Broadway

Tis the season to entertain guests, meet with folks you haven’t seen in a while and treat yourself to some Broadway shows. Well we all know that Hamilton is out of the question. That show has been sold out for the next few years. So how should you choose the next alternative? I choose to follow the Broadway career of Sutton Foster. Yeah her. She is famous on Broadway for being in so many shows and puts out a great performance. If she is in it, buy a ticket. Her life story might as well be right out of the classic 1933 movie called 42^nd Street.

Her life mirrors the movie where she was also the understudy, gets a break, does the star’s performance and becomes a star herself. In the year 2000 Sutton was the understudy for the lead actress in the Broadway production of Thoroughly Modern Milly.  The director of the show called her and soon offered her the role and told her that the actress was leaving the show. All this real life drama happened just one week before opening night. It was a risk with a new unknown girl that paid off. Foster ended up receiving her first Tony award for the role. Now that is a good feeling story if any. The best thing is that when the opportunity came into her life, she was prepared and confident she could do the job. Do you have that sense of confidence about the possibility of the next career step in your life?

Sutton Foster was born in Georgia and went to the local dance school and performed in the school productions. Then she branched out to a local theater company and was confident that she should play the title role of Annie in their Annie production. She got the part. At age 15 she auditioned and got to perform on Star Search and came in second place. In 2006 had a role in The Drowsy Chaperone, 2007 Young Frankenstein, 2008 Shrek the Musical, 2014 Violet, 2015 Little Women and won her second Tony in 2011 in   Cole Porter’s Anything Goes. She went on in 2014 Violet, in 2015 Little Women. By now yes she has proven that she can sing and dance but is now having the confidence to put her own personality into her roles.  

Singing without acting is just noise. Dancing without acting is just movement. Put a personality into it all like Robin Williams or Jonny Depp then you have a follow able star. It is the acting that now is giving her a bit of fame in her current role as Charity Hope Valentine who is a dancehall hostess searching for love in The New Groups Off-Broadway production of Sweet Charity that was made famous by Gwen Verdon on Broadway many years ago and made Shirley McLain iconic in the movie version. She has also branched out and is now staring in the TV show called younger. So take a chance and find this girl and watch her in action. We gotta enjoy it right?