Disney Extra Credit - Fall 2012 - (Page 19)
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EWSIES, produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, opened on Broadway in 2012 to rave reviews, earning two Tony® Awards. Based on the movie by the same name and inspired by a true story, NEWSIES is set in New York City at the turn of the 20th century. It’s the rousing tale of Jack Kelly, a charismatic newsboy and leader of a ragged band of teenaged “newsies,” who dreams only of a better life far from the hardship of the streets. In a predominantly male cast, Broadway newcomer Kara Lindsay stands out in her role as Katherine Plumber, the spunky female reporter covering the strike who quickly becomes the love interest of Jack. A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, Kara’s theatre career took her to playhouses around the country before landing her “big break” in New York City. Kara recently sat down with us to discuss the challenges that come with a career in theatre, the inspiration for her role in NEWSIES and what lessons she’s learned along the way. How difficult was it for you to get your start in theatre? I knew the difficulty of the business, and it’s a very daunting thing. I was going to all these auditions and I was still told “no” 90% of the time. You do about 30 auditions a month and maybe two of them you get a callback for. You can’t take it personally … It’s not that you’re not talented. It’s just someone else’s time. You just need to prepare yourself for that and know that the other 10% leads to some great things. What experiences did you have prior to NEWSIES? Before [NEWSIES] I was on tour with “Little House on the Prairie” and I played Laura in that … I did lots of regional theater, which was great because I got to see awesome places in our country … I learned a lot about this business, and what theatre is, and who I am as an actor. I’m really glad I had that experience. Then, when I made it to Broadway, it was even more meaningful to me. I really appreciate it more this way.
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kara as the spirited katherine
How do you make the role of Katherine Plumber your own? When I went in for the audition I didn’t know what they might be looking for because [the character] Katherine wasn’t in the movie. I just knew that she must be a strongwilled lady to be succeeding as a journalist in 1899, and that she must have been driven and feisty. After I got the part, I did some research on journalists at the time and I found Nellie Bly. She just really spoke to me. She was very young and worked for Pulitzer when she was about Katherine’s age. She got the job by demanding that he see her, so she passed all security and pretended to be someone else and then barged into his office. And I just loved that about her, and I pictured Katherine as something like that. The more I read about [Nellie Bly] the more it made sense that Katherine would reflect that. NEWSIES was nominated for eight Tony® Awards, and won in two categories — what a huge accomplishment! Where were you when you first heard that NEWSIES was going to be honored on the Tony® telecast? [Laughing] I was at the DMV actually, and I saw it on my phone. We didn’t have a show that night so we had to wait an entire day to see each other, and there were lots of hugs and tears of joy. What is one piece of advice you would give to a young performer? Stay true to yourself. In this business there’s so much pressure to try to be what the casting director or director wants you to be. Like when you go to an audition, you’re trying to be that character and trying to be what they want, when really you can only be yourself. But, when somebody wants to hire you for who you are, what you bring to the table and the talents that you have, then that will be the right moment for you.
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Do you have a passion to perform on Broadway? Disney Performing Arts offers a variety of theatre workshops to help you on your way. Go through a simulated audition process with “Auditions and Careers: Musical Theatre” or perform material from a Broadway musical in “Disney’s Broadway Magic.” Whether your troupe wants to improve their improv skills, perfect their scene work or learn how to dive deeper into a character, there’s a workshop option for you. Visit disneyperformingarts.com/magazine or call 866-924-6145 for more information.
Photography by Deen Van Meer
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http://www.disneyperformingarts.com/magazine
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Disney Extra Credit - Fall 2012
Disney Extra Credit - Fall 2012
Contents
Welcome
Events Corner
Career Spotlight
Center Stage
Disney Parks News
Disney Performing Arts Alumni
Competitive Performances
Start Spreading The News
The King Of All Surprises
It's Showtime
Real-World Education
Benefits Of Student Travel
Travel Planner Honors
Music With A Cause
Mickey's Mind Teasers
Disney Extra Credit - Fall 2012
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