---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I wanted to be on Broadway, but in…"
description: "\"I wanted to be on Broadway, but in musical comedy.\" — Carol Burnett"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d5/carol-burnett-3457_actor_i-wanted-to-be-on-broadway-but-in-musica_1431401.png"
---

#  I wanted to be on Broadway, but in musical comedy.

![“I wanted to be on Broadway, but in musical comedy.” quote by Carol Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d5/carol-burnett-3457_actor_i-wanted-to-be-on-broadway-but-in-musica_1431401.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d5/carol-burnett-3457_actor_i-wanted-to-be-on-broadway-but-in-musica_1431401.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d5/carol-burnett-3457_actor_i-wanted-to-be-on-broadway-but-in-musica_1431401.png)

> “I wanted to be on Broadway, but in musical comedy.”

[Carol Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-burnett/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Aspiration to perform musical comedy on Broadway

**In simple terms:** Wanting to be on Broadway in musical comedy

Key Takeaway

Pursue comedic musical performance on stage

Themes

performance comedy musical theater dreams

Mood

optimistic determined

Type

interview career

When to use this quote

- auditions
- improv classes
- songwriting
- networking

Key Concepts

Stage ambition artistic fusion

Questions to Reflect On

- What steps will you take to break into musical comedy?
- How do you handle rejection in the performing arts?

A Different Perspective

Broadway success requires perseverance and timing

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Broadway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broadway/) [Broadway musical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broadway-musical/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Musical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musical/) [Musical comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musical-comedy/) [Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted/) [Wanted Broadway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted-broadway-1036297/)

## Related quotes

> [No one expects a Broadway musical comedy to be in the vanguard of what is bohemian, raunchy, folkloric, academic or aggressively experimental. That is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margo-jefferson/no-one-expects-a-broadway-musical-comedy-to-be-in-the-vanguard-of/)

[Margo Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margo-jefferson/)

> [I went to School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, and we had a bunch of singing classes. My first job in New York was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-camp/i-went-to-school-of-the-arts-in-winston-salem-and-we-had-a-bunch-of/)

[Anna Camp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-camp/)

> [When 'Catch Me If You Can' was published back in 1980, I never dreamed that it would become a bestseller, much less a major…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-abagnale/when-catch-me-if-you-can-was-published-back-in-1980-i-never-dreamed/)

[Frank Abagnale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-abagnale/)

> [It's always been a dream of mine to do a voice for a Disney movie. I think Disney movies and theater are very closely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexa-ray-joel/it-s-always-been-a-dream-of-mine-to-do-a-voice-for-a-disney-movie-i/)

[Alexa Ray Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexa-ray-joel/)

> [I got the regular call, that they were doing a Broadway musical of Hairspray, and would I come and audition. I was familiar with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-fierstein/i-got-the-regular-call-that-they-were-doing-a-broadway-musical-of/)

[Harvey Fierstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-fierstein/)

> [Every year I go to Broadway to see a musical - I like the music. I saw 'Mamma Mia;' I saw 'Les Miserables;' I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-nadal/every-year-i-go-to-broadway-to-see-a-musical-i-like-the-music-i-saw/)

[Rafael Nadal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-nadal/)

> [Don't know about a cabaret act right now, would actually prefer a role in a broadway musical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-barr/don-t-know-about-a-cabaret-act-right-now-would-actually-prefer-a-role/)

[Julia Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-barr/)

> [At one point when I was very young, when I was first starting out, I thought, 'Well, one day I'll be able to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-burnham/at-one-point-when-i-was-very-young-when-i-was-first-starting-out-i/)

[Bo Burnham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-burnham/)

> [I have always wanted to be on Broadway, whether on ice or on the boards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-cousins/i-have-always-wanted-to-be-on-broadway-whether-on-ice-or-on-the-boards/)

[Robin Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-cousins/)

> [Making my Broadway debut was, in and of itself, just a dream come true. I've wanted to be on Broadway forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-slater/making-my-broadway-debut-was-in-and-of-itself-just-a-dream-come-true/)

[Ethan Slater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-slater/)

> [I always wanted to be a Broadway star. That's actually what I wanted to be when I was a kid. I wanted to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-victor-dixon/i-always-wanted-to-be-a-broadway-star-that-s-actually-what-i-wanted/)

[Brandon Victor Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-victor-dixon/)

> [I'd always wanted to be on Broadway one day, but it seemed like a dream that might be unattainable. This business has a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kara-lindsay/i-d-always-wanted-to-be-on-broadway-one-day-but-it-seemed-like-a/)

[Kara Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kara-lindsay/)

> [I've always wanted to do Broadway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chi-chi-devayne/i-ve-always-wanted-to-do-broadway/)

[Chi Chi DeVayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chi-chi-devayne/)

> [I was in musicals. and I was in the choir when I was younger. Before I started writing my own songs, I thought I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-van-etten/i-was-in-musicals-and-i-was-in-the-choir-when-i-was-younger-before-i/)

[Sharon Van Etten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-van-etten/)

> [I always wanted to be a Broadway girl. But once I got Tony-nominated, it really messed with me, because it was like, yes, I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-brooks/i-always-wanted-to-be-a-broadway-girl-but-once-i-got-tony-nominated/)

[Danielle Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-brooks/)

## More by Carol Burnett

> [Edgy is fine - I'm not a prude by any stretch of the imagination - but what's wrong with a good ol' belly laugh?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-burnett/edgy-is-fine-i-m-not-a-prude-by-any-stretch-of-the-imagination-but/)

[Carol Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-burnett/)

> [When I went to New York to try and make it, I never thought it wouldn't happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-burnett/when-i-went-to-new-york-to-try-and-make-it-i-never-thought-it-wouldn/)

[Carol Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-burnett/)

> [Because of YouTube, I'm getting fan mail from 10-year-olds and teenagers and college kids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-burnett/because-of-youtube-i-m-getting-fan-mail-from-10-year-olds-and/)

[Carol Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-burnett/)

> [My grandmother and I would go see movies, and we'd come back to the apartment - we had a one-room apartment in Hollywood -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-burnett/my-grandmother-and-i-would-go-see-movies-and-we-d-come-back-to-the/)

[Carol Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-burnett/)

> [“Because nobody goes though life without a scar.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-burnett/because-nobody-goes-though-life-without-a-scar/)

[Carol Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-burnett/)

> [My childhood was rough, we were poor and my parents were alcoholics, but nobody was mean. I knew I was loved. We were on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-burnett/my-childhood-was-rough-we-were-poor-and-my-parents-were-alcoholics/)

[Carol Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-burnett/)

> [I'm glad I was born when I was. My time was the golden age of variety. If I were starting out again now, maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-burnett/i-m-glad-i-was-born-when-i-was-my-time-was-the-golden-age-of-variety/)

[Carol Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-burnett/)

> [If you see a kid in school, who is a little shy ... that's when you should reach out. When you do, you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-burnett/if-you-see-a-kid-in-school-who-is-a-little-shy-that-s-when-you-should/)

[Carol Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-burnett/)

> [You know, one wonderful thing that came out of my Enquirer experience is that, in my case, it was ruled tabloids are magazines. Which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-burnett/you-know-one-wonderful-thing-that-came-out-of-my-enquirer-experience/)

[Carol Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-burnett/)

> [I have always grown from my problems and challenges, from the things that don't work out, that's when I've really learned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-burnett/i-have-always-grown-from-my-problems-and-challenges-from-the-things/)

[Carol Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-burnett/)

> [Daddy, when he drank, just became sweeter. There wasn't a mean thought in his body. I've always said he was like a drunk Jimmy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-burnett/daddy-when-he-drank-just-became-sweeter-there-wasn-t-a-mean-thought/)

[Carol Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-burnett/)

> [I always preferred working with somebody so I could look into their eyeballs and play tennis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-burnett/i-always-preferred-working-with-somebody-so-i-could-look-into-their/)

[Carol Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-burnett/)

> [I do the 'New York Times' crossword puzzle every morning to keep the old grey matter ticking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-burnett/i-do-the-new-york-times-crossword-puzzle-every-morning-to-keep-the/)

[Carol Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-burnett/)

> [I am not a joke-teller. Stand-up, I couldn't do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-burnett/i-am-not-a-joke-teller-stand-up-i-couldn-t-do/)

[Carol Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-burnett/)

> [It all happened the way it was supposed to. I wouldn't change anything. I had such a great run.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-burnett/it-all-happened-the-way-it-was-supposed-to-i-wouldn-t-change-anything/)

[Carol Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-burnett/)

[Explore all 130 Carol Burnett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-burnett/)

## More Actor quotes

> [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/)

[Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/)

> [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/)

[Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/)

> [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/)

[Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/)

> [There has got to be a way for me to have a role on TV or in film that is just as normal as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adeel-akhtar/there-has-got-to-be-a-way-for-me-to-have-a-role-on-tv-or-in-film-that/)

[Adeel Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adeel-akhtar/)

> [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/)

[David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/)

> [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/)

[Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/)

> [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/)

[Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/)

> [When I was 13, I auditioned for the theater school, and I was there for four years. In the meantime, I did my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-de-armas/when-i-was-13-i-auditioned-for-the-theater-school-and-i-was-there-for/)

[Ana de Armas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-de-armas/)

> [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/)

[Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/)

> [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/)

[Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/)

> [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/)

[Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/)

> [Actors don't hate acting. Most people don't hate acting! Whether you're a child mucking around with your friends or a grown up being paid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-hewson/actors-don-t-hate-acting-most-people-don-t-hate-acting-whether-you-re/)

[Liv Hewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-hewson/)

> [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/)

[Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/)

> [I never planned to do female roles. It just happened. I was typecast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divine/i-never-planned-to-do-female-roles-it-just-happened-i-was-typecast/)

[Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divine/)

> [Once I committed to acting, this has been it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-hudson/once-i-committed-to-acting-this-has-been-it/)

[Ernie Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-hudson/)

[Browse all 21,590 Actor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I wanted to be on Broadway, but in musical comedy.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Carol Burnett"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-burnett/i-wanted-to-be-on-broadway-but-in-musical-comedy/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Actor"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-burnett/i-wanted-to-be-on-broadway-but-in-musical-comedy/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d5/carol-burnett-3457_actor_i-wanted-to-be-on-broadway-but-in-musica_1431401.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d5/carol-burnett-3457_actor_i-wanted-to-be-on-broadway-but-in-musica_1431401.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7d5/carol-burnett-3457_actor_i-wanted-to-be-on-broadway-but-in-musica_1431401.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I wanted to be on Broadway, but in musical comedy.” — Carol Burnett",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Carol Burnett",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-burnett/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I wanted to be on Broadway,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-burnett/i-wanted-to-be-on-broadway-but-in-musical-comedy/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-burnett/i-wanted-to-be-on-broadway-but-in-musical-comedy/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
