The Coach’s Corner – Part 4: Visualize Success
BY JOSHUA FINKEL After you state what you want to accomplish in positive terms, see yourself from the audition table's perspective doing your perfect audition from entering the room to…
Tom Dugan Plays Robert E. Lee in “Shades of Gray” at the Rubicon
Award-winning actor and playwright Tom Dugan is fast becoming "Mr. One-Man Show" in the American theater. His productions of "Oscar to Oscar" (a salute to the Academy Awards), "Frederick Douglass:…
Kristopher Kyer
Kyer Komments: How to Approach Creating a Role
By Kristopher Kyer Very often I am asked how does one “find” the character they are playing. Being a chameleon and a true character man myself I find this not…
Elektra cast album release of "The Golden Apple" (1958)
Musicals That You Should Have Heard Of: “The Golden Apple”
BY CARY GINELL "The Golden Apple" was one of those shows that was praised for its ability to charm, delight, and entertain without insulting your intelligence, but nevertheless was a…
The Coach’s Corner – Part 3: The Audition Checklist
BY JOSHUA FINKEL Before going into the audition room, and actually before every rehearsal of your number, declare what you want to accomplish in positively phrased goals. Don't write something…
Cast members of "The ABC Gang" in "Les Miserables" take one final photo: Top row: Charles Fabian Martinez, Nick Ferguson, Steven Brogan, Diego Maureira, Edward Chamberlain, Isaiah Gonzalez. Front row: Andrew Metzger, Rehyan Rivera, Randle Rankin.
Notes from the Orchestra Pit: Les Amis de L’ABC
BY CARY GINELL They arrived at the theater for their first rehearsal in early summer. By the end of August, they were a family. What is this odd dynamic that…
Ben Deschaine (right), as Javert, confronts Geoffrey Going, as Jean Valjean, in "Les Miserables." (photo by Cary Ginell)
Assessing Javert – with Ben Deschaine
BY CARY GINELL The character of Inspector Javert in "Les Miserables" is, to me, one of the most fascinating and complex in all of musical theater. Because of this, it…
Lewis Wilkenfeld with "Frankie"
“Behind the Curtain” – Some Dos and Don’ts of “after the audition”
BY LEWIS WILKENFELD After auditions are completed, I frequently get inquiries from actors who don’t receive a callback, or, later, don’t get cast in a role. “Thank you for seeing…
Carlos Penaranda as Thénardier
Carlos Penaranda talks about playing the dastardly funny M. Thénardier in “Les Miserables”
Carlos Penaranda portrays one of the more colorful characters in ARTS' production of "Les Miserables," the opportunistic bumbling innkeeper, M. Thénardier. A versatile character actor, Penaranda also has a fine…
Kimberly Hessler
Kimberly Hessler talks about playing Anne Frank in “The Diary”
In the new musical "The Diary," Kimberly Hessler plays the role of Anne Frank. Kimberly is a recent graduate of USC with a Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance.…