SUTTON RESPONDS - Okey dokey. Now I'm proud of this... but one time in Millie - I guess it was over the summer - during the final "Restaurant Scene" with Jimmy, Graydon and Millie... we all just lost it. I mean LOST IT... I am usually the rock in that scene. Gavin and Marc will get little twinkles in their eyes and I just try to keep us all together. But something made me laugh that night. I started to giggle and then it was over. The audience noticed that we were laughing and started laughing and then we couldn't stop laughing. I remember bowing my head and staring at my lap with uncontrollable laughter and not believing that this was happening. Oh, and one time in La Jolla, my underwear "tap pants" fell off after the opening number. I hit my final pose and SWOOSH... they fell around my ankles. I tried to discreetly step out of them and then shoved them under my armpit.
QUESTION TWO - Eight shows a week... WOW! That's a pretty tough schedule for anyone, much less a performer who has to utilize every muscle in their body to give the audience a great performance. How do you stay motivated eight times a week? Additionally, how do you keep the show fresh each night?
SUTTON RESPONDS - Doing eight shows a week is a challenge, but also the reason that I love what I do. I truly feel like I can explore the show and my character each night... The show has changed and morphed, subtly, each night since we started performances... I feel like the show is better now than it has ever been. And I truly feel like there is so much more to explore... so each night I treat it as an exploration and as a journey... it's like a ride... I get on and see where it takes me. Sometimes it's hard... if I'm under the weather or tired... but I am surrounded by an incredible group of people that love what they do... and the trill of performing and entertaining people... making people laugh... it's just awesome. And there is always someone in that audience... a little kid who has never seen a Broadway show before... and you do it for them!
QUESTION THREE - Some say that the music a person listens to defines them. What is in your cd player right now? Additionally, what music tended to inspire you as you grew up?
SUTTON RESPONDS - Right now, the new Beck CD... and Joni Mitchell... and Billy Joel... and Diana Krall... when I was growing up I listened to a lot of pop stuff as a teenager... but when I was younger - John Denver! :) Pretty much anything that is mellow.
QUESTION FOUR - So you have done the tour thing, been cast in a Broadway show, and won a Tony Award. What more could you ask for? What goals have you set for yourself, in the here and now, that inspire you to wake up each morning and anticipate tomorrow?
SUTTON RESPONDS - I have no idea what is in store for me next. So far, I have just trusted my instincts and let the universe guide me... so I am trusting that. I really don't want to limit myself one way or the other. My heart truly belongs to the stage and performing live. But I would love to check out all mediums of performing. We'll see! I just want to keep growing as an artist...
QUESTION FIVE - For those voice people out there... Each performance, you are the "front woman" of an amazing cast. Your voice must always be top-notch. What kind of technique do you use? Additionally, do you have any tricks of the trade for warming up and keeping your voice in shape? And what exactly does peanut butter do? (In an interview, Sutton mentioned that she ate a lot of peanut butter in the beginning of the run of MILLIE.)
SUTTON RESPONDS - I study with an amazing voice teacher who has really taught me how to keep my voice healthy. When my voice feels good... I feel good. Millie is unbelievably vocally demanding. I am still figuring out how to do 8 shows a week. It took me a long time within this run to learn how to conserve... and to pull back when I could, throughout the show... I am a big fan of the Grether's Pastilles... these black currant glycerin suckie things. I get them at my local health food store... In between every scene I have one in my mouth. They are really expensive though... I usually cut them in half. :) I also drink about four liters of water per show... and about 8 each day... If my voice feels tired, I sometimes steam. I have a personal steamer. I'll come home after the show and sit in front of the TV with my steamer... it really helps to just relax everything. Also Ginger Tea... I LOVE THAT. And I just try to stay as relaxed as possible. I have the same warm up that I do every night... I get to the theatre an hour before every show... turn the lights down in my dressing room... and play some nice calm music... stretch and do my warm up tape. I know that if my warm up goes well, the show will too. And the peanut butter... well... that really has nothing to do with my voice. But during previews I was losing quite a bit of weight. Nerves and all... and the only thing I was hungry for was peanut butter... so each night I'd have a piece of toast with a big slap of peanut butter on it to try and keep my weight on.
QUESTION SIX - Some say that challenges really make the workplace more interesting. What is the most challenging thing about being on Broadway and how do you prevent it from catching up with you?
SUTTON RESPONDS - Well the biggest challenge that I find with playing the role of Millie is the physical, emotional and vocal challenge of it. I have never had the honor of playing such a challenging role. And playing her eight times a week is definitely a huge undertaking. Lately I have really been trying to remove my work from my life. I feel so passionate about my job... that it lives with me throughout every minute... even when I am away from the theatre... which is not necessarily a good thing. I am trying to leave Millie at the Marquis and not worry so much... I want to do my best every night... And I am my worst critic. I'm trying to not be so critical of my work and trying to enjoy this experience to its fullest. Plus, I sleep A LOT... and play a lot of video games... totally chills me out. :)
QUESTION SEVEN - We have all read about your amazing success in the business. You have been incredibly fortunate to find work and maintain the status of "working actor". When you decided to leave college and hit the "big time", how reluctant were you? Do you think you would be a different performer had you stayed?
SUTTON RESPONDS - When I left college I was actually going to 'give up'... I didn't know if being an actor was what I really wanted to do. I moved home with my parents... worked at a local children's theatre, waited tables and contemplated my life. I was even looking at local schools... I wanted to go back to school, but not into theatre. When I was at school, I wasn't ready to learn anything. I was too young and too stubborn. I wish I could go back now and study theatre because I think I would learn so much. I would definitely be a different performer if I had stayed in college... but I might not be where I am now. Everything happens for a reason. I truly think everyone's path is different...
QUESTION EIGHT - You have a lot of costume changes in the show. How do you manage those changes? The costume change that has really drawn a lot of attention is the change from the gingham dress to the new yellow modern dress. It is obviously choreographed in sync with the orchestra. Would you share with us how you manage these changes?
SUTTON RESPONDS - The first quick change is 30 seconds. In La Jolla, it was about 15 seconds... which was CRAZY! I exit through the revolving door... put my luggage down... and get to work. I have four dressers there and a hairdresser. My long wig gets taken off first and then my gingham dress has snaps on it and I take that off and it goes down... At the same time, I am putting the new yellow dress over while my old shoes are being taken off and I am slipping the new ones on. My dresser is zipping up the back of my yellow dress while I am putting on the new modern wig, while another dresser holds a mirror so I can see. Lastly, I put on my hat, take a sip of water and then dash through the revolving door again to sing "This is 1922." And then I do the rest of the opening number. It's crazy... but kind of exhilarating!
QUESTION NINE - It is hard for those who have never performed on Broadway to get an idea of what you see when you step on stage. There is an audience full of people who are there to see you. Their eyes are fixed on your face and it is your job to entertain. Would you describe how performing Broadway (the experience in general) differs from any other performance experience?
SUTTON RESPONDS - Being on Broadway and performing in New York City fulfills my lifelong dream. When I was a kid, I grew up listening to Broadway cast recordings and watching the Tony Awards... and thought, "That would be amazing to be there someday. But it just won't happen." To enter that stage door every night and know that I am a working actor on Broadway is a thrill. But I have to say, honestly, that no matter where I am performing... San Diego, Pittsburgh, or any stage across the country... it is always a thrill. Being on stage is what I truly love and what I want to do.
QUESTION TEN - Many of your fans were curious as to how you got your start in the business. How did you manage to get your foot in the door? Additionally, what kind of advice would you give to young actors who have stars in their eyes?
SUTTON RESPONDS - When I was a kid, I took dance lessons. And theatre really blossomed from there. I fell in love with being on stage and just started doing as much as I could and getting as much experience as I could. I did lots of community theatre, high school theatre and continued with dance lessons. I got my 'big break' by responding to an ad in our local Detroit newspaper for auditions for "The Will Rogers Follies". I was 17. I went to the open call and got a call back... was flown to New York and got cast in the First National Tour of the show. Since then I have just taken as many opportunities as I could... I would have never gotten a job had it not been for the one I had done before and the people that I had met along the way. "Making it" in this business is an extreme challenge though... you have to be tenacious, and you cannot give up... and if you truly believe that there is nothing else in the world you would rather do... then go for it. But it isn't easy. There is heartache, disappointment... and if you are looking to be a star or for success to fulfill you - then you are barking up the wrong tree. Success should be a byproduct of being an actor... because attention and fame will not fulfill a person.
*Taken from Sutton's offical website, Sutton Foster Online. If you run/ran Sutton Foster Online, and you don't want us to use your Q&A with Sutton, please don't hesitate to contact us, and we will remove this immediately!
More Ask Sutton
Dear Sutton,
I've heard you sing many times, and a lot of the time I've heard you belt (I think.) When I try to belt in my chest voice sometimes, it hurts my throat. How do you manage it from not hurting so much every performance you do? Do you use compression? Is there any special technique you have and could recommend to me?
From, Chrissy
Hi Chrissy-
My singing, especially high belting, is something I'm continually working on. I take voice lessons every week with an incredible teacher.
Yes, I do belt in the show, but I use many different facets of my voice. In "Thoroughly Modern Millie" I belted a lot--pretty much every song was belted--but in Little Women, not so much. I definitely belt "Astonishing", and "The Fire Within Me", and part of the Christmas Tragedy. So there are things that are belted.
As far as staying healthy, a lot of it is technique and training. When I was younger, I didn't have any training or technique, and my throat would hurt. You push too hard. I've gone through many vocal traumas where I've hurt myself. Your vocal cords are the size of a dime, and when you're belting there's a lot of pressure on them.
My biggest advice for singing healthily is to study with a teacher who knows what they're doing. With my voice teacher, when I am singing as much as I am now, we often don't even work on belting, so I sing classical stuff. It's a muscle you have to stretch and use in different ways to strengthen other ways.
When I am performing eight shows a week I try to take very good care of myself. I don't do a lot of excess talking, or screaming, or anything that could strain my voice. My show and my voice are my number one priorities. I live a little bit like a nun, but it's worth it!
There's certain things I'll do, like drink different types of teas. Most of it is to keep warm, to hydrate it--lots of water!--ginger teas, etc. I have different types of sprays. Nothing that numbs it, though--nothing like Chloraseptic. Anything like that is terrible, because you don't know what you're doing. When you're singing, you don't know if you're hurting, because you can't feel anything, Lozenges...
There's lots of things you can use to aid you in doing eight shows a week. But the number one thing is sleep. If you can sleep, and rest and keep up the training. It's so hard to do eight shows a week--I don't think people realize just how hard it is!
Thanks for asking!
Sutton
Dear Sutton,
Do you have any bad habits onstage or offstage?
From, Chrissy*
Hi again!
On stage not so much. I'm not one to play pranks on people. I don't like to mess around, I don't ad lib, I pretty much stick to what's written.
Off stage...well, I wouldn't say I'm a slob, but I'd say I'm messy and cluttery. I have a tendency to leave things in weird places. Like the remote will be in the bathroom. I don't know why...or the phone will be in the closet. It just happens. I don't know HOW it happens; I just put things down and I'm absent-minded. I leave tissues everywhere...and hair ties!
That's my really bad habit. I'm trying to be better about it, but it's so hard! The hair ties are the weird ones--it's like a conundrum. Like, they'll just be on the floor. I don't know why, they just end up there!
Sutton (the slightly messy!)
Dear Sutton,
Which line of Jo's is your favorite in Little Women?
From,
Chrissy*
That's hard....there's a lot of funny lines in the show. I guess my favorite is "I'm not built for gowns." I think that's a funny line, especially with the dress I have to wear!
Sutton (not built for gowns!)
I saw you at Duke and I thought you were amazing, so i am going to see the show again in January!!
My question: Is it hard to having a lot of fan attention?
Hi Catherine!
It's interesting because another bad habit I guess is.... I'm addicted to bad magazines. Stuff like the Star, and Us Weekly, and In Touch...I'm like totally addicted! Every week I buy them!
(I'm ashamed to get a subscription, but I probably should because I buy them anyway!)
So I look at all this--the paparazzi, and these major movie stars, and see how their lives are....
I am nowhere NEAR that type of attention! What I love (and what I grew up loving) is musical theatre, and many of my fans are young women who love musical theatre, too. Sometimes people ask me for my autograph and I'm like, really? But then I try to think, when I was fifteen or sixteen or seventeen, and I had met, say, Lea Salonga, I would have loved it if she had signed my program. So I remember that, and remember growing up, listening to soundtracks and watching the Tony Awards.
I hope that I can be a positive role model to say, "I know exactly where you're at, and if you want to do what I'm doing, it's totally possible."
When I was growing up I never thought that I would ever be where I'm at- It was never even an option! It didn't even cross my mind.
But it is possible!
To have fan attention is cool, if only so I can tell them,
"You can do it, too!"
Thanks for writing!
Sutton
Hey Sutton,
When I first heard you'd be taking on the role of Jo March, I was thrilled, because I knew you would be perfect for her charactar. I was just wondering: What is the most challenging aspect to playing the role of Jo?
~Endira
Hi Endira!
The most challenging aspect to playing the role of Jo is that this is a character from a classic piece of literature. Jo is a character that many people know, have read about, have loved... she is a beloved character from a beloved novel. There have also been several prior interpretations of this story and portrayals of Jo March.
I have tried to do as much research as I possibly can. I've read the novel, watched the films, read Louisa May Alcott's biography, read books about her family and visited Concord, Massachusettes - went to the Orchard House where the Alcott's grew up and lived. I can't hope to please everyone, but I do hope to capture her spirit and do the best I can.
Thanks for the question!
Sutton
Hi Sutton!
You were "astonishing" in Little Women. I got to see you while you guys were in previews. I am the girl that made you a scarf. Anyway, my question is what was the rehearsal process like for this show? What is your favorite part of the process of creating the show? Thanks so much!!
Miranda
Hi Miranda!
First of all... thank you SO much for the scarf! I was so touched!
This has actually been a very interesting rehearsal process, because I have been a part of the show for a while now. We have done two prior readings of the show, so on our first day of rehearsal down in Durham I was already very familiar with a lot of the material.
We usually start by working on new stuff... changes or additions... and then we begin with the first act. We concentrate on the musical numbers first and the scenes surrounding them. We staged the entire first act within the first week and then started working thru the second act in the same way. After two weeks we were able to do a stumble through of the whole show.
In the rehearsal room... we have rehearsal props and set pieces. We don't work on the actual set... we have mock props... and couches... and skirts and shoes that we rehearse in and with. To simulate what we will have on stage and to make that transition onto the stage easier.
It's incredible to create a new show... because it's like making soup. You have the play... then you add the actors, the director, the costumes, the set, a little more light, a little extra music there, etc... and in the end you hope you have something tasty and delicious! hehe... But it is true. It's a true collaboration! And it has been quite powerful and wonderful to be a part of it!
I hope you enjoy our little "soup"!
Sutton
Anyway, my question is do you find there is a difference in the way you prepare for a show depening on the character you are playing. I mean Eponine, Millie and Jo are all extreamly different characters. Did you have a different way to get ready for the show woth each of them or do you find that it is mostly the same? How about creating the role in rehersal is it really different for you to create dramatic charater verus a comic character?
Thanks!
Thank you so much for your kind words and your question. You are right, Eponine, Millie and Jo are all very different... but I'm the same person playing all three.
I like to bring as much of myself to each character I portray... Out of the three... I think Jo is the closest to who I am. Eponine was more tragic... but I have tragic aspects in my life... loneliness... yearning... Millie... was more headstrong, and sassy... and I definitely have that in my life. I try to use as much as me as possible... and then the rest fills in itself... I try to do as much reading on the time period, and look a lots of images from the time... millie -1920's ... little women 1890's...
As far as rehearsal goes... it is an incredible process. With LW we had four weeks of rehearsal and then we started performance... and the show changes as soon as you add an audience... there is an energy that you get from the audience.. that feeds you. Also as far as comedy goes... you really don't know how something is going to work until you have 1200 people who have never seen you say a line a certain way... It's all really interesting... and is basically a process.. we just keep adding layer upon layer.
Thanks for writing!
Sutton
I had a question/plea for advice for you. I remember you saying in an interview that you aren't the best auditioner. I, too, am not the greatest auditioner. I tend to get nervous and it is very hard to control my voice well.
I wanted to know if you had any advice on how to prevent my nerves from affecting my audition. I know that the best thing to do is to be over 100% prepared, but is there anything else I can do?
Hey Jessica!!!
Yes... the best advice truly is to be 100 percent prepared. Here are some other ideas as well.
Wear something that you are comfortable in. You want to dress appropriately, but an audition might not be the best time to wear that those too tight pants, with a shirt that you wear once a year. Look like YOU.
Wear your hair the way you wear it... wear something that you feel at home in. You want to do everything you can to put yourself in the most comfy position.
Also, if you have to sing... sing something that you love... and something that fits in your voice well. An audition is not the time to sing that high soprano song if you are really an alto... show off your best qualities.
Also... if you have to prepare a scene... memorize it...and work on it with a partner... but when you read your scene hold the pages and read off them if you need to. Never put your pages down... because then it looks like it is a finished product.
And lastly... the people that are auditioning you aren't as scary as you think.
Take care-
Sutton
I know I have been asking a lot of questions, but I'm a curious girl when it comes to my favorite actress in the whole wide world! So, I know what shows you've done lately, but what were some shows you did (besides Annie) as a kid? What was the most important thing you feel you got out of them?
From,
Chrissy
Hi Crissy!
Let's see... when I was growing up in Georgia and Michigan I did LOTS of shows... mostly in community theatre. Annie, Sound of Music, Grease, A Christmas Carol, Peter Pan, Wind in the Willows, You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Gypsy, Oklahoma, Camelot, You Can't Take It With You, Charlotte's Web, Evita, A Chorus Line... and Many others...
I think that the most important thing that I took away from all of these shows is the experience. My biggest advice, is to participate. You learn so much from doing. I am the performer I am today because of all the experience and opportunities I took growing up and learning from doing and watching others.
Dear Sutton,
I have a hard question for you...I know you like to encourage girls about their dreams of being on broadway, but it is stiff competition!!! What do you say to the girls out there that most likely don't have the talent to make it like you did?
Laura
P.S. I wish there was a way I could sit down and talk to you about it! This seems so impersonal. It's hard to believe that it is really you.
Hi Laura!
It really IS ME! I'm sitting here at my computer with a cup of coffee!! This business is VERY difficult... almost every day I think to myself... can I handle this? Do I have what it takes to handle the pressures, the competition, the heartbreak? If there is anything else in the world that you can do that will fullfill you... I would do that. Honestly. It is a very hard profession... and if you have aspirations in other fields that will give you the same type of fullfillment I would pursue those.
They say for every light on Broadway there is a broken heart... of someone with dreams who didn't 'make it'. But let me tell you this... it is an unbelievable profession. It is filled with highs and lows... ups and downs... unbelievable moments... heartbreaking ones... a little bit of glamour... a lot of normalcy... I am doing what I love more than anything else in the world... and I absolutely LOVE what I do... So if you have that drive, that desire... that determination... the willingness to work, sacrifice... then why not... GO FOR IT... you have nothing to lose...
Hey Sutton!
There were a couple questions I wanted to ask but forgot to, so I'll ask them here (its so cool that you actually answer them!)
1) What do you do between scenes and during intermission?
2) How do you change costumes so quickly?!!!
3) Do you have any idea when the piano music for LW is coming out? I'm guessing sometime after the CD, which is probably February or March.....
4) What parts of the play are being considered for change? What are you expirmenting with right now, and how do you decide what parts you will change/finalize?
~*~Margaret~*~
1) What do you do between scenes and during intermission?
In between shows in this show... I'm pretty much changing costumes. I do not have a lot of down time. The only down time I have is during More Than I Am... and I'm sitting in my dressing room on a stool - trying not to wrinkle my skirt - sipping water and talking with Megan (Beth) and Amy (Amy) and my dresser Julien... for about 2 minutes... and then I'm back on stage.
During intermission... I'm changing all my undergarments, getting my braided wig back on and eating a snack (usually a pineapple cup)
2) How do you change costumes so quickly?!!!
I have an amazing dresser... Julien... and sometimes two others... and my hair person Theodora... I just stand there and they whirl about me...
3) Do you have any idea when the piano music for LW is coming out? I'm guessing sometime after the CD, which is probably February or March.....
I'm so sorry... no idea
(BLOGGER TOM HERE- Jason Howland says that the music will be published by Cherry Lane Music, and to bug them to get it released!)
4) What parts of the play are being considered for change? What are you experimenting with right now, and how do you decide what parts you will change/finalize?
I'm answering this question after we have opened... so now everything is pretty much set! Come back and see the show, and you will see how the show has morphed into what it is!!!!
Hey Sutton!
My question: To me a huge part of theater is the priceless times you forget your lines, or someone else does and you have to try and cover for them. Has anything like that happened with this play yet?
Another question: I have done theater, and we just do plays and we usually don't get through the whole show until like a couple days before opening. And we have probably anywhere from 4 to 7 weeks to practice. How do you go through a MUSICAL in 2 weeks?
~Darci~
Not so much in this show yet... nothing majorly funny or crazy has happened... KNOCK ON WOOD!
Another question: How do you go through a MUSICAL in 2 weeks?
We usually rehearse for 8 hours a day... so that is the major difference... we have rehearsals from 10-6 every day...
Hello Sutton! My name is Katherine. I first heard you sing last year and thought you were amazing! My question is:
If you could have any role in any show, past or present, which would it be and why?
Thanks!
Hi!! I feel so lucky to have played two amazing characters... THREE actually. Eponine, Millie and now Jo. These three strong women. I love portraying strong women because I think of myself as a strong woman. If I could sing Evita I think that would be an amazing role to have played or to play... but I'm not so sure I could sing it.
When did you start taking voice lessons? I'm 13 and I started when I was 12 so I wanted to know if I started too early/late. Thanks!
oh no.. you're fine! I didn't really start 'training' until I was in my late teens... and now I am taking voice lessons once a week... and studying very hard to maintain what I do on stage everynight... But you are FINE! Keep training and working hard!
Dear Sutton:
What are your suggestions on how to begin the search for a role? Should I seek the help of an agent or just go to open audition calls? You really are an idol of mine on Broadway, and it was a pleasure seeing you on stage! Thanks!!!
Erin
Hi Erin!
When I was first starting out... I went to open calls. I looked in Backstage... called the hotline... and just went. I started at ground level... and it took me ten years to get to Millie Dillmount... I don't think that there is a secret to 'making it'... I think you just have to take opportunities... big and small... get experience... and keep working on yourself as an actor and person... Best of luck to you!
Sutton,
I have always had trouble memorizing lines for my school shows, do you know any tricks or advice to help?
I heard at some point that you were going to put out a CD and I was wondering if that if rumor or fact.
Thank you so so so so so so much,
Lindsay
My biggest advice is to have someone 'run lines' with you. That always helps me... I get a friend or co worker... and we just go over the scenes.. .over and over ...until I have the lines down.
As to a CD: Yes, it is true... but I need to actually record it first! It is in the works, and when my life calms down a bit I am going to start working on it!
Hi Sutton!
My question is: Did you and Hunter get along when you were young, or were you always competing for the spotlight?
Kathleen
Wow... good question.
My brother and I are 5 1/2 years apart... and when we were growing up I was always the annoying little sister... who wanted to be just like him. I have to say that I feel like we were always and are currently VERY supportive of each other and what we do... I have never felt competition with Hunter. It may help that we are so far apart in age... although now it doesn't matter so much... but growing up it did. I hear what you are saying about competing for the spotlight... but there is room for both of you!!!!
Hi Sutton!
I was just wondering how you kept up the confidence to continue and if you have any advice? Did you ever get rejected and if so how did you deal with it for I'm finding it hard? I just also wanted to say that you have been an incredible influence on my continuing, even when things get rough! You are my light at the end of that awfully long tunnel. Thank you for inspiring so many people.
Hi Megan!
Uh... YES I struggle... Almost every day. It is a very tough and difficult profession... sometimes I want to run screaming away from it and hide. It is very hard to star in a new broadway show with all of the pressures and responsibilities... but even as I write this I am thinking... oh my gosh... I'm starring in a new BROADWAY SHOW! Like any job... there are ups and downs... good days and bad ones... it is the perils of being in the work place... of being praised, and criticized... but what I know to be true is that I love what I do... and i cannot imagine doing anything else. I feel like this is what I was born to do. So that is what drives me... my self esteem and ego are tested every day... and it is really hard work. But I feel like in the end it is all worth it. Best of luck to you!
Dear Sutton,
I was simply wondering how old you were when you became a member of equity... I haven't gone to college yet and my plan has been to wait until after then... any thoughts??? Thanks for your time!!!
CARL
Hi Carl.
I am 29 years old... Although on March 18th I turn 30! I became Equity at 17 with the first national tour of Will Rogers Follies... I am a huge Equity supporter... I believe that they truly take care of the actor. But I also understand that there are a lot of opportunities for non Equity actors out there as well. I think you just have to look at what is out there and take it job to job... best of luck to you
Hi Sutton!
1) If you could be any Disney character, who would you be? 2) I read that you have pet goldfish. How are they doing? Thank you!!!
Katie
Hi Katie!
1) Definitely Belle from Beauty and the Beast... I love her.
2) My goldies are doing GREAT... I lost one late last year.. which was horrible... but I got a new addition to the family... Leia... and she is doing great. I currently have seven goldies... and five of them are two years old!
Hey Sutton!
You have to do 8 shows a week and have your own personal life to contend to and still manage to find time for your fans. i just think that's so cool that you do that! when do you find time to do it?
love,
~Karen~
p.s. (just a random question) where's your favorite place to shop?
Hi Karen!
Ya know... I really think that it is important to read the letters that people spend their precious time writing to me... so I usually will take one day in between shows a month to go thru all the letters... I'll sit with my dresser/friend Julien... and we'll read the letters... and mail off responses. It is really important to me.
I love to shop... and I love SAKS!
p.p.s: sorry! one more question!
you have so many awesome scenes in Little Women, do you have a favorite?
~Karen~
Hi Karen...
I think that my favorite scene... is 'small umbrella' with Professor Bhaer at the end! I just love it...
Dear Sutton,
Do you remember all of your lines from Millie still? They must have been drilled in your head pretty well, huh?
-Chrissy*
Hi Chrissy...
unfortunately.. I DON"T! I think that I had to let go of them to make room for Little Women! hahah!
Hi, Sutton! I just wanted to know what your first show was, your favorite show was, and what your dream role would be. Thank you you're amazing!!!!!!!!!!
------------Cari
Hi Cari...
First show was A Christmas Carol at age like 7... I was a scared caroller in the back at the Augusta Community Theatre in Augusta, Georgia.
My favorite show is Sweeny Todd... by a landslide. LOVE IT.
Dream role... hmmm... I said Evita before... but I think that is a long shot... it's so hard... because I think that I really love the idea of creating new characters... maybe Dot in Sunday in the Park with George???
I have another two qustions:
1. When you sang "I Want to Go to Hollywood" for The Maury Yeston Songbook, did you keep it in the original key or was it transposed?
2. Have you ever had an experience where a fan would ask you if they remembered them, and you didn't? If so, what did you do?
1. We actually raised it a 1/2 or a whole step.
2. hehe... happens all the time. but sometimes I will remember and sometimes I don't. It's hard, because I meet so many people... most of the time people understand!
Hey Sutton!
I have tickets to see Little Women on your birthday! (YAY Happy Birthday!) I was wondering if you plan on performing on your birthday? I don't want to miss you!
I WILL BE THERE!
Hey Sutton! My name is Laurie and I am 17 years old. I was wondering if you had any advice for breaking out into "the real world" of theatre. For example, advice regarding perserverance, rejection, competition, training, etc. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
Keep on being.. AsToNiShInG!!
Hi Laurie!
Well.. it is tough. My biggest advice. Perserverance. Did I spell that right?
(No, it's "perseverance"- but you wrote it the way Laurie did!- BLOGGER TOM)
Tenacity... determination... KINDNESS... and working hard... Patience... Taking opportunities... big and small... being kind to yourself and others... finding other hobbies and other things that you enjoy besides theatre... that is REALLY IMPORTANT. There are lots of ups and downs to being in this business... your ego and self esteem get wrapped up in who you are as a performer... it's hard to separate you as a person and you as an actor... so having other interests is a MUST. Hold steady and steadfast... and keep perspective... and Hold on tight... it's a wild and bumpy and exhilirating ride!
Okay, when IS your birthday? (sorry...) And also, did you ever just get really nervous at an audition that it caused you to mess up?
Thanks!
Katherine
My birthday is March 18th... the big 30!
Mess up?
Oh totally... I'm not a great auditioner... but just remember... that the people you are auditioning for are not as scary as you might think... in fact they aren't scary at all... they are just people... who desperately WANT you to be good
Hey Sutton,
Is there any hope for a southern girl without a southern accent? dont reall know myself, I come from Concord so maybe that has something to do with the un-southern accent?
Elsie
Not quite sure what your question is... but I think that you are better off in the long run with a non descript accent... and then you can work on having a southern accent or an english accent or a new england accent when the part and occasion calls for it...
*Taken from the Little Women message board, The Pickwick Club. Please, if you don't want your question, answer, or name posted here, please feel free to contact us and we will remove it immediately!
