Amanda Grillo News

It finally happened. The cast list got posted and you are cast. Congratulations! Now what's the next step? Prep work. It's time to get familiar with the character you are going to portray. Here are some of the key steps to getting to know your character, so that you can make your performance the best it can be.

Whether it be for a job interview, a sports team try out, or auditions for a show, we've all been kept waiting anxiously for results. 'Did I do well enough?' 'Did they like it?' 'It would have been better if I had done this.' Cue 'I Hope I Get It' from A Chorus Line. You begin to over analyze the performance you gave. You crave a sense of approval and validation. The audition haunts you until you get that email, phone call, see the physical list posted on a bulletin board, or however the director shares the information. I don't like thinking that things are a 'sure thing'. If it's my first time auditioning for a group/director or they are a close friend of mine that I've sung for dozens of times, I always make sure to bring my A game and the nerves are still there. How do we deal with post audition anxiety? How do we deal with the waiting? Cue Sutton Foster singing that C# for a near fourteen counts in 'I Know It's Today' from Shrek the Musical.

We all have our proudest moments. They may not always be the day you got the 'starring role', but maybe it is. Everyone has that one instant in their life that makes them smile. This week, we're going to talk about your proudest moment in theater. Whether you pursued theater your entire life, only did it in high school, or maybe still getting your feet wet; your experience in theater has an everlasting impact on your life whether you realize it or not. I love asking questions and I love getting to know people, so I went out and found out people's proudest moments in theater.

This week, we go around our Broadway World to feature stories in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Portland and more. Check out our top 10 stories around our Broadway World below, which include THE 39 STEPS at Pittsburgh CLO, a 'must-see' STEEL MAGNOLIAS in Cleveland, and A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE at Portland Center Stage, just to name a few.

And just like that, the school year goes by in a blink. If you're anything like me, you always had a show. Whenever one show ended, another show began. This year was a record for the most shows I had done in the course of a year. Now all of my school shows are done and I await the next audition announcement. I know what you're thinking, 'Wow, that's great! You finally have a break to just relax and have fun!' Wrong. I went from doing four back to back (and some overlapping) productions fall semester, to doing three productions spring semester (again back to back and overlapping), to nothing. Some people spend so much time balancing a busy schedule that they don't really know what to do with free time. I am one of those people. Not to worry friends, we'll get through this together!

We have so many new student bloggers around our Broadway World! From Los Angeles to Nashville to NYC and even in New Zealand, we feature talented students who are involved in their school productions on a college, high school, and even elementary school level. Below, we round up our Top 10 student bloggers!

Last week I shared the growth of the University of New Haven's Theatre Department from the student perspective. Recently I had the opportunity to sit down with a few of the faculty to hear their views of the program's growth.

Since the theatre program first came to be, the University of New Haven has not been the same. Watching the program grow has infected the rest of campus with the theatre bug. Student organizations have been inspired to take on more theatrical events around campus. To quote Cabaret cast member Katherine Lutz, 'Theatre is no longer a group of misunderstood outcasts; theatre is now a welcomed part of student life on campus!'

This week, we go around our Broadway World to feature stories in Rhode Island, Nashville, Sacramento and more. Check out our top 10 stories around our Broadway World below, which include DRACULA in Rhode Island, AMERICAN IDIOT in Nashville, and BIG FISH in Sacramento, just to name a few.

Making friends is not always easy for people. Sometimes you just can't think of the right conversation starter. Sometimes you crave a more interesting introduction at a table read or meet up than 'Name, Role, Fun Fact about yourself'. If you're like me, you don't know what fact about yourself would be considered fun. You can learn a lot about someone as a person and as a performer if you just ask the right ice breakers. I've learned more about cast mates and fellow crew members from talking to them and asking these questions than any random fun fact could ever bring me. These are a few favorites of mine, including answers from yours truly (Because why not take this opportunity to introduce myself)! Here we go!

This week, we go around our Broadway World to feature stories in Connecticut, Houston, Los Angeles, and more. Check out our top 10 stories around our Broadway World below, which include ANYTHING GOES at Goodspeed, HEATHERS at TUTS Underground, and the West Coast Premiere of THE BOY FROM OZ in Los Angeles, just to name a few.