Expert: Sean Martinfield - 10/10/2010

Question
Hi i just wanted to know how old you have to be to do Broadway. I was wondering because all of my life i have always wanted to be one of you guys!!!i am eleven and i will turn 13 next year. So if you could please.... right back to me thanks =)

Answer
Hi, Jazzmyn –

Thank you for the question.

There are 13-year-old Broadway performers. And younger. Consider the musical ANNIE. By the time they're 13, some of those orphan girls are seasoned Broadway veterans. Anything is possible.

In the meantime –
Some middle schools produce a musical every year. Even though the shows may be the "Student Version", it will still include the best hits and everybody will be auditioning for it. How about you?

If what you want to do is to "do Broadway" – then all you have to do is find every opportunity you can to sing every Broadway song you've ever wanted to. That means participating in contests, talent shows, paying attention to what's going on with your community theatres, and studying every show from A to Z.

Our Main Library here in San Francisco is packed with Broadway sheet music. Is yours? Talk to your local Reference Librarian.

While you're doing that, learn to read music. If you want to sing, you have to study like a musician. And that means learning how to read music. Sign up for Beginning Piano the first chance you can. That way, you'll never be dependent on anyone to teach you "how a song goes". You must be able to play at least your own melody line, no one is expecting a concerto.

I'm a vocal coach to working singers in the San Francisco Bay Area. I am also the Editor and Publisher of SanFranciscoSentinel.com. All my articles and interviews provide a link to my personal e-mail.

Below are links to my articles and youtubes on San Francisco's entertainment and cultural scene:

SCHEHERAZADE – Alonzo King LINES Ballet at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=91228

MADAMA BUTTERFLY – Opens at SF Opera, Tuesday 10/12
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=91101

Dr. ELISA STEPHENS – My Visit with the President
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=90791

WEST SIDE STORY – Opens At The Orpheum, 10/27
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=90603

ANITA BRYANT DIED FOR YOUR SINS – At NCTC through October 24th
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=90289

TALES OF THE CITY – Casting for A.C.T. Workshop Announced
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=90166

Carey Bell and Jean-Frédéric Neuburger – At Davies Hall
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=89908

VAN GOGH, GAUGUIN, CÉZANNE & BEYOND – A San Francisco Must-See Experience
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=89802

MARIA CALLAS EXHIBIT – A Rare Collection At the Italian Cultural Institute
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=89563

MARRIAGE OF FIGARO – Now At San Francisco Opera
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=89358

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES – A Sparkling Hit at Broadway By The Bay
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=89305

A.C.T. Extends "Scapin" – Through 10/17
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=88628

AT THE DE YOUNG – Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cézanne and Beyond
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=89086

PHILHARMONIA BAROQUE ORCHESTRA – 30th Anniversary Gala, 9/24
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=88961

TENOR RAMÓN VARGAS – A Worthy “Werther” At San Francisco Opera
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=88856

AÏDA – Spectacular Opening Night At San Francisco Opera
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=88247

JERRY SPRINGER THE OPERA – Now At The Victoria Theatre
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=88014

OPENING NIGHT AT SF SYMPHONY – A Mixed Bag
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=87772

ARTIST BOB ZOELL – San Francisco Arts Commission Installs New Works at SF International Airport
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=87467

GOOD GRIEF! Confessions of a “Peanuts” Junkie – Opens 9/11 at SF Fringe Festival
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=87438

LE NOZZE DI FIGARO – Opens 9/21 at San Francisco Opera
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=87283


WERTHER – French Classic At San Francisco Opera
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=86829

SF FRINGE FESTIVAL – Preview Coming Attractions
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=86425

DREAMGIRLS – High Gloss and Not Much Soul
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=86316

CUBAN BALLET – An Interview with Octavio Roca
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=86049

A Look At "Giselle" with Ballerina Lorena Feijóo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33-a6Oa-0j4

CD – THE LAGQ: INTERCHANGE, Concertos by Rodrigo and Assad
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=85498

DOLORA ZAJICK – Internationally Acclaimed Mezzo To Receive Merola Distinguished Alumni Award
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=85363

OPERA – Opening Night, September 10th, Verdi's AÏDA
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=85323

BLACK SABBATH – The Secret Musical History of Black-Jewish Relations
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=85115

DON’T ASK and DIVALICIOUS — Now at the New Conservatory Theatre Center
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=84593

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES – 45th Anniversary Celebration at Broadway By The Bay
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=84971

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST – At San Francisco's Golden Gate Theatre
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=84933

HAIL CAESAR! – Gymnast Dreya Weber is “Cleopatra” at Teatro ZinZanni
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=84775

CD: SONIDOS LATINOS – Guitarist, David Russell
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=84374

EAT PRAY LOVE – Julia Roberts Is Gorgeous
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=84196

JAMES LEVINE – Celebrating 40 Years at the Metropoitan Opera
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=84017

BILL IRWIN – Opens A.C.T.’s 2010/11 Season as Molière’s “Scapin”
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=83672

SAN FRANCISCO OPERA – Broadcasts Return to KQED
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=83505

CD: GREAT STRAUSS SCENES – Christine Brewer, Soprano
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=83425

19th ANNUAL SAN FRANCISCO FRINGE FESTIVAL – Begins September 8th
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=83168

“L’ELISIR D’AMORE” – Members of the Merola Opera Program, this week at Fort Mason
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=82920

ANGELA CADELAGO – Debuts With Festival Opera as “Lucia di Lammermoor”
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=82899

DIVALICIOUS – Leanne Borghesi Raises The Roof At New Conservatory Theatre Center
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=82831

OPENING NIGHT – SF SYMPHONY, Tuesday, September 7th
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=82620

THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE – Swashbuckling At SF's Yerba Buena Center For the Arts
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=82738

TO DYE FOR: A World Saturated in Color – At the de Young Museum
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=82071

MATTHEW SHILVOCK – Appointed Associate General Director of San Francisco Opera
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=81723

AÏDA – Verdi’s Masterpiece To Open SF Opera, September 10th
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=81526

ARTIST MICHAEL ARCEGA – Creates “Valencia Street Post”
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=81421

NORMA TALMADGE & GILBERT ROLAND – “A Woman Disputed” At The Castro Theatre
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=81297

“PSYCHO” – SF Symphony Accompanies Screening of Hitchcock’s Classic, Saturday Night, 7/17
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=81083

THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE – A Sweeping Bore
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=80896

JULIAN COX – Appointed Chief Curator of the de Young Museum and Founding Curator of Photography
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=80803

MEROLA OPERA PROGRAM – Schwabacher Summer Concerts At The Herbst and Yerba Buena Gardens
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=80667

BACH & FRIENDS – West Coast Premiere At The Kabuki, 7/14
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=80577

JONAH HENDRICKSON – Sculptor of Harvey Milk Bust At City Hall
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=80449

DREAMGIRLS — Coming to SF, Box Office Opens on Sunday, 7/11
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=80404

IMPRESSIONISM AT TWILIGHT – Impressive Dining At the DeYoung
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=80296

STONEWALL UPRISING – New Documentary Captures Pivotal Moment in the Gay Rights Movement
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=80102

CD: EAKEN TRIO + 1, Quartets by Schumann and Brahms
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=79978

SILENT FILM FESTIVAL – Opens Thursday, July 15th, At the Castro Theatre
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=79834

YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN – "Puttin' On The Ritz" At the Golden Gate Theatre
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=79580

THE NEW CENTURY – Continues At NCTC Through July 11th
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=79698

DIE WALKÜRE and LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST – Final Performances Tonight and Friday
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=79383

SF PRIDE, 2010 – Videos of Ambassador James Hormel, Retired Navy Captain Joan E. Darrah, and Dykes On Bikes
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=79239

FROM BEGINNING TO END – At the Castro Theatre, FRAMELINE34
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=78854

THE STRANGER IN US – At the Castro Theatre, FRAMELINE34
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=78809

THE ABSINTHE DRINKERS – New Home for French Masterwork
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=78538

MARIA KALMAN – Coming to the Contemporary Jewish Museum, July 1st
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=78261

DEBORAH VOIGT – A Captivating "Fanciulla del West"
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=77858

CALDER TO WARHOL – Opens June 25th at San Francisco’s Museum of Modern Art
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=77604

IMPRESSIONIST PARIS: CITY OF LIGHT – At the Legion of Honor
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=77477

WAGNER'S "DIE WALKÜRE" – Flying In At San Francisco Opera
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=77218

FAUST – At SF Opera through July 1st
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=77051

SABINA ALLEMANN – Former SF Ballet Ballerina Returns In A.C.T.'s "The Tosca Project"
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=76516

CD/DVD Release: CAMERON LIVE! – Organist Cameron Carpenter
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=76093

THE RUFFATTI ORGAN & CAMERON CARPENTER at DAVIES HALL
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=76169

JEANETTE MacDONALD – Hollywood Diva Remembered at the War Memorial Opera House
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=75637

PINK MARTINI – Returns to Davies Symphony Hall, June 1st and 2nd
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=75182

GOUNOD’S “FAUST” – To Open SF Opera’s Summer Season, June 5th
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=75046

FRAMELINE34 – LGBT Film Festival Opens June 17th
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=74894

HOT GREEKS – Now through June 27th at The Hypnodrome
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=74384

BIRTH OF IMPRESSIONISM – Now at the de Young Museum
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=74024

MAYOR NEWSOM – Celebrates American Debut of Impressionist Masterpieces
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=73801

BLACK & WHITE BALL – Entertainment Announced for Saturday, May 22nd
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=73470

LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST – Opens June 9th at San Francisco Opera
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=73126

IN THE HEIGHTS – Hits the heights in San Francisco
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=72988

PETER PAN – Flying High In San Francisco
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=72604

IN THE HEIGHTS – Opens Wednesday At The Curran
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=72516

ZHANG HUAN’S "THREE HEADS SIX ARMS" – Dedication, May 12th
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=72121

ROMEO AND JULIET – Poetic Finale at SF Ballet
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=71635

TEATRO ZINZANNI – A Tenth Anniversary Gala Celebration
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=71054

AUDRA McDONALD – Returns to Davies Hall, Monday 4/26
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=70504

CHURCH STREET FLOWERS – On Exhibit at the de Young's "Bouquets To Art 2010"
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=69226

AMANDA McBROOM – A rose for new CD, "CHANSON"
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=68879

PROGRAM 6 – Beauty In Abundance At San Francisco Ballet
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=68702

CAMERON CARPENTER – Stellar Organist Returns to San Francisco May 2nd
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=68311

HANDEL'S "ORLANDO" – TONIGHT AT THE HERBST. An Interview with Conductor Nicholas McGagen
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=67774

MASTERPIECES FROM THE MUSÉE D'ORSAY – Coming to the de Young Museum
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=67511

WAKING SLEEPING BEAUTY – An Interview with Director Don Hahn and Producer Peter Schneider
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=66140

THE LITTLE MERMAID – “This Girl’s Got Everything!”
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=65498

CAMERON CARPENTER – At Davies Symphony Hall, May 2nd
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=64126

USS POTOMAC – A Pleasure Cruise on a Presidential Yacht
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=63852

PEARLS OVER SHANGHAI – An Interview with Russell Blackwood
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=63625

ALICE IN WONDERLAND – A Lot of Tempest in a Pot of Tea
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=62921

ROMAN POLANSKI – “The Ghost Writer”
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=61731

PIANIST MISHA DICHTER – A Conversation
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=59695

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF – Some Fancy Fiddling By Harvey Fierstein
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=59193

ZUILL BAILEY – A Conversation
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=58241

CREATION – A Challenging Film Biography on Charles Darwin
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=57307

DAVID PERRY – On the “Dos and Don’ts of Social Media”
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=56487

NATHAN GUNN – Sings Schubert's Die Schöne Müllerin
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=56056

CRITIC’S CHOICE: CD – MICHAEL MANIACI: Mozart Arias For Male Soprano
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=54523

THE 39 STEPS – Hitchcock To Stage Is Too Fabulous
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=52598

CAMINOS FLAMENCOS – A Conversation with Yaelisa
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=51761

A CONVERSATION WITH LUCIE ARNAZ – This Week At The Rrazz Room
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=51605

ON THE ORGAN – At the Legion of Honor
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=49615

JANE MONHEIT – This Sunday At The Empire Ballroom
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=48083

FLEETWEEK – Weekend Bash at Pier 39
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=45837

FLEET WEEK – A Conversation with Airshow Pilot Tim Weber
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=45460

CD – ZUILL BAILEY and SIMONE DINNERSTEIN, Beethoven’sComplete Works for Piano and Cello
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=39415

NORMA SHEARER – Hollywood Dreams Made Real
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=38082

THE EGYPTIAN (1954) – A Swords & Sandals Cultural Encounter at the de Young Museum
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=37554

DIANE BAKER – Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=32007

CAMERON CARPENTER – An Interview with Seán Martinfield
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=24462

AT LAST! – ANN HAMPTON CALLAWAY – An Interview with Seán Martinfield
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=27122

A Conversation with Ruben Martin Cintas, Principal Dancer with SF Ballet
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=22107

Best regards,
Seán Martinfield
SanFranciscoSentinel.com