Tom Kitt Quotes

Musicals aren't two-dimensional froth.

When watching movies, I was always inspired by the performances of the cast. Of course, the story and the direction and all that intrigued me. But what actors would propel themselves to do, and be, was awesome. It was like, how could these people give so much?

To me, great writing - and when you can really make something wonderful out of it as an actor - is when your character has a sense of self-awareness. It doesn't necessarily have to arc. It doesn't have to grow.

Every step is basically a word, especially with musical theatre, because you're not doing it for dance's sake, you're promoting a story - and, more than that, a moral. You're propelling a story.

I just want to play strong characters, whatever that is in. For me, television is where it's at. You get to play a character for a long period of time, and you get to dig deep. It's a home to go to.

I love characters songs and I love to fit into a story. I love singing through a character's journey.

The pleasure from acting comes from having great writing to work with. If it's well written and the character is interesting, then, as an actor, that's the raw material I need.

I'd love to star in dark drama that audiences could really relate to.

I love doing theater so much - being in front of an audience and seeing how a character grows and develops with every performance.

What is more important is finding the soul of the character, and making sure it fits well into this story. And that it be dramatic and interesting and captivating, because these people weren't entertainers, you know.

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

Acting is like lying. The art of lying well. I'm paid to tell elaborate lies.

I've always been interested in character-driven pieces, and my approach to directing is through acting.

Acting is an imaginative leap, really, isn't it? And imaginations prosper in different circumstances.

I want to play characters that are interesting to watch.

When you act, you've got to be like a poet or a musician. It's not about evidence before court. It's not a forensic subject. It's poetry; it's a completely different place.

If you can have heart as well as the comedy, it takes you a lot further. I think that that's what we were trying to do with 'Gigi.'

One of the things I really love about TV is this symbiotic relationship you can get between the writers and the actors, and the characters start to come to life because you start to collaborate.

If people need to be informed by lines, then there's no reason why the actor is saying the line except for information for the audience; I think there's something wrong.

All the modern verse plays, they're terrible; they're mostly about the poetry. It's more important that the play is first.

Musicals are, by nature, theatrical, meaning poetic, meaning having to move the audience's imagination and create a suspension of disbelief, by which I mean there's no fourth wall.

As an actor, it's great to play a strong leader with a heart of gold.

It's not just a revue where one song is done, then another. There are concepts and ideas at work.

I think singing and acting go hand in hand. Take an R&B singer: one song says, 'I love you,' the next is, 'Baby, don't leave me', the next is, 'If you leave me I don't care.' You have to drop in and out of different perspectives.

The beauty of performance for me is finding details with which to betray character.