honestly can’t think of a better description to encapsulate the long and, well, winding journey that any musical or play goes through before making it to NYC’s theatre district.  In a time when we have become supersaturated by entertainment, both good and bad, it’s becoming more and more difficult to trust that a piece is working. Likewise, it’s becoming even more difficult to find the immense numbers of investors needed to pay for the show.  With all of this in mind, I thought I would try to simply break down the path that most shows take in order to get to New York, whether it takes them ten months or ten years!

1) Conceptualization and Writing
All shows start as a simple concept.  Some are based on a book or movie, or imagine this- some shows are completely original ideas.  I know, that’s a lot to swallow these days. But, I digress. On occasion, the idea to make a theatrical production can come from a producer or theatrical organization.  For example, Kinky Boots was the brainchild of producer Daryl Roth, while Matilda was commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company.  These instances are rare in the sense that the authors are actually being paid to write their piece. However, more often than not, the concept starts right at the authors.  In that case, they’re on their own, and the authors can spend years writing without any certainty that anybody will ever actually pay them for their work.  They then have the task of finding a producer for their work before moving onto the next step of the process.

2) Development
Once the first draft of a musical or play is written, then begins the treacherous developmental process.  Really, there are three main routes that people take at this stage: concept recordings (if it’s a musical), readings, and workshops.

-A concept recording is a common device used by composers such as Andrew Lloyd Webber and Frank Wildhorn.  They produce full albums of their musicals, and by using a full cast and orchestra, it helps them shape their piece.  Similarly, I know some plays have been first released as novellas (recently, The Testament of Mary) or as radio plays. Regardless, it’s all about seeing the piece in some semi-finished format, though different than the eventual purpose.

-A reading is a process that almost every show coming to Broadway goes through at least once.  A reading is exactly what it sounds like- a reading of the script.  A cast and creative team is assembled, and usually within a 29 hour period the piece is rehearsed and performed for an invitation-only audience.  Like the concept recording, a reading is meant to hear the piece out loud to then go back and make edits and alterations as necessary.  However, a reading has the added luxury of watching crowd reactions.  You can start to really understand how an audience will respond to your piece.

-A workshop is similar to a reading, except that it starts to incorporate a physical production.  Though it’s confined to a rehearsal room, you start to use props and some costumes, have choreography and staging, and spend more time on making changes throughout the process.  Then, at the end, you might have a performance like that of the reading.  Wicked is a musical that was known to be developed majorly through a set of intense workshops.

3) Money Money Money…..
So, a show might be getting into great shape from all those readings and workshops.  But, it ultimately won’t matter until a physical production is mounted which takes, yes, money. Lots of money.  So, the show’s producer goes into hyper-producer mode, and the show will often hold special events such as concerts or reading and workshop like performances.  These all are considered “Backer’s Auditions” where the show is literally auditioning for potential investors.  Now, the focus is not so much improving the piece, but instead selling the piece.

4) The Try-Out
Great, you had your backers audition and you’re rolling in cash.  Now what? Broadway. Nope. Nice try, but not yet.  First, you must have a try-out production.  Whether that’s out of town (i.e. Pippin at the ART), out of the country (i.e. Rocky Das Musical in Germany), or maybe just a bit out of Times Square at an off-Broadway theatre (i.e. Next to Normal at Second Stage).  Regardless, you’ve got to get the whole production on its feet to make the appropriate tweaks before bringing it to Broadway.  There are rare exceptions where shows open straight on Broadway without a try-out (i.e. The Book of Mormon), but those success stories are few and fare between.

5) Ta-Da!
Congrats, now it’s time for Broadway! Well, usually.  You can never know what might occur in a show’s development.  You may go into your try-out production thinking everything is ready to go, but suddenly realize that the whole piece needs rethinking.  In fact, some shows go into previews and then realize it! (i.e. a little show called Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark).  Anyhow, at the end of the day, it’s important to understand that each show gets to Broadway on a very unique path.  There is certainly no formula to create a theatrical hit, but that’s the risk and excitement of it all, isn’t it? So, while I can’t promise that every production will follow the exact path I’ve outlined, I can promise you this: If you get a handle on these simple set of terms, you are one step closer to understanding the bizarre inner workings of our wonderful industry.

College Hunting in NYC

by Rory of www.WearAboutsBlog.com

One of the things on my list this summer is visiting New York City schools. As a rising senior, college has been on my mind quite a bit lately. And New York is definitely one of the places I will be looking for schools to apply to!

There are downsides to looking at schools in the summer–especially in New York! One, it’s hot, and that’s no fun for walking around campuses for hours. Two, there’s often not many students on campus in the summer. However, as it’s New York, and there’s always people everywhere, #2 shouldn’t be a problem.

Tip for visiting a school: DRESS NICE! You don’t want to wear jeans. Although it’s unlikely they’ll remember your face, it’s still nice to leave a good first impression. Better to not be remembered than be remembered in a negative way, right?

There are some really amazing schools in New York City. Columbia, NYU, Fordham, and many many more! These three will probably be the ones I am looking at first and foremost.

College is scary but you can make visiting fun! When I college visit, I like to get a good look at the surrounding area. Rumor has it that Columbia’s in a bad neighborhood, and that NYU has no tangible campus. Well, I need to see that for myself! And I have to decide if those things really matter that much to me. All I know is that I can definitely see myself in New York City for my college years. I can’t wait to see where I’ll end up!

FOR MORE FASHION, LIFE TIDBITS, AND STUFF ABOUT ME, CHECK OUT WEARABOUTSBLOG.COM

 

 

How I Got My Celebrity Run-In in New York

“Oh! I met someone famous in New York!” The Big Apple is notorious for allowing celebrities the anonymity they don’t get anywhere else in the country. This is even truer for Broadway celebrities, who often aren’t as well-known and are even easier to run into. So it is easy to run into celebrities, and even easier to run into Broadway celebrities.

But I never thought that it would happen to me. I was visiting New York just recently, and while I walked by a few people that made me turn my head (“Was that Darren Cr—No. Noooo….okay just move along!”), by the last day of my trip I had given up hope of having a run in with a celebrity.

But then, as I stood at the Matilda stagedoor, waiting to meet people much more talented than I am at half the age, I got my wish. I saw Andrew Keenan-Bolger waiting off to the side of the barricade. Now, for people who live in New York or saw Newsies with him, this probably wouldn’t have been a big deal. However, I, the tourist, got incredibly excited. Andrew Keenan Bolger had gotten me interested in the 2012 election, helping out at local phone banks, and finding my democratic self in a republican town. In short: this guy had done a lot for me.

So what was I to do? I still had to meet the talented munchkins, but I couldn’t let this opportunity slip by me.

He was standing away from the stagedoor and this wasn’t his show. He probably didn’t want me to come up and just start talking to him. So I did what everyone would. I stood and stared, and quickly realized I had NO idea how I was going to do this.

It was incredibly nerve wracking! But somehow, I did it. I had a friend who was standing near him and had met him before, so I let her to tell me what would be appropriate. When she nodded, I looked over and said hello, which he returned with a smile.

Though, I must admit that I have been holding back, folks, because I happen to have a mutual friend with AKB. Once I told him that, it was much easier to talk to him. And I couldn’t resist taking a picture after we’d had a conversation.

Obviously it’s rare to have a mutual friend we run into, so here are just a few rules I think people should follow when approaching a Broadway celebrity:

  1. Don’t crowd them! If they are doing something, or are with people, don’t go up to them, or at least be courteous and let them see you and see what they do.
  2. Be polite. They aren’t required to stop for you, and if they do, respect that! Thank them for their time!
  3. Do not call attention to them! Try to be as subtle as you can so that, if need be, they can make an exit.
  4.  Don’t fangirl in front of them. I know it’s hard (trust me, I KNOW), but don’t. If you can’t treat them like they’re human, settle for being able to say “I SAW SO AND SO!” How awkward would it be if someone randomly came up to you and said the equivalent of “ASLJKSLDKJAKSD????!?!??!?!!?”

Basically: just be respectful. Treat them like people, because they are! They’re going to have good days and bad days, or will be busy. Sometimes just going “Is that—” is enough of a story to bring home!

 

…But meeting them is fun too.

College Auditioning

So, you’re passionate about musical theater and want to make it into a career? Nowadays you can’t eve get an audition without college training. The world of musical theater college auditions is a confusing and frustrating one. I know for a fact because this is the career that I am looking into, so don’t fret if you’re unorganized or don’t know where to start! I was lucky enough to attend a three week musical theater intensive this summer where they put a lot of emphasis on the world of college auditioning for musical theater so I’m here to share some of that knowledge I acquired in the hopes that you will feel more prepared when senior year rolls around.

Before you enter the room:

  • Make sure your headshot is simple, shows your personality, and that it is easy to read your name.
  • Make sure your resume is simple, and that you include more quality than quantity. Don’t overstate and make sure you can talk about or exhibit all the skills or classes listed
  • Show who you are with what you wear, but again keep it simple

Where to audition:

  • Unifieds in New York, LA, or Chicago (essentially a bunch of musical theater schools and auditions in one place)
  • College Fairs
  • Remember you need a good range of reach, fit, and safety schools

In the room:

  • Practice slating your pieces beforehand
  • Make sure that your music is organized for the pianist
  • Only put audition songs in your book

The Audition:

  • Give yourself a moment to get into character, find your world, etc.
  • Find your focal points.
  • We want to see your world, not be in it.
  • Focus on the work
  • Remember it’s not a competition with other people, it’s about showing what you could offer to a particular school

I hope these points helped you! And always remember, no matter who else you see in the audition room, you are enough!

Theatres on Long Island

If you leave Manhattan and go East, you’ll eventually hit Brooklyn and Queens. Keeping going and you’ll hit Nassau County and Suffolk County, making up Long Island. New York City is our backyard, our playground. Yes, Broadway is only a trip on the Long Island Rail Road away, but we have a great array of both professional and community theaters to catch a show a little closer to home. I’ve chosen to highlight three of each, but you can see a list of all theaters here.

Professional Theater

1. John W. Engeman Theater – Located in Northport, the Engeman “brings Broadway to Main Street” multiple times a year with their mainstage productions and concerts featuring some of Broadway’s biggest stars. Their current production is South Pacific, starring Broadway’s Rob Gallagher as Emile de Becque, a role he understudied in the recent Broadway revival. Their next season kicks off with Nunsense at the end of the summer. I’ve attended a few performances at this venue and love its intimacy and comfort, in addition to the talent onstage.

2. Gateway Playhouse – Located in Bellport (but occasionally using a theater in Patchogue), Gateway is the oldest of the professional theaters on Long Island. Their just-finished production of Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein starred John Bolton, recently seen in A Christmas Story: The Musical on Broadway. Their next production is Singin’ in the Rain, beginning in late July. As an audience member, I’ve always come out of their shows feeling like I’ve gotten my money’s worth; the productions are big and exciting.

3. Bay Street Theatre – Located on Long Wharf in Sag Harbor, Bay Street features not only mainstage productions, but a variety of year-round programs including Literature Live!, a summer college internship program, workshops, and kids theater camp. Their current production is The Mystery of Irma Vep, with A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum to follow. I love its array of programming with events of  different ages and concentrations.

Community Theater

1. Cultural Arts Playhouse – With two locations (Roslyn and Plainview), CAP produces adult productions, children’s theater performances, and offers theater education for ages 7 to 18. Currently home of a theatrical summer camp, past performances have included Hair, Les Miserables, and the regional premiere of Carrie. Thirteen kids from this playhouse have gone on to appear on Broadway.

2. BroadHollow Theatre Company – With three locations (Elmont, East Islip, and Lindenhurst), BroadHollow offers a theater experience all over the island at any time. The current production of Monty Python’s Spamalot finishes up a run in East Islip before moving to Elmont on July 13th. Next productions include Miss Abigail’s Guide to Dating, Mating & Marriage in Lindenhurst, Les Miserables: School Edition in East Islip, and Butterflies are Free following up in Elmont. All three locations also feature children’s theater. Whatever your tastes, BroadHollow has a show for you.

3. SoLuna Studio – Located in Hauppauge, SoLuna offers productions and a wide array of classes. Upcoming productions include Hair and Sweeney Todd and teens get their own production with Seussical. Musical theater classes are offered for youth, teens, adults, and those with special needs, in addition to dance and fitness classes. Offering an experience for thespians of all ages, SoLuna is a fantastic place to work on your craft.

You don’t need Broadway to see and partake in quality theatrical productions. Whether it’s on Long Island or around your county back home, there are many ways for people to get a full show-seeing experience. One of the biggest pieces of advice for aspiring performers is to train and get experience, and everything is a learning experience — why not start on your home turf?

Theater Across the Pond in London’s West End

Today I thought I would dedicate a whole blog to the West End. We may have just entered our new Broadway season, but they’ve also got a whole new slew of important shows coming down the pipe-work across the pond. Plus, there’s a host of shows from last season that have been carrying Broadway buzz for a while.  So, here’s a sneak peak into the current state of the London theater scene, with my guesses as to what you’ll be seeing transferring over to us before long!

1) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
I’m sure you’ve heard of this new blockbuster show. Direction by Sam Mendes, score by Shaiman and Whitman, starring Douglas Hodge as Willy Wonka, and playing to capacity crowds at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane? Yup, this reworking-of-a-classic comes right on the heels of another Roald Dahl inspired success Matilda, and it’s a sure thing that we’ll see it on Broadway soon.  The reviews weren’t fantastic, but the tickets are selling!

2) Top Hat
I was lucky enough to catch this new musical based on a classic movie while I was in the UK.  Starring Gavin Lee of Mary Poppins fame, the show features a score by Irving Berlin (are you sold yet?), as well as a feast of comical characters, top hats, and ball gowns. Oh, and most importantly, tap shoes! Lots and lots of tap shoes! The show is fluff musical comedy heaven, and Tommy Tune is apparently considering its Broadway potential. My fingers are crossed…

3) The Bodyguard
This new musical hit is based off of the Whitney Houston film of the same, and features a score of Houston’s hits.  The show was praised by critics for it’s emotional punch and visual appeal, and there have been talks of Broadway for a few months now.  Starring Broadway headliner Heather Headley of Lion King and Aida fame, I don’t think anybody would be shocked to see a transfer in place.

4) Viva Forever
Well, with every hit comes a flop. Unfortunately, this was true for producer Judy Craymer. Craymer found a giant hit in the songs of ABBA and created Mamma Mia!, but she was unable to make lightning strike twice.  This past year, her new musical featuring the music of the Spice Girls, Viva Forever, opened… and closed.  Between the bad ticket sales and dismal reviews, I don’t think we’ll be getting Viva’d anytime soon.

5) Miss Saigon
A helicopter on stage! That’s the image everybody remembers from Boublil and Schonberg’s epic musical, which Cameron Mackintosh is bringing back to the West End in a whole new production this season.  Casting has been going on for months, and one just has to wonder… are we going to have a new Lea Salonga? Regardless, Mackintosh plans to revive the show on Broadway as well, and I for one cannot wait!

6) Stephen Ward
Stephen Ward is Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new musical which will begin previews at the Aldwych Theatre this fall.  The story follows the “true victim of the Profumo Affair”, and is said to carry the intensity of a political thriller, with one of Webber’s most haunting scores to date.  If the piece lives up to the hype, I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw a Broadway transfer. Although… We’re still waiting for Love Never Dies…

7) The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
The National Theatre, which brought us One Man, Two Guvnors, and War Horse, is at it again, with this new play based on the Mark Haddon novel of the same name.  The piece, which tells the story of a fifteen year old boy “detective” just picked up seven Oliviers, and is now booking as far as October 2014.  I would be shocked if Broadway wasn’t in the near future.

8) Merrily We Roll Along
If you know anything about Merrily We Roll Along, you probably know that it’s one of Stephen Sondheim’s flops.  Though many believe the score is one of his best, the book has always caused issues.  The show has been rewritten numerous times, but the new London Menier Chocolate Factory production is said to have finally gotten it right. Critics and audiences alike are praising the piece, and if a Broadway return is ever possible, this will be the time.  Though, no one seems to be discussing it, which can’t be too surprising.  The original production only ran for sixteen performances. Ouch.

9) I Can’t Sing- The X Factor Musical
Maybe they can’t sing, but I can’t lie… This concept makes me a bit queasy.  A musical. Produced by Simon Cowell. Based on a reality television show.  I’m yet to be convinced.  BUT, if the show happens to be as charming and hilarious as they are advertising, then who knows, it might turn around and become a surprise hit.  They’re certainly thinking big, with performances scheduled for the London Palladium, so perhaps Broadway is a goal.

10) Dirty Dancing
Dirty Dancing the Musical, not to be confused with Flashdance the Musical, has had Broadway plans since the stone age. But, every time it’s discussed, it seems to go on another tour!  Now, it’s wrapping up a UK tour right with a stop in the West End, at the Piccadilly Theatre.  At this point, anything can happen! The title seems like a natural fit for a musical, and audiences have been eating it up. So, perhaps we’ll finally see this show sometime soon.

Photo via Spy Hollywood