Review: LAUREN MOLINA ACTING THE SONG MASTERCLASS at The Players Centre For Performing Arts

The Players Centre For Performing Arts hosted Broadway's Lauren Molina in her "Acting the Song Masterclass".

A master class is a class given to students of a particular discipline by an expert of that field. It usually centers on music but can include any of the arts or other vocations where skills are being developed. It is especially sought after in the entertainment industry when someone of great accomplishment offers his or her expertise on such a personal level.

Ms. Molina is known for her work on Broadway as the cello-playing Johanna in the revival of Sweeney Todd and originated the role of Regina in Rock of Ages. She has starred in several roles in national theatres, television and cabarets. Some of her favorite roles include: Squeaky Fromme in Assassins at Yale Rep, Countess Charlotte Malcolm in A Little Night Music at The Huntington Theatre, Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors at the Cleveland Playhouse, Janet in The Rocky Horror Show at The Bucks County Playhouse, and television appearances in The Good Wife and Light's OutSeveral students brought a piece to sing for Ms. Molina's evaluation and instruction. I am a very big advocate of master classes. What better way to learn than to have the personal instruction from someone who is accomplished in that arena. Two elements have to come together for a master class to be successful. The master must be able to teach and the apprentice must be willing to learn. I have attended master sessions where brilliant performers just didn't make good teachers. By the same token I have also seen accomplished performers with a gift for teaching who reach out to students that can't or won't take the advice being given. Lauren is one of those professionals who connect with her pupils and they respond to her guidance. It's almost a luminous glow when a light goes on and the instruction kicks in to action on the student's part. I love to watch the clever ways the instructor brings the student to a place in which they have never been before. It's an awkward process sometimes for the learner, stretching beyond their comfort zone, but the breakthrough is worth it. Below are a few of student examples and the techniques and instruction Miss Molina used.

"Alissa" sang "I Got Lost In His Arms" from Annie Get Your Gun. By Lauren asking her whom she was talking to in this song, it made Alissa think of the lyrics as a conversation. Alissa expressed she was talking with her best friend. Lauren asked her what she wanted from her friend in this "discussion". The light went off. Alissa said she wanted her friend's affirmation, confirming the way she felt about a man was justified. Using herself as the focus, Lauren asked Alissa and all of her students to look at her and say the lyrics to her as a monologue. I don't think anyone was expecting that. I can imagine that was difficult to do after rehearsing lyrics over and over as a song. It was clear that by taking the sing-songy lyrics and reconstructing them into a conversation, a barrier was broken and a new level of understanding the song emerged. This changed the dynamic, inflection, intonation and presentation of the lyrics when the song was re-presented.

"Rick" presented "Light In The Dark" from Next to Normal. To move him out of the singing mode he was in so he could make this a conversation, Lauren had him shake free by literally shaking his arms, rolling his shoulders, and bending his knees. He had several lyrics that were repeated within the song. Lauren instructed Rick to avoid singing them the same way. In a dialogue they sounded monotonous. In a song they needed to express emotion building on emotion. This made a definitive change in the way he sang the song after her instruction.

"Abby" came with "Quiet" from Forward. Lauren instructed her to look at the punctuation as a sentence rather than a song. This very distinctly changed they way she presented the song originally, whereby she maintained a calm demeanor throughout. Lauren also had Abby sing with her eyes closed. With instruction, the song grew in texture and built into the anger she needed to express the emotion she was feeling.

"Ricky's" number was "Last One Picked" from Whoop-Dee-Do. Lauren honed in on Ricky holding back his emotions and told him to think about the place where he is coming from. The song is about the last guy picked to play team sports, that in the end, finds pride in himself. By using her monologue technique, Lauren helped Ricky express his embarrassment in the beginning of the song, allowing confidence to build at the end. His gestures and body language changed when we saw him morph from the shame he was feeling at the beginning to pride he developed by the end of song.

I says a lot about a performer who will take the time to mentor and teach others. Miss Molina was patient and proficient, knowing just the right techniques to use in order to bring out the best in each student. Lauren was kind enough to answer a few questions for BWW while she was visiting Sarasota.

As an actress, musician, and songwriter you have a career that transcends several mediums. Are you drawn to one in particular?

I'm very fortunate to have had the opportunity to make music, act, saying, create in theatre, web series, and in the cabaret world. I'm always drawn to music and acting that's outside the box. Things that have quirkiness or sense of play and surprise.

You received your BFA from The University of Michigan in musical theatre. How do you feel education can help students wanting to get in to the theatre?

The University of Michigan is one of the best schools for musical theater. What I loved about them is it wasn't a conservatory program. So I got a well-rounded education that wasn't just singing, acting, and dancing. I feel that when you are enriched as a person learning about humanities, history and cultures of the world it makes you a more interesting actor, performer, and person.

One of the best ways to learn is from someone who is doing it. You must have a heart for teaching. Tell us more.

I love teaching because you can see the growth happen and it's like magic. When it clicks with a student; finding truth, honesty, proper technique in singing, which opens them up, it, is a great feeling of accomplishment. I love inspiring students to create and Be themselves.

What can students expect from your "Acting The Song Masterclass"?

They can expect to learn how to dissect a song to its core elements. Music, lyric, and intention. We will breakdown what each song is communicating and focus on making it honest, real, and powerful. If it's a comic song, we will mine it for all the comedy we can find.

You have played some very iconic roles. Is there a role you have yet to play that you would love to bring to life?

I would love to play Dot in Sunday in the Park.

How do you feel about the women's movement, particularly in the entertainment industry? Are you hopeful for some changes?

I am all for the women's movement. It's about time there was change. We need more female directors, writers, producers leading the way and writing stories with females at the forefront.

The Skivvies, who perform in their underwear, is such a unique idea. How did you and your partner Nick Cearley come up with this ingenious and distinctive approach to entertainment?

It was a happy accident that came from us making a video of Rihanna's "We Found Love" and deciding to make a stripped down music series for YouTube. We figured if we were stripping down the music we could strip down our clothes to be funny and never comment on it. Our videos went viral and so a few months later we did our first live show at Joe's Pub in NYC and it took off.

You've got to feel pretty sure of yourself to show so much skin as a Skivvie. What do you do to stay in shape and do you ever feel overly self-conscious?

I try to eat well and exercise. However, we've been doing the Skivvies for 6 years now and my body has certainly changed in that time. If I am feeling bloated, I just wear Skivvies that provide a bit more coverage. I am all about body positivity and we celebrate all shapes and sizes.

Can you share any upcoming projects?

I am going to be in the hilarious new musical Desperate Measures which is transferring to New World Stages in May.

Is there is anything else on your heart you would like to share?

I have to say what an honor it has been this week performing and teaching at the Florida Thespians Convention this week. The students were inspiring. They are strong, bright, and eager to use their voices to make positive change.

To learn more about Lauren Molina visit www.laurenmolina.com. Visit www.theskivviesnyc.com to catch up on The Skivvies.

For upcoming events and shows visit The Players at www.theplayers.org .

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