<p>I think this might be a first time question. My daughter and her friends were talking about surprised they are to know how many people in this industry smoke. Hollywood of course, FILLED with smokers. But even broadway percentages could be high (any statistics?) My daughter and friends know kids already in drama programs and said it is rampant. It is mostly attributed to “weight control”, but I don’t know how the singers can do it. My daughter has worked this year in regional theater and half the cast smoked. Do your children smoke? (Can you be sure???) How did Julie Andrews get away with it all those years (albeit a sad ending)? I know it is bad for multiple health issues but what are the direct effects on the vocal cords?</p>
<p>Oooh CoachC where are you?!? I asked CoachC a few weeks ago for info on this, because I was trying to convince my sister to quit smoking. C’mon out, wherever you are! Master’s degree, Schmaster’s degree. CC folks need you!</p>
<p>I also know a lot of MT people with great voices who smoke. I even smoked for a couple years - and honestly, I didn’t notice any change in my voice at all, but I was never what you would call a heavy smoker, either. Although, CoachC says ANY amount of smoking is detrimental, so I’m waiting anxiously to hear what she says about it. I met one of the current ensemble members of the B-way cast of Wicked, and he not only smoked (and not just cigarettes), he also did a few other things that are DEATH for vocal cords (think the movie Blow.) Yet the guy is 44 and has been working professional in MT for like 20 years.</p>
<p>Julie Andrews smokes?! I heard that Barbra Streisand smokes, too, but I heard it was just one cigarette a day or something. Is that true? This is crazy!</p>
<p>I’m with you guys, I just don’t understand. I come from a smoking home, both parents and a lot of my friends do it. I can’t stand it and I always tell them to not do it around me because I know how horrible it is for your voice. I know a lot of “straight” drama/film actors smoke, but why someone in MT would ever want to. I mean they have to know it’s bad for them, but I guess they just get started with one every now and then at parties or something and slowly the body becomes dependant and then they’re chain smokers. It’s just such a stupid and reckless thing to do, and not just for the voice but the body as well. I don’t touch anything like that, not even alcohol, which may ostracize me especially since I’m in college, but I don’t care.</p>
<p>I guess they think that the dangerous effects will “never happen to them”. And then you have actresses like Idina Menzel, who apparently smokes, and it’s a shame that all that talent is going to go to waste in the eventual future because of stupid habit.</p>
<p>As for that ensemble member of “Wicked”, well that’s just awful. Yet unfortunately that lifestyle is more common in the art world than we know. And no matter what it will eventually catch up with you.</p>
<p>If anyone has ever witnessed the last stages of a relatively young person dying from lung cancer (I HAVE), then they would never, ever smoke. I personally abhor it. When I see a young person smoke it makes me insanely angry.</p>
<p>I know that when young people take up smoking (for whatever reason) they think, “Oh, I will just stop eventually, this won’t last forever”–but this isn’t true. They think that it will never catch up with them. Wrong. Casual smokers get heart disease, asthma, strokes and other respiratory complications.</p>
<p>PLEASE, DON"T SMOKE!!!</p>
<p>Freelance posted exactly what I wanted to post when I read the OP. It bears repeating. Singer or not, DON"T SMOKE! It leads to several diseases including lung cancer and it is not a small chance of getting it but a big chance. My dad smoked as a young person and quit around age 40. Led perfectly healthy life and thankfully gave up smoking. But at age 75 he got lung cancer, which by the way, is usualy diagnosed too late because the symptoms do not appear until it is too late and it is horrible. He got five months. He said he wished he had never smoked in his life and regretted it, though I do believe the fact that he gave it up, gave him a longer life. My daughter donated all the proceeds of a show she produced and directed to the American Cancer Society (my dad died during her rehearsal period) and I know SHE knows that smoking is a killer.</p>
<p>I think anyone who smokes knowing the huge risks of doing so is making the wrong mistake. This is true for ANYONE. Even a singer. On top of the major health risks, I can’t imagine someone who is truly serious about singing and a career to do with singing, EVER considering smoking. I don’t have to be a voice specialist to know that smoking cannot be good for a singer. </p>
<p>I have never had a cigarettee in my life, have never been tempted to do so and neither have my children. When I read this post, I thought about all their friends both IN and OUT of theater and I do not think ANY smoke. One of my kids is an athlete. Same idea. While I may not know every single thing about their friends, I have been around them a lot, have never seen anyone smoke and my kids never have commented that any smoke, and my kids just are not into it and I think I’m right that none of their friends smoke. I have rarely seen any kids in my area smoke and I think this generation is not smoking as much as teens did when I grew up to be “cool”. I’ve never run into a teen smoking in any of the settings I’ve seen them in here or when visiting my college kids. Maybe it is their crowd, I have no idea. It is not prevalent. I cannot name one person their age who smokes. </p>
<p>PLEASE DON"T SMOKE!!!</p>
<p>when i left wicked, i went near the stagedoor in hopes of seeing some cast members. i observed the same thing. </p>
<p>maybe that is why they are in the ensemble and not a lead.</p>
<p>chris</p>
<p>Yes, I remember how upset my D and her friend were when they found out that Idina Menzel smokes. (Not sure if she still does, but apparently she used to, back when Wicked was first staged in New York.)
My D kept saying “A singer smoking is like a violinist leaving her violin out in the rain. It just doesn’t make sense.”
Another friend of my D’s smokes, and this kid is a terrific opera singer. It upsets my D, but she realizes that people have to make their own decisions about these things.</p>
<p>My D who has done several local productions in the smae theatre complex as the boradways tour, says if you want to meet cast folks hang out by the stage door during the show. Several of them head up in robes for a quick smoke - she saw this during Hairspray, Mille, and most recently Joseph. This has also been a subject on a ballet board I frequent about how many young dancers, male and female, with in 6 months of taking company, aprrentice, and even trainee positions start smoking. Part is a weight issues, part is social it seems from this and a chance to release stress by stepping out for a smoke.
The stress on not smoking in schools for young performers seems to be very hard to up hold when they have to take on such a high stress life.</p>
<p>I’d like to go one step further and say…no smoking and no substance abuse period (including underage drinking which is so hypocritically accepted). Most people who know me are astonished when they find out that I was a heavy smoker and drinker at one time. Thank goodness I had the will power to quit in my late 20s…powerful addictions to conquer! Let’s just say that life hit me over the head one day and the light bulb went on that I needed to lead by example for my children. Nothing burns me more than parents supplying alcohol for their underage children…and even going to the outlandish extent of partying with them. It’s all too important to teach our kids to enjoy life without overindulgence. We can talk all about how important it is for our kids to learn to gracefully handle rejection, but how about teaching them to face life head on without vices.</p>
<p>There I go…sorry for the rant!! Just my little soap box.</p>
<p>SUE aka 5pants</p>
<p>A professional dancer told me that he started smoking so he could get more breaks during rehearsal. He said that if he was worn out and needed a break, they would see him as lazy, but everyone understood a “smoking break”.
I just couldn’t understand why he would want to smoke…</p>
<p>keepingcalm, I am not sure if it is the high stress life that causes a number of formerly non-smoking performers to begin smoking, or the stress of peer pressure.</p>
<p>I think peer pressure, whether it is in middle school or in the touring company of a Broadway musical, is probably the main factor that starts formerly non-smoking kids down the road to smoking. I would guess that a young dancer who joins a company and sees older, more experienced dancers and principals smoking probably starts smoking as a way to be one of them, if you know what I mean. Other dancers probably also tout it as a weight control measure. Smoking may become a badge of belonging to that group (the professionals) that the younger performer has longed to be part of for a very long time.</p>
<p>Stress alone can’t be the answer, because if one has never smoked before, one would not necessarily view inhaling smoke as a way to relieve that stress, if you know what I mean. (Like most of you, I am under plenty of stress in my life, and when I am frazzled, I don’t think “Wow, maybe if I got myself a pack of Marlboros and smoked them all, I would feel better.” Smoking as a stress relieving mechanism doesn’t occur to me.) </p>
<p>I guess what I am saying, in my usual long-winded way, is that it’s probably the stress of peer pressure that makes young performers who have never smoked before take up the habit, rather than a need to relieve stress. My two cents. </p>
<p>Lisa, who grew up in a two smoker household and loathes cigarette smoke</p>
<p>My D is very concerned about this as well. She asked several of the schools how many of their students smoked and most of them said there were a lot or “more than we wish”. If the students from CC can keep from smoking and already realize how bad it is- maybe you can help turn things around. I hope you can all stick to what you know is right and lead by example. I have faith in all of you.</p>
<p>Couldn’t agree more! Well said!</p>
<p>I have a couple friends on Broadway right now who smoke. Adam Pascal smokes (after all, you can hear it in his voice). Additionaly, I knew a guy who played roger in Rent two years ago. He was a pretty heavy smoker and ruined his voice. He had to drop the show and his entire career ended like that.</p>
<p>DON’T SMOKE. especially if you’re going into MT</p>
<p>Well said, Sue. I am with you all the way, vis a vis parents who, in an effort to be “cool” or who want to be pals with their kids (instead of being parents) supply the alcohol and put up with the drugs and smoking of underage kids in their houses. I have heard numerous parents say “Well, if they have to do it, I would prefer it to be in my home, where I can make sure they are safe,” and I just don’t buy that. Does it occur to these parents that, if nothing else, drinking and smoking are illegal for kids that age, and that by allowing those activities in their homes, they are basically giving their kids permission to break the law?
Big sigh.
The other irony is parents who themselves smoke and drink heavily and then tell their kids “Do as I say, and not as I do.” Good luck with that. I think we all know from experience that, no matter what we say, our kids do notice and model and learn from our behavior. (That’s why we find ourselves sounding just like our mothers, and saying things we swore we would never say! :))
L</p>
<p>Parents of highschoolers who allow drinking parties in their homes are NUTS in more ways than one. </p>
<p>About the smoking, I honestly can’t imagine my kids wanting to hang around other kids who smoke. They don’t. </p>
<p>I did not think there was peer pressure to smoke this days like back in our day. I thought that anti-smoking messages has improved this situation. Perhaps I am naive. I do not think my kids are under any pressure to smoke cigarettes and their peer groups don’t seem to smoke. Alchohol is more prevalent, however.</p>
<p>NotmamaRose-</p>
<p>Glad to hear you chime in with me.</p>
<p>My youngest son had a real bad experience last Homecoming as he witnessed one of his friends passed out after doing 12 shots in an hour. The house they were at was hosted by parents who were trying to be “friends” to their daughter and her friends. S confronted the parents face to face regarding the the dangers of hosting such a party…the mother had the gall to tell S that she would rather the kids make their mistakes under her roof than go off to college and do it. After my S went home she announced to the kids at the party that they should be careful not to let my S know of any future parties because he would get them in trouble. We have now heard that she drinks and dances with the kids who come to party nearly every weekend. Evidently she is trying to manufacture the “fun” childhood that she probably never had…twisted as it is. So, so dispictable…as she is a social worker and the father a pyschologist. </p>
<p>S has lost a lot of friends since that night, but he wisely and maturely realizes that they weren’t friends afterall. Also he has since then joined an ATODA group (Alcohol, Tobacco, & Other Drugs of Abuse) which speaks out against abuse and has been trying to bring awareness to the community that more role models are desparately needed so that kids don’t look to the wrong crowd. It’s been a bit of a lonely road, but his character has grown immensely.</p>
<p>Please parents…think about what example you are <strong>really</strong> setting.</p>
<p>SUE aka 5pants</p>
<p>Smoking is a real issue in my house I smoke (unfortunately). My oldest S has a “NO SMOKING” sign in his room, and my MT S will try to stay away from me sometimes. I hate that I smoke and am going to try to kick it again. My MT S is terrified of anything that could hurt his voice, smoking or drinking, he will point out older local performers who smoke and say their voices arent very good anymore, and we’ve pointed out performers who have lost their voices and careers due to drinking. But then there is an “old style” very famous Las Vegas performer who we all love, even the kids, who was often on stage with a drink and a ciggarette. The local kids all know that he won’t drink or smoke so there is a lot of parties that he’s not invited to and I know it hurts him, but I am proud of him for taking the hard road. I have noticed that in our school many of the theater “techies” tend to smoke, less with the singers, but lots of the singers/actors drink. He would hate me for saying this but I hope when he’s away at college and has more “freedom” that he doesn’t try this stuff to “fit in”. Allthough the school he is going to is small and has very strict rules about smoking and drinking.
- also, I am really surprised that many professionals smoke, I can’t believe they would threaten their “tools” with smoking!</p>
<p>Living in CA I am spoiled by the lack of exposure to second hand smoke. It always shocks me when we go somewhere and are asked if we want a smoking/ non smoking section of a restaurant. Icckkk! I like food too much to have some nasty ashtray smell interfere with my enjoyment of it.</p>
<p>5pants- I am sorry to hear that your son was being stigmatized for being a smart kid. What a ridiculous example for a parent to set. Last year at Prom my D and her friends changed what party they would attend after they found out there would be alchohol there. It’s common knowledge among the kids which parents allow/ condone such things and which don’t.
When I have hosted afterparties for Prom and Winter Formal, the kids and parents know that I will be there, in close proximity to the kids until they all leave.</p>
<p>srw, good for you for trying to quit. I have read some research on smoking, and it shows that addiction to nicotine is harder to break than is addiction to heroin. In other words, it’s not easy to quit. Far from it. I have the utmost respect for anyone who has overcome any type of addiction, be it to cigarettes or alcohol or other drugs. Increasingly, research is showing that certain people’s brains are more susceptible to becoming addicted than are the brains of other people, so much of it is genetic.
srw, have you considered hypnosis as a means of helping you quit? I ask only because my parents, both hardcore smokers who started in their early teens, used hypnosis to quit. It was very successful, though my mother missed smoking right up to the day she died. (Last year this month, of cancer, probably ovarian but perhaps colon.) My dad, however, is the most ardent anti smoking former smoker I have ever seen. He loathes the smell of cig. smoke, probably because the post-hypnotic suggestion he was given said that the smell would give him a nasty taste in his mouth. But it worked. It might be worth a try. Best of luck.
L</p>