BROCKWAY, N.Y. (EYT) – Brockway Area High School sophomore Mackenzie Hook got a surprise Christmas gift and went on a three-day intensive conference built around the hit musical Hamilton. Hook got to meet some cast members from the musical and spend a little time in New York City.
Mackenzie Hook (right) poses with Thayne Jasperson, an original Hamilton cast member.
“I was on Instagram and saw the intensive, so I decided to apply for it,” she said. “I need more theater experience because this is what I want to do for a career.”
The process was an intense experience for Hook. She sent her information on Christmas Eve and by Christmas night, she knew she was selected.”
“I was kind of surprised to be selected,” she said. “I was in the first 12 announced, and only 37 got to go. I expected people to have more experience than I do to get in.”
While there, Hook got to see productions of Phantom of the Opera and Wicked. Phantom was particularly interesting to her because some of her audition music came from that show.
“I sang songs from Phantom of the Opera, so I had to get into that character’s mindset during my workshops,” Hook said. “We auditioned from a talent agent and got feedback. She told me that I picked something very hard to sing. This is a specific sound, and not too many plays have this sound any more. So the key is to pick songs age-appropriate and modern.”
That was just one piece of advice she got from the show. She also learned that when she makes a resume, don’t include a special skill that she cannot do immediately in front of the judge.
“Like, don’t say you can do an impression if you can’t do them immediately,” Hook explained. “Also, you don’t want to make eye-contact with the judge or move your arms too much. For the resume, I realized that I had my formatting all wrong, but I learned how to fix that.”
Hook also learned different styles of dance as well as what to wear when going to an audition.
“Don’t cosplay!” she said. “They do not want you to dress up as a character! If you want to go for a certain part, like for Wicked, don’t wear dark clothing if you want Glenda. Dress kind of similar to the part you want.”
Hook said that Broadway shows have various singing techniques and some can be combined to sound more unique. For example, the pop/rock style is different than traditional Broadway, but they can work together. Also, the two styles have a different way of engaging the audience.
In the end, the intensive was an experience that helped solidify Hook’s goals.
“I got to see different singing styles and learn about different ways of performing,” she said. “Seeing the process got me excited to do theater. Everyone was so nice and supportive. They gave us advice on how to succeed.”
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