Interview: Musical Theatre Major: Gretchen Midgley

By: Tabitha Garnica

Gretchen is a Los Angeles native pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Musical Theatre from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. She has been singing since before she could talk and hopes to someday do that on Broadway. Her favorite role to date is the Artful Dodger in Oliver! and her ultimate dream role is Fantine in Les Misérables. She can next be seen in Sing Down the Moon, a musical for children at the ATLAS Theatre in Washington, D.C.

1.      When did you first fall in love with theatre?

 Well, growing up I was surrounded by a lot of musical theatre even though I didn't realize it at the time. My mom went around singing songs from A Chorus Line, Evita, Fiddler on the Roof, and her other favorite shows. We had lots of movie musicals at home, so I grew up watching Oliver, Annie, The Wizard of Oz, and The Sound of Music. My parents say I used to sit in front of the TV wearing a Dorothy costume my mother had made with a stuffed Toto under my arm, watching The Wizard of Oz on repeat. To me, though, those were just movies. I didn't know that they were "musical theatre" or what that term even meant. For some reason, though, my love for the movie musicals at home didn't initially translate to a love for the stage. From the age that I was old enough to sit still in a chair, my mom would take me and my dad to productions at a local all-boys high school that had a really good theatre program. I always whined about it, usually falling asleep during the first act and leaving with my dad at intermission to go sleep in the car. When I was about seven or eight, though, we went to see West Side Story, and something was different. From the moment the curtain came up with the Jets snapping their fingers on stage, I was immediately entranced and sat on the edge of my seat till the final curtain fell. I would say that was the moment I fell in love with live theatre. I don't know why that production was different, maybe just because I was a little older and able to appreciate the show more. Anyway, from that point on I always wanted to be the lead in little skits we did in class, I went around singing all the time, I became obsessed with Annie… I'd been bitten by the bug pretty hard. Then in fourth grade I was cast in a musical revue as Annie. Getting to sing "Tomorrow" in front of the large crowd of parents was the best moment of my young life, and that was when I knew I wanted to be on stage.

2.     What is your favorite play/musical?

That's tough! For musicals, I have a three-way tie between Les Misérables, Into the Woods, and Cabaret. My favorite play is Hedda Gabler.

3.     Which female in musical theatre has inspired you the most?

Probably Lea Salonga. She has such a wide vocal range and has played lots of roles I hope to play someday. She's also an inspiration because she has managed to both have an extremely successful career and remain very committed to her marriage and family. Plus she's short like me!!

4.      When did you realize you wanted to make a living off of theatre?

 It's hard to pinpoint a specific moment. I remember telling my dad in fifth grade that I wanted to do musical theatre and him saying, "How do you know you want to do musical theatre if you've never even really been in a musical?" Somehow, I just knew. Growing up in LA I had a brief flirtation with film but I quickly realized I didn't enjoy that kind of acting. By the time I was in high school I realized that doing theatre was different for me than it was for the other kids. For me, going to rehearsal after school was the reason I got up for class in the first place, not something I did just for fun or so I had something to fill my time. I couldn't tell you exactly when, but at some point pretty early on in my high school career it became clear that I was going to major in musical theatre. It wasn't even something I really questioned because I was so sure about my career choice and plans for the future. I guess I'd say I've known I wanted to do this for a living since I was about twelve or thirteen.

5.     How do you handle rejection?

That's something that's still difficult but has gotten better over time. In the short term, maybe have a quick cry about it then get myself froyo if it's a part I really, really wanted. Haha. The head of my program says you should give yourself twenty-four hours to be disappointed and do what you need to do in that time, and then it's time to move on. I guess that's the best way to handle rejection. Just moving on. 99% of the time when you don't get a specific part or don't get cast it's nothing personal. You might be too short standing next to the leading man, a brunette when the director envisioned a blonde, or look like the director's ex-wife, all things you have zero control over. I try to remind myself of that and move on to the next thing I have to do in my busy life. There will be another show, another audition, even another shot at that particular role. Lots of times when I haven't been cast in a particular show it's been the door to another opportunity, and I've learned the most from these experiences. After all, in the "real world" as any kind of performer, auditioning is 99% rejection so we might as well get used to it now!

6.     How do you react when people question why you chose to pursue theatre?

That's one of the most frustrating but also most entertaining parts of being a young performer. Ultimately you have to let other people's comments roll of your back and understand that they don't know what it's like to have that passion for performing. Lots of times they act as if you don't know that theatre is a tough business and that can be frustrating. I usually just respond with something along the lines of, "I know that theatre is a tough business but it's something I have to do. I can't imagine myself happy in any other career. I know it's not an easy field to be in but I'm prepared for that and I'm not going in blind." My friends and I have a running joke that this is a typical interaction between most adults (parents' friends, extended family, random people on the metro) and ourselves:
Adult: So where do you go to school?
Us: Catholic University in D.C.
Adult: Oh how wonderful! What are you studying?
Us: Musical theatre.
Adult: (pause) Oh… that's… that's great! That is just great! So fun. You must be having so much fun! (insert fake smile)

7.     How would you describe the college audition process?

 Difficult. Nerve-wracking. Something I'm glad I don't have to go through again. Honestly, it was a pretty rough process but also a really cool experience that I'm glad I had. It was difficult because for all of us applying to any performance major, the college application itself was just the first step, with months of work ahead of us past when the essays and recommendations were turned in. I had auditions for most of the schools I applied to, and I applied to twelve. Because performance majors are so difficult to get into, you have to apply to more schools than most people do. Each school had different audition requirements, and while lots of times I could get audition material to overlap, I had to be very mindful of the specific requirements of each school and ended up learning a lot of 32-bar cuts and monologues! Most auditions started out with some sort of group address or information session, followed by dividing the group up into smaller sections to dance, sing, and act. It was a really cool experience to be in a room with so many other talented kids my age from all over the country who were just as passionate about theatre as I am. Each school varied in how much the auditors interacted with me and how friendly they were, but overall the whole process was a very positive experience. For the school I ended up at, I actually sent in a taped audition, but I'm really glad I went through the whole in-person audition process.

8.     What is the best part about being a musical theatre major?

 Definitely the community. As cliche as it sounds, being part of a musical theatre department really is like being part of a family. We have class together, sing together, eat together, live together, celebrate together… There are only about eighty of us so we are all friendly with one another and it is very easy for close friendships to develop. There is a lot of closeness and mentoring across grade divisions, too, which I think is true of lots of theatre programs. We are a collective unit, and while of course you will be closer to some people than others and little pockets of friends will develop, in the end we are one unified group of musical theatre majors. And of course the fact that my voice lessons count for three credits and I get graded in ballet and tap is pretty rad…

9.     What is the most difficult part about being a musical theatre major?

The workload. It's nothing like a "normal" college schedule and it can be very easy to become overwhelmed. My typical day consists of five or six classes in a row before a break, followed by a class or two after that break and then of course rehearsal. Lunch is for English majors. And then there's homework. It's pretty rough, but everyone else is going through it too, and it just comes with the territory.

10.  Was there anything about being a theatre major that you experienced but did not expect?

How seriously my teachers take me. Let me explain what I mean by that. In high school, everyone from my academic teachers to my theatre teachers to my college counselors thought it was "nice" that I was into theatre but told me not to choose a college based on what I wanted to major in and gave me warnings that most people change their career goals several times and almost never end up in the field they had originally planned on. While that may or may not be true, my college professors are completely different. They take me seriously when I say I want to be a theatre professional and are 100% committed to preparing me for a career in performing. I know that that is their job, but I guess I never understood how wonderful and committed they would really be until I arrived at college. It's really refreshing and stimulating to be treated like a professional-in-training.

11.  What advice would you give to anyone considering pursuing theatre?

Make sure you really want it. The first thing my high school drama teacher told us on the first day of Theatre 1 was, "Only go into a career in theatre if you cannot possibly be happy doing anything else." Really ask yourself if this life is what you truly want. That being said, if it is, don't let others discourage you. Of course, listen to the opinions of your voice coach, acting teacher, and other trusted professionals, but don't listen to Aunt Suzie's nagging about when you're going to get a real job or your classmates' jokes about wanting a double cheeseburger, easy on the ketchup, hold the pickles. If you're preparing to audition for colleges, take an honest look at your abilities and train extra hard in whichever discipline is not your forte. If you're more of a singer-actor, enroll in some ballet classes. If you're more of a dancer, make sure you're working with a voice coach to prepare. Most of all, have fun and hang in there! We're in this business because we love it, so don't forget to enjoy the ride along the way.

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Copyright (c) 2013 Tabitha Garnica All Rights Reserved