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Vanessa Hudgens is Gigi

By Shannon

In recent years, Broadway Producers have looked to stronger strategies to bring shows to Broadway – a formula that is safer than bringing a musical to Broadway cold. With a big, Broadway name, a show may fare better or have a longer period to warm itself to the city’s audience and for word to spread, and the current Broadway production of Gigi is no exception. Gigi stars Vanessa Hudgens, and opened on Broadway in January after an out-of-town tryout in DC. With a cast recording on the way and genuine buzz, it’s clear that Gigi is a delicious cake of the Broadway season, and Hudgens is the cherry on top.

Vanessa Hudgens exceeded expectations the night she made her Broadway Debut as the title role in Gigi. Oftentimes, child stars are never quite able to match the success that they achieved in their youth, but Hudgens is the rare exception, maintaining her star status, notably for her work now in Gigi. However, Hudgens has now revealed that she belongs in live theater and has trained for it since she was a little girl. After starring as Mimi in Rent at the Hollywood Bowl and moving up to Gigi, Hudgens has wowed Broadway fans with her talent and work ethic, and is no longer viewed as the young High School Musical star. 

Vanessa’s interpretation of Gigi’s playful, yet chic characterization was praised by others.  Entertainment Weekly was charmed by Hudgens’ allure. They claim her Gigi to be tomboyish and sprightly, yet a true beauty with eyes that twinkle, “even as she’s rolling them”. Furthermore, Variety declares that Hudgens has vocal dominance over the other actors with a clarion voice of an “unabashed Broadway belter”. Variety particularly enjoyed Hudgens’ delivery of “The Night They Invented Champagne”, claiming that the song suited her style and closed the First Act with a rousing performance on Vanessa’s part.

Hudgens pleasantly surprises Broadway with her singing, acting and dance along with the genuine charm she brings to Gigi. Vanessa’s beauty and adorable giddiness encompasses Gigi’s character in a different but arguably as well of a delivery as the Gigi’s before her (Leslie Caron and Audrey Hepburn). Hudgens isn’t Hepburn yet, but for now she has graced her audiences with talent that most people didn’t know she had. As the summer season approaches, expect Gigi to grow busier and tickets to become a harder ticket to snag with Hudgens in the lead and a cast of exceptional talent with summer audiences trickling into the city.

See Gigi eight times a week on Broadway at the Neil Simon Theatre. Visit GigiOnBroadway.com for more information. 

Tools For Every Actor

By Sami DeSocio

Being an actor is hard. It’s a lot of work, both emotionally and physically on a day to day basis – whether you’re  in a show or not. Having a ‘toolbox’ of tips, tricks, and other things that can make any actor’s life easier.

First and foremost, every actor should know enough theory (style of technique of acting) in order for them to quickly deconstruct a scene for a performance or audition. Whether you’re familiar with the character, or you’re asked to cold read (read from the script which you may have not ever seen before), you should always refer to whatever theorist/theorists you’ve been taught in order to make that character come alive for all that will see your performance.

Second, a good pre-show ritual to calm your mind, your nerves, and get yourself into the correct head space before a performance is something every actor needs to carry around with them.

Every actor also has to have a few good monologues they can perform at the drop of a hat. You never know when you’ll pick up a last second audition you have no time to prepare for. A good rule of thumb: One dramatic, one comedic, one classic, and one contemporary. Similarly, if you’re a musical theatre performer, always have at least 2 songs that can be performed at the drop of a hat as well: one ballad, one uptempo, one character, and one classic. And if you want to stand out, these monologues and songs are some the casting directors haven’t heard 100 times.

There is, of course, also the physical tool box, or back pack, or whatever you use to live in a theater for as long as a show is up.  Bobby pins, safety pins, wig cap, stage make up, make up remover, cough drops or throat coat, etc, are just some of the essentials that will make your life so much easier.

Having your updated resume and headshot on you, or even business cards is great as well. Remember, in this game, networking is how you win. How will you network if you can’t tell people right away who you are and what you’ve done? People pay better attention and remember you longer if you’ve given them something physical to reference later on.

Two final things to always make sure are in your toolbox – patience and good manners. A simple “thank you” to the accompanist who had to figure out your written and erased markings on your sheet music goes a long way. A simple e-mail to the casting director, thanking them for seeing you goes even further! And remember, this is the ‘hurry up and wait’ business. You could rush to the audition and be ready to go, and then wait in the casting director’s office for an hour or more before you’re seen!

No matter what’s in your toolbox, I sincerely hope the tools serve you well. And if not, maybe it’s time to replace some.

What’s in your toolbox?

Interview with Jessica Keenan Wynn and Chilina Kennedy from Beautiful: The Carole King Musical

By Jenna

Some Broadway musicals are about characters than never existed in reality, and the cast members who create them onstage are working with a blank slate. It’s up to the actors to express to the audience how their characters act, how they talk and sing, and how they move. However, when the characters of a musical are real-life celebrities, re-creating a person can be difficult, especially onstage. The actor or actress portraying the celebrity has to correctly uphold a personality that the fans already know, but still put a memorable twist on them. Add to that challenge having to follow a Tony-winner who originated the role, and you’ve made it even more difficult to meet the audience’s expectations.

These are the challenges the two new female stars of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical have taken on, and Chilina Kennedy who joined the company recently in the title role of Carole and Jessica Keenan Wynn as Cynthia Weil are off to a grand start. I spent a few minutes with Jessica Keenan Wynn, and she shared her thoughts on her Beautiful role, which also happens to be her first Broadway experience (her first New York performance was Off-Broadway as Heather Chandler in the musical adaptation of Heathers ).

“Chilina and I both joined at the same time,” Wynn recalls. “We were able to establish a relationship on stage leading up to our debuts, which helped us trust in each other while new elements and energies swirled around us.” Wynn takes over the role of King’s friend and rival songwriter, Cynthia Weil.  Weil was previously played by Anika Larsen, who is temporarily out for maternity leave. Larsen won a 2014 Tony for the role in Beautiful (Best Featured Actress in a Musical). Kennedy replaces Jessie Mueller as singer-songwriter Carole King, the role for which Mueller won the 2014 Drama Desk and Best Lead Actress in a Musical Tony Award.

An element of the show that could be seen as a challenge for the cast is fitting into the time period of Beautiful, which takes place in the 50’s and 60’s. Wynn grew up in Los Angeles, watching the classic MGM movies with her mother, and would listen to the oldies station, since it was “the only station that came in clear” when her car antenna broke. “‘So Far Away’ was the first Carole song that left me thirsty for more,” Wynn remembers of Carole King’s work. The song happens to be the opening number of the show. (Note: This is not Wynn’s first time in a 60’s-set musical; she performed in Hairspray at the Hollywood Bowl.)

When Wynn wasn’t onstage, she couldn’t expect to always be able to sit back and relax; she had to learn how to navigate the offstage areas in and be ready for her cues. Before officially stepping in as Weil, Wynn had the chance to “shadow” Larsen, taking note of her “traffic patterns and quick changes in action.” as she watched her from backstage.  “She was instrumental in giving me a play by play as to what to expect before and after each scene,” Wynn says of shadowing Larsen, “including when the role had some down time, and when you had to jog a bit into your next scene change.”

Having seen Mueller and Larsen as the main female roles the first time I attended this show, I appreciate the new life Wynn and Kennedy breathe into their portrayals of Weil and King, respectively. Wynn’s Cynthia Weil is sassy, strong, and blunt, but her onstage chemistry with King, as well as hypochondriac writing partner and lover Barry Mann (original cast member Jarrod Spector) shows her sympathetic, supportive side. Kennedy’s Carole King is awkward and unsure of her future, sometimes second guessing herself, trying her best to please her unstable writing partner/husband Gerry Goffin (Scott J. Campbell) and boss Don Kirschner (Paul Anthony Stewart). This makes King come across as very relatable and human, and playing up the human element in a biographical show is crucial to break the image of the celebrity many people already are aware of. The actresses succeed in maintaining parts of their characters’ established real life and onstage personalities, yet still putting their own spin on them.

Wynn finds Cindy Weil “empowering, creating the soundtrack to an era,” and thinks of her as a very confident woman; you can see this interpretation play out onstage with how proud Wynn portrays her. According to Wynn, her method of playing Weil is to “capture [her] essence, not necessarily make a parody [of her] or be her….embody her.”

Wynn thinks Beautiful has been successful for over a year due to the audience’s “nostalgia.” She believes the music of the show, mostly comprised of King’s work  (“Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow”, “Take Good Care of My Baby”, “You’ve Got a Friend”, etc) brings people back to another time. She presumes they hold onto the music as “a sort of soundtrack to their youth, as they were coming of age. I know I have soundtracks to my middle school, high school, and college years,” Wynn reminisces. “It pulls at the heartstrings and touches on a fond memory that perhaps hasn’t been embraced in a long time.”

Just as Wynn and Kennedy’s characters in Beautiful faced plenty of challenges throughout the course of the show’s plot, they themselves overcame the challenge that is being a new company member to a big Broadway show like Beautiful.

The Absolute Brightness Of Leonard Pelkey: Absolutely Astonishing

By Emma

Recently I had the wonderful opportunity to attend a special viewing of James Lecesne’s one man show The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey. When I think of one man shows, I don’t think of a thought-provoking, moving piece of theatre at all. However, in just one hour and fifteen minutes, Lecesne was able to completely alter my perspective on one man shows.

The story opens in a small town on the Jersey shore with middle-aged detective Chuck DeSantis, the narrator of the show. DeSantis is recalling events of a recent investigation of the disappearance of teenage boy and local town “weirdo” Leonard Pelkey. DeSantis interviews many different people from around the town and begins to discover different aspects of the 9young boys life. Leonard’s aunt and her daughter Penny reveal that Leonard is a very unique boy with a very different sense of fashion. Penny informs DeSantis that Leonard is gay and he is constantly the target of discrimination and ridicule. After a series of interviews with many different characters Leonard’s body is discovered. DeSantis realizes that this is no ordinary boy and therefore no ordinary death. DeSantis becomes determined to discover the cause of Leonard’s death and realizes that it was most likely the tragic result of a hate crime. Throughout his journey to identify the despicable human being who took Leonard’s life, DeSantis realizes what an inspiration Leonard was to others. Though he was different and maybe in some eyes a tad bit strange, his differences brought out the best in others and gave so many people a sense of hope and happiness and impacted people’s lives in unexplainable ways.

James Lecesne gave the most powerful and beautiful performance that I have ever seen. Lecesne was able to take on so many different characters yet I never had any trouble identifying which character was which. Each character carried himself or herself differently, spoke differently, and possessed different personalities and quirks. Many actors have to take months to years of preparation in order to play one character. While performing, Lecesne had a maximum of two seconds to go from playing one character to another yet somehow he did so without failure. From a smoker to a detective to a hairdresser Lecesne gave each character its own pop of color. The show had the audience laughing, crying, completely blown away by the end of the seventy-five minute production. I was truly inspired by every piece of the show and I know for a fact that not one person in the audience left the theatre feeling completely uninspired or disappointed. So although one man show’s aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, if you ever have the opportunity to see James Lecesne perform solo, I can assure you it’s not something you would want to miss out on.

What’s So Cool About Black Boxes?

By Hallie

Black Box theaters are simply another form of presenting theatre for audiences. But what exactly is a Black Box? A Black Box theatre (which can also be a Theatre in the Round) is typically a large, flat, black working space, with seating on all four walls of the room. This style of theatre requires the actors to constantly act to the entirety of the theatre. It is absolutely amazing to watch actors perform in these spaces, as they must be constantly aware of everything going on around them. You most frequently see Shakespeare, or a classic drama (such as Our Town) performed inside a Black Box theatre.

Another style of black boxes is also the type of theatre called Three Quarter Theatre, which consists of seating on three walls, instead of four. It’s not as involved as acting in the round, because performers don’t have to worry about constantly having their back to one side of the audience, but it’s still very fun to see how innovative actors and directors can be in such a unique setting!

Black Box theatre used to be widely used in Shakespearean times. The famously known Globe Theatre from Shakespearean theatre, was actually a three quarter stage! In recent years, people saw the need to build cheaper, more interesting looking theatres to accommodate audiences who were getting bored with average theatre and wanted to see something new and exciting. This ushered in the idea of the Black Box theatre.

When you enter a black box, it typically feels like you are going to attend something magical; something that feels out of another time and place While you watch, you can feel an added connection with the actors. It’s a very intimate kind of theatre experience, which makes it so special.

Why You Should Support Shows That Aren’t on Broadway

By Isaac

We all know and love the shows that end up on Broadway, West End, and in touring cities. They are the most publicized and typically thought of as the best that theatre has to offer. Because of this, many forget about some of the amazing performances and performers that can be seen from Off-Broadway all the way to a community or high school show. The idea of the best theatre can be found with the heftiest price tag is far from true – you’ll find that the best theatre might be closer to you than you think, and it might not even be on Broadway!

There’s a ton of reasons why a show may never make it to Broadway or even try to get to the Great White Way in the first place. It may not have gotten good reviews during its out-of-town tryout or made enough money to support a Broadway transfer, or the production team may have no interest at all to bring it to Broadway. None of these scenarios means it’s a bad show in any way.

There are only 40 theatres on Broadway meaning that at any given time, and only that many plays and musicals can be represented at that time. There aren’t only 40 good shows in the world and certainly not only 40 shows worth of incredible actors, dancers, singers, designers, directors, and stagehands. Incredible talent can be found in all forms of theatre, not just the most expensive ones.

One of the greatest theatre experiences I’ve ever had was watching a performance at a community theatre in Los Angeles. The cast and creatives were all volunteers and the show had a very low budget overall. Despite not having the resources to create elaborate sets or beautiful costumes nor having the luxury of rehearsing as much as a professional company would it was one of the funniest, most thought-provoking shows I’ve ever seen. There’s something to be said about a company that can beautifully convey a story with limited resources. Shows like these may even seem better than something on Broadway since they can’t rely on flashy designs and tend to be less concerned with getting millions of people to buy tickets and are able to focus on putting on an amazing show.

only can shows created and produced right near your own home be gorgeous works of art, but attending theatre locally helps support those arts in your community. I don’t know what I would have done if I didn’t have my high school and community theatre experience. Supporting these groups is the first step to getting talent to Broadway or on the big screen because those involved in community theatre productions are the stars of tomorrow, so support them while they’re a few miles away from you! Another reason to support arts within your community is that it gives kids and people with other jobs and talents a chance to be involved with an amazing art form.

Although it may not seem as glamorous to attend a small-town production, it’s one of the best ways to support local arts and be able to see amazing shows that you may never have had a chance to see otherwise.

What Makes a Show Last?

By Sami DeSocio

Not every show is a success. It’s true, more shows close after opening than those that make it to become the next Phantom of the Opera. But what makes those shows that do survive so incredibly special?

First and foremost, I believe it starts with the music. A musical really is only as good as its score, and some of the longest running musicals have a signature song that they’re known for. For example, Rent is known for “Seasons of Love”, A Chorus Line has two, both “I Hope I Get It” and “One” are both synonymous to it. It’s songs like this that shape the specialness of the piece – the fact that even if someone doesn’t necessarily know the show, they’ll know the song.

Another important aspect is the story. Is it a ‘tale as old as time’, like Beauty and the Beast when Disney followed their movie to a T, including new songs written by the movie’s composer Alan Menken? Or, does it speak to a different part of the audience like in Cats? The story needs to speak to the audience while touching them and making them identify with the characters so deeply that they are willing to be taken on the ride of the show.

Then, there’s the cast. With the right actors at the beginning of the show’s run, the show has a better shot. I don’t think The Producers would’ve been nearly as popular, or even as expensive as it initially was, had it not been for Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick in the leads of Max and Leo respectively. Les Miserables might have gone on, but the roles originally filled by Colm Wilkinson and Terrence Mann have become so iconic that everyone else after them has had big shoes to fill – even after thirty years!

And finally, does it fit what the world needs right now, following the trend of other shows? Or is it so different that people have to stop and look. When jukebox musicals were big, musicals like Hairspray and Jersey Boys took advantage of the opportunity, opened on Broadway, and became successful, later capitalizing on its critical and audience response with productions around the world. While Avenue Q was so different that people had to flock to see it (the puppets are doing what onstage???), and Avenue Q remains Off-Broadway, where it plays nightly.

Whether the show stops your heart, grabs you and doesn’t let go, or it lets you escape your life or reflect on it life… the shows that are around the longest are the ones that make the audience feel something. That allow them to experience something together – and that, dear readers, is why these shows are around for as long as they are. What is your favorite ‘long running’ show?

Here’s How It Ends: If/Then’s Final Performance on Broadway

By Jenna

I had loved the show If/Then since it first opened at the Richard Rodgers Theater about a year ago. The show captivated me with the realism in the plot and characters, and how it explored the limits of what we know about the future. Idina Menzel headlines the show with her performance as the wary Elizabeth, starting her life over in New York after a failed marriage. With one seemingly minor decision, choosing between two activities with two different friends, Elizabeth’s story splits into two paths: one where she’s called Liz, and one where she is called Beth. One decision led to “Liz’s” story: a struggle with a second chance at love with the optimistic soldier Josh. “Beth” struggled with her career as a city planner, and her old college boyfriend Lucas’s feelings for her. The show follows BOTH of her paths, hence the “if” “then.” The show felt smart, entertaining, and poignant, daring to go places many shows don’t go. I was so moved by If/Then, I saw it nine times; and I hoped this amazing show would last long enough to touch many people in the way it did me.

Not unlike most final performances, the inside of the theater was a madhouse, buzzing with conversations between production executives, cast family members and diehard fans. The energy was like none I have ever felt, even at other final performances I have seen. Before the first note of the opening music was even played, people were randomly bursting into applause.

In the darkness of the theater, the spotlight found Idina Menzel, towering over her audience from the catwalk, like a queen addressing her subjects. Before she could finish saying, “Hey, it’s me”, the audience went wild, applauding and shrieking for a full 29 seconds. We rose to our feet for the first standing ovation of the night. Menzel patiently waited for the uproar to calm before repeating her line.

The megastar was not the only performer to receive applause upon debut; every performer in the show was welcomed by cheers, even Jenn Colella (who played Anne), whose entrance was a casual walk into a subway car, talking to LaChanze (Kate).  Anthony Rapp as Menzel’s old college friend, and James Snyder as her new lover were greeted with high volumes of applause and whistles.

The actors managed to hold it together for their final performance; many even had an extra dose of enthusiasm and played with their choreography or vocal techniques, such as Idina’s new tae-kwon-do move during “Here I Go”. When Menzel belted her pensive solo number (“Always Starting Over”) at the end of Act Two, the sad crack in her voice may have represented her own emotions as well as those of her character. That standing ovation lasted nearly a full minute.

As is the custom for a show’s last performance, some of the creative team joined the cast onstage during the final final bow, including writers Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey. Kitt took initial control of the mike for the goodbye speech, thanking cast, crew, designers, house manager, and the fans that wrote to him about their personal If/Then experiences. He said those fans made him and Yorkey “better writers.”  He then thanked Yorkey, who had given him the idea for their previous project , Pulitzer prize-winner Next to Normal. Yorkey then spoke, reminiscing about when Kitt suggested to him, “How about a show about the choices we make in life?” which led to the development of If/Then. He made very touching remarks about the “courage” it takes to develop a brand new musical rather than a revival or adaptation, as it’s less certain how a new musical will touch audiences. He then praised the American musical as an art form. “You and I may disagree on which new shows move the art forward,” Yorkey told the crowd, “but we all have to agree that without new shows, we will never move the art forward.” If/Then definitely moves the art forward. (Yorkey was also lucky enough to receive a huge smooch from Idina Menzel, which he admitted threw him a little off guard).

The stage emptied and the ghostlight was placed. I had never been in a theater long enough to see one. It was hauntingly beautiful, and marked the finality of the show for me.

Outside the theater, we were not surprised to see the crowd so thick at stage door that people had to wait across the street. Cast and crew popped their heads out of dressing room windows to say hi before coming outside. Even the Les Miserables community next door joined in the fun, making a few window appearances as well. The rest of the cast came out and spoke with the fans for one last time, signing playbills and posters, and said goodbye to the familiar faces who had supported them for over a year.

If/Then has closed on Broadway. The show leaves New York, the city that the story glorifies as not only the setting, but a character in itself. The lessons it taught about life and the choices we make, about the roads we choose, and those we don’t, will stay with myself and all who witnessed the musical masterpiece that If/Then was forever.

Broadway Success Stories

Shirley Jones: (Partridge Family, Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, Elmer Gantry, Me and Juliet, Oklahoma, Music Man, Carousel)

Shirley Jones grew up in Pennsylvania, singing in church and coached by a vocal instructor from the age of five, however she was utterly inexperienced in the theater when she auditioned for Rogers and Hammerstein in New York City at nineteen years old. At the time of Shirley’s high school graduation, she was unsure of which profession she ought to choose: Veterinarian or Broadway Actress. After all, the opportunity to study at the Pittsburgh Playhouse Drama School was at her fingertips. Aided by her mother’s advice, Shirley applied for Junior College so that she could take time to decide.

The August before she was due to start her college chapter, Shirley and her parents took their annual trip to New York City to see a Broadway show. There Shirley called her friend and former Pittsburgh Playhouse musical director, Ken Welch. The two spent their time by the piano, running through numbers and rehearsing the song Ken composed especially for Shirley, “My Very First Kiss.” Ken felt strongly about Shirley’s talent and introduced her to Broadway Agent Gus Schirmer who suggested to Shirley that she attend the open audition for Rogers and Hammerstein’s casting director happening that day. Shirley, having never auditioned in her life, awaited her audition slot in the wings with hundreds of other chattering actors. A moment later, she was standing alone and in front of the casting director, as inexperienced and vulnerable as she could feel, but went ahead and sang, “ The Best Things in Life are Free”.

“ Where are you from? What have you done before? Haven’t you been to any shows? Do you have something else prepared?” The casting director John Fearnley inquired.

Shirley replied with a “No, I haven’t done anything”, but trilled a second song “Lover” in a high key, using her songbird soprano register. After being asked to sing a third song, Shirley sang “My Very First Kiss” and was commemorated for her performance with the words “ I am very impressed.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Rogers was across the street rehearsing the orchestra for Oklahoma. Fearnley asked Shirley to wait as he rushed over to request that Mr. Rogers hear Shirley sing. She sang the same repertoire for Mr. Rogers, so flustered that she had not realized for whom she was singing.

“ You have a beautiful voice, young lady”.

Following this part of the audition, Mr. Rogers requested Hammerstein hear Shirley sing. An hour later, she was in front of the most famous Broadway duo there is, accompanied by an orchestra singing to the score of Oklahoma. Shirley was then offered a role in South Pacific on Broadway, and being the first performer ever to be put under contract with Rogers and Hammerstein signed a seven-year contract that thus began her marvelous career.

Patti Lupone: (Author of Patti Lupone: A Memoir, Two Time Tony Award Winner for Best Actress in a Musical, First Graduating Class of Julliard School of Drama Division Group One, The Acting Company, Sweeney Todd, Accidental Death of an Anarchist, Anything Goes, Les Miserables, Company…)

Legendary Patti Lupone grew up in Long Island, performing in “The Lupone Trio” with her older twin brothers, one of who later became an actor. She attended The Julliard School in the Group One Drama Division and was part of Julliard’s first graduating class. Academy Award-winning John Houseman formed the class into the Acting Company that later earned a positive reputation for classical pieces. Each performance was produced and performed by the students. The Company traveled the country performing in shows and earning great respect. The Company performed Shakespeare, Chekhov, and Molier among other classics, while participating in masterclasses with award-winning directors. The experience prepared Patti with knowledge and connections to make it to the biggest stage. In 1973, Patti made her Broadway debut in The Three Sisters. She quickly moved on to The Robber Bridegroom, from which she earned her first Tony nomination. Patti later won her first Tony after her outstanding performance in Evita. For years afterward, Patti collaborated with director David Mamet and became recognized by the New York Times as a force to be reckoned with, and thus began her fame.

Idina Menzel: Acclaimed voice of Queen Elsa in Frozen, If/Then, Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, Wicked, Rent – Broadway and Film Adaptation, Glee, Enchanted…)

Idina Menzel, a New Yorker by roots, began her claim to fame in the Off-Broadway production of Rent in 1996 at the New York Theater Workshop, before it promoted itself to Broadway as a result of increased popularity. When Idina auditioned, she had not expected the burst of success that followed the spontaneous decision to invest in the show. At this point in time, Idina had graduated from the New York University Tisch School of the Arts and was a lead singer in a wedding band that she landed as a teenager. She had traveled the country singing songs by Aretha Franklin and Etta James, driven by her love for R&B and jazz culture. Idina auditioned for Off-Broadway Rent in the middle of the January/February season, one of the slow times for weddings, and blew Michael Grief away with Percy Sledge’s “When a Man Loves a Woman”. Once Rent upgraded to Broadway, Idina was nominated for a Tony in the Broadway show Rent, and she starred in the film adaptation with five of the original cast members. Later, she starred as Elphaba in the original cast of Wicked and won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. Since then, Idina has recorded solo albums, married and had a child, starred in shows on and off-Broadway and on television, and has become the powerhouse voice behind the Tony Award Winning song “Let it Go”. Idina has also starred in the new original musical If/Then and has started a program for underprivileged girls called “A BroaderWay”.

Aaron Tveit: (Next to Normal, Wicked, Hairspray, Catch Me if You Can, Gossip Girl, Les Miserables…)

Aaron Tveit, notorious for his performances in Next To Normal, Rent, and Wicked on Broadway grew up in upstate New York, spending his time as a strong academic, jock, and actor/singer. Aaron grew up with a well-balanced life; he commends his high school for supporting the many clubs and sports that the students wanted to be a part of and says that the flexibility helped him when he didn’t know what he wanted to be. Aaron played three varsity sports, sang in show choir and chorus, and had featured roles in all four of the main stage productions. For one year at Ithaca College, after turning down several business school scholarships, Aaron majored in Voice. The small break from theater revealed Aaron’s yearning for theater again and he switched to a major in Drama. Aaron’s life came to a turning point when the director of the National Rent tour arrived at Ithaca to conduct mock auditions for Rent, where the students showed up with a headshot and resume, prepared to “audition”. Although there was not supposed to be any outcome other than a learning experience from Aaron’s “audition”, Aaron was pulled aside. The director said, “I think you’re perfect for this. I’m going to keep your headshot, and if anything opens up, I’ll call.”

Aaron got a callback, where he met director Michael Grief who offered him the part of Steve in the national tour of Rent, as well as the understudy job for Roger and Mark. Aaron left Ithaca to tour with Rent before debuting on Broadway as Link Larkin in Hairspray. Since then, Aaron has worked in Next to Normal as the acclaimed voice of Gabe and Frank Abignale Jr. in Catch Me if You Can, as well as film work in Gossip Girl and off-Broadway plays such as Saved!