--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think there's that weird bastardization…" description: "\"I think there's that weird bastardization where musical theatre actors are treated as almost like vaudevillians or circus performers - that we're someh..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/881/laura-benanti-7592_actors_i-think-there-s-that-weird-bastardizatio_1440966.jpg" --- # I think there's that weird bastardization where musical… ![“I think there's that weird bastardization where musical theatre actors are treated as almost like vaudevillians or circus performers - that we're somehow not good actors because we sing and dance.” quote by Laura Benanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/881/laura-benanti-7592_actors_i-think-there-s-that-weird-bastardizatio_1440966.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/881/laura-benanti-7592_actors_i-think-there-s-that-weird-bastardizatio_1440966.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/881/laura-benanti-7592_actors_i-think-there-s-that-weird-bastardizatio_1440966.jpg) > “I think there's that weird bastardization where musical theatre actors are treated as almost like vaudevillians or circus performers - that we're somehow not good actors because we sing and dance.” [Laura Benanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-benanti/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Actors who sing and dance are often unfairly compared to vaudeville or circus performers, suggesting they lack serious acting skill. **In simple terms:** Musical theatre actors face unfair stereotypes. Key Takeaway Challenge the stereotype by highlighting dramatic depth. Themes stereotypes musical theatre acting performance artistic legitimacy Mood frustrated defensive Type critical defensive When to use this quote - audition preparation - casting discussions - public speaking - media interviews Key Concepts typecasting performance hierarchy artistic value Questions to Reflect On - How can musical theatre demonstrate dramatic credibility? - What examples break the stereotype? A Different Perspective Some audiences still view musical theatre as less serious. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Actors Sing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors-sing-2294325/) [Actors Treated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors-treated-658947/) [Circus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circus/) [Good actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-actors/) [Musical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musical/) [Musical theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musical-theatre/) [Performers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performers/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Theatre actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre-actors/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Treated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treated/) [Weird Bastardization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weird-bastardization-5156797/) ## Related quotes > [I teach a lot of young musical theatre actors, and I notice that a lot of them say that they have a harder time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsay-mendez/i-teach-a-lot-of-young-musical-theatre-actors-and-i-notice-that-a-lot/) [Lindsay Mendez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsay-mendez/) > [Honestly, I actually would really love to see more musical theatre actors do the movie adaptations of shows - I think that would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-degarmo/honestly-i-actually-would-really-love-to-see-more-musical-theatre/) [Diana DeGarmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-degarmo/) > [I have been in situations where actors are treated like robots: say the lines, say it like this, we don't have time for conversations.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nia-long/i-have-been-in-situations-where-actors-are-treated-like-robots-say/) [Nia Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nia-long/) > [I never said all actors are cattle; what I said was all actors should be treated like cattle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-hitchcock/i-never-said-all-actors-are-cattle-what-i-said-was-all-actors-should/) [Alfred Hitchcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-hitchcock/) > [I'll admit I started off getting actors to sing my compositions as a marketing strategy, to give the songs and films extra mileage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gopi-sundar/i-ll-admit-i-started-off-getting-actors-to-sing-my-compositions-as-a/) [Gopi Sundar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gopi-sundar/) > [Often you get wonderful singers who maybe aren't as strong as actors, or you get wonderful actors who can't sing very well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hanson/often-you-get-wonderful-singers-who-maybe-aren-t-as-strong-as-actors/) [Alexander Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hanson/) > [It's alright to make an actor sing if the director already has an ideal sequence in his film. But I am totally against bringing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-jayachandran/it-s-alright-to-make-an-actor-sing-if-the-director-already-has-an/) [M. Jayachandran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-jayachandran/) > [Since in western countries, actors sing in musical films... when international audience got to know about the fact that in Bollywood, we actors do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pooja-batra/since-in-western-countries-actors-sing-in-musical-films-when/) [Pooja Batra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pooja-batra/) > [I've always preferred actors who sing to singers who act in all the shows I've done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-sondheim/i-ve-always-preferred-actors-who-sing-to-singers-who-act-in-all-the/) [Stephen Sondheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-sondheim/) > [I am happy film stars are singing in their films. I hope to work as a music director for a film where actors will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yo-yo-honey-singh/i-am-happy-film-stars-are-singing-in-their-films-i-hope-to-work-as-a/) [Yo Yo Honey Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yo-yo-honey-singh/) > [There's an infantilization that happens to actresses in general - musical theatre, straight theatre, television, film - we're spoken to like children. Actors are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-benanti/there-s-an-infantilization-that-happens-to-actresses-in-general/) [Laura Benanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-benanti/) > [I feel like people used to leave their homes and go to their local theatre, and they used to watch ballet dancers and musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-benanti/i-feel-like-people-used-to-leave-their-homes-and-go-to-their-local/) [Laura Benanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-benanti/) > [I do think that there is an almost more old fashioned mentality to the way musical theatre people and actresses especially are treated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-benanti/i-do-think-that-there-is-an-almost-more-old-fashioned-mentality-to/) [Laura Benanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-benanti/) > [Musical theatre is my first love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-benanti/musical-theatre-is-my-first-love/) [Laura Benanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-benanti/) > [I was a little girl who grew up idolizing musical-theatre stars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-benanti/i-was-a-little-girl-who-grew-up-idolizing-musical-theatre-stars/) [Laura Benanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-benanti/) ## More by Laura Benanti > [I think that people are most comfortable when they can put you in a box - and that's very easy to do that when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-benanti/i-think-that-people-are-most-comfortable-when-they-can-put-you-in-a/) [Laura Benanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-benanti/) > [That's all TV acting is. 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So anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-benanti/i-really-do-love-the-muppets-my-sister-used-to-call-them-the-muffets/) [Laura Benanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-benanti/) > [There were TVs everywhere. When we weren't on stage, we were watching what America was watching and rooting for each other and our leading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-benanti/there-were-tvs-everywhere-when-we-weren-t-on-stage-we-were-watching/) [Laura Benanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-benanti/) > [Usually, in musical theater, if you sing operatically or if you sing in a legit style, you're the heart of the show. You maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-benanti/usually-in-musical-theater-if-you-sing-operatically-or-if-you-sing-in/) [Laura Benanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-benanti/) > [I was always a little adult. Even as a little kid, I just couldn't understand why I was surrounded by all these kids. 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