Listen to any cantor, any good hazan, sing and you can hear a little bit of Ray Charles going on.
Depending on what your interest in theater is, I always recommend working on plays. It's a great way to be introduced to the field, and also a great way to be seen by agents and representation. I'm also a great advocate for studying acting at a drama school or a college.
The problem is that to be a producer, one must be a gambler, and the greatest French producers were gamblers.