Whose Twitter feed or Sunday paper
wasn’t buzzing with comments about BBC’s The Voice final this weekend? The coveted Saturday night entertainment slot
was filled once again with budding singers; less “singing for their supper” and
more “singing during mine.” Thousands of
contestants had been whittled down to only 4 by celebrity judges and were
competing for a record deal.
As I have previously stated, nay shouted,
on this blog – I am not a huge fan of reality TV especially when it infringes
onto the theatre industry. (Here are my
thoughts last year on the search for Jesus on The Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/daniella-gibb/jesus-christ-superstar-is-coming-_b_1649164.html
) But I have relaxed my past opinions after supporting some colleagues and watching
friends navigate this new terrain. I
detest the producers, hosts, judges and morals of these shows but I truly
admire the courage and skill of the contestants.
They sing live every week and leave
themselves open to opinion and ridicule.
On a slow news week they could be plastered over a weekend tabloid
without any experience in how to deal with the gutter press. I can’t handle the internet forums where
people post “informed opinions” on West End performers’ talent and have panic
attacks of self doubt before going on for an understudy - so I would not be a
happy contender. I just don’t have the
bottle.
The reality of these ‘reality shows’
is that it is now a viable way to pursue your dreams. It may not be an option for us all – but for
those with self-belief and determination, why not put yourself out there? Ernest Hemingway said to his son,
And I have come to think that maybe waiting for the right audition, big break or practising hard may not be enough. Self-promotion is part of our job but there is a fine line between maintaining an online presence and ‘tweeting’ clips of you singing “On My Own” to Trevor Jackson. If you don’t want to sit in the ensemble for the rest of your life, how do you get to the big time when that the “working your way up” route is obsolete?
“You make your own luck...You know what makes a good loser? Practice.”
And I have come to think that maybe waiting for the right audition, big break or practising hard may not be enough. Self-promotion is part of our job but there is a fine line between maintaining an online presence and ‘tweeting’ clips of you singing “On My Own” to Trevor Jackson. If you don’t want to sit in the ensemble for the rest of your life, how do you get to the big time when that the “working your way up” route is obsolete?
People always say that success in
this industry boils down to luck (along with a little talent and having a
casting director for a Mum) but ultimately you need luck on your side. But should you wait for it or go out and
snatch it?
Genuine voice - genuine man |
Having worked with the wonderful
Matt Henry (The Voice finalist 2013) for the majority of last year, we all said
how insanely talented he was and wished we could hear him sing something other
than ‘Schadenfreude’ (although it was awesome!)
He went for it and look what happened?!
He is gigging, will get record deals and if he ever comes
back to us folk in the West End, casting directors will be asking for him not
putting him through a dance call at Dance Attic.
We’ve seen the success of reality
show contestants such as the lovely Daniel Boys, Lee Mead, Connie Fisher and
Samantha Barks (anyone heard of her??!) – these shows do open doors that
our usual careers won’t allow. I have
shared dressing-rooms and stages with many uber-talented people who have dreamt
of landing lead roles or record deals, but these stay aspirations. The sad fact is that nowadays you need to
gain notoriety before attaining these dreams.
People need to have heard of you if they are going to part with £70 to
hear you sing. Do we need to think outside
the box and move with the times?
Like I said, this reality cannot be
for everybody. It certainly isn’t an
option for me – whether it’s through lack of talent, bravery or just having a
face for radio rather than TV. But the
lesson behind the glitz and glamour seems valid – only you can make your
dreams happen (and perhaps sometimes you have to go out on a limb and sing on the telly
to do it.)
And I think I can safely say on
behalf of the Avenue Q lot, “Matt, we are so proud of you.”
"Here's your keys!" - to your new beginning |
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