Musical Theatre Acting - by Jv Mercanti (Paperback)

About the Book

A guide to the musical theatre artist, student, or professional who needs a refresher on how to hone and sharpen their skills that Booklist calls "practical and handy."

Book Synopsis

A guide to the musical theatre artist, student, or professional who needs a refresher on how to hone and sharpen their skills that Booklist calls "practical and handy."

Review Quotes

A fiercely lucid guide to a life in the theatre. As luminously practical as it is wise. But what makes this book so special to me is the clear-eyed joy with which it expresses a love of the theater as the study of life - in all its strangeness, contradictions and beauty.

JV has written a book I wish I had had in my hands before entering the theater industry. He clearly details the true work of an actor, both in and outside of the rehearsal room, offering an approach that is both refreshingly practical (as promised) and surprisingly holistic. With educational material, content is often absorbed to the degree its messenger is believed. To this point, JV#39;s book is most effective because of the profound love and gratitude for actors that infuse every page.

JV Mercanti has written a most delightful book on how to be a thoughtful, grounded, smart, creative actor. Easy to read and completely compelling, it should be read by everyone in love with the theater who wants to know more and be more. JV truly knows his stuff and shares that wisdom with great humor and intelligence. Get into it!

JV Mercantirsquo;s Musical Theatre Acting: A Practical Guide is an absolute essential for any actor, director or theatre-maker at whatever stage in their career. For the emerging, it offers an essential doable guide for building a craft around the work of being a storyteller. For the veterans, it offers necessary touchstones and reminders to the joys of pursuing, nurturing (and even sharing) this craft with others. For all of us, it offers an understanding of the traditions that drew us to this magical work while also pointing us to what else is possible for musical theatre. And the hopeful thing it leaves us with is that it is our individual work that will create those possibilities. I HOPE you get this book.

Muscular, empowering and chock full of ways to learn to direct yourself, this essential resource gives those who pick it up the courage to trust themselves and their craft.

This is an incredibly important book, required reading for all young artists in pursuit of professional work in the musical theatre from a master teacher and director. It also serves as a great refresher for working professionals. JV gives us a how-to manual on how to organically connect to the material and allow our authentic selves to shine.

This is one of the most comprehensive handbooks on musical theatre performing I have come across in over a decade. Maybe two decades. JV has created a complex, layered, and shockingly user-friendly way to better oneself in this industry. And I appreciate that it focuses on MUSICAL THEATRE... because it#39;s a different animal than anything else. As happy as I am with my career in musical theatre, I wish I would have had this book when I was seriously considering this as a career. Because it#39;s undoubtedly informative and helpful, but it also just gives extreme non-patronizing confidence in the performer. This is a "read once a year" kind of book for any actor.

With this excellent book, JV Mercanti gives the musical theatre actor a comprehensive, challenging, and completely practical way to not only do the work of acting in a musical, but to kindle the spark of inspiration that makes magic onstage possible. Itrsquo;s an invaluable contribution to the canon of acting study, and a brilliant opportunity for those of us who are professional theatre-makers to revisit hard-won lessons learned in bracingly fresh ways.

About the Author

JV Mercanti is a tenured associate professor in Pace University's Musical Theatre BFA program. He has worked as a casting director for the Broadway revivals of Cyrano de Bergerac (starring Kevin Kline and Jennifer Garner) and Romeo & Juliet (starring Orlando Bloom and Condola Rashad); as the associate director on the 2022 Emmy-winning TV production of Jesus Christ Superstar Live; and as the associate director on the Britney Spears jukebox musical Once Upon a One More Time. He is also editor of the monologue series "In Performance," published by Applause Books.