I know we’ve talked about acting before, either via #NMTvotw or other posts on the Green Room. But I think it’s something that outside of the Green Room gets passed up a lot (we won’t even go into how infrequently dancing is talked about).

In general, singing and acting should never be separate things. A song is just words to music unless you put meaning behind it. But a lot of people take that to mean that they have to be big in their gestures and really emphasize the point. And while big is good and can really help you to connect and engage your audience, I’m here to advocate for the small gestures – the microexpressions, if you will. I find these to be a lot more meaningful and harder to “fake,” so they look a lot more real.

The best way to have these microexpressions is to connect to the piece you’re singing. That isn’t necessarily new advice, but I’m reusing it for you to think about it in a new context. Connect to the piece and really point yourself in that place. Where would you look when you said a certain phrase? Yourself, with your eyes closed? The sky, where you’re looking for answers? The person you’re singing to, if you’re so bold? This makes a difference, and the direction of your eyes is such a small thing that means so much.

This week’s #NMTvotw, Mark van Beelen, handles these micro-expressions in a way that really captures the song If I Ever Say I’m Over You by John Bucchino.

The post #NMTVotW: The Delicacy of Acting appeared first on The NewMusicalTheatre.com Green Room.