Music Man and Seussical
I had the honor of returning to Pittsburgh this summer for The Music Man and Seussical!
Music Man - my 4th Music Man of my career, not to brag or anything (LOL) - was led by the brilliant Sara Edwards (Director) and Mara Newbery Greer (Choreographer). It was such a bucket list moment to finally share a room with Sara, my first audition for her being the Hugh Jackman-led Music Man Revival in 2021! Her electric energy, commitment to excellence and ability to consistently execute a triple lands her as one of my favorite female creators I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. It is so inspiring to watch women really command a space that is so often dominated by men.
This time, I had the honor of being Assistant Dance Captain to a dear friend, Bobby Davis, who spent hours with me in the studio teaching me how to track and plan, but more importantly, how to lead. The tracking and planning also comes easy when you’re working with Mara, a mastermind of choreography, storytelling and TRANSITIONS!!!!
A week after we closed Music Man, we hopped right into rehearsal for Seussical led by Michael Heitzman (director) and Robbie Roby (Choreographer).
WOW! This show has been a dream of mine to do ever since I first sang “Notice Me, Horton” as a young, misunderstood 14 year old. A story not unfamiliar to most, I know. So many people write off Seussical as a “kids show” , and yet we forget that the writers (Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty) of this “kids show” wrote arguably one of the best shows in Musical Theatre history, Ragtime. Brilliance is brilliance, no matter the source material.
Michael and Robbie are a certified dream team. Each time I work with them, I am so in awe of their seamless collaboration and dedication to individuality. It’s hard to imagine, but each time I see them is more brilliant than the last. It’s in their commitment to DETAIL and honoring an actor’s impulses that make them such a joy to work for. This process has taught me (in a mere seven days, if you can believe!) that there are people out there who value my impulses and value the authenticity I bring to a room. They truly are a reminder that you are hired because of talent, yes, but more importantly because you are YOU - and that is something that cannot be taken away or replicated.
Our show is helmed by the incomparable Beth Malone, a human as brilliant and vivid as the character she plays, Jacob Keith Watson, who brings subtlety and a childlike joy to a larger than life character, Kate Loprest, the queen of choices and comedy, and Darius Anthony Harper, an absolute SUPERPOWER of talent and strut. Similar to Music Man, I had the honor of being assistant Dance Captain to the brilliant, Jessica Ice. She is passionate, understanding and sticks up for her dancers. This show is a dear one. It is not to be missed.