Brian Stokes Mitchell Quotes

I'm not a singer. In 'Bye Bye Birdie,' I think I was the sad girl who sits on the park bench during 'Put on a Happy Face.'

I was Danny Zuko in 'Grease,' and I was in the musical 'Sweet Charity' and then in the musical 'On the Twentieth Century.' They were great. I mean, singing isn't really my strong suit, but I just really enjoyed it.

When you're on stage, you're playing to whoever is in the back of the room, and TV and film is so much more detailed and nuanced, but I think that's what I always wanted to do. As much as I love theater and musical theater and would love to do it again, I really love the subtleties of film and theater acting.

I don't know why, but I was really good in that first play.

Doing a musical is not just acting. It's total theater. When you have to justify the enormous projection of energy it takes to just go into song and dance, you realized why it's such a humbling experience every time you go into a show.

In terms of trying to improve as an actor, for me it's always important to return to the stage. After doing a piece of theater for a prolonged period, I can think I must have surely improved in some way as an actor - you must be fitter than you were prior to doing it. For me, theater is very, very important in keeping things fresh and dangerous.

I've been able to perform in front of thousands of people on stage in a character that's nothing like me. I'm very shy.

When I was doing theater, I was very successful at believing that I was great, God's gift to the theater.

I did my first show when I was five and I was the King of the Oompa Loompas in 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.' The kids' theater company, I was the youngest one, so there wasn't a part for me, so they made me the king of the Oompa Loompas.

Of all the roles I've done on the stage, I'm partial to Cyrano de Bergerac.

When I was 15, I was asked to do 'Cyrano de Bergerac' at school, and it fundamentally changed my life. It's obviously an extraordinarily diverse and potentially electrifying part. It's a big leading part, and I hadn't really played anything like that before; I was the one doing the comedy side bit.

I was always the lead role in plays. I like entertaining people. I like when you're on stage doing crazy stuff and the audience gets it.

When I was 12, I played the Artful Dodger in Cameron McKintosh's production of 'Oliver!' when it came to Toronto. Just getting the role shocked my whole family, and I don't think I realized until then just how much I loved getting up in front of people and performing.

It was a wonderful experience to live the life for a year; to spend all day doing Shakespeare and then do a play in the evening.

I got started as an actress doing musical theater, and I always loved 'Grease' and 'West Side Story,' and all those kind of movies.

I did a musical that I don't think anybody ever saw, called 'One Shining Moment,' and in that cast was Megan Mullally and Kevin Anderson.

I know Mama Rose is a great role and I love having a chance to do it.

I was horribly shy all through grade school and high school. But somehow I got up the nerve to audition for one play in high school - 'Auntie Mame.' I got a small part as the fiancee who comes on in the end. I got laughs. I wasn't shy at all doing the part. I can do anything on stage and write it off as a character.

I love acting because it's empowering. It empowers me.

Secretly, I'm in awe of Broadway performers. I would love to perform at that level. I love the exchange with the audience. I love being able to sing and dance to express your emotions and the community and friendships that are formed when working on a theater piece.

I would love to play Bobby in 'Company.' Also, I would love to play George in 'Sunday.'

That's always something that's really important for an actor - to find an opportunity to do a scene where there is a moment like that, where you manage to connect with everyone.

I was in 'Rent,' for God's sake. The closest we came to stunts was dancing on a table.

Performing on stage is my first love - it's why I wanted to be an actor in the first place - and 'Arcadia' is the highlight of my career so far. I love the intimacy of a live theatre audience - you can really squeeze every last drop out of each scene.

Did I become a theater person right then, sitting in the Imperial Theater, waiting for the high piccolo note at the start of 'Pippin'? Maybe.