Springboarding In The Big Apple @mikkospringboard - Tumblr Blog

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Mikko Juan from the University of Washington tells us how The Phantom of the Opera and Hand to God have changed his perspective on the theatre and himself.

This is kind of exciting... Got featured by the American Theatre Wing! Watch as I briefly talk about the shows that changed my life!

SpringboardNYC is a launching pad to a career in the theatre and an exclusive introduction to the culture and community of New York Theatre, as well as New Y...

The most surreal two weeks of my entire life.

I teared up watching this video. I miss these people and this experience a LOT. But man, my gratitude tank is full. From seeing all of those shows to the Tony Awards, and working with professionals to hearing their wisdom, this whole ordeal is one that I won’t forget in the near future. Having met, worked with, and befriended the other Springboarders made the experience that much more memorable. Looking forward to the day where I see their names on a Broadway marquee.

Suffering MAJOR withdrawals again...

#sbnyc

American Theatre Wing's program for new arrivals teaches things they didn't learn in school.

Best two weeks of my life.

And this particular day was AMAZING.

Till Next Time

Welp, I'm back home now. Perched upon my own bed, just reminiscing. To think that six days ago I was at the Tony Awards. To think that yesterday I was in New York City. To think that for the past two weeks I was learning how to survive and thrive as an actor in the heart of the theatre capital of the country. SpringboardNYC took the fire within me and made it even bigger. Any actor hoping to make the move to New York should most definitely apply for the program next year. I've said all of my sentiments already so I'll make this one short. Thank you, American Theatre Wing, my fellow Springboarders, our fearless leaders Megan and Joanna, Kyra and Heather the amazing interns, and last but not least the artists that came in to have a chat with us these past couple of weeks. This program has honestly been so life-changing. And thank YOU for following me on this incredible journey. I hope you've enjoyed reading this blog as much as I enjoyed recapping and typing them out. #SBNYC. Signing out.

Day Twelve - Finale

And thus, the day has arrived: the program’s inevitable conclusion.

A huge chunk of the morning/early afternoon was dedicated to mock auditions which we signed up for yesterday. This wasn’t my best work, but it was so much fun. I sang “Proud Of Your Boy” from Aladdin, and to better help connect with my “scene partner”, the director in the room actually stood up from his chair and became my scene partner. We basically acted out a scene while I was singing the song, and it was so great.

After the mock-auditions were done, the casting directors, directors, and accompanists from both general performance and musical theatre sections sat down for a Q&A session, which was followed by a wrap-up session with lots of pasta and pizza.

Tears flowed.

Sentiments and speeches were made.

Hugs were given.

Defying Gravity, Lean On Me, Stand By Me, and For Good were belted out.

And then that’s it. The program finished.

But the day wasn’t.

A few of us convened on Kyra’s rooftop and just chillaxed and hung out. But not before hanging out at a jazz club. God, the view was beautiful. New York City in the night is just stunning.

Jeez...

It all moved way too fast...

I’ve already posted my sentiments all over the place, but oh my God, this was the most magical, enriching, inspiring, and surreal two weeks of my life. I can’t be any more thankful to have been a part of this program, amongst the most talented of performers, and the most beautiful of people, inside and out.

I’m going to make a separate “recap” post when I’m all settled back home. This ain’t the end of this blog yet.

Day Ten & Eleven - Passion

For the sake of convenience, I decided to put these two days together, so be prepared for a relatively long post.

DAY TEN Day ten started off with a monologue workshop with Katie Northlich, and she is absolutely brilliant. She apparently is a four-time monologue champion, and it really shows. Her enthusiasm was off the charts, and she was incredibly hilarious. She brought so much light into the room, and it helped ease the nerves significantly. Quite a few of us employed her “sitting down” technique, which really helped with relaxing our bodies and focused more on internally and emotionally connecting with our pieces, and it really helped.

Her workshop was probably one of my favorites by far.

The day continued with more business-y and practical workshops. Joanna gave an insightful workshop concerning the differences between union and non-union, Broadway vs Off-Broadway, and commercial vs non-commercial. Our last workshop with Randy followed, which touched on acting coaches, grad school, and general tips for auditioning. She is also an acting coach, and so she gave a general idea of what to expect in a coaching session by calling up a few people and coached through their monologues.

One thing that she said towards the end of the workshop that really stuck out to me was:

Rebellion is not autonomy.

She added on by saying that becoming an actor for the sake of proving somebody wrong isn’t the way to go. You have to do it because you need to.

I’ll definitely be carrying that with me.

The day concluded with a Theatre Intern Network meeting with aspiring directors, producers, etc. There was a Q&A session with professional Broadway producers and marketing people, who also talked about how a show gets to Broadway and what goes on to advertise those shows. The session was followed by mingling and pizza. Being the introvert I am (yeah, I know, an introverted actor?) I didn’t really mingle too much and I regret it. I did meet a few of the interns however. Only a few...

Overall, today made a spark. And that spark would soon kindle to a flame.

DAY ELEVEN Today we had a legend in our midsts, and two Emmett Forrests sat in the same room.

The day started with an audition workshop led by the legendary director Jack O’Brien, who many might recognize as the director of Broadway’s Hairspray and the original production of The Piano Lesson.

This man is so brilliant. He told nothing but the truth. In a nice way, of course.

He tended to go off on a tangent, but even then he was VERY insightful. He ranted about today’s entertainment, celebrities, and diversity in the business (PREACH)

He then went on to workshop a few songs and monologues, and the tips he offered made a HUGE difference. As if the people who were called on weren’t already amazing, he took what they had to offer and made it even BETTER.

There’s a reason for all of the accolades he earned, and it showed.

After a short break, we all met a Springboard alumnus who is currently appearing in Fun Home: Joel Perez!

You can see him in the red shirt dead center.

He talked about his journey with this show, his overall journey as an actor, and his transition from Springboard to the real world. Very humble and funny. HUGE honor having him in the room to share his experiences.

The day was then brought ever so slightly in the downward direction when it came time to talk about taxes.

DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN.

Joking aside, it really did prove to be VERY helpful. I still need to get a firm grasp on the subject, but for the most part I feel more comfortable.

But then our spirits were lifted again when it was time to talk to probably one of the most talked-about performer on Broadway today:

Two-time Tony winner Christian Borle.

(Photo credit to thewingblog)

AND he sported a Springboard t-shirt. Awesome.

It was absolutely MIND BLOWING to be sitting in the same room as him. I became a HUGE fan of his after watching his performance in Legally Blonde: The Musical. Had been following his work ever since. He was so funny and gave incredible advice.

The most prominent one that he gave was: “Other people’s success is not your failure.”

This was a concept that I found very hard to grasp as an actor, and even now I still get down in the dumps from time to time when a close friend or colleague gets cast or jumps on board a project. I’ll never forget those words.

When asked by somebody what his process was, he replied that he would occasionally steal material from the comedy greats: Tim Curry, Monty Python, just to name a couple. It’s kinda funny because when I played Emmett Forrest in my high school’s production of Legally Blonde, I kinda stole from his portrayal of the character. Hope he doesn’t mind... hehe.

It was crazy because right after the session, he had to head over to the St. James theater where he would be performing in Something Rotten, and we would be there to see it.

This show, you guys...

So. Freaking. Fun.

I don’t think I’ve ever laughed that hard than I did in Something Rotten. The cast was incredible. Brian d’Arcy James, of course, was amazing and hilarious. Christian Borle definitely deserved that Tony. He was too freaking hilarious and absolutely fun to watch.

They totally made Shakespeare the biggest fuckboy in this show, it’s so great.

And there was so much tap dancing.

So. Much. Tap dancing.

It’s making a comeback, y’all. On the 20th Century had a bit of it, which also was incredible. Seeing it all made me want to go back to tap class... I think I’ll take more this upcoming school year.

The songs were so cleverly written and SO FUNNY. You get the idea. It was so funny. HIGHLY recommend you go see this one.

Welp, this marked the last show for the program. And the second to last day... I don’t want it to end. It feels like I just got here...

Day Nine - Full Circle (Sort Of Not Really)

Oh my God. The most unbelievable thing happened to me today. You could say that this particular moment was the moment everything came in full circle.

Okay, an over exaggeration, but it sure was a special moment.

Today we went to the Majestic Theater, where Phantom of the Opera plays eight times a week, and lots of awesomeness happened.

First we sat in the house where there was a Q&A session. And then we would sit in on an understudy rehearsal.

Or at least, I THOUGHT that was what’s gonna follow.

Nope, we got on the stage.

The stage where Phantom performs eight times a week for 27 years.

You know, I have always fantasized about playing the Phantom. It has always been my dream role. It was the musical that got me into musical theatre in the first place. And now I’m standing on the stage where the original Broadway production opened and has been performing since. I had just seen the show last summer with two of my musical heroes Norm Lewis and Sierra Boggess.

It was just such a cathartic feeling standing on that stage.

The chandelier above us, looking out into the house... You couldn’t see anything out there. It was just a black void. I couldn’t help but think: “So THIS is what it’s like to perform on Broadway.

I was almost trembling. I could not believe it. God, as if meeting Ramin and going to the Tonys weren’t enough, yet here I am.

But before I knew it, we were performing on that stage.

After a quick vocal warm up, the dance captain taught us a portion of the choreography for the second act show-stopping Masquerade.

Let’s recap.

We’re on the stage where the longest running Broadway musical is playing. And we’re dancing and singing a song from said musical.

So technically I performed in Phantom… Right?

Joking aside, it was probably one of the most jaw-dropping experiences of my life. Another dream has come true. Now when I’ll actually do the show is something I’ll have to wait on. But I’m pretty content with this experience for now :)

So now it was time to watch the understudy rehearsal. It was so great watching this amazing show done without any technical elements to it, and seeing these Broadway professionals occasionally mess up and goof off a little bit. And I still got goosebumps when Laird Mackintosh, the actor rehearsing for Phantom, sang Music of the Night. God, even without the orchestrations, it still sends chills up and down my spine...

We had to leave just as they finished act I. It was funny because it was at the part where Raoul and Christine were singing off stage, and the actors playing them were on stage waving goodbye at us.

Another moment that I will never forget as long as I live.

Afterwards there was another audition workshop once again held by casting director Dave Caparelliotis, who we’ve already met on day one. We did sides this time ‘round, and I got a chance to perform with fellow Springboarder Allen. It was a lot of fun. Finally getting to act with an actual human being! Not that I don’t love doing monologues and songs, but I truly love performing with another person. That feeling of feeding off of their performative energy and giving back as much as you can is unlike any other. Collaboration. That’s one of the many reasons why I love theatre.

The day ended with a BEAUTIFUL performance of Fun Home; the first performance after winning their Tony Award for Best Musical and for Best Actor in a Musical (Michael Cerveris).

Seriously the most beautiful and life-changing piece of art that I have ever seen. Michael Cerveris deserved that Tony. And Sydney Lucas.... Oh adorable Sydney Lucas. She was f**king phenomenal. Her stage presence and voice is unparalleled. Absolutely fell in love with her during the Tonys, and seeing her in the actual show was just fantastic.

But seriously, this show is absolutely important. If you all ever, EVER get the chance to see it, I HIGHLY recommend you do. While it seems adorable and...well, fun... it also touches on very important subjects that are EXTREMELY relevant.

The energy in that house was unreal. The buzz of the Tony wins definitely took over and... UGH it was amazing.

Three more days until this magical experience is over. I don’t want to go...

Day Eight: Something New

This particular day wasn't at all eventful, but it was still pretty fun. It was a marvelous day of sleeping in and getting caught up on this blog. Afterwards, we had an On-Camera audition workshop. And this was a whole new ballgame. In the workshop we talked about typing, and Jodi Collins, who was leading the workshop, took the time to "type" us, and I was typed as a college/frat boy. Sweet. And the evening concluded with a performance of Preludes, a new play still in previews by Dave Malloy. It was very intriguing. It's a very abstract show delving into the mind of famed Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff. It started off very slow, but it became more and more interesting. I found myself relating to it at some points. Not gonna spoil anything. It's better to go in blind, but do your research on the composer or read the "About Rachmaninoff" section of the program. If you're ever in New York to see it. Nikki M. James was in it and she was incredible, as she usually is. Saw her as Eponine last summer and she was brilliant. We met her after the show and she was so sweet... And that was it, really. Still a very enriching day. Each day I'm more and more excited to see where this journey will take me. This program has given so much over a short span of time. I can't believe it's ending this week. Not going to think about that now though. I'm going to live in the moment, and take in every single millisecond of the remaining time.

Day Seven - Surreal

After meeting Ramin the previous night, I thought I was set for life. It turns out it was only going to get better.

Today was all about the Tony Awards, and we were going to be there. Live. In the flesh. And it was going to be THE single best experience of my entire life.

It was a VERY early morning, but the day started with some tea and a chocolate croissant for breakfast. Then we all headed to Radio City Music Hall for the dress rehearsals for the Tony Awards. As if that fact alone wasn’t already awesome, we all sat in the pit at the very front of the stage.

Like what the heck. We were just feet away from Alan Cumming and Kristen Chenoweth. Kristen occasionally looked back at us and interacted with us. At one point, she and I made eye contact with each other and she waved and I waved back. WHAT?

We got front row seats of every performance that performed at the actual ceremony. Tony nominee Tony Yazbeck and the cast of On the Town danced directly in front of and behind us. Kristen Chenoweth and the cast of On The 20th Century belted their faces off and tap danced just feet away from us. I saw the likes of Kelli O’Hara, Corey Cott, Vanessa Hudgens, and Brian d’Arcy James perform live and in the flesh. We were mere inches away from Bryan Cranston.

We also interacted with Josh Groban, who said hi to us and asked where all of us were from.

You get the idea. It was absolutely mind blowing.

After the dress rehearsals, we then had lunch/dinner (and I made yet another Schmackary’s run with a few others) and then traversed back to the MTC to get dressed for the ceremony. Lots of bonding, lots of selfies, lots of sing-songing... It was great.

And then before we knew it, it was time to seat fill for the Tonys. The experience was just like the dress rehearsal. Only multiply it by a trillion to the infinity-th power.

Before I had time to process that I was sitting down at the Tony Awards live, we spotted Sutton Foster. Brain d’Arcy James walked past us. Tony Yazbeck walked past us. And before I had time to process those, and another fellow seat-filler were placed in emptys seat right next to Warren Carlyle. And before I knew it, Kelli O’Hara was being seated directly behind me. Ashley Tisdale was seated in the row across from us. Before I had time to process THAT, Kelsey Grammer and his date arrived to claim his seats. As we got up, he said “Oh, thank you so much.”

KELSEY GRAMMER FREAKING THANKED US.

So then at this point, the pre-telecast ceremonies have already begun, and it was almost time to go on air. We all waited in anticipation. All of a sudden, a member of the crew rushed back to our station and said:

“There are several empty seats, and we need them filled NOW. Go down the aisle and they’ll lead you there. Hurry, you have thirty seconds.”

We all rushed down the aisle, where another crew member met up with us.

And he said: “Get up on the stage and into the pit, hurry! Fill those seats!”

Before I knew it, we were going live.

And I had a front row seat.

During each commercial break I looked around. I could easily spot Christian Borle, Josh Groban, Bradley Cooper, and Sutton Foster. Not to mention, I was even closer to the stage. I could almost touch Alan Cumming and Kristen Chenoweth. To give you a better idea of where I was:

I STILL CAN’T BELIEVE IT.

The entire day was a blur. I’m still processing everything that happened. This was by far one of the best days of my entire life. I could go on about what happened but it’s only more fun to talk about it as opposed to jotting it down on paper. So much has happened.

One week into the program, and I’ve already learned so much and have been filled with SO MUCH ENRICHMENT AND INSPIRATION that I can’t put it all down in words... The Tonys have always been a great reminder of why theatre is so fantastic. I’ve always fantasized about being in Radio City Music and witnessing the spectacle I saw on TV live in its original and much more grand scale. Tonight that little boy’s dream came true.

And the last week goes on. Let’s see what it has in store.

Day Six - Gotta Dance

Today was a very short day, but boy was it fun...

We started with a mock dance call led by Christopher Rice and Clay Thompson, both currently performing on the Broad Way. Chris serves as a swing in The Book of Mormon and Clay is in Matilda and was a cast member of Newsies.

God, it was so much fun. I totally messed up, but Chris told me that keeping my energy up really helped. So. Much. Fun.

I then had lunch at a really great Thai place with a few of my fellow Springboarders and got to know each other a little better.

It was great. We made another Schmackary’s run before heading back to the MTC to meet SpringboardNYC alumni. I got cookie dough and maple bacon cookies.

OKAY, SERIOUSLY YOU GUYS GET SOME SCHMACKARY’S. IF YOU HAVE TO FLY TO NEW YORK TO GET IT, DO IT.

Anywho, we all met some SpringboardNYC alumni, all of whom gave amazing advice and insight by telling us their personal experiences making the big move to the city, and it was another one of those moments where it was a HUGE reality check of how different the pathway of becoming a working actor can be, but it also gave me hope.

Then the day was finished. It was an early end to the day, so we all had the evening off. So I thought this was the perfect opportunity to make a dream come true: I went to the Imperial Theater and bought tickets to Les Mis, and to see my musical hero Ramin Karimloo perform live and in the flesh.

It was a very special moment for me. The minute the show started I started trembling and getting misty eyed. I could not believe it was happening. The man who inspired me to start doing musical theatre was right in front of me, belting his face off and acting the SHIT out of Valjean. When he started singing “Bring Him Home,” I just started bawling my eyes out.

By the way, this new cast is flipping amazing. Though I honestly feel wishy-washy about Wallace Smith’s Enjolras. He was fantastic, but I don’t think this is a role right for him. Gavin Lee as Thenardier was so freaking hilarious and incredible. Though it is a humorous character, he brought such a sinister quality to it.

We had an understudy for Marius last night named Matt Rossel, and dammit his voice is so freaking great, and he gave an incredible performance. His “Empty Chairs” left me in tears.

I had totally forgotten that Earl Carpenter took over the role of Javert, so that made tonight extra special. I had always admired Earl’s performances as the Phantom and Javert through (ashamedly) watching bootlegs. Seeing him live was an absolute dream. Freaking love his voice, and also gave a compelling performance.

Saw Samantha Hill as Cosette again! Saw her last summer, and she was absolutely brilliant then. Still just as brilliant now. Voice of an angel, and she’s such a sweetheart...

And then came the moment that I will never ever forget as long as I live.

Ramin Karimloo came out of the stage door. When he got to me in line he signed my Playbill. Our conversation went a little something like this:

Ramin: Hello!

Me: Hey Ramin, how are you?

Ramin: (while signing my Playbill) I’m good, sir, how about yourself?

Me: I’m great! Incredible performance, tonight, sir.

Ramin: Why thank you so much!

Me: And I just have to say, you really inspired me to start doing musical theatre. So, thank you so much.

Ramin: Aw man, that really means a lot. Thank you so much.

*fist bump*

Ramin: You can do it!

Me: *laughs* Thank you so much, and do you mind if I got a picture?

Ramin: Of course!

*selfie*

Me: Thank you so much, Ramin.

Ramin: You’re very welcome, sir. I’ll see you on that Broadway stage!

Thank you Ramin, for giving the performance of a lifetime, for taking the time to meet your fans, and for giving this boy more than he has ever hoped for. I almost didn’t audition for my high school’s production of the Wizard of Oz, and if it weren’t for your voice and your incredible story I probably wouldn’t have. Because of you, I’ve been set on a path that I would have never dreamed of, and it’s more than I could have ever hoped for. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

And thus the evening concluded. This week could not get any better.

Or will it? ;)

Day Five - Reminder

Yesterday was fantastic. Very early morning, but it certainly has amounted to be the best one.

This experience has been nothing but the best so far. And I know it’s only going to get better.

The day started with a (very, very, very early) musical theatre audition workshop led by Andrew Gerle, who is a composer, playwright, and pianist. He also wrote the book The Enraged Accompanist’s Guide to the Perfect Audition, which I think I’ll be getting my hands on very very soon, because he is a fantastic coach. Not only did he very eloquently help each of us discover moments in our songs, he also helped us find the perfect cuts to our songs. A lot of us chose songs or cuts that he wasn’t really fond of, and he helped us remedy that. He was very passionate in helping us discover the right tone of the song.

After lunch, there followed a Q&A session with an agent by the name of Mikey Nagy. There he gave us insight of the do’s and don’ts about getting an agent.

It was at this point where it hit me that a lot of actors end up doing the business side of the arts. Mr. Nagy got a degree in musical theatre and now he’s here. I don’t forsee myself leaving the performing side any time soon, but who knows? As long as I’m involved with the arts somehow.

Here comes the most mind-blowing part of the day. Following the Q&A session with Mr. Nagy, we had another Q&A session and workshop with probably one of the most genius people on the Great White Way.

The PHENOMENAL Tony-nominated director of Hand to God, Moritz Von Stuelpnagel, was in our midst.

We got to hear a little bit of his story and how he came about as a director, in addition to such inspiring and enriching words. One thing that REALLY stuck out to me was when he commented on his Tony Award nomination. Having just made his Broadway debut with Hand to God, he said that the Tony is just an added bonus. He added that the “big leagues” are something that you shouldn’t always aim for, and that you should create stuff with people you love.

That stuck with me for the remainder of the day.

After a fantastic monologue audition workshop, we all had a dinner break and saw another show. This one was titled Gloria, by Brandon Jacob-Jenkins.

Not gonna spoil it, but this play is the epitome of the phrase “That escalated quickly.”

This was a brand new play, and they were only in their second week of previews! One of the actors had pages of new material with her in one scene, and yet despite occasionally referencing it, her performance did not go astray. Not to mention, the play is already so fantastic... This was one of those plays where I felt I was directly experiencing what the characters on stage were going through. It was absolutely brilliant.

Another great reminder of why theatre is so great. Not only can it change people, but it can also bring people together. The friendships I made here have been just absolutely amazing.

Day Four - Reality Check

Today kind of piggy backed yesterday, in that I got a HUGE reality check. But geez, it was as if the week wasn’t already awesome.

Since we weren’t actually doing any performing today, I treated myself to some dairy and caffeine. It was a little more difficult for me to get up than usual today…

Can I just say that this city gives off the weirdest energy? Like I could get 2 hours of sleep and once I step outside, I’m awake. I could get used to this city. But I gotta figure out how I’ll get by first. More on that in a sec.

The day started with another workshop led by Randy, the founder of SpringboardNYC and it helped us kind of expect what to do on your first few years in the city as a working actor. This, along with a money job workshop held by Joseph Harding was sort of the slap-in-the-face moment for me this week. It made me realize that at this moment in my life, New York is not for me just yet. Perhaps a few years down the road after I graduate, or if it does end up happening, after grad school. Gonna give myself 5 years max before I can make the move. Both workshops still were very resourceful. It just made me realize just how incredibly difficult this whole acting thang can be.

I knew it was going to be hard. I didn’t think it was going to be THIS hard.

It was kind of a rough moment, but it was then followed by moments where I remembered why I wanted to muster up the courage to choose the actor’s life in the first place.

We then had our first “Meet the Artist” session, who was with Tamara Tunie, best known for her role in Law and Order: SVU. She was also in Julius Caesar with Denzel Washington on Broadway and produced Spring Awakening.

Fun fact: she did Antony and Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, and shot Law and Order: SVU... All in one day.

If that doesn’t make you cringe, I don’t know what will. How she managed to muster up all of that energy to do all of that will always be beyond me. But her story and her journey is so incredible. And thus, my spirits were lifted and my soul soared.

We then made our way to a piano bar called Don’t Tell Mama’s, where we sat in on a session of Seth Rudetsky’s Broadway Chatterbox, in which he had two time Tony nominee Michele Lee as a guest, best known for her performance in the original production of How To Succeed In Business Without Even Trying. God she was so hilarious. Bless her soul, but she must have been slightly tipsy or something. And boy, she still can sing.

Btw, the show was completely sold out, so they had to put some of us on the stage, so technically I sat on the same stage as Seth Rudetsky AND Michele Lee.

The day concluded with a performance of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime.

Ho. Lee. Crap.

GOD, IT’S AS IF THE SHOWS WE WATCH JUST KEEP GETTING BETTER.

Absolutely fantastic. The set was amazing, the lights were amazing, the choreography was amazing.

Simply amazing.

And get this: Alex Sharp, the brilliant actor playing Christopher, was sick.

The post show talk-back featured Alex Sharp himself, as well as members of the ensemble. It must be such a surreal experience for Alex, having just graduated Julliard and booking a Broadway gig AND getting nominated for a Tony. I loved getting to hear about everybody’s process, and how the show came together, as well as how it differs from the original West End production.

This is turning out to be one of the best weeks of my life. I’m exhausted and tired, but I cannot be any happier.

Day Three - Roller Coaster

Yesterday was…Holy cow.

After the usual tea and breakfast sandwich in the morning, we had a goal setting workshop. This was not your typical goal setting workshop. It proved to be much more insightful and it was so inspiring to hear everybody else’s goals and the steps they want to take to get there. In the end we all have a common goal, but there was so much diversity in the paths we all wanted to take. It goes to show that there is no set way to get into the business. You follow your own path.

We then had a lunch break in which Katie, a fellow Springboarder, and I casually bumped into Amanda Seyfried. Like what? We accidentally cut her off as we exited a nearby 99¢ pizza place, and I didn’t realize it up until she pointed it out. She was in rehearsal for The Way We Get By at a theater on the same block. I wanted a picture but she was being bombarded with autographs so I didn’t want to be that guy. She was so nice to everyone though. So down to earth…

We then continued with our musical audition workshop with John Ruocco. I got the chance to go up and perform my song. I totally f**ked up the “money” notes, but Mr. Ruocco really gave great advice as to how to remedy that. I’ve always treated high notes like a crap shoot, which is super bad… Maybe it was nerves or I’m not focusing, but the note he gave me was to really emotionally connect. All in all, it was a fantastic workshop.

In preparation of going to the TONY AWARDS this Sunday (wut wut wut wut wut), the CEO and president of the American Theatre Wing came in with the president of the Broadway League to talk about the Tonys, the history, and what goes into making one of the biggest nights of theatre happen. She even brought in two Tony Awards for us to touch. One of them was a sample Tony from 2010, and the other was the original 1978 Tony awarded to the original Broadway production of On The 20th Century. I was not prepared for that moment.

What I really wasn’t prepared was the performance of Hand to God that concluded the day.

This play was SUPER fucked up and at times made me very uncomfortable, but it was so funny and so freaking visceral. With an INCREDIBLE cast led by Steven Boyer (who was nominated for a Tony for his performance), the show’s climax left me on the edge of my seat. Absolutely phenomenal.

Before the post show talk back, Jason Alexander showed up to take a picture with the cast. Yes, THAT Jason Alexander. Afterwards Steven Boyer was so gracious enough to thank us for coming and commended us for being such a great audience. He then explained that he had a two show day and couldn’t really stay for the talk back. He then said goodbye then left.

The post show talk back really took off the state shock that the show left us in. But it was so interesting to hear about the process of rehearsing and performing this show, and the amount of concentration and focus that this show demands to keep it from spiraling out of control for real. Doing this show eight times a week (and in this case two times in one day) must have been super taxing emotionally and physically. It was so gracious for them to even come out and do the talk back…

This day reminded me just how POWERFUL theatre can be. I know I say that a lot, but it’s a great reminder. I’m finishing this post on day four and I don’t think I’m completely over it yet.

Day Two - Enrichment & Inspiration

I feel like I’ll be using those words a lot these next few days.

Enrichment and inspiration.

Today was just an absolute dream, I don’t even know where to begin.

Started off with the usual: green tea from the cafe downstairs and then Dunkin’ Donuts on the way. And then the fun.

We all met the founder of the SpringboardNYC program, Randy Ellen Lutterman, and she gave a class about how to survive and thrive as an actor in NYC, filled with personal and insightful anecdotes. Then the day was followed by a musical audition workshop held by John Ruocco, a director and choreographer who has worked on shows such as The Last Five Years, Hair, and Company.

Let me just take a moment right now and say that the people that I’m “Springboarding” with are probably some of the most talented group of people that I have ever had the pleasure of working with. That was already apparent by the monologues I saw being worked on yesterday, but HOLY SHIT, the voices on these guys. Un-freaking-believable. I mean, it was already a given that these guys were talented seeing that they all got accepted into this program, but actually witnessing that talent? Holy shit. I’m finding myself at a loss of words right now. These guys are absolutely brilliant, and I’m so humbled and honored to be doing this program with them.

The last workshop of the day, which was probably the scariest one, touched on money and money jobs. It made me realize that there’s a lot of work to be done and I gotta get my butt in gear. But it was very insightful.

The workshop was followed by a long break, so I FINALLY got my hands on a pastrami sandwich. Oh. My. God. It was divine. There really isn’t anything like New York pastrami. I had quite a bit of time so I headed over to Schmackary’s and got a Fun-fetti cookie and a cookies n’ cream cookie.

Seriously, you guys, if you’re planning a trip to NY anytime soon go to Schmackary’s. You will heavily regret it if you don’t.

With my belly full of food, it was time for the Springboarders to see our first show: On The 20th Century starring Kristen Chenoweth, Peter Gallagher, and Andy Karl. It was just so much fun. And I saw Kristen mother effing Chenoweth perform live. She was so freaking good. SHE STILL GOT IT. And that woman never ages... Peter Gallagher and Andy Karl were just as amazing and hilarious. The set was gorgeous, the dance numbers were spectacular, and the cast was just completely full of energy. Having not known anything about the show, it was such a fun time for me. The show was followed by a post-show talk back moderated by the dramaturg/education coordinator of the Roundabout Theater Company with a few members of the cast. So funny, and so inspiring and enriching.

That marks the end of day 2. As I finish this post I am overwhelmed with gratefulness, happiness, enrichment, and inspiration. This is exactly the kind of motivation I need to keep at this whole theatre thing. I am reminded why theatre is so amazing, why I wanted to do it in the first place, and just what I can get from it: amazing friendships, enrichment, and inspiration.

Day One - Clean Slate

This program just started and already I’m feeling overwhelmed with inspiration.

My day started with some tea and a pastry for breakfast, then a walk to the Manhattan Theatre Club near Times Square. On the way I saw the Imperial Theater (Les Mis) and the Majestic Theater (Phantom), and I was overwhelmed with joy.

Almost a year later and I’m still very much in awe that I’ve seen those productions and met some of their respective casts.

As I stepped into MTC, everything finally hit me: I’m in New York City studying an art form all while gaining the necessary tools I need to thrive in the theatre scene. It’s so surreal... Even as I type this out I just cannot believe that this is happening.

The day started off with some icebreakers and mingling, and I’m already loving this group of people. There’s so much diversity as far as background and education goes. It’s so thrilling, and everybody is so nice... Not gonna lie, I expected to walk in to awkward silences, but right off the bat everybody introduced themselves to one another and engaged in great conversation.

After the fun, the real work began. We did an audition workshop led by a casting director by the name of David Caparelliotis, who has casted shows such as An Act of God with Jim Parsons and Airline Highway. It was three full hours of just pure, blunt honesty, which is fantastic. It’s not like he was a jerk or anything like that at all, but he started off the workshop with a very insightful schpeel about what he himself as a casting director looks for, then proceeded to workshop and critique monologue performances. I unfortunately didn’t get the chance to perform, but it was so much fun watching the others present the brilliant work they’ve got and watching Mr. Caparelliotis make it even better. A very insightful, fun afternoon.

The day was concluded with much more mingling and bonding at the Playwright’s Celtic Pub, followed by a quick trip to Schmackary’s with a few of the group. Which you all absolutely have to try if you ever get the chance to go to New York.

Best. Cookies. Ever. I got a “Schmores” cookies and it was the most delicious thing I have ever tasted.

Oh, and I saw Nathaniel Hackmann, an ensemble member and understudy for Valjean in Les Mis there. Was too shy to say anything so I didn’t.

Let day two begin already.... These next two weeks are going to be so much fun.

Touchdown

.... After 3+ hours’ worth of delays....

I can honestly say: getting here was probably the worst travel experience of my life. First off, my flight was delayed by an hour, in addition to 20-30 more minutes due to technical difficulties. As if that wasn’t enough, there was a lightning storm right after we landed, so it took an hour and a half for the weather to calm down so it would be safe for the airline to grab our bags.

BUT WAIT, IT DOESN’T STOP THERE.

Add another 20-30 minutes of waiting for the shuttle van to pick me up, and another hour and a half to get through the terror that is NYC traffic.

But I’m here now and I couldn’t be happier.

Seeing that city skyline and driving through Times Square just gave me that fluttery feeling. I wasn’t able to take a picture cause my phone died, but it looked a little something like this:

It put a HUGE smile on my face. I also passed by a couple of Broadway theaters. As I type this out, it is now starting to hit me that in a little over 11 hours the best two weeks of my life will begin. I can already feel it in my bones. SpringboardNYC 2015. Shall we begin?

T-Minus Six Days

And five days until I fly out.

It’s all moving way too fast. I’m feeling lots of mixed emotions. I’m nervous, stressed, afraid. But excited above all things. First thing I gotta do is get through this week. Get my make-up finals and essays out of the way. And then I gotta pack. Can’t wait to take a bite out of the Big Apple. And this time with the lens of an aspiring actor. Let’s go.

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