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| UC grad Myers, shown with Greg Procaccino, in the title role of CCM’s “Hello, Dolly” last summer. |
Be
a character actor.
I've had my limitations as we all do. I am not a leading lady in the traditional
sense, and I was never an ingenue. Luckily, the way my talent fits, I
am really a character person. So I think that has helped me when it’s
come to casting.
Be flexible.
There was a time when people wouldn't do television if they did movies.
Or they wouldn't do soap operas or commercials. Well, that's gone. If
you're in the entertainment business, you have to be open to doing all
kinds of work. You have to constantly reinvent yourself. In my 30-odd
years, I've done everything a musical performer can do.
Be a self-starter.
Think of different ways of marketing yourself. I've gotten roles over
the years through my agent, but that is not the primary way you get work.
You have to pursue work a lot. I get most of my work through direct contact
or booking it myself.
Keep yourself
in shape. When I did "Gypsy," someone said, "It's
so strenuous. How does she do it?" I "do it" by staying
in shape. Keep your voice in shape, too. Vocalize. Do that by singing
at least once a week.
Don't take
it personally. If you gain 20 pounds in this business, they'll
tell you. I've been told I was too fat, that I looked too old. It's personal,
brutal, and it always hurts. But you have to understand people hiring
in the business are selling a product. They want what they want. If you
get bitter, it just works against you.
Pace your life. Have your own limitations, and be strong about that. For
longevity, it takes a little thinking and foresight. "Am I going
to destroy my voice for the rest of my career?" It's not worth it.
There are certain things you have to learn as the years go by to protect
yourself.
Have a work
ethic. And try to be as pleasant as possible in the process.
As you get older, you have a chance to influence younger people. When
you play a lead, it has a lot to do with setting the tone of the company.
Younger people look to you to get their cues. I was not aware of that
when I was younger. I am now.
Myers is CCM's first musical theater graduate.
She received a Tony nomination for Stephen Sondheim's 1970 musical "Company."
She has appeared in many TV sitcoms and was a regular on the variety series
"Sha Na Na." This spring, she returns to Broadway in the revival
of Sondheim's "Into the Woods."
LINK: Read about Pam's induction into the Cincinnati Entertainment Awards Hall of Fame.
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