I sit staring at a blank screen, wondering how I can put the essence of me into a few brief words. I can offer the standard response, “Hi I am Abby Burns. I am a senior at Wahlert High School in Dubuque Iowa, and I am passionate about my faith, family, friends, and musical theater.” However, there is so much more. More than what can be captured in this essay is my desire for holistic success in every aspect of my life, and I see Texas State as helping me achieve that desire.
Music has been a constant source of confidence from a young age, and I have received recognition for my talent I worked hard to achieve. From chorus member parts to earning principal roles in a high school environment, to being cast in a 4-person musical that qualified for a main stage spot at The International Thespian Festival. The root of theater, the sheer love of performing, sometimes gets lost amidst the competitive atmosphere. Ultimately, I'm pursuing
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The person I dream of becoming in the future is someone who always put the people in their life first, and themselves second. My growing interest in pursuing a career in musical theater conflicts with this idea of self-giving love, but that does not slow me down from wanting to pursue it. I am strong, independent, and confident. Social standards, whether it be in the competitive musical theater environment or just life, in general, will always tell me to give up, and put myself first; however, I know the only way I will make myself happy is if I make other people happy. In fact, that is why I fell in love with musical theater in the first place. I love the sense of escapism I can give to other people. I love taking the audience away from themselves even if it is only for two hours. I know Texas State will help me cultivate my love for musical theater, and I know it will accept and support me while I accept and support
What started out as a hobby transformed into a passion for an art form that allows me to use movements and expressions to tell a story. Whether I’m on stage in front of an audience of just friends and family, hundreds of strangers and a panel of judges, or the whole school, performing over thirty times, has helped me build lifelong
On a Wednesday night I saw Texas State Theatre and Dance Department's performance of A Chorus Line. The main plot of the musical entails the audition of 17 dancers for several Broadway roles on the chorus line. However, during their auditions the director Zach asks for personal stories of each dancer's life. Though the plot of this musical is seemingly simple in its twist on the traditional audition, it explores themes that reveal the human experience, the search for individuality, and the sense of self.
Performing or public speaking of any kind is difficult, but that difficulty can help to build confidence. Fine arts gives students the ability to perform and build confidence with their own support team of people who do and love the same thing. Not having to perform alone and knowing that everything possible has been done to ensure a good performance helps performers be confident in themselves and in their abilities. “Puneet Jacob, former choristers and current assistant conductor, says kids are often afraid to perform because of fear of failure.” (Lefebvre) The more a person faces their fear, especially when they do well and the fear is disproved, the less afraid he or she will become. When students work on music or a play for months on end, they become much more confident in themselves and what they can do than they were when they first began.
Within school, I have participated in Glee Club/Chorus and Drama Club. I have a strong interest and love of both and hope to continue with them in the future. Last year, I had the privilege of being selected for our school's select choir, North Naturals. The Congregation Sons of Israel in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania honored us with the chance to perform at their annual Holocaust Memorial Service. The Messiah College Women's Choir also invited us to perform as a guest in their annual spring concert, in which I performed a solo, along with some members of the Women's Chorus. This year, I consider it a great prestige to say I participate in my school's select choir for ninth- and tenth-graders- Cantamos. In Drama Club, I have performed a variety
People have dreams of what they want to do or accomplish in life, but usually musical theatre is just pushed into the non-realistic void. It isn’t a dream for me. In the past four years, musical theatre has been clarified as my reality. Musical theatre has been the only thing I have seen myself wanting to do. My first love was The Phantom of the Opera, seeing how I watched it almost every day and it was one of the first shows I saw. Of course, I started doing all of those cute shows in middle school and making a huge deal about it to my family and friends, but I have never felt so passionate about something. The minute I get up on that stage I throw away Riley for two and a half hours and it’s the most amazing feeling! Being able to tell a story
Because musical theatre inspires people to be themselves, a person can learn how the process of an audition goes.
I went to see Around the World in eighty Days with a very open mind as it was the first professional play I have gone to see and after I left I was absolutely stunned. After experiencing the dynamic magic that is professional theatre I became positive I would never pay to see a film in a theatre ever again. I never thought film actors and stage actors were the same but now I know unequivocally that the two are on separate planets. The vast differences in both planets truly makes one appreciate theatre for all of its’ glory. While I never thought much of or respected actors, and why would anyone; stage actors are true workers, stage actors are true artists, stage actors are actual actors.
Music has always been an important part of my life. Upon entering the fifth grade, my parents bought me a flute, at my insistence. After moderate success playing the flute, I saw greener grass on the other side of the musical fence. Singing just had to be easier than making music with a long metal pipe. My perception and reality did not exactly match. Singing has its own subtleties and complexities which are not readily apparent to the casual observer. Abandoning the flute for singing, I began taking voice lessons in the tenth grade. My voice teacher was very experienced and encouraged me to pursue my interest in music beyond high school. After much deliberation, I decided to major in voice during college. This path would be fraught with unforeseen difficulties and exciting challenges.
Contemporary musical theatre is evolving and expanding every year, From “Wicked” to “Once”, but what makes these shows such a success? it is interesting that theatre is still doing well though the current recession society is experiencing; While some productions aren’t a success there is still a handful that are and most of which have similarities, is this why trends are starting to appear? Are we reaching a point in theatre where we can’t take risks anymore? We need to stick to trends to sell seats?
Theatre has heavily evolved over the past 100 years, particularly Musical Theatre- a subgenre of theatre in which the storyline is conveyed relying on songs and lyrics rather than dialogue. From its origination in Athens, musical theatre has spread across the world and is a popular form of entertainment today. This essay will discuss the evolution and change of musical theatre from 1980-2016, primarily focusing on Broadway (New York) and the West End (London). It will consider in depth, the time periods of: The 1980s: “Brit Hits”- the influence of European mega musicals, the 1990s: “The downfall of musicals”- what failed and what redeemed, and the 2000s/2010s: “The Resurgence of musicals”- including the rise of pop and movie musicals. Concluding
500 BC Greek was a very extravagant time period consisting of many succesful playwrights. Oedipus Rex or Oedipus the King by Sophocles can be directly related to historical events of this time. By making these connections, Sophocles changed theater of this time by connecting Oedipus Rex to the Plague of Thebes. Oedipus Rex shows its significance to Ancient Greek Theatre because of its tragic connections to reality, and connections to American Literature.
“These people here are not going anywhere in life, they will graduate, get married and stay here. You on the other hand, have intentions of leaving, of becoming someone.” Mr. Anderson had known my family outside of school and knew of my aspirations of leaving the state and getting into Texas A & M’s pre-vet program. He would always say, “These people are not worth hiding your true being, because who you are is much better than who they will ever be.” This was probably the turning point of defining myself.
If you are a musical theater nerd like me and LOVE the hit Broadway show "Hamilton" than this is the place for you every week I will post something new about the production of the hit Broadway show for today, costume is going to be our main focus.
Miserably Happy Friday, April 13. Second class of the day, theater. My teacher, Helen Freeman, asks for volunteers to run tech for the show she is producing, Hairspray. I raise my hand. Tech is something I have always wanted to do, and I want to be able to see my friends who are in the show.
Technology has a critical role in the modern world of theatre. It is what makes productions a possibility. Someone who deals with a lot of this new technology is someone who has a theatre technology major. Practically everything involved with the stage is handled by Theatre Technicians. Whether it be something as simple as a curtain or drop that flies in during a production to something as vast as a mechanically rotating set, someone has to set it up or build it, maintain it, and operate it. It could even be lighting or sound work. Whatever it may be, there is a ton of technology that is used in modern productions that wasnt even close to being invented when old, historical shows were first being introduced. And unfortunately, sets don’t build themselves. And broken or damaged set pieces or components don’t fix themselves. There has to be someone responsible for all of this, all while taking the actors’ safety into the greatest concern. Without Theatre Technicians, theatre would not be as safe, realistic, or technologically advanced as it is today. Theatre Technology plays an extraordinarily large role in theatre which allows older, “ancient” shows the ability to be presented in new ways with modern technologies. Through the use of modern set construction, automation, lighting, and other modern theatre job positions the historic opera, The Barber of Seville is taken to a whole new level.