Gretel told TG all about playing Sandy, wearing ah-mazing costumes, and how she became a singing star!
Alex: How did you get into musical theatre?
Gretel: I grew up singing, dancing and acting since the age of 4. It was always in my life. However, it all started to fall into place when I decided to audition for WAAPA (Western Australia Academy of Performing Arts) to study Music Theatre. After graduating, I was lucky enough to be cast in an Australian musical straight away, and fortunately, haven't turned away since.
A: What is the difference with performing live in a theatre production and on TV?
G: The difference is TV has a very quick turn around. One week you will film one episode, the following week you are on to the next episode, as opposed to live theatre, where you learn all of your work and perform it to a live audience every night for a long time! Also, unlike TV, every live audience is different and every show can be a little different - and you can't rewind live theatre and start again!
A: Which do you prefer?
G: I've had a lot more experience and my heart will always be with live theatre, but would love to do TV one day too!
A: How did you score the role of Sandy in Grease?
G: I auditioned for a Pink Lady, but was called back for Sandy. After a long two week process of singing, acting and dance auditions, followed by callbacks, I received that phone call!
A: What do you like most about playing Sandy?
G: I like that Sandy is so different to the other Pink Ladies. The most fun is playing two completely different sides - the nice girl-next-door Sandy and the crazy Sandy!
A: You get to wear some pretty amazing 50s style costumes, which is your favourite?
G: I love all my costumes actually! But the daytime dress is my favourite. It's so girly and beautiful. I feel like a princess. :)
A: Do you have any tips for memorising your lines?
G: Repetition. Work out your own technique. How do you remember things? Are you a visual learner or a physical learner? Write them down or say them out loud.
A: Do you have any tips for getting rid of stage fright?
G: Breathe. Find out what it is that makes you so frightened of the audience. My one bit of advice is that the audience WANTS you to be good. So smile - they WANT to see you.
A: What are some things that an audience wouldn't know about the behind-the-scenes of a musical?
G: There's a lot that the audience wouldn't know. We have an entire team of performers backstage - the dressers, the wig department, the stage managers, the mechs, the electricians. Without them backstage, we have no show. They are so important to our show and audiences never see them.
A: What advice do you have for young girls who want to get into musical theatre?
G: Keep performing and watching as much theatre as possible. Keep training. Aim to audition for institutions like WAAPA. Stay focussed and understand that the Musical Theatre world will not spoon feed you. If you want something, you have to work and train hard for it.
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