Performing Quotes

“One forgets that part of one's performance is one's history—or sometimes the lack of it. You're playing against what an audience knows, what they expect. This seems to be true of all performers; there's baggage that gets carried into the venue that we can't see.”

“In musical performances one can sense that the person on stage is having a good time even if they're singing a song about breaking up or being in a bad way. For an actor this would be anathema, it would destroy the illusion, but with singing one can have it both ways. As a singer, you can be transparent and reveal yourself on stage, in that moment, and at the same time be the person whose story is being told in the song. Not too many kinds of performance allow that.”

“I like performing because it's direct contact with live people. I write a good deal of the time but that's introspective creation rather than interaction.”

“We become just by performing just actions temperate by performing temperate actions brave by performing brave actions.”

“Public services are never better performed than when their reward comes only in consequence of their being performed, and is proportioned to the diligence employed in performing them.”

“If you are a musician,sing to one as if you were singing to a million.If you are a dancer,dance to one as if you were dancing to a million.If you are a performer,perform to one as if you were performing to a million.”

“Dare to outlearn your best performance.”

“Performing is an experience, for me, that is as humbling as it is energizing.”

“I'm thankful for performing as long as I am allowed.”

“Men acquire a particular quality by constantly acting a particular way... you become just by performing just actions, temperate by performing temperate actions, brave by performing brave actions.”