10 Best and Worst Things Musical Theatre People Say...

Over coffee with a friend this past week, we had a conversation about the power of words...The origin of saying probs instead of probably. Or the use of such phrases like YOLO and LIVING in everyday conversation. Every culture, sub-culture, sub-sub-culture, etc. has found a way to communicate differently.

Of course, this led to a test. I gave myself two minutes to immediately think of the ten best and worst things I constantly hear people say at auditions and in my circle or musical theatre friends...The following is that result:

10 WORST THINGS MUSICAL THEATRE PEOPLE SAY:

1. "WERQ!!!": No, not work; some horribly spelled command to tell someone to do their absolute best. Cute? Maybe. Except, when it's used in reference to everything. Example: Pouring just the right amount of soy milk in your Starbucks drink and overhearing someone scream "WERQ!". Too early, sir.

2. "BOOK IT!": Instead of saying good luck for an audition, this has become a custom phrase, even though it sounds more like you're going to the Bahamas and not a chorus call...

3. "WE DID THE ORIGINAL CHOREOGRAPHY...": But really, did you? Do you know how many times I have watched people show me the opening combination to A Chorus Line after having said those words...shame on the choreographer for lying.

4. "MY AGENT NEVER CALLS ME...": Your agent isn't going to get you a job. He or she is going to help you find opportunities where you then have to do numbers 1 and 2 of this list. Take some responsibility and stop wasting your time complaining...it gets you no where.

5. BELTING: Talking to me about belting in a conversation that doesn't involve being in a casting room is like talking about Russell Crowe...I'm over it.

6. "I NEED to add that song to my rep book!": You need to take out all of the songs you don't actually know. I don't care if you have a 4 inch binder with music. If you're not prepared to sing and act every one of those songs, you're just carrying around uselessness. I love people who only bring three songs.

7. "I'm broke": I know, we all are. Stop bringing it up.

8. "I'm a dancer, so the only numbers I need to know are one through eight": I don't know who said this first, but I would personally like to slap them.

9. "#grateful": There is a difference between being grateful, because I certainly know I am, and actually just using the word in a 400 word Facebook status of you booking a regional production of Honk...

10. "Ugh...I can't believe we got the understudy!": I've been there... Going to a show to see someone you admire and getting the understudy instead. (I saw every person who played Claude in HAIR except Gavin Creel...okay...) But can we give these incredibly talented actors some credit AND a chance. Let's support each other. They may turn out to be even better than who you were hoping for.

10 BEST THINGS MUSICAL PEOPLE SAY:

1. "TAKE THE NOTE (AND SHUT UP).": Words to live by when you are an actor during tech.

2. "PAY YOUR DUES": Those who have truly made it have been in the ensemble, have been in flops and successful musicals, and have persevered. Take every opportunity you can get.

3. MIX VOICE: I could talk about this forever.

4. "FIND YOUR LIGHT": I love when lighting designers say this. For me, it's one of those moments that directly show the collaborative process; when the actors and teams work together to create a moment. It always makes me grateful that someone cares that I am seen.

5. "SAY WHAT YOU MEAN, MEAN WHAT YOU SAY OR SHUT UP": Period.

6. "WHERE'S THE BUTTON" The musical theatre button has existed forever. Please never let it go out of style.

7. "VAMPS ARE YOUR FRIEND": See number 4 and then thank your conductor.

8. "MARK IT...": I can't mark things but I appreciate people who can and take the opportunity to concentrate on the moment they are creating rather than the steps they are performing. Maybe one day I'll get there...or tired.

9. "THIS IS AN ENSEMBLE PIECE": When theatre truly is just that, a company working together to tell a story; there is nothing more beautiful.

10. "I WAS IN THE WIZ IN HIGH SCHOOL": Because it was probably an all white cast but you had one hell of a time and have a deep appreciation for some incredible songs.