No more joy in Hollywood

If someone asks you if you know how to become a singer in Hollywood, what is he really asking you? After all, Hollywood is a relatively small suburb of Los Angeles. It’s not the home of country music like Nashville, or the home of jazz like New Orleans. No. What it is, is the perceived home of the American film industry. What they are really asking is: how can I sing in movies?

Far fewer celluloid musicals are made today than in decades past. Until the early 1970s, musicals were a mainstay of the film industry. Songs from classics like Singing in the Rain, South Pacific and Carousel can still be heard on the radio most days. Then there were all the movies made by Elvis Presley in the fifties, and the sixties saw the modern greats like West Side Story and My Fair Lady. Despite the popularity of musical theater on Broadway and the West End, it no longer seems to be a popular genre.

There have been many attempts to revive the musical movie business, and even Disney made its contribution with the successful High School Musical franchise. However, it must be said that the golden days are behind us and only the occasional musical blockbuster becomes a hit.

So it follows that with the decrease in the number of movies being made with singers, it will be a much more difficult industry to break into. If you look at the new musicals that are coming out now, like Les Miserable, you will see that most of the lead roles have been cast by actors who are not well known for their singing prowess. Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman aren’t best known for their vocal prowess, but producers need big names to appeal to moviegoing audiences.

Even the recent 3D movie “Glee,” based on the hit TV series of the same name, while popular, was not a box office hit. With perhaps the exception of Moulin Rouge and Mamma Mia, most people would have a hard time naming a movie musical from the last decade. With all that said, if you still want to know how to become a singer in Hollywood, then all you can do is look for a gig in the various clubs and bars in the area, and hope that the movie producer notices you. next big hit to come out of tinsel town.