Just days ago, the theatrical community lost one of it’s greatest minds and hearts; Stephen Sondheim. His old age did not make his death any less of a shock, and his admirers are feeling the weight of his absence.  

“#GivingTuesday is an opportunity for people around the world to come together through generosity in all its forms by sharing acts of kindness”.

What makes a stage production successful is how it adapts a movie, takes its story, and recreates it in a way that preserves the essence while showing some other aspects that were not highlighted in the movie version. It needs to show something new while preserving the basics and the familiarity of the story.

It’s common knowledge that most of us who now work in the arts were at the bottom of the food chain in grade school- we were “dorks,” we were “weirdos,” we were....well, I can’t really say everything we were called, as it wasn’t as refined as the first two examples. I was no exception to this, and I had some rather dark and difficult times because of this treatment. I was the smallest of my classmates with wild and frizzy hair, constant acne, and a voice that was much too big for my physical size, all of which combined themselves with my obvious passion for the performing arts to make me a target for torment. Theatre gave me that escape, being a community where not only could I slip into someone else’s skin for a while, but also a community where I was accepted while in my own skin. Stephen Sondheim, of course, has always been an essential part of theatre, and he very quickly became an essential part of my life as I delved deeper and deeper into this art form.

West Side Story is a very special musical for me, not only because of the music and dance, but also because of the theme of Latin American immigrants. Some of my family members are similar to the characters in the show since they immigrated to New York City from Mexico. It is so great watching this musical and hearing my mom's native language, Spanish, being spoken and sung and seeing people onstage who look like me. It makes me happy and proud to be Latin American and shows to our community that we can do anything and be whoever we want to be.

I am not a very big Harry Potter fan. I have never read the books, and only watched bits and pieces of the movies. However, I joined the Quidditch team at my college. I somewhat knew that “muggle quidditch” existed, but never planned on joining it until the organization fair that my college hosted during the first week of school.

Going “into the woods” with too much happening on campus! My November theme takes me into the woods, literally, figuratively, and theatrically. The passing of Steven Sondheim on November 26th at the age of 91 makes this blog dedication even more important to me.

I failed to realize that one of the things I missed the most was theatre, and I still do because I have not been in a show in over year. It’s a tough situation but I am trying my best to look on the bright side. I wanted to share with you a few musical songs that are about starting fresh and are perfect pick me up songs when you need a little boost to your day. They certainly have helped me.

Welcome to Novemeber's rambling regarding holiday loathing, the roots of American Thanksgiving, and my experience of the holiday by my lonesome at Boston University.

After our first run, filled with laughs and screams, I finally saw my vision fit with my co-director's vision. When our hand-painted set was constructed on the first day of tech week and cue-to-cue began, I got chills and knew my work as a director was practically done. I could finally enjoy the show and see everything come together. Before our final run, I sat in the theatre and channelled my thoughts and feelings into my first director's note. All audience members had the opportunity to read this director's note from our digital program. Imagine you are in the Class of '49 Auditorium at the University of Pennsylvania. Hill House looms in front of you, and you begin reading the digital program where you stumble upon my director's note.

I applaud my peers for their dedication to wearing masks and keeping circles small during this process because we would not have reached this point otherwise. The public safety that masks provide made wearing them while performing unquestionable, but it was still so refreshing to take them off safely and communicate without any barriers.

I don't know how this would've happened, but I always thought I'd somehow meet Stephen Sondheim to thank him for the music he brought into my life. The beauty he created and the inspiration it instilled in me. I wanted to tell him his lyrics and stories are why I write, why I direct, and why I act. Instead, I write this and hope he can see it from wherever he is.

This month I performed in the premiere of a play written as an adaptation of a movie. This experience reminded me how much I enjoy working on new work as an actor, and the opportunities it creates. I realized that a great deal of my time in college as well as growing up has been centered around new work, from originating roles to writing material, and I have thoroughly enjoyed every process. The journey with a new play or story is unlike any other time, and I really cherish the ability I have to participate in such exciting and monumental moments.

Over the past week, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to cover the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade for BroadwayWorld’s Student Blog Center. As a part of this process I attended performance rehearsals, the balloon inflation, and of course, the parade itself! Read on to find out more about what it’s like to spend a week with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Our student bloggers write about how they're coping with the current global health crisis, give insight on their school's performing arts programs, share their opinions on the latest theater news, and so much more. College admissions tips and tricks, an interview with a Broadway star, all about character archetypes, and more-- read the latest from our college student bloggers!

You’re probably auditioning for roles you do want, but you may want them for a reason that isn’t as lighthearted as “it would be fun”, and not getting those roles could be having a negative effect on you that you don’t even notice. Let's explore different character types, why we might want them, and the potential effect that could have on us.

It is that time of the year… COLLEGE APPLICATIONS! Applying for college can be a stressful time. I am currently applying for my master’s program and have learned so much from this experience. Here are some tips and tricks from my past and current experiences.

Since the announcement in 2018, I've been waiting to see the tick, tick... BOOM! movie adaptation, last weekend I finally watched it and let me tell you that I absolutely loved it. Even though I was not sure if this musical was going to be amazing as a movie, I was very excited but actually had no expectations, the things I knew were that it was going to be directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda and that the main character would be played by Andrew Garfield, but the way it surprised me, made it one of my favorite movies of the year.

In the same way that a satisfying Thanksgiving dinner requires a great deal of attention to detail (cook the turkey at the right temperature, put just the right amount of salt in the pie crust, arrange the hors d’oeuvres in just the right way), a full theatre education requires a great deal of independent play reading. Sure, we’re all assigned plays to read in our classes, but those are only the tip of the iceberg. There is so much more to explore in terms of theatrical writing than Williams, Mamet, Miller, or Shakespeare, and not all of those works, if any, will be taught in most college theatre classes. College is the time where all of us are really finding ourselves, and it only makes sense to be finding out what material draws us in so that we can work on what we truly connect with.

There is a famous story about after the first performance of Rent. Someone shouted in the audience, 'Thank You Jonathan Larson.' That's my sentiment exactly. Thank you Jonathan Larson for creating such a deeply flawed, but beautiful musical that encourages my curiosity to learn more. Thank you Jonathan Larson for making me remember why I love theatre.

Students from LIU Post had the pleasure of learning from Kelli O’Hara and getting to watch her perform at our campus’ professional theater. Additionally, I got to interview her! Check out this blog to read about how talented and well accomplished she is, as well as grounded and generous.

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, many are looking forward to spending time with family and friends, taking a well-deserved break from work and school. Besides indulging in the wonderful food associated with this national holiday, families, children, and individuals like me are looking forward to waking up at 9am to watch Macy’s 95th Thanksgiving Day Parade broadcast live from New York City. Unlike last year, where in-person viewing was prohibited to avoid the spread of COVID-19, spectators are returning to attend this year’s version of a time-honored tradition. With a huge live audience again, I am personally excited to watch and experience the tangible excitement as the crowds witness the parading of larger than life balloons, precise marching bands, and of course, incredible singers, dancers, and Broadway casts.

I feel like I am a fifteen-year-old that got thrown into the adult world, while still living with my parents. No one can prepare you for life. Which is fine but I wish there were people that could be like 'Oh you want to do that, you should check out this place or this place'. I kind of wish that someone would just tell me what I am going to be and how I should do it because man oh man, am I lost.

Our student bloggers write about how they're coping with the current global health crisis, give insight on their school's performing arts programs, share their opinions on the latest theater news, and so much more. Broadway characters as songs from Red (Taylor's Version), seeing Hadestown on tour, going on as an understudy, tips for a great rehearsal, and more-- read the latest from our college student bloggers!

This performance marked my first time on that stage, physically and figuratively, since the pandemic. Just a few too many firsts for one slightly overwhelmed understudy. The moment before my first scene was rough. I felt completely vulnerable, a far cry from the way I usually feel while performing. During the first scene, I actually went on a kind of autopilot. I just let my work take over while I mentally got used to the feeling of an audience again. I was shaking as I walked offstage. That rocked me. I loved theatre more than anything in the world. Why was I so nervous?