But a Broadway star, or at least a working actor or dancer who doesn't have to wait on tables or drive a cab to pay the bills every month?
Exactly, according to Peter Sklar, a nationally known educator, author and talent scout who's discovered and worked with hundreds of young performers during his 34-year show business career.
Speaking to nearly 20 young hopefuls and an equal number of parents at the Academy of Dance Arts on Sunday, Sklar revealed the four secrets he said would guarantee them a successful career as an actor, singer or dancer, provided they were sufficiently talented, dedicated, motivated, lucky and connected to pursue those professions in the first place.
Using humor and a genial, but firm manner, Sklar debunked a number of myths that have been propagated for years by modeling companies, parents and guidance counselors advising youngsters interested in show business career.
"It was better than I thought. He actually gave us good advice,'' said 15-year-old Margo Virzera of Brookfield, a veteran of several other seminars where she learned a lot less. "If you want it bad enough, you'll (follow) it."
While talent, training, perseverance, luck and a half-dozen other qualities are essential to pursue a career as a performer, having them merely puts you on the same level as anyone else auditioning for a role, Sklar said.
What the people involved in casting any production really look for, Sklar said, is likeability and believability. The key to those qualities is "being aware of how you feel about yourself...you will be more open and more real."
"You cannot fool these people. They know too much, and there is too much money at stake," Sklar said.
Likewise, a good diet is important because a performer who shows up for an audition looking tired or unhealthy is at a disadvantage. Healthy eating habits start now, not when someone is already trying to break into the business and is running between auditions and worried about paying the rent.
"If you don't walk out of this lecture and start eating well, it's not going to happen for you," he said.
Also to be avoided, Sklar told the performers, most of them girls between the ages of 7 and 17, are boyfriends.
"You can't have a boyfriend, ever, until you're at least 25," he said, a remark that probably gladdened a few fathers in the audience.
Single people are more motivated than those who are in serious relationships, he said.
"People who aren't single don't need it as much,'' he said.
While unperturbed about Sklar's comments regarding boyfriends, 15-year-old Chelsea Scalzo said she "was surprised'' by his final piece of advice.
He told the budding performers to ignore parents, teachers and guidance counselors who advise them to "have something to fall back on'' in case show business doesn't work out.
"That's death to a young performer. People who have a backup plan don't invest the same energy and focus as people who don't have one,'' he said.
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