February 4, 1992. Any idea what happened on that date? Well and less you are a member of my family or a close friend you wouldn't have any clue of the significance of that date. On that day twenty years ago I moved to the big city to begin a new chapter in my life. New York City in case you were wondering. Like so many before me I moved to here to pursue my dream of performing on Broadway. Prior to moving here I was accepted into the American Musical and Dramatic Academy where I would begin my journey towards fame and fortune. Little did I know that that journey would take me on a rollercoaster ride that would change my life forever and consequently make me into the person that I am today.
Since I could remember the only thing that I wanted to do with my life was live in New York and be on Broadway. To be honest I couldn't imagine doing anything else with my life and I wasn't about let anything or anyone convince me otherwise. Thankfully I have always had the love and support of my friends and do to this day. In fact I can honestly say that I would not be here today writing a blog about my story without them. That's the truth.
After an intense two year program I graduated and began the next step, which is getting out there and auditioning for anything and everything. Now of course I was smart enough to know that nobody was going to offer me the lead role in the next Andrew Lloyd Webber musical or hire me to be the latest beefcake on Gossip Girl or Law and Order. That’s not me and quite frankly it probably never will be. I did however have one problem. My voice. It didn’t fit my look. There I was singing Italian Arias, and “Who Ame I" from Les Miz.The problem was I was eighteen and looked it. What should I do?
Well like most actors I decided to do something else. Before I had moved here I was given the opportunity to direct a show at my local community theatre. As it turns out I liked it. A lot in fact. Plus this way I could still stay involved in the theatre until my look caught up with my voice. My friends who had come to know me strictly as a performer used to ask me if I missed acting. I would tell them, “At first I did. But if you think about it, it is my vision up there. So in a way I feel like I am up there on stage too.”
So here I am twenty years later. Still directing and producing my shows. Six year's I had the chance to produce my own work, Avarice. Unlike my other shows I have hired someone else to do the directing. I am however still wearing many hats. I am the book writer, lyricist, and composer. Plus the most exciting thing is I am getting the chance to return to the stage as a performer. So how did that happen you may ask? Did my looks finally catch up with my voice as I had always hoped and prayed that it would? Well not exactly. You see that reason that I am making a return to the stage is because I am playing myself. And I thought who could play me better than me right? I guess we will soon find out.
Throughout this incredible and at times scary journey there has always been one constant. And that is my day job. Without that none of this would have been possible. For the past eight years I have been lucky to have had the chance to work for Applause. Not only has it allowed me to pursue my dream at night but it gives me the chance to talk about the thing I love most, theatre. In my past jobs I had worked in a box office where I was pretty much limited to selling one show at a time. That is not the case with Applause.
Everyday I get the chance to talk about Broadway, Off-Broadway, Opera, Ballet and shows nation wide and abroad. Where else can you do that? I have been working in this line of work for almost fifteen years now and nothing gives me more pleasure than sharing my love of theatre and entertainment to new and returning clients every day. When people ask me what I do I don’t just say, “I’m a ticket broker” or “I sell tickets.” I really feel like we provide a great service. And I’m not afraid to say that we do it better than anybody else.That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Until next time.
JWB
Applause Theatre and Entertainment
311 West 43rd Street
Suite 601
New York,NY 10036
212-307-7050 or 1-800-451-9930
http://www.applause-tickets.com/
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