How did you get into theatre?

[rob_hanson1979]

Hey guys,
Not sure if this is in the right section of the board...

Just curious as to how everyone got interested in theatre and musicals? Were you brought to them as children? Were you exposed to them as adults? What other musicals do you like?

For me, I never really had any exposure to anything theatre-wise. I grew up in a family that didn't really have any interest in the arts. However in grade 10 some friends were going on an overnight fieldtrip to the Stratford Festival, so I signed up to go along.
We went to Stratford and saw 2 plays, Amadeus and the Merry Wives of Windsor. Then the next day we drove to Toronto, had a tour of the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres, and then saw The Who's Tommy, which was my very first musical.
I soon after bought the cast recording and became obsessed with the show. Then I got involved in our school musical productions, which became by far my favorite part of high school.
Since then I've seen many musical, some here in Ottawa and many while traveling too. There have been a few I didn't care for but most I have really enjoyed. I find it incredible to have an entire story acted and sang right in front of you. Such a personal experience compared to film.
Some of my other favorites besides BE are Wicked, Tommy, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Phantom.
Two that I just didn't care for were Miss Saigon and Rent... but my experience tells me it's just me, lol!

[kport]

Theatre was always lurking in the background for me. My parents were enthusiastic about the arts. A great-great uncle founded what became the American Academy of Dramatic Arts; I sang as a chorister and took bit parts in professional opera productions; (but gave up tap after a year - drat!) and did a bit of summer stock; I acted in a lot of prep school productions; I acted at university; taught drama alongside English for thirty years; and still act occasionally these days when I feel a need to embarrass myself in public! Even though I never took it far myself or thought about turning professional (too insecure a career, my father warned me), I always seem to find myself working with, or simply being around in some way or another, those who are connected with, or have become, actors, producers or otherwise connected with the dramatic arts...............

It is a fascinating escape from the drudgery of completing interminable IRS Forms 1099D & R, and 1040EZ (no - it is NOT "EZ"!), which occupy far too much of my time at the moment.............

[Eltonjohn]

In only 4 words or less?

I got into musical theatre 'via the Stage Door'

To be expanded later...

Me dad played his own renditions and repertoire of popular songs going back to the 1920s every day at home on the piano (by ee-yah, without the use of sheet music or score) all his life and while I grew up, including many numbers from Rogers & Hammerstein.

You see, before MP3s, Walkmans, transistor and tube radios, the only means for everyman to indulge his or her fix for popular music on demand at the time was via palour piano with sheet music or else player piano with music rolls; or by ee-yah.

My mom collected and played daily, while I was drifting off for my afternoon small boy nap, LPs of the tracks from The Sound of Music, The King & I, South Pacific, My Fair Lady, Flower Drum Song, etc. so doses of things musically theatrical, multiple and heavy, while growing up in a small rural town far from the bright lights of any Broadway productions.

I was exposed to my elder brother's high school's versions of Lerner & Lowe (sp?) Brigadoon, Annie Get Your Gun and The Sound of Music. The female lead after graduating high school and heading off to teachers college ended up being my home room teacher in Grade 8, and we sang, with her playing guitar, tons of 60s and 70s folk and protest songs (hippy / Woodstock - the happening not Snoopy's yellow feathered friend) and artists like Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Buffy St. Marie, Peter Paul & Mary, Simon & Garfunkle, Beatles of course; Blowin' in the Wind, Four Strong Winds, Leavin' on a Jet Plane, Both Sides Now, King of the Road, Sonny One So True... all the uber sweet melodious folk-rock classics from that era.

Even earlier, my 1st grade teacher over the course of the year brought out her guitar every day and taught us a zillion songs by rote, including the complete opus of tracks from the at-the-time-just-released Mary Poppins Disney movie. (My parents took me brother and me to Disneyland the year it opened). Warm ups were from the Sound of Music which I had alread picked up as a preschooler. So by the time I was 6 or so, I was already an unwitting Julie Andrews wannabe, sort of. (I actually wanted to be a 'Scotsman' when I grew up so I could wear a kilt and play the pipes... 40 years later I learned to play highland pipe band style snare drum via Youtube mimicry)

But I was only ever interested in singing (church and grade school choirs), school band and piano (also by ee-yah ... which is how I came to play a sweet rendition of Electricity after I first heard it, one that pretty much emulates Liam's lyrical delivery, since as I play it, I'm also playing back his version in my head at the same time; thanks Youtube.)

Fast forward to experiencing my first-ever professional production in London's West End a few years ago.

Then Broadway the following year..

And now the 2nd National Tour.

Always with me own bairn in tow.

Gotta give him another driving lesson right now so gotta go.

To Be Continued...

[debbiefan]

My story is thanks to my music teacher:
I love singing when I was little kid, still do, but that where it starts.
When I was in 4th grade my school does a musical every year for 4th grade and 5th grade. I decide to join, but only do choir part(which was side to stage), I was scared to go on stage because i felt like i would fall off the stage no matter where i'm standing. They did do audition for roles and extras, I didn't try out. One thing about me I can remember songs really fast, even when I was a little kid, I could remember songs well. A role open up for show, my teacher saw me singing without a book and ask me to play that role. Before I gave her my answer she gave role to me. I was scared, but did get over my stage fright. Fell in love with theatre since then. Letter twice in theatre, almost three times I was off by 1 play. I am still in love with it, by seeing other shows. My music list is full of musicals.