Author Topic: ASPIRATIONS: how do you get to Broadway?  (Read 5592 times)

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beningini

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ASPIRATIONS: how do you get to Broadway?
« on: Aug 04, 2006, 03:24 pm »
if you are an AEA SM how easy is it to get a job on Broadway?  what steps do you need to take?
« Last Edit: Jun 08, 2009, 11:44 pm by PSMKay »
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MatthewShiner

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Re: how do you get to Broadway?
« Reply #1 on: Aug 04, 2006, 04:49 pm »
No quick answers, other then there are few jobs, and many, many people competing for them - there is no one road there.  Usually a General Manager is looking for someone who has experience on Broadway already.  (There is a challange).

When I was in New York, I found that my regional theater experience would get me an interview here and there; it was not until my last week in New York I got four interviews - yeah, all with in two days of each other - and finally got one firm offer.  I turned it down for a host of reasons.

One way is to get in early to the whole commericial scene, as a PA and work yourself up.  (Hard, though, many people find it hard to jump from PA to ASM).

Move to New York, work on off-broadway shows, and hope for an opening.

Network, network, network.

Do a show that transfers to Broadway.

Lots of ways, not one is a "for sure" method.

So to answer the first question, not easy at all - not easy at all.
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Anything posted here as in my own personal opinion, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of my employer - whomever they be at a given moment in time.

DavidA

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Re: how do you get to Broadway?
« Reply #2 on: Aug 04, 2006, 07:43 pm »
Matthew's right.  Networking is a key and being a Production Assistant is a good way to start, even though there's no guarantee.

Each Broadway PSM has their own way of bringing in people so don't expect a standard.

A friend of mine has been subbing on Tarzan recently (and does she tell me some crazy things!), and they did not want to hire her because she lacked "Broadway experience."  With some urging from some other SM friends, the PSM finally gave in and put her on the job and now she's doing great. 


Mac Calder

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Re: how do you get to Broadway?
« Reply #3 on: Aug 04, 2006, 11:43 pm »
Like a lot of possitions, it seems to suffer from chicken and the egg syndrome. I don't know specifically about Broadway (US), however I guess it is a lot like touring. 99% of touring PD's seem to have "Minimum 2 years previous touring experiance". So if 99% of jobs asks for "minimum 2 years touring experiance" you need to find that 1%. Chances are they will be unpleasent - you may have spent years making coffee moving up the regional theatre ladder to SM, guess what, you may spend the next year or so making coffee again. This time you will be on broadway (or on tour or what ever aspect you want).

Don't stop applying for positions that ask for "Prior experiance on Broadway" though - because I think you will find "Prior experiance on Broadway" is able to be offset by truckloads of experiance off broadway and a good impression.

Red Hand Scot

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Re: how do you get to Broadway?
« Reply #4 on: Aug 09, 2006, 11:24 am »
Go through the Holland Tunnel on Canal Street and take a left. ;)

Sorry, couldn't resist.  Good luck!

philimbesi

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Re: how do you get to Broadway?
« Reply #5 on: Sep 21, 2006, 08:59 am »
Thats ok Red,

I was going to say Lincoln Tunnel stay to the right, bear left and park at port authority...  ;D

From what I'm told (I'm not a pro) it's pretty much who you know, and who they know, and when.

 

riotous