The American Musical and Dramatic Academy News

Just as you would build a wardrobe, with varied outfits for different occasions and temperatures, your music repertoire book needs to feature a diverse selection of pieces to show you can handle different sorts of singing demands. Not every song can (or should be) a show-stopper, full of dramatic heft and long, sustained high notes at the top of your range. Sometimes, it's more important to demonstrate naturalness and vulnerability, or show that you understand the needs of a very specific musical style. It's valuable to have many different kinds of songs in your "toolbox" to exhibit the full scope of your strengths. 

AN EVENING WITH PHYLLIS HYMAN, a world premiere musical the creators of the Broadway bound musical Mighty Real: A Fabulous Sylvester Musical, has added an additional three-performance weekend to the previously announced performances due to popular demand.

This holiday season, gather around the piano and raise a cup of holiday cheer with two of the biggest personalities in show business - Liberace and Liza Minnelli!

The creators of the Broadway bound hit musical Mighty Real: A Fabulous Sylvester Musical proudly return to New York City with the world premiere musical AN EVENING WITH PHYLLIS HYMAN. 

When you first start digging into the vast array of musical theatre styles and genres out there, it can be pretty overwhelming. However, don't let this trepidation stop you from jumping in with both feet. You will be amazed with the help of all the great Broadway documentaries and archived recordings available on the Internet how easy it can be to immerse yourself in these classic scores, and immerse you must. Broadway music is traditionally very self-referential, and directors expect working actors to understand basic tropes like the Act I "what do I want" ballad or the eleven o'clock gospel number. Trust me, you don't want to be the only chorus member in Urinetown to miss that  "Snuff that Girl" is an affectionate tribute to "Cool" in West Side Story.

CASA 0101 Theater, Josefina Lopez, Artistic Director and the newly formed production company, Angel City Theater Ensemble (ACTE), Vance Valencia, Founder, will present the Los Angeles Premiere of the critically acclaimed play, MARIELA IN THE DESERT, written by Karen Zacarias, directed by Robert Beltran (Star Trek:  Voyager; Zoot Suit; Eating Raoul).  The production will be presented for a five-week run on the theater's Main Stage located at 2102 East First Street (at St. Louis Street), Boyle Heights, CA  90033 on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and on Sundays at 5:00 p.m., November 4 - December 11, 2016.  There will be no performances on Thanksgiving Weekend, November 25th, 26th and 27th.

The producers of the Broadway hit Waitress have announced that Charity Angel Dawson will take on the role of Becky beginning October 20. Charity has been part of the Waitress cast since the production premiered at the A.R.T. in Cambridge, where she originated the role of Nurse Norma.

Have you ever heard the expression, "nice house, nobody home?" Often, we use that phrase as a way to describe singers who make pretty sounds, but who fail to capture our imagination on the stage. To be a singer in the theater, it's a very rare performer who can reach out to the auditors or the audience and make them feel something; however, it is the most essential quality a performer can embody if they want to work in this business.

The 2015-16 Janet and Mark L. Goldenson Broadway Musical Concert Series at Rubicon Theatre Company concludes with a concert presentation of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG.

Meg Fofonoff and Stacey Stephens, Producing Artistic Directors of Fiddlehead Theatre Company, today announce the cast and production team for the exclusive Boston premiere of PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT: The Musical.

Anthony Ramos, who originated the roles of John Laurens and Philip Hamilton in Broadway's Tony-winning musical HAMILTON, has been cast as one of the male leads in SPIKE Lee's 10-episode Netflix series SHE'S GOTTA HAVE IT, a contemporary update of SPIKE Lee's revolutionary debut independent film.

The 2015-16 Janet and Mark L. Goldenson Broadway Musical Concert Series at Rubicon Theatre Company concludes with a concert presentation of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG.

Angela Robinson and Kenita Miller will appear on Trent Armand Kendall's BROADWAY DOWNLOAD radio show tomorrow, August 31.

Culture shock. Loss of a parent. Gambling addiction. A psychedelic gnome. These and other stories will come to life this September in Hassan Christopher and Megan Weaver's tribute to the mundane and epic moments that occur at tables, in a site-responsive dance theater collage of crowdsourced true stories presented free to the public at Socrates Sculpture Park.

Even when an audition provides specific music to be prepared, you might be asked to 'bring your book.' Every performer requires a collection of songs that are ready to be sung at a moment's notice. In our industry, your 'book' is a physical binder that holds all of these songs, and is also the term for this repertoire of pieces that you have mastered and can perform with little or no preparation.

Meg Fofonoff and Stacey Stephens, Producing Artistic Directors of Fiddlehead Theatre Company, today announce the cast and production team for the exclusive Boston premiere of PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT: The Musical.

Just in time for the upcoming 2016 Olympics in Rio, the hilarious & heartwarming solo show Naked Brazilian, which tells the story of a young man's journey from Rio de Janeiro to New York City (and Harvard University) in pursuit of his dream, will run at FringeNYC August 12-21 at 64E4 Mainstage.

After exploring the Greeks last year, Ombelico Mask Ensemble is scrambling up the 2016 Philadelphia Fringe Festival with their madcap exploration of Shakespeare, Omeletto, Like Hamlet Only Scrambled. This World Premiere runs September 15-September 24, Thursday, Friday, Saturday at 6 p.m. at Liberty Lands Park in Northern Liberties. More information about the company can be found atwww.ombelicomask.org. Information about the Philadelphia Fringe Festival can be found at www.fringearts.com.

The same principles that lead to sound vocal hygiene also promote a clear mind, better energy, and enhanced overall quality of life. Proper care of your voice doesn't require you to live much differently than you would for a normal, healthy lifestyle, with a balanced and holistic approach.