My channel gives the needed advice to young performers or anyone involved in the production of musical theatre. Bringing my 40 plus years of experience, I'm sharing my expertise on performing, directing and choreography.
I would say that contemporary "teen/high school" musicals are pretty dark. Because of the 2000s Disney musical movies such as the High School Musical and Camp Rock series, people now immediately write them off as super "fluffy" and "innocent", which (especially today) is not true. Musicals of the past decade, like Dear Evan Hansen, Heathers, Mean Girls, and Be More Chill are great examples of this. When you have to write a TEEN EDITION of a musical that's supposedly ALREADY FOR TEENS, you know it's too dark. I'm not saying that these musicals aren't good; I enjoy them very much. However, maybe we could stop tackling such heavy topics through teenagers?
@@sisivincent4347 Exactly! I think these musicals cover dark topics disguised with light happy music. I like them but they aren’t meant to solve problems. You are right to point out that if it’s for kids/teens just stick to happier topics to reflect the music. Thank you for your thoughtful comments and for watching 😀👍
These dances really help me a lot! I just got out of my first musical and im just now learning ball change 😭 thank you so much for these tutorials! These will def help me when i audition for Hairspray next month
@@mx-mongoose9261 Fantastic! Perhaps I will do a mini combo from Hairspray! So glad they are helping. Maybe when you learn a few more moves try my videos- Beginner Moves For Musical Theatre (1 & 2) 😀 Thanks for watching! Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help with your audition for Hairspray like song choice if you need one.👍
This is great! I have degenerative disease in my back so I can't dance like I used to, but I was able to follow along some while in the pool! Always wanted to learn how to Fosse 😂
Lucy Liu was waitressing at a Comedy club in Ann Arbor, and somebody suggested she try-out for University of Michigan's 1989 production of Alice In Wonderland,. She went expecting a lesser role, then handed the lead. Ann Arbor is such a happening town,,, and it's because of the students and faculty. I enjoy your work, and it is reassuring to be affirmed in the pursuit of excellence.
University of Michigan has excited and talented graduates. I never met one who wasn't ready to "get on their marks" and perform across the nation. Thank you.
The name of the song from Flora the red Menace is a A quiet thing, not a quiet time. The song One of the smart ones is from Golden Gate, which was a actually the first collaboration between Kander and Ebb, which never was produced but lead to Flora the red Menace. Lin Manuel Miranda did additional lyrics, but originally written by Kander and Ebb.
What are those Frames in the background behind you each time when you make a RU-vid Video on your RU-vid Channel? Are their any plans to Visit the UK next year?
@@davidseare The Broadway posters are framed and a collection I started when I was a kid. I get new ones periodically. I have no plans to visit UK right now.
My assignment brought me here, but what I wanted to find was a video depicting the Avant-garde nature of Off broadway Theatre and the traditional way offbroadway theatre is known for.
@@Rretareviews Oh I see. Yes traditionally Off Broadway is known for more “experimental “ pieces. Things that mainstream audiences might not go for… plays or musicals that are a little more off the beaten path if you will. Sometimes shows can start Off Broadway and make it to Broadway with commercial success as I mentioned. Let me find some sources for you to look at and I will pass along if you like!😀
Start with this, it might at least give you some insight and history to how Off Broadway shows began and got their “avant-garde “ reputation. Also it leads to how Off off Broadway was created… Off Broadway shows became a little too commercial… interesting…
My range is F3-E5flat usually, but I've gone into the subharmonic and hit an F2 a few times and into head voice up to C6 but it's very uncontrolled and rare.I'm a teenage boy , what would you say I am?
@@CianBrooks-ws8sf Hello, thanks for the question. Sounds like you may have the range of a tenor. But it’s hard to say without hearing your voice because you may have the potential to “color” it and you may have other tones to your voice. Maybe you have some deeper tones. Regardless if you are a teenager your voice will go through changes well into adulthood and you can always work to expand your range. I hope this helps.😀 Thanks for watching!
@@roxiesbroadwaybreakdown5599 Thank you for this , my voice has been called dark, warm and nasal , so it's pretty all over the place , thank you for the feedback.
@roxiesbroadwaybreakdown5599 Thank you , perhaps that could be the case , once my sister said I sounded like Cher of all people but only time will tell my voice type
I completely disagree. This show is amazing and the plot has nothing to do with race. Yes, looks have a small part in casting, however talent plays a HUGE part! And all of the actors and actresses in this show are VERY VERY VERY talented!
My video has been very misunderstood. It was NEVER about race. I’m sure the cast is quite talented, I say that in the video!! Glad you enjoyed the show.👏👏
"Walk Him Up" at the opening of "Purlie" gets me every time. And, based on teasers, the movie version of "Wicked" is going to be better than the stage production. Love you, Roxie!
My favorites: 1. Welcome to the Renaissance (Something Rotten) 2. Into the Woods 3. The Old Red Hills of Home (Parade) 4. It’s your Wedding Day (The Wedding Singer)
@@jennatomashosky8624 Of course Welcome to the Renaissance! Totally! Into the Woods, The Old Red Hills classic…I will have to check out Wedding Singer… not as familiar with that whole show. Some great choices! Thanks !🤗👏👏👏
@@mariebellnero585 Hello, you have a beautiful voice! A lot of control and very smooth transitions. It’s lovely! I would say you are using some of your upper chest voice , but a little head, but really utilize that pretty falsetto. I wouldn’t say this song is “belted”, but it’s not the kind of song that should be. I hope this helped. 😀
@@mariebellnero585 Again, you have a wonderful voice. In this song you have more of a mix. Your chest voice has a nice smoky tone and then you go into that great falsetto voice. I still would say it’s not a “belted” song , but you blend your tones beautifully.😀
@@gremlin504504 Hahaha! I can only laugh at you, truly. No one can force to accept anything I don’t want to. Yes, the cast is set, but I don’t have to agree with it, like it, or accept it. Just like you don’t have to agree with me, like me or watch my watch video. Or accept anything about me. What kind of person are you that thinks just because something is out in the world we must accept it? That is a very narrow minded view of the world.
@@gremlin504504 I think we are using agree/ accept in different ways. It’s semantics. And apparently you are a person that needs to be right about everything… soooooo, sure I “accept “ that it is cast the way it’s cast but I disagree with the choice. Maybe this clears this matter up for you?
So, these are simply my opinions. They are for people I presumed watched the Tony’s themselves and can form their own opinions and are maybe just interested in my take because I have a theatre channel. That’s it.
I'm fairly certain this wasn't intended to be a visual recap. Did you not have a chance to watch live? Absurd and insipid seems rididiculous but you do you. You seem miserable, but again, you do you.
Are you going to include the Middle and Closing section of Forty Second Street of you Tap Dancing on the Table in your Heels using Props with you wearing a Top Hat? I also love Tap Dancing where I would like to Tap Dance with a Lady.
When our theater group was casting for Miracle Worker a Black Woman showed up wanting the role of Anne Sullivan. This was in the ‘60’s so she was refused. A cast member had a rural Texas house maid so they gave her the maid role, Texas accent and all. It worked! .
The idea is this isn’t her story. It is in a literal sense, but it isn’t her story anymore to her. The disease made Old Middle and Young no longer align. Time isn’t “linear” for her anymore. Her mind is lost, and who she was isn’t who she is. We’re seeing a fragmented uneven story from her POV as an audience member with us. It’s not about race, it’s about a woman not recognizing her own love story. Why would Old picture herself as the main character to a story she doesn’t remember is about her?
People can try to justify this ludicrous casting choice all they want, but it was always meant to be their story. The audience can try to bend their imagination and go along for the ride but its incoherent. Apparently not working for many people, show is losing money and didn't get Tony nomination for best musical.
Thanks. I get having a specific vision of a show and diverse casting; but I just need it to make sense. I felt this was sort of a stunt with for no real purpose.
this was so sweet to make!! i definitely want to catch mean girls, mamma mia, or les mis, but i’m a minor so i probably couldn’t go to all, or have to ask my mom, thanks for telling me what shows were coming soon! subscribed!
I always hesitate about my vocal type, I'm not a trained singer, I sing when I'm home alone for fun but my lowest notes would be around D3 (not warmed up) and highest around F5? I tense up a lot singing higher since my timbre is dark and my voice is heavy in deep vibration. I can sing lower than Annie Lennox, Nina Simone and feel really comfortable in low baritone male singer's songs
D3 is low if that’s not even warmed up. If you sing lower than Annie Lennox and you describe a dark timbre and heavy vibration to your voice I would say you are definitely alto/contralto. You may be tensing up to sing higher for several reasons. One, just not comfortable for you. Two, you mentally think you can’t - yet, but that can certainly be worked on and you can always increase your range😀. Three, you need to have better breath support, really use that diaphragm to reach those higher notes. Four, relax and open your jaw and have a nice wide opening when singing big high notes, relax the tongue. Five, try to utilize your head voice and don’t push in your chest voice. This takes practice to work on smooth transition between head and chest voice. I have a video on head/chest voice you may want to look at on my singing playlist. I also have a video on breath support. Hope this was helpful! Thanks for watching 😀
@@roxiesbroadwaybreakdown5599 omg thank you so much for taking your time!! I'm very glad to have an answer 🥹 I will definitely watch your videos, I use my chest all the time so I find it strange to feel comfortable with my head voice since D3-B3 are the notes I tend to sing the most, sometimes I can go to D5 relaxed but I never really measured my lowest note warmed up, maybe it is between B2 or C3. I can comfortably sing Alison Moyet's songs. Thank you!!! I'll be following your steps to improve my technique
You’re welcome! Im definitely an alto and feel much more comfortable in lower ranges. But there are some songs easy to belt in chest and upper chest. Everyone has a break in their voice going from chest to head, but to increase range singers need to smooth that out and utilize head voice. It’s always a work in progress, singers are constantly working on their range. So try to work with a coach, approach in a healthy way, and you can expand your range!👍🏻
I got the part of ORIN :) I sang "great big stuff" from dirty rotten scoundrels for audition! Thank you so much for pushing me in the right direction and for all the great resources and advice your vids provide!!!!
This is very informative. Actually, I never thought you were a contralto until u start singing. I thought that when contralto speaking, the voice is also dark/deep, which is not the case for you and is very unique. Is it not always the case? I cannot find anything about it online. :))
Hmmm, I don’t believe the range of a speaking voice always matches the range of a singing voice-but probably similar. For instance, a singer can expand their range the more they practice. I’ve always sung alto since I was a kid, but my speaking voice has obviously gotten lower and lower as I’ve gotten older and so has my singing range. Sometimes when people speak I can tell if they are a soprano, tenor, baritone, etc… but they may also be a mix of mezzo or Bari-tenor, so just depends. Thanks for watching!😀👍Hope that helped.
Yes- I believe I also mentioned that in the video… I know I do in the description of the video. I say that they all started as novels first… maybe not specifically best sellers. Sorry for the oversight. Thanks for watching!🙏🏻😀
Ah! Never thought of that. I have suggested that song for women, maybe I should do a video on “song switching “. Thanks for the suggestion!😀Thanks for watching.👍🙏🏻
The earlier versions are the fictionalized versions of the characters that Allie is picturing from the story she is being told in The Notebook, not knowing it is her own- it's a memory play where our core subject has damaged memory. It not only makes sense in the narrative- it also opens up future casting to performers of any background and feeds in the universality of the love story. I do understand the confusion, but I don't think it's as crazy as some folks have made it out to be, and I didn't find it at all off putting or confusing in context of the show.
I get they are fictional characters. I hope they are diverse in every production! There are different casts in every production of Six and Hamilton, and they and not fictional but it works for the styles of the shows. I just wish the diversity would whether it be a black couple, bi-racial couple, Asian couple, Hispanic couple, etc…would be the same for all three stages of Noah and Ali. But if people keep saying it’s due to her memory and disease and not important and race isn’t the issue in the show -which it’s not- then so be it. I guess casting and storytelling in all shows could be color blind and nonsensical no matter what the subject matter.
It’s not meant to make sense??? I know musicals are fanciful and whimsical but this story deals with a very real issue of Alzheimer’s disease. It’s also a heart wrenching love story. So yes, the characters are very “real” and should have some basis in reality. It’s not Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Musical.
I agree, but the main point of The Notebook is that love is a powerful force. The fact that actors who play the same character in different time periods are of a different race has zero relevance. When adapting something for the stage, talent play a much bigger part in casting than race should. The musical still handles the main points of the story, and someone’s ethnicity shouldn’t affect the way the story comes across, especially in this case.
I said nothing about their talent because I’m sure they are all very talented actors. Talent has nothing to do with this. But continuity of a story does. I’m wondering if they were to do a revival of The Color Purple Musical and young Celie and young Nettie were different races than their older counterparts…. Would people still say no matter? It’s just about the story, the struggle of the sisters. Race is blind. I would hope not! Race is an integral part of that show for all sorts of cultural reasons. And for all sorts of reasons The Notebook, while a diverse cast is great…it just should have stayed consistent! There are just times that casting needs to make sense!!!!
@@roxiesbroadwaybreakdown5599 That is probably the worse example could you use and really dismantles your point. In The Color Purple, the character’s races are ESSENTIAL to the story and are a plot point. In The Notebook, race is not an essential point in the story. In the book, they only mention that the characters are white ONCE and that’s in their descriptions. Nothing about how their race impacts the story because it does not.
I just admitted race is an integral part of The Color Purple!! Read the full answer!! But I would like people to see from another vantage point that sometimes , while it’s not always about race, and diversity can be a good thing, casting should stay consistent for a storyline and not for some gimmick.
I guess you didn’t understand my video to think I was discussing race. YOU are taking a very narrow minded view and missing the point. Had they done this with any other show I would have pointed out the same thing. I don’t care what race any of the actors are, but for gosh sake choose one for each role for continuity in storytelling.