CMU School of Drama


Thursday, July 03, 2014

Why Karen Olivo Left the Big City

NYTimes.com: Fans of Karen Olivo could hardly have been surprised when she belted out what Charles Isherwood of The New York Times called a “rafter-rattling performance” of “Come to Your Senses” at City Center last weekend. They knew this Tony Award-winning actress could sing, so her well-received turn in the Encores! Off-Center presentation of “Tick, Tick ... Boom!,” which grapples with the sacrifices it takes to make a life in the theater, was to be expected.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

The trials and tribulations of Broadway must get to even the most talented actors and actresses. Performing, exposing yourself to thousands of people a day, becoming someone else every night, all just things compounding the mountain of stress already placed on your shoulders just by choosing theatre as a career path. Olivo's decision to re-immerse herself in who she was as a person, not an actress, appeared to be the right one based on her strong performance in Tick Tick Boom. Broadway is often a dream of young actors and actresses, leading them to have an unwavering desire to make it to the Big City. Rarely do these budding stars consider the personal toll such a profession would take on them, and reading this article gives a little definition to an otherwise amorphous feeling. Just because you make it on Broadway, doesn't mean you've made it in your own head. Olivo's bold move of shifting Broadway into the background is inspirational, and should give all young performers a chance to pause and examine their motivations.