How can I succeed in musical theater?

If you love it, then keep at it. Do as much as you can. Get your degree in it and persevere. But you may also need a "day job" - some sort of steady paycheck until you can do the music more full-time. If you enjoy teaching, there is always a need for music teachers. But if you are a performer at heart, then just keep auditioning and above all, enjoy it! All the best to you!

The first thing you need to do is define success. What does it mean to you to be successful?

The next question to answer is how much training do you have in voice, dance and acting? Being a triple-threat in the professional world is no small task. Figure out how you would categorize yourself -- are you a Triple-Threat? A singer who dances? a Dancer who sings? an Actor who sings? Etc.

And lastly, for Musical Theatre you will want to eventually live in NYC. Until you've experienced a Chorus Call for a Broadway show, you won't know for sure if you want to do this forever and ever. I've done it. It can be daunting. The good thing is, that for many chorus calls, they will have non-equity sign-ups, meaning you don't need to be a union member to audition. You won't get into every audition, but you will get into many. And NYC has many workshops, student productions and the like which are run by non-union companies. You will want to join the union when you can, but you can still find opportunities in the meanwhile.

And one thing is the same -- no matter what performing art you're in: You need to get accustomed to rejection. You can audition 100 times, and not book a gig. Don't take it personally. Do take lessons. Take classes, find a teacher you trust -- one that's brutally honest -- and work hard, accept criticism, and let it help you grow. It's not an easy path, but it's a rewarding one.