A life as a Broadway actor or a Broadway dancer is a highly coveted career path with many performers seeing the bright lights of the Great White Way as the ultimate destination.
There are many schools or articles that will try to tell you the one way to become a Broadway actor, but in truth, there are as many pathways to Broadway as there are performers on Broadway. Not only that but there are so many incredible places and ways to work along the way. After all, life is all about the journey, not the destination.
This article will help you along that journey by taking you step by step through training, finding a job, auditioning, and more helpful things to know on your journey to Broadway.
The first step of this journey is training. No matter what kind of performer you are, you need some sort of training. And this training can take many forms:
- Summer Training:
This is ideal for performers in high school. Many universities offer pre-college training programs that can help you figure out what kind of college training you’re looking for.
- Degree Programs:
- Foundational One-Off Classes:
These are a great resource for folks either after school or who don’t want to do that traditional college program. Many acting studios have their own acting classes open to the public for a range of costs. These can be a great way to not only hone your skills but build community and network.
- One-on-one coachings:
This is the most tailored option, but can be great especially if you’re in a pinch and need advice or direction on an upcoming audition.
Improve your acting skills
Beyond formal training, it’s vital to brush up on your acting skills as often as possible through class or even just doing readings of plays with your friends. In addition to acting, honing all of your performing skills will do nothing but benefit your budding career.
Find out where you can take dance classes, voice lessons, or maybe a group improv or comedy class. There is no harm in learning as much as possible from all manner of sources, and there are even hundreds of musical theatre books you could pick up if you want to do some learning on the go!
Expand your sources of inspiration
Also, try to see and do as much art as possible.
Museums are great for learning about what kinds of art inspire you and make you feel something, which can be a great resource to draw from during scene work. Every movie you watch is an opportunity to learn something about your craft. Even bad movies are valuable because they tell you what not to do. Watch how great film actors use the camera and the frame.
This will give you so much free information.Â
Symphonies, operas, and dance companies are also great resources if you’re feeling a more sophisticated route. There is no bad way to encounter art; the more types you encounter, the more well-rounded you will become as a performer.
Jobs you can achieve with musical theatre training
The more well-rounded you are, the more opportunities you’ll have to work. There are so many jobs you can get with musical theatre training.
There are performing jobs across the world and many disciplines. If you’re feeling nautical, you could be a cruise ship performer, cruise dancer, or even cruise musician. Work your way up long enough, and you could even be a cruise director.
For those feeling more landbound, you could perform in musicals, of course, but also plays and avant-garde, experimental theatre.
You could join a dance company or even freelance your dance skills to conventions and special events with celebrities.
You can also make a living working adjacent to performing while you wait to land your next big thing. Those sorts of jobs include drama coaches, acting coaches, casting assistants, casting agents, assistant theatre directors, casting consultants, and so much more.
The possibilities are endless.
2. Headshots and Resumes
Once you feel like you’ve figured out the path you want to start down and have a decent framework under your belt, then it’s time to step into the world. The first introduction you’ll make is with your headshot and resume.Â
About resumes
Example of a Broadway Resume:
Don’t be worried if your musical theatre resume is small; to begin with, we all have to start somewhere. It’s better to have a select few projects you’re proud of than try to pad your resume.
Each entry on your resume should have:
| Name of the show | Your role | Where you performed it | Creative team (Optional) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Wicked |
Elphaba |
Broadway Gershwin theatre |
Dir. Joe Mantello |
It’s also helpful to break your resume into sections to make it as easy as possible for casting directors to understand. Those sections could include Broadway, Off-Broadway, Tours, Regional Work, Film/TV, Workshops & Concerts, and more.
About Headshots
Then, of course, there’s the headshot. Musical theatre headshots are a unique form of photography that not everyone does well.
Do a quick Google or Pinterest search for musical theatre headshots or dance headshots, and then find ones you like with people similar to you. See if there are any patterns you can find. Do they all have a photographer in common? Do you like that they’re colorful or more muted? Are they wearing similar clothing?
There’s so much information out there, and if you find out what works for people similar to you, that gives you a huge leg up as you prepare for your own headshots. Most importantly, find someone who captures you best. You want your own unique personality to shine through and set you apart.
Below are some headshot links for you to start exploring:
- Benjamin Rivera
- The Gingerb3ard Men
- Dirty Sugar
3. Musical Theatre & Broadway Auditions
Once you’ve got your headshot and resume done, it’s time to find auditions.Â
Do I need an agent to book auditions?
Some people have agents that get them auditions, and some don’t, so don’t feel set back if you are representing yourself. But if you want to get an agent, there are many ways to do so.
Certain acting classes, schools, or musical theatre companies have showcases that attract agents, and there are also publications that list agent directories.Â
How do I find auditions?
Even if you do have an agent, it’s good to always know how to find auditions yourself (even the best agents miss things sometimes). There are many ways to find auditions, from playbill.com to backstage to the actor’s union, Actors Equity.
Sometimes, casting offices will even list what auditions they’re holding on social media. Sometimes, the audition might be an in-person appointment; sometimes, you might have to attend an open casting call.
However, now, most auditions start with a self-tape.Â
Self tapes & In-person auditions
I. Self tapes
A self-tape helps casting directors narrow down the field of potential actors so they can know who they want to invite into the room. Self-tapes have become very, very important.Â
Everyone has their own method of doing self-tapes. Some people like to rent out studio space, some people like to do them at home, and some people even make a dedicated corner of their apartment their own self-tape studio. Whatever you choose, make sure that you have a place where you feel like you can play around, mess up, and be creative.Â
The most important things to note are:Â
- Good lighting
- Good sound quality.Â
Casting needs to see your face and hear your voice. If they can’t do those well, they probably won’t finish the video. Because of how much time you’re going to spend on these self-tapes, it’s important to invest in tools that make the process easy, such as a tall phone tripod (one that can easily reach up to about five feet) and a portable light. That will keep you from having to play Tetris with furniture to get the right angle and height.Â
And there are so many styles of self-tapes and auditions. Broadway musical auditions are different from Broadway play auditions, which are different from film/T.V. and dance.
Tips for musicals and plays self tapes
- Musicals and plays will want to see a bit more of you, from usually the waist up, so they can get a sense of how you move your body in space.
- Try to wear simple clothing without patterns: they can sometimes distort on film, and you don't want anything to detract from the most important part of a self-tape: you!
- For film and T.V. auditions, you'll want to have a closer shot, from about mid-chest up. Of course, these rules aren't cut and dry, so always read and reread the breakdown to know if there are specific requests that casting has.
- And lastly, make bold choices. Self-tapes have made it easier for more people to submit, so you need to make sure that you stand out among the crowd. This means making interesting, informed choices within the first few seconds of the tape so that the person on the other side of the video wants to keep watching.
That will really increase your chances of moving on to that in-person appointment.
II. In-person appointments/callbacks
Once you get that in-person call, you have more of a chance to let your personality shine through. You’re going to walk into the holding room and probably see a lot of people who look like you, so be prepared for that.
Once you’re in the room, make a little small talk.
This is an incredible chance to defuse the tension of the audition room and let the creative team know what you’ll be like in the rehearsal room. Everyone wants talented performers, but they also want kind, professional people, and this is your chance to show them just how great you are.
Be polite and acknowledge everyone (don’t forget the accompanist if there is one), and this will really set you apart from most other auditionees. Remember that the team is sitting in an audition studio from probably 10-6, watching the same material over and over again. You have the chance to break up and shake up their day.
You want to be memorable. This is vital because even if you don’t get the part, all the people behind the table will continue to work and have projects that you might be more right in the future, and you want to stick in their brains so that for their next project they think of that memorable auditionee they saw from their last project.
III. What to do after the audition
Once the audition is over, make some time to take care of yourself. You’ll probably be coming down from an adrenaline rush and will have a lot of emotions regardless of how it goes. Explore what activities make you feel centered after an audition. This could be meeting a friend, taking a long walk, treating yourself to a nice meal, going home, and doing nothing. Whatever it is, make sure that you find a way to get closure. Do something that tells yourself that the audition is over, out of your hands, and that it’s okay to move on with your day.
Because most of your auditions won’t land you a job and that is okay. That’s the nature of the business and sometimes it’s great and easy and sometimes it’s hard. It can be helpful to view all auditions as free classes and chances to get in front of casting agents you might not have seen. That way no audition is a waste. And you only get better at these by repeating the process over and over and over again.
4. What about unions?
Different types of actors unions
Actors' Equity Association (AEA)
The theatre union. You must be part of the union to perform on most Broadway shows.
SAG/AFTRA
The union for Film/TV.
AGMA
The union for performers in opera, choral performance, & concert dance.
AGVA
The union for performers in variety entertainment.
Should I join the union as a beginer?
There are many benefits that come with joining a union, however, the journey there looks different for everyone and sometimes joining the union as early as possible isn’t the best choice.
Once you join a union you cannot work nonunion jobs so your pool of work shrinks dramatically. This could be a detriment if you don’t have a ton of experience. Nonunion work is really helpful for getting experience and filling out your resume.
Once you work a union job and they offer you union status, you do have the protections and benefits that come with it. Don’t forget about those pesky initiation and union dues though!
As you navigate not only auditions, but your first few jobs and budding career, know what you bring to the table that is different and unique. This is a lifelong journey so don’t worry about knowing it right away, but pick something you like about your style of performing and own it. It will help you stand out sure, but also give you a focal point and something that you can always fall back on. Protect the unique things that make you you.Â
And this is only the firs part of the journey, it takes so much wonderful effort to become a Broadway performer, but once you’re there’s an entire new skillset to learn about what to do when you’ve got the job (but that’s a story for another time).
The best way to make it through this career and still love it is to have other things you love, too. You are not your career, even though you have all the tools to go out there and make it as a Broadway performer.
- B.A. vs. B.F.A. Degree: A Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) offers a broad liberal arts education with a focus on general knowledge, requiring about 30% of coursework in the student's major, while a Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) emphasizes intensive training in the arts, with approximately 65% of coursework in the student's artistic field.↩
