Main Stage Community Theatre by Lewis Baird, Guest Editorial Dancers, actors, and musicians all need to work on their own skills individually throughout their training and careers, however, they also need to get used to the idea of collaborating with other artists. Working within the stage, film, and television industry is very challenging, and you obviously gain more skills with the more experience you are given. However, what you should be prepared to do is work with another artist from the start; even before you leave school, you learn that you need to work in a team with other artists ..read more

by Steven Taliaferro, Guest Editorial Everyone knows a certain English author who penned a seven-volume book series about a certain boy wizard and his adventures conquering evil with his magical friends in a certain school of witchcraft and wizardry. But I am willing to bet galleons to chocolate frogs; only a select few know about another author from Texas who penned a parody play about the lesser-known classmates of said boy wizard that made it to Off-Broadway and has managed to become one of the most popular modern plays in the USA and internationally. Puffs, Or: Seven Increasingly Eventf ..read more

Mike Moreno So dark you can’t even see your hand in front of your face. It happened in an instant with just a slight popping sound. 10 seconds ago you had the lights on and Netflix running the Office for the 30th time and then SNAP! No power. Now as your fan slowly turns to a stop, there is complete silence. Is it even safe to get up and go check the fuse box? Where the hell IS the fuse box? You’ve got to do something and soon because all this darkness means no lights, no fridge, no phone, no internet. If your paycheck keeps the bills paid and the lights on, then you would surely be worki ..read more

by Jenna Clark, Guest Editorial Follow on Instagram @jennaelizclark When I walked into the Marriott Marquis Theater to see ‘Beetlejuice,’ I had no idea what I was walking into. All I knew was that this musical was based on an old movie from the 1980s. I did not take the time to do any research on the plot because I wanted to experience the show for myself without bias.  As soon as Lydia Deetz (Elizabeth Teeter) took the stage wearing her black dress and black boots at her mother’s funeral, I knew that I was in for a journey of self-reflection.  Both my maternal and paternal grandf ..read more

Joel Fenster I’m proud to admit that I had the delightful pleasure of being completely dismissed by Stephen Sondheim on the one opportunity I’ve had to potentially meet him. I was standing no more than a foot away from him, clutching my hardcover copy of the script to Anyone Can Whistle (published by Random House in 1976 – twelve years after the show had flopped on Broadway). Mr. Sondheim rushed past me as I tried to get his attention, but he merely gestured me away saying he was only present to meet certain people. I was stunned for a moment and then found the whole thing humorous. I treasure ..read more

By Alex Kulak Alex Kulak is a playwright, composer, and screenwriter currently based in Chicago. @AlexKulak2 How do you mourn somebody you’ve never really met? In Into The Woods, James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim’s revisionist fairy tale masterpiece, the Baker’s son will one day have to answer that question. He is left half an orphan by the conclusion, his mother killed by a giant and buried in it’s footprint, with a neurotic and insecure father left as his only blood relative. Being an infant, it’s unlikely he’ll retain any memories of the Baker’s Wife, relying only on the stories and memo ..read more

(Photo: Nina Westervelt) by Jenna Clark, Guest Editorial Follow on Instagram @jennaelizclark I was lucky enough to have had the opportunity to see ‘Funny Girl’ at the August Wilson Theater in New York City when Beanie Feldstein took the stage back in July. I am glad I had the opportunity to see her perform. I was ecstatic when I realized Jane Lynch was playing Mrs. Brice. I couldn’t think of a better duo. I grew up watching Jane Lynch on television, but to see her live on stage was an entirely different experience.  ‘Funny Girl’ is a musical following Fanny Brice (Beanie Feldstein) as ..read more

There are so many lists warning you what songs you shouldn't audition with, I thought I'd switch things up and list a few that I'm always glad to hear. Songs not to avoid. But this is just to get your mind going. The best audition song highlights the things you do best, better than others. That's going to be different for every person. "Life Story" from Closer Than Ever If you're looking for a vivid mature female character song, I always like hearing this one. It tells a good story, shows off your acting side as well providing some nice moments for your voice to shine. While the show as a whol ..read more

When it comes to contemporary musical theater, nobody dominated the stage quite like Jonathon Larson in the early 1990s. We are reminded of his story in the new film adaptation of his autobiographical musical, Tick, Tick…..Boom which was released on Netflix in November of 2021. If you’re a lover of theater and haven’t watched it yet, I highly recommend that you do. To say that it was life-changing for me to watch is an understatement and I know that so many other people will agree. The film is directed by the amazing Lin Manuel Miranda, this being his first film that he’s directed. Larson is ..read more

When people learn that a show is doing a musical episode, they usually fall into one of two categories: cheering excitedly or groaning loudly. I feel that every television production can do a musical show. Will all the TV musical episodes be good? That is up for debate. For the criteria of this list, the show could not have previously produced an entire musical episode. Also, another rule, the whole case had to be involved in the episode. Finally, the show could just have a song, or two sprinkled throughout the show’s run. Here are a few shows that should produce a musical episode. What We Do ..read more