Theater versus Record Sales

Hello ATS,

Okay, most people that know me, know me from the spiritual threads. There is absolutely another side to me. I spent two decades as a stage manager, I sing, write music and love the theater. The love of my life was a singer, cellist, model and actress. She won the 1970's version of the X factor. I don't watch television, I don't follow popular people. I saw a young lady sing and she reminded me of why I loved the stage. The X-factor people are retarded, they missed the question they should have asked her. Do you want to be a Broadway personality or sell lots of records. They forget to ask this amazing thirteen year old girl the real question. How and what do you want to be? Not what do you want to have?

Very few people understand the difference. On a stage, you must over emphasize and this girl was brought up on stage, it should be obvious. The CEO of EPIC asked her a very dumb question, he said that he wasn't sure if she could sell albums; but, he knew she could command a stage. That was his mistake, do what you are born to do. She should command stages because few can and it is so special when you own the stage. It is real time and dangerous everytime. I left the stage because I could no longer handle performers who were unprepared. It would be an honor to manage a show she did and it has been a very long time since I even tried.

Maybe everyone knows her by now. She is amazing and belongs to the theater not the the money of records. To own a stage is to heal hearts and she can do that. I lit the second most famous Reggae band in the world once (and then we all had a great time afterwards, lol). 13, NO, she is ageless and am glad that I got to hear her.

Work the stage young lady, be different every night, make it alive and be you. YouTube - Meet Carly Rose Sonenclar - THE X FACTOR USA 2012. This young lady can make all the money she wants, my prayer is that she makes less and enjoys her life more. Dear Carly, keep learning. Peace baby.

reply to post by AQuestion


She's good.
From this performance she's 50/50 to make it. In other words not great.

I see your two decades in stage management and raise you: 22 years musician, actor (union and non), stagehand (union and non), technical director, production manager, carpenter, electrician, stage manager, sound engineer, lighting designer, scenic designer, and director.

Originally posted by randomtangentsrme
reply to post by AQuestion

 

She's good.
From this performance she's 50/50 to make it. In other words not great.

I see your two decades in stage management and raise you: 22 years musician, actor (union and non), stagehand (union and non), technical director, production manager, carpenter, electrician, stage manager, sound engineer, lighting designer, scenic designer, and director.

Dear andomtangentsrme,

How nice for you. 13 doing Nina Simone? Yeah, I never saw that before. I watched her other videos. How many could do that at 13? She can and should get better. How many at 13 year old's have you heard at 13 like this? The point is that she should be on stage and not waste her time trying to sell records.

reply to post by AQuestion


I have heard at least 6 who were 13 with this talent.
One is producing other peoples albums now, and sings weekly at a church. 2 have careers outside of music. 3 I have lost track of. If there's more I've forgotten over the gigs.

Here's a random 15 year old almost as good

reply to post by randomtangentsrme


Dear randomtangentsrme,

I am not saying she is the greatest singer in history. Stage and recording are different. I ask you to watch the stage performance she did in Les Miserables. It is rare for 13 year old's to be so in control on the stage of not just their voice; but, their performance. By the way, I was lighting professionals when I was still in my teens and also did sound, stage design and stage construction.

I don';t mean to disparage recording artists; but, it is a lot harder to do it live in a theater with no assistance and the type of mixing that you can do in a studio. It is simply a different type of performance and being good on stage does not mean you will be a great recording artist and visa versa. It is merely my opinion and that is all we have in regards to matters of taste. Anybody can make a recording now and with technology, they can make it sound good. There is nothing harder than live theater where there is no lip syncing.

reply to post by AQuestion


Stage and recording are very different.

I watched her perform On My Own, from Les Mis. as per your request.
I saw a lot of movement unmotivated, and obviously a director choice. I saw poor stage presence.

I will agree there is little more difficult than a live theater performance. However I still see nothing exceptional about this performer.
Perhaps, it is because I started so young (professional musician at 11, professional theater at 16), or perhaps it is because I have seen so many better performances, over the decade I spent volunteering for a high school theater festival.
www.lenaea.org...

Either way it is a subjective subject for both of us. You obviously see something that I do not. And that's cool. One of my old acting professors had Tom Hanks as a student, and never thought he would amount to anything.

reply to post by randomtangentsrme


Dear randomtangentsrme,

I started theater at 12. I was making music videos before MTV existed. I love the theater (I don't care much for the talent, prima donas I have no patience for). I have wondered about what is art and what is not. The french film director, Jean Cocteau, was asked how he rated art. He said it should be rated according to the impact it had on the audience. I have thought about that for many years. I think an artists ability to get the desired response and the impact of that response is the the judge.

I do not enjoy listening to Lady Gaga or to Madonna. I don;t like their message and I don't care for much of their music; but, they are two incredibly great artists if we use Mr. Cocteau's scale. Prior to photography, we rated painters based on how realistic they were, after photography we rated them on how unrealistic they could be and their message had to transcend that. The times and the venue determine what is possible, I believe this young girl could be great in the theater. The four judges on X-Factor believed that this girl could go far and they are all proven quantities. Simon Cowell is no fool and knows talent. My argument with them is that they are looking for recording stars and I believe she has a better chance in the theater. I believe the young lady has learned some bad habits from trying to please audiences.

One of the greatest on Broadway was Ethyl Merman, it is not that she had the greatest voice ever; but, she was the ultimate trooper. Sick, heartbroken, devastated, she carried on and always gave her best. I believe what you have told me about yourself and you clearly have credentials deserving respect. On a stage as a director, I would tell her to stop the warbling high notes and stick to whole notes more. I understand the Beyonce and others recording the over-singing for records, it is popular and sells records to teens.

We both agree that these are a matter of taste, I have no issue with you. Please consider re-reading my initial post. I believe the girl would do better on stage than recording. When the head of EPIC records says you are a star, you can get a record contract and she will. I just think that she could develop into a better theater star than a recording artist. Carly Rose's interviews are also too staged, this little girl is being taught bad habits by people who want to see her succeed. The business will try and find a way to milk as much money out of her as possible and have absolutely no concern over her. I knew people that grew up in the business in Los Angeles. Heck, I know a bartender that was a child star. There is nothing more corrupt that the entertainment industry and they are better at it than the mafia. I even know a Tony award winning producer.

Here is the question I was really asking (and I have enjoyed your input very much), if she is pursue an entertainment career, should she pursue theater or recording and why? She is going to pursue such a career and she will be employed. What should the measure of success be? Her personal measure. The title of my thread was "Theater versus Record Sales". In my opinion, rather than focusing on money, she should focus on doing her passion and I believe it is in theater. Peace.

Originally posted by AQuestion
reply to post by randomtangentsrme

 

Dear randomtangentsrme,

I started theater at 12. I was making music videos before MTV existed. I love the theater (I don't care much for the talent, prima donas I have no patience for). I have wondered about what is art and what is not.

There are a lot of great people in theater, I have found talent and attitude are inversely proportional. The most talented usually are very humble, while those that think they have talent are difficult to deal with.

Art is the sound a sea lion makes
If a performer gets you to feel an emotion I think they have succeeded in their performance.

Here is the question I was really asking (and I have enjoyed your input very much), if she is pursue an entertainment career, should she pursue theater or recording and why? She is going to pursue such a career and she will be employed. What should the measure of success be? Her personal measure. The title of my thread was "Theater versus Record Sales". In my opinion, rather than focusing on money, she should focus on doing her passion and I believe it is in theater. Peace.

Why would the two be mutually exclusive? There are plenty of people who have done both and then some.
I would say ultimately she should do what she wants to. But that will be difficult for her now that she is in the spotlight.
Cheers.

reply to post by randomtangentsrme


Dear randomtangentsrme,

Why would the two be mutually exclusive? There are plenty of people who have done both and then some. I would say ultimately she should do what she wants to. But that will be difficult for her now that she is in the spotlight. Cheers.

I did meet many wonderful people in theater, my soulmate for one. I loved the risk of theater, the unexpected. You ask an excellent question regarding her doing both. Sure she could; but, they are going to try and see how many records she can sell and she will learn all the bad habits of today's singers. Pop singers usually have a very short shelf life; but, a theater star can stick around forever. I look at Miley Cyrus, Brittany Spears, Christian Aguilar and so many others that get completely messed up by this business.

As we are the only one's really talking on this thread, I shall reveal a truth. I was working a show in New England, a very important acting teacher was putting it on. There were three small plays within the larger scope, I designed and built the sets (minimalistic and simple), each of the smaller plays highlighted a different set of actors and the day before we were to perform live, they cut one of the plays because the actors couldn't get it right. I flipped out and to this day believe they should have been forced to go on and embaress themselves so that they would learn the most important lesson, "The show must go on".

I took the theater very seriously and stopped working shows. I did one more a few years later and that was it. I have lit musicians for concerts (not the really big ones but they had albums out and at least one of the bands is still around today). I had the extreme pleasure of lighting one of the first reggae bands to make it in the United
States once. Great guys and after the show we smoked the ghanga. LOL. I enjoyed the concerts; but, I found something magical about putting on a musical comedy or traditional American theater. Something about all the activity back stage, the costume changes, the set changes, the lights, smell and nervous energy of the theater.

Now, I must thank you. I live in an area littered with small theaters and although I am positive stage technology and I know I have not kept up, I can still be a stage hand, I can build and move set pieces, I know the protocols. Our discussion and seeing that little girl sort of brought it all back. I am getting ready to retire and have been wondering how to spend my time. Maybe it would make me feel passionate again. Peace.