Springfield Little Theatre

The Crown Jewel of The Ozarks

Menu

Springfield Little Theatre Gave Performer Carol Reinert an Artistic Lifeline Amid a Big Move

Home Mick Denniston

Springfield Little Theatre Gave Performer Carol Reinert an Artistic Lifeline Amid a Big Move

By

As singer and actor Carol Reinert packed boxes, preparing to move her family three hours south for her husband’s new job, she was mourning what she feared was the end of her creative life. Born and raised in St. Louis, Reinert was well integrated within the big city arts scene and performed regularly. The uncertainty of heading toward the much smaller Springfield seemed to spell the end of her live music days.

“I was active in theatre in St. Louis. I sang with various bands. I’ve always been a singer, then I did community theatre,” Reinert recalled. “When we were coming down here, I really was a little bit, ‘Oh god. That whole part of my life is going to end or I’m going to have to go to Branson and just do country.’”

The family was making the move in the 1990s when community events were primarily spread by word of mouth. Luckily, someone recommended Springfield Little Theatre and Reinert contacted then Executive Director, Mick Denniston. He invited them to see a production and notified the family of upcoming GYPSY auditions. Casting was mid-transition, but Reinert made an extra trip to Springfield with daughter Elena just to try out. Reinert took the role of Tessie Tura and Elena was tapped for the part of Baby June.

“It was one of the things that made that move so much easier for me,” Reinert reflected. “It gave me people that I could meet right away that had a common interest. It gave me something to do because [our kids] went to school, [my husband] went to work, and we just rented a furnished apartment because our house hadn’t sold. I didn’t know anybody and there was not much for me to do, so it really was a lifesaver.”

As for those comparisons to St. Louis, Reinert discovered that Springfield offered its own unique benefits. Namely, she appreciated a new crop of opportunities. She found a home among multiple bands and theatres in the area since that first introduction to SLT. She credits the organization with easing her into the arts community in Springfield.

“It struck me that [SLT] was very welcoming. They didn’t know who we were. We didn’t have any connections. We walked in and got two really great parts,” Reinert marveled. “Now, I wouldn’t go back. I feel like I’ve had more opportunity here than I ever did in St. Louis with bands and musicians that I’ve met. The talent pool is just incredible. I’m blown away by the amount of talent in the area. It was a difficult move, but it was made easier by being cast in that first show.”

The Landers Theatre itself added an extra dose of magic. The spectacular architecture is a dream for any performer, holding its own against venues across the country. Reinert noted that many theatre companies in St. Louis made use of multi-purpose rooms like halls and gymnasiums rather than historic stages. Then Executive Director Mick Denniston had recently led a major restoration of the Landers Theatre, an effort that is continued by SLT today.

“There wasn’t a building [in St. Louis] that had that history and that beauty. That really was exciting to me,” Reinert enthused. “I had done some stuff at Loretto-Hilton and that was wonderful, but this was just for a small town, I was really impressed. And they had the community support to keep it going all these years. That was really awesome.”

Reinert considers her time onstage at SLT as a form of “therapy,” making connections and growing her craft. Following GYPSY, she became deeply involved as a volunteer and stepped into a string of lead parts. One of her favorite experiences was tackling the title role in MAME.

“I look back and I really had the honor of playing some iconic roles – things that I never would have had the chance to do in St. Louis, I’m sure,” Reinert marveled. “MAME was one of my early ones there at Springfield Little Theatre. It’s such a beautiful story and such a beautiful score. Lifelong friends came from that cast. It was the one show that I think we bonded better than any other group I ever worked with. It was just a fun, fun experience.”

She starred in a production of ANYTHING GOES as Reno Sweeney – a title that is returning to the SLT stage this spring. One of her most special memories was playing a villain in ANNIE WARBUCKS opposite her daughter, Elena, as Annie. In a special SLT collaboration, she led the cast of BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS as Doatsy Mae on the Hammons Hall stage. She even had a chance to return to GYPSY in later years, this time in the starring role of Mama Rose.

Through her involvement at SLT, Reinert became immersed in the arts community and found more opportunities through her connections. She performed with other companies including Springfield Contemporary Theatre and began headlining for local bands including Caduceus – The Doctor’s Band and entertaining at various retirement homes.

“The material I do with the band is very, very wide range and scope,” Reinert noted. “I like to sing country, I like to sing jazz, I like to sing Broadway and the Great American Songbook, I like to sing rock. I pride myself on thinking we’re probably the most versatile song list in town.”

An only child, Reinert remembers her passion for music beginning early. She recalls using her little record player to put on shows for family. Music even helped her fund her studies at Webster University. She received scholarships and sang with bands for extra money.

When she became a mom, musical theatre fit her schedule better. The runs were limited and her youngest daughter was also interested. In St. Louis, Reinert began volunteering for Parkway Schools performances.

“I used to direct kids’ theatres for the schools in St. Louis for Parkway. Strictly volunteer,” Reinert added. “I didn’t know what I was doing when I first did it, but I loved it. I did shows every year and directed the all-school talent show. I loved working with the kids. I think it’s such a valuable thing for them to get exposure to that at an early age, so I applaud [SLT] for developing the education series.”

Reinert vividly remembers the early days of SLT’s youth programs. Elena was a member of Y.E.S. Troupe when participation was much lower and there were fewer offerings throughout the year.

“Elena was in Y.E.S. Troupe back when there were like 12 kids in Y.E.S. Troupe,” Reinert laughed. “How that whole program has grown really blows my mind. It just mushroomed and is really a compliment to them how they expanded that and it’s a much-needed program.”

Today, Reinert’s daughters both live in Colorado with their own children. Her youngest grandson has visited SLT, and she saw the wonder in his eyes as FROZEN cast its spell on stage. Reinert marvels at the unexpected gifts that a life in the performing arts has brought her.

“I love it. It’s one of those things that I never planned on doing this as a career. I just didn’t think it would happen, but things just kept coming, falling into place,” she explained. “I kept jumping in and trying it. It’s been fun. I always say I don’t have fame or fortune, but I’ve sure had a lot of fun pursuing both theater and music. It’s still my passion. I just think I feel very blessed that I had the opportunity to be involved in these shows – to get some of the roles that I got.”

Looking back, Reinert can see how far she’s come since packing her boxes to move to Springfield. Uncertainty for the future gave way to gratitude for a lifetime of joyful experiences.

“The main thing is the people that I encountered along the way and the friendships that I formed. It was more than just the play,” she recognized. “It really provided this network that you carry with you long after the lights go out. It was a blessing. It really helped me adapt to this new place to live. I look back and I think ‘Wow, I’ve done much more here than I ever would have done if we stayed in St. Louis.’ The quality of the musicians I’ve encountered has been incredible.”

Ignite your passion for live theatre this season with Springfield Little Theatre.

Director Chyrel Miller Gets the ANYTHING GOES Cast Ready to Set Sail

By

ANYTHING GOES director Chyrel Miller has watched graduates of her dance program go on to take bows on cruise ships, national tours, and even Broadway.

Her own resume boasts elite dance training in Chicago, New York, and Paris. Miller began teaching at the university level when she was barely old enough to be a student herself and she has continued to master new styles. For all the rigor and exacting standards she has endured throughout her career, Miller makes sure that joy is at the center of her sessions.

“Community theatre is supposed to be fun, and you need to feel good about yourself when you leave. It takes a lot of courage to come to auditions and rehearsals,” Miller acknowledged. “The point is that no matter what they’ve got, no matter where they get to, by opening night when the curtain opens, they feel confident, and they feel good about themselves. It’s my job to make that happen, and they should never feel discouraged about what they’re doing.”

A childhood illness caused Miller to be clumsy, which her parents tried to correct through dance classes. At just four years old, Miller began her life of dance in a tap class at Barbara Fisher’s School of Dance on the 4th floor of the Vandivort building next door to the Landers Theatre. Soon, she was spending all her spare hours dancing.

“Being an only child, the dance studio became my social outlet, my rehabilitation, and my learning. I lived there Monday through Friday after school. On Saturdays, I went in at 10:00 AM then got home about 6:00 PM in the evening. I did that all throughout grade school, all through junior high school. When I got to be 11 or 12, if you were good enough, Barbara took the students who were there to Chicago for the summer to study at the Ruth Page Ballet School. I got to go every summer.”

The Joffrey Ballet was opening a second studio in Chicago when Miller got old enough to audition. She faced three rejections, but eventually she was offered a position. “Finally, they accepted me. In my ending days of high school, I took off and went to study with the Joffrey ballet. I got to go there.”

After graduating high school, Miller was getting contract offers in New York, but she was looking for more stability and a longer career. She asked the late Dr. Wayne McKinney if he knew of any teaching jobs. The timing was perfect. One of three dance faculty with Missouri State University – then SMSU – had just left. The job was Miller’s on the spot. She began teaching and simultaneously earned her undergraduate degree in Kinesiology from MSU followed by a masters in Exercise Physiology from Wichita State University.

What Miller didn’t expect was the pivot she would make from classical dance to musical theatre. The late Dr. Bob Bradley approached her to choreograph MSU’s production of CABARET. Looking back, Miller laughs that she didn’t know the show, musical theatre style dance, or even the name Bob Fosse. She admits that her style was more ballet than jazz, but it led to more opportunities. Bradley asked her to move into the MSU theatre department and direct. She accepted, but she had one important detour, first.

“I took off and started studying in New York with every current jazz teacher that I could find, thus I found [Broadway legends] Ann Reinking and Gwen Verdon at Steps and went, ‘Who are you?’” Miller laughed. “Going way back to Barbara Fisher’s studio, I took a bunch of kids, and they and I went to Broadway Dance Center and had dance classes for a dollar with Gregory and Maurice Hines. I studied Fosse forever with anyone I possibly could.”

Miller has now directed nearly every famous Fosse title for Springfield Little Theatre. Her former students Deirdre Goodwin and Michelle Potterf even went on to roles in CHICAGO on Broadway. Goodwin starred as Velma Kelly and Potterf played Go-To-Hell Kitty and was a Roxie Hart understudy.

After the success of CABARET at MSU, Dr. Byrne Blackwood asked Miller what she would like to tackle next. She ambitiously said A CHORUS LINE, although the rights were just barely becoming available. To their surprise, their application was accepted for the first non-equity production. The pressure was on for Miller to really step up and impress. Former SLT Executive Director Mick Denniston arranged to see a final dress rehearsal. He recognized her incredible talent and called Miller the following spring, asking her to direct at Little Theatre.

“Mick and I ended up with a relationship that I will cherish for my whole life,” Miller smiled. “He was funny, he was weird, he was gutsy, and he had drive and energy like [current SLT Executive Director] Beth [Domann] does, only maybe ten times more. He was young. Beth was his Education Director. Chuck Rogers he had brought over from Missouri State as his tech director. Everybody that was there was young, including me, at the time.”

From there, Miller’s life became a whirlwind of MSU productions, SLT productions, Tent Theatre, and shuttling students to dance intensives in New York. From 1969 to 2000, she was always on her toes.

“I was around those kids constantly and The Landers offered me the opportunity to fulfill my raging desire to direct and choreograph shows,” Miller explained. “MSU gave me a show in the fall, a show in the spring, and two Tent shows. I was just hungry. I filled in with all the Landers shows. So, by the time I got to 2000, I finished up at The Landers Theatre with SOPHISTICATED LADIES in June. I retired at the University because I had started so young. I now had full retirement benefits, so I left, and when I had been in New York one summer, I found Pilates.”

While taking summer dance classes in New York, Miller was feeling the ache of stressing her body to extremes for decades. She had once suffered eight broken ribs and a broken back while performing a pas de deux. Her fellow classmates recommended she incorporate Pilates into her routine to alleviate pain. In 2000, the fitness regimen was just reaching America. Classes were one-on-one by appointment only. Miller attended her first session and loved it.

“I decided that’s what I wanted to do for a living, so I applied for a sabbatical from the University. Totally thought I would not get it. They gave it to me,” Miller said. “So, I moved to Toronto, which is where I needed to be, and studied for a year and got fully certified. One of the first fully certified Pilates instructors in the United States.”

For the next decade, Miller focused on building the first Pilates studio in Springfield. Even SLT Executive Director Beth Domann became certified in Pilates under Miller’s instruction. Business was booming when Miller decided to step back from the studio. Domann immediately beckoned Miller back to SLT. Of course, her triumphant return was a Fosse production.

“I came in and did CHICAGO in 2011. My only requirement was that Bill [Hale], and I get married in the intermission of Chicago and Beth marry me,” she laughed. “So, we did that, and I used the chorus girls of CHICAGO in their fishnets and bare midriffs as my bridesmaids, and I used the guys in their jazz pants and leatherette covered in oil and glitter as my groomsmen, and we filled The Landers Theatre with champagne.”

ANYTHING GOES brings Miller back to her roots of tap and she recruited a former student to assist with the choreography. Felecia Black specializes in classic big Broadway showtune tap dancing. Together, they created a spectacle that incorporates a talented cast with varying levels of tap experience.

“You can’t bring them in and give them something that makes them not want to audition and be scared and to say, ‘I can’t,’” Miller dictated. “That’s my philosophy on auditions for musicals and working with the people at The Landers. I find that if you pick up those people that literally have the nerve and the energy and vivaciousness to come out and do it, that in 16 weeks when the curtain goes up, you will look fabulous.”

Miller and Black make a ‘perfect blendship’ team and are proud of the cast of ANYTHING GOES going into opening night. Miller is confident that they are ready to ‘wow’ the crowds.

“You’re building a theatre audience. If they never do a dance number again and never do a show again, if they can come back and appreciate what’s on stage and applaud for those people, you’ve succeeded.”

ANYTHING GOES runs June 12 – 28 at Springfield Little Theatre. Tickets are available now.

Cruise Headline Entertainer Ashley Rose Smith Learned from Every ‘Yes’ and ‘No’

By

Performer Ashley Rose Smith has been captivating audiences on the high seas for more than seven years as a fan favorite entertainer on Princess Cruises. Back on land, she has thousands of Facebook followers who tune in for her peek below deck as she shares the logistics of living on a boat. Smith covers topics like battling sea sickness and where she stores her magnificent costumes in tight quarters. On stage in her glittering sequin outfits with a rock-solid voice, Smith seems like she was born into stardom. In reality, she began working on that polished presentation, which she crafted from scratch, years before she commanded her own show.

Smith remembers that her love for musical theater began as a child when her mom introduced her to Broadway cast recordings. Their favorites tracks included JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, FUNNY GIRL, and MAMMA MIA! Performing since the age of three, Smith’s interest in musicals kept growing as she did. As a teenager, she and her mom began searching for theatrical opportunities together.

“We wanted to find out what auditions were happening in town. It was back when they had things posted in the newspaper,” Smith laughed. Among the listings, they found an audition call for THE SOUND OF MUSIC at Springfield Little Theatre. “We found an audition notice for it and were like, ‘Okay. We’re just going to show up and try out.’”

The mother-daughter activity didn’t quite turn out as they expected. While Smith’s mother was offered a spot in the ensemble, Smith herself wasn’t cast. Unfazed, she jumped into a different role. Rather than standing in the spotlight, she learned to operate one. “Since [my mom] was doing [the show], I was like, well I definitely still want to be involved, so that’s why I did the spotlight. I remember being really nervous. Jennifer Wilhelmi was stage managing, so she was the one to always tell me when to turn the spotlight on. It was really fun.”

The early rejection taught Smith to persevere until her undeniable singing talent was matched with the right opportunity. In the meantime, the SLT community made her feel welcome and working backstage stoked her excitement for live performance.

“After doing tech, that’s when I fell in love with the theatre. By the time I was hanging around [SLT] all the time, I wasn’t even [cast] in a show yet,” Smith recalled.

She kept showing up for auditions, making herself familiar to directors, learning the best songs to show off her talents, and weathered five more rejections. Any time she was told she wasn’t right for the cast, she volunteered to work on crew. What she couldn’t predict at the time was that the skills she picked up backstage were preparing her to develop her own professional production. In the moment, she just enjoyed being a member of the SLT family.

“I liked the community aspect of it,” Smith shared. “I never felt like I truly belonged to any clique or anything like that until I did theatre. Then it felt like you’re part of a family. To me, that’s what really drew me in.”

After working tech for several shows, Smith found her name on the cast list of the new musical MISSOURI! which made its debut at SLT under the direction of then SLT Executive Director Mick Denniston. She remembers being grateful for the opportunity but jokes that she skirted the rules a bit to make the cut.

“It said on the audition notice that you had to be 16 to audition. I just didn’t put my age on the audition form. I pretended like I forgot to write it down,” she laughed. “That was my first ever role ever. [Mick] gave me a chance.”

Having proven her talent, drive, and professionalism, Smith began nailing auditions. She joined Y.E.S. Troupe and performed in several shows at SLT throughout high school. She admits that her love of music only grew during this period, but she steered toward more traditional career paths for stability. Her artistic talents, however, were actually providing financial support for her schooling.

“I had to do a bunch of music and theater scholarships because I couldn’t afford to go to school without those scholarships on top of everything else. I quickly realized I didn’t want to give up the music side of things,” Smith explained.

Smith graduated from Missouri State University with a Business degree, but her theatre ties kept her in the loop on performance opportunities. With a gift for connecting with audiences, she couldn’t escape the pull. Smith joined friends, many of whom she met at SLT, who were auditioning in Branson and worked her way into the scene.

A contract with Silver Dollar City brought Smith into the fold and opened her to working with Dean Z, God and Country Theatre, and the Jim Stafford Christmas Show. She also toured the country with Pullen Productions in a four member ABBA Tribute group titled Thank You For the Music: A Modern Tribute to ABBA.

After years of professional contracts, Smith was ready for a big lifestyle shift. “By the time I was 30 years old, I had never once left the country and I was like, if I don’t start now, then I’m not gonna see what I want to see,” she recalled.

Smith took a leap and began auditioning for cruise lines where she would have solid employment and travel opportunities. However, cruises are one of the most competitive contracts to break into. She repeatedly put herself out for calls with disappointing results, but her relentless spirit persisted. “Once I set my mind on something, I usually go 10 out of 10 on it. I usually don’t give up until I figure it out.”

The casting season also conflicted with her ten-month contracts at Silver Dollar City. She began receiving offers from cruise lines, but they didn’t align with her off season. Finally, Smith received a call that would devastate most performers – her Silver Dollar City show wouldn’t be renewed. Instead of despairing, she used it to make the next major jump in her career.

“They fired the entire cast and musicians and everybody, and it was too late in the season to audition for anything else because every other theater had already had their auditions, so there were no openings in town,” Smith explained. “So, I immediately emailed a guy who had given me an offer before and said, ‘Look, I’m not gonna go back to Silver Dollar City. I want to do cruises and now that I don’t have this other job that I’m locked into.’ I’m not going to take anything until some cruise company hires me.”

Princess Cruises called her back and offered her a production singer position. As for travel, Smith got all that she ever dreamed of. Production singer contracts kept her on board for six months at a time and gave her opportunities to explore while they were docked at port. She began sharing incredible experiences online from the distant locales she visited.

Smith eventually met her now husband, former Cruise Director Kevin Tugwell, on board and she began building a solo show. Remember her love for the MAMMA MIA! cast recording and that 2013 ABBA Tribute show she starred in? So did her husband. Turns out, it had all been leading to her big moment.

“I was just writing a variety show. I have another show that is just a variety of different kinds of music including like pop, rock, and opera, a little musical theatre. As for the ABBA show, it started out with just one ABBA medley and it kept getting longer and longer and then my husband was joking around and said, ‘Why don’t you just make a full ABBA show?’ I was like, ‘Oh my god, I should. That’s amazing.’ I’m so glad because it worked out so well. I can’t believe I didn’t think of it myself.”

Having seized every opportunity at SLT on and off stage, Smith had the full picture for how to build an entire show from scratch. As she began developing her shows, she caught the eye of entertainment bookers. Her preparation collided with demand, and she landed one of the most coveted spots in cruise performing – headline entertainer.

“It was just one of those things where I got my show in front of the right people and was able to kind of have a paper trail of my scores and guest comments,” Smith explained. “I wrote my show when I was a production singer on a ship, but I was able to perform them because during COVID, we had a lot of guest entertainers that got sick and couldn’t make the ship. A lot of flights were being cancelled. They were like, ‘Alright, we’re short a show. We need somebody to go on.’ I was like, ‘Put me in! I have a show.’ So, because of that, that’s how the booker was able to get to know my scores and then offered me dates to be a headliner.”

She now gets called on demand to appear on ships to perform her two shows, ABBA’S Greatest Hits by Ashley Rose Smith and A Singer’s Journey. Being a solo act has earned her a more manageable schedule. Smith’s contracts are closer to a week than the months she was away before. When one ends, she heads to the next ship or comes home to spend time with her cat and husband.

Smith has come a long way since operating her first spotlight, but she appreciates her days at SLT. “Doing shows in [Y.E.S.] Troupe teaches you so much about theatre and the way that things work. You get really good on the job training doing shows at SLT. You end up knowing how everything works. You know how rehearsals run. You learn a lot of dance and choreography stuff, like musical theatre and jazz choreography. When I started ships, there was really not like any learning curve because I had already learned. When I started in Branson, it’s everything that I learned at Springfield Little Theatre that I just did with them as well.”

Smith also credits fellow SLT alum Brandon Russell with strengthening her vocals to meet the demands of singing an entire show alone. “He was a fellow Trouper with me, but even when he was in his early 20s, he was the most amazing voice teacher ever,” she said. “So anytime I need help with anything vocally or any time I need a voice lesson or need to figure out how to sing a certain song, I always go to him.”

Smith hopes that her success can inspire other Springfield hopefuls. Pursuing a career on cruise ships can be intimidating, but after rising to the top of her field, Smith is more than open with her tips for breaking into the business.

“I like sharing my adventures and my story with people,” she offered warmly. “I think a lot of times in universities and schools, they push to you that you have to move to New York or LA to be successful. I want people to know there are a lot of other opportunities out there outside of those two cities that you can still make a living performing.”

Explore opportunities to get involved and start your theatre training at Springfield Little Theatre.

Dancer and Choreographer Felecia Black Will Have You Tap Ready for ANYTHING GOES Auditions

By

Taps and stamps form a drumroll as the curtain rises. Dozens of glittering shoes sparkle as they fly together in unison. A chorus of sequined suits accentuates the grandeur of a chorus line engaged in musical magic. If you have ever dreamed of stepping into that show stopping row of high kicks, but you never learned to step ball change, help is on the way. Dancer and choreographer Felecia Black is headed to Springfield Little Theatre to train ANYTHING GOES hopefuls how to shuffle and flap.

As soon as Chyrel Miller agreed to direct the Broadway classic ANYTHING GOES, she knew just who to call to help shape the classic tap routines. Her former student, Felecia Black, grew up in Kansas City before earning her BFA at Missouri State University. After a professional dance career in NYC, she settled with her family in Colorado. Miller coaxed Black back to the Ozarks for the production and they agreed to offer tap workshops in advance of auditions this March.

“One thing I’ve always been pretty good at is helping people to get there,” Black explained. “I think that’s one of the reasons why Chyrel wanted to bring me in, because she knows that’s a skill that I have is to get people in their shoes and making sounds.”

If setting sail on the S.S. American is on your 2026 vision board, then the first step should be brushing up your tap skills. Workshops are open to new and experienced dancers. Tap dance has a wide range of styles and Black is experienced in all of them. She has trained with some of the biggest names in the business. For anyone who feels anxious about the exact steps required for ANYTHING GOES, Black promises there will be an opportunity to learn the audition combination in advance.

“That way, people can kind of get comfortable and be able to practice before they come,” she explained. “Tap is a very specific skill set that not a lot of people have. And there are different styles of tap too. I know teachers down [in Missouri] that teach more of clogging or rhythm tap like Savion Glover, but I’m old school Broadway. I have done those other styles, and I even studied with Savion in New York. I even studied under Gregory Hines for a little while when I was young. It’s a skill set that I have, but I enjoy the Broadway tap more.”

Black and Miller previously worked together on an SLT production of THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS. Black remembers that she took the cast back to the very basics to get them show ready.

“I had all these young girls who had never worn heels before,” she remembered. “We spent one whole evening walking up and down stairs. That was the whole rehearsal. I wanted to teach them to walk gracefully up and down stairs. I’m hoping to get some people in [ANYTHING GOES] that have tapped before and if they haven’t, that’s fine too. We can make it work. I’m excited about it.”

There’s nothing that captures the spectacle of American theater quite like a big tap number. The precision, the percussion, and the pizazz of a cast moving as one is a timeless crowd pleaser. “I want it to be the old school Broadway. If it’s not blonde wigs and big smiles and tap shoes, I don’t usually get hired for it,” Black joked.

ANYTHING GOES director Chyrel Miller first spotted Black’s talent during her dance classes at MSU. Black was among the first students to launch the university’s musical theater program, which has since produced a litany of successful performers who have gone on to national tours, Hollywood films, and Broadway.

“I was the first Musical Theatre degree recipient. They didn’t really have a program [then],” Black reflected. “I was actually a music major studying opera at the university when I first came. Then Chyrel got ahold of me and she was like, ‘No, no no. You don’t belong here. You belong with me.’ They were kind of writing the program when I was there. I was one of the first kids, which meant I had to triple major at the time in theater, music, and dance.”

On top of her busy studies, Black added teaching at Springfield Ballet, which then met in the Landers Theatre, to her schedule. There, she became familiar with Springfield Little Theatre opportunities and began performing at SLT in addition to MSU and Tent Theatre.

“If there was a musical during the 90s, I was probably in it,” Black reflected. “I did teach some classes at Springfield Little Theatre. If they had a tap show coming up, I would teach tap to get ready for the show.”

Black starred in THE GOODBYE GIRL and listed SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN, CABARET, and the First Night Springfield productions among the many shows she appeared in. She credits former SLT Executive Director Mick Denniston with supporting her early career and helping her grow as an artist.

“Mick will always be a part of my heart. He was so generous with his time and energy with me. He and his whole family took me in when I lived there. He was an amazing man,” Black remembered. “He always, always just believed in me. He was such a big influence in my life.”

At SLT, Black was able to explore the multi-facets of crafting, producing, and performing in a show. Not only was she trained in performance, but she gained behind the scenes skills necessary for marketing a show. She remembers feeling encouraged to take big risks and learn from hands-on experience with the support of her teachers and advisors.

“Mick and Chyrel both really gave me a lot of opportunities that I wouldn’t normally have,” Black shared. “That’s the special thing about the Landers, or SLT, they make space for you. They make a creative space for you.”

To complete her degree at MSU, Black was required to present a capstone project called ‘juries’. She and classmate Craig Zuckerman felt that none of the established opportunities faithfully represented all that they had mastered as artists. She approached SLT and Mick Denniston with a vision for her presentation and received a green light to create something new.

“I was trying to be a choreographer. That’s where my passions were,” Black explained. “I [told Mick], ‘I want to choreograph something. I want to do my own show.’ He said, ‘Well, you need to get a grant, and then you can do it here.’ He let me do my juries at the Landers, which was wonderful. [Mick] and Chyrel helped me write a grant and get the money. Craig and I produced a whole show.”

The duo presented DANCE A TO Z to sold out audiences at the Landers Theatre. Beyond choreography and dance technique, Black felt that her experience at SLT prepared her for the professional world.

“The other great things about SLT that was wonderful for me was I learned how to do all the things, not just the artistic part of it,” Black said. “I was given the freedom to learn how to write a press release. I was given the freedom to learn how to find the money for what I needed to do. They helped me find that and learn how to do that. That was invaluable for me as an adult coming out of there. They just really taught me a lot about the business of the art and how important it is.”

Throughout her career, Black has been a visionary, crafting and pioneering new projects. After graduating, she formed her own dance company under the umbrella of her mother’s studio in Kansas City. She later worked professionally as a dancer and choreographer in New York.

“I did a lot of preview kind of shows where they were presenting shows to producers for Broadway,” Black detailed. “I even did one POCAHONTAS themed show. We would pitch shows to producers. I did a lot of choreography workshops for choreographers in New York at Broadway Dance Center and Steps. I worked as a working dancer in New York for several years.”

Black’s family moved frequently for her husband’s career in the military, and she later took a break from performing to support her son, Owen, who became a successful ballet dancer. As a young boy, she encouraged him to try other activities like soccer, but he naturally gravitated to the arts for athletics. When his passion persisted, Black helped support his career which ultimately led to the Houston Ballet and a busy traveling career. He has since transitioned to college where he studies electrical engineering and physics.

After decades of traveling and living around the country and even abroad, Black still holds a great reverence for SLT. Her husband even teases her that through all her professional theater experiences, she’s never found a place quite like the Landers.

“I’m really excited about it. I’m really excited to be back home, so to speak. The Landers feels like a home to me even though I was only there a few years,” she gushed. “Every time I go to Springfield, I have to stop by there because it just feels like home. It’s the place where I cut my chops and they gave me the opportunity to do that. I miss it every time I do a show.”

Sign up today for an ANYTHING GOES tap workshop to prepare your audition.

Dr. Gary Buzbee Has Played FDR in ANNIE at SLT for More than Four Decades

By

When little orphan ANNIE burst onto Broadway in 1977, audiences instantly fell in love with the optimistic red head belting about brighter days being ‘just a day away’. One of the lucky theater goers to catch the production in its original, record-breaking, six-year run in NYC was Dr. Gary Buzbee. The show immediately became – and remains – Buzbee’s favorite musical.

Shortly after the Broadway run closed, a friend tipped Buzbee off that SLT had secured the rights to the musical in 1983. Although he hadn’t performed since high school, he was eager to be involved.

“Of course, I don’t sing. I said, ‘I don’t have a song,’” Buzbee admitted. His friend who had previously been involved in SLT productions offered to help him to prepare. “So, she did, and I did! That’s how it all started.”

That decision led to what has now become a 42-year tradition. Buzbee was cast as the former U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Since then, every time SLT has produced ANNIE, Buzbee has played the role.

“I’m the only FDR that the Landers has ever had.” He laughed and jokingly added the caveat, “With the exception of when the education department did ANNIE, JR. Had I known, I would have tried to get into that.”

In addition to stepping into the sparkling world of ANNIE that he so adored, Buzbee also holds great admiration for the real-life accomplishments of his character. Although history has not always been the most engaging subject for Buzbee, he has great reverence for the President who led America through the Great Depression.

“I was always fascinated by FDR. I think it was because even when I studied it in high school and we would talk about the New Deal, they would tell us the things that had benefitted from it here in Springfield,” Buzbee reflected. “That was just fascinating to me, the fact that we have some parks and a gymnasium, and all sorts of stuff around here that was built because of the New Deal.”

As a dentist, Buzbee recalls making prop teeth for SLT roles including FDR. Although he won’t be using them for this production, he still has the set he made for ANNIE and a later production of CINDERELLA for which he was cast as an Ugly Stepsister.

“I took an impression of my teeth, then I had the lab fabricate them so they just clipped over my teeth so there was nothing in my palate. It didn’t affect the way I spoke. It just made me look really unattractive,” Buzbee described. “The [Stepsister teeth] were big, buck teeth with a big space in between. I still have them. They’re in my makeup kit. I did it for FDR the first time. I have really white teeth and his are not quite so white, so I made them darker.”

Although he decided to forgo the prosthetics this time, there are items that help shape Buzbee into FDR’s likeness. His 1930s style brown and blue suits have stayed consistent over the years and help to complete the President’s look. In addition to signature accessories, FDR is well remembered for the wheelchair he used following paralysis caused by polio before he turned 40.

“You have to act from the waist up,” Buzbee said of incorporating the mobility aid. “I’ve got a great, big, prop cigarette holder, I’ve got glasses, so the wheelchair is just one more prop.”

Buzbee has earned his seat at to the upcoming SLT ANNIE reunion five times over. Cast, crew, orchestra, and creative teams will gather to commemorate previous productions in 1983, 1993, 2002, and 2012. Buzbee has even appeared in the sequel, ANNIE WARBUCKS.

Few roles can utilize the same actor over more than four decades. “I did require a little more makeup at the beginning than I do now,” Buzbee laughed. Although the role is familiar to Buzbee, he prepares for the part just like any other actor in the cast. He notes that the script actually receives small changes from the publisher as the years go by, but he learns the part fresh each time.

“Every time is different. Every time is just completely different,” Buzbee insisted. “I don’t know that I could ever say this was my favorite show or this was my favorite show, but the first one was really, really, really special. But they’ve all been special to me in my own way.”

The initial 1983 run of ANNIE was a hallmark event in SLT history. The beloved classic remains popular, but Buzbee recalls that Springfield was in a fervor to catch the first production. Interest drew large crowds and introduced a new generation of theatergoers and volunteers to the Landers.

“That first time we did ANNIE, it was unbelievable,” Buzbee marveled. “People were lined up way down Walnut [Street] to buy tickets. I think we added four or five performances. It was an amazing time. It was such a boost for the theatre because I think people who had never been to the theatre came to see ANNIE and then thought, ‘Hey! What have we got here?’”

Beyond the joy of performing, Buzbee has developed very special friendships through his SLT involvement. He has appeared in more than two dozen shows in the area and still feels like it’s a great place to meet and connect with people.

“The camaraderie – it’s amazing how a group of people come together that have maybe never, ever been together before. How within just a matter of time they meld into a family. In the theatre, you get to know people very quickly,” he shared.

One of the most meaningful relationships he built was with the late Mick Denniston who served for many years as SLT’s executive director. Denniston cast Buzbee in three productions of ANNIE. The director often credited SLT’s financial success to the popular show calling Little Theatre “The house that ANNIE built.” Buzbee remembers Denniston as a “best friend”.

“So many wonderful things happened when he was there,” Buzbee reflected. “He was an amazing director, a fabulous person, and he was just a beacon of our community. He was everywhere. When he was everywhere, that made Little Theatre be everywhere.”

Buzbee retired from his dental practice last October, but he says he loves to stay busy and is now teaching at OTC. As an Air Force veteran and frequent community volunteer, Buzbee explained he’s “not one to sit around”. Being at the theatre always proves to be a joyful place for Buzbee to spend his time. He says he is looking forward to sharing the stage with the three young actresses playing Annie – Adelade Allen, Ava Bartlett, and Morgan Baum.

“You know, it’s really fun. They’re all just great kids. They’re great actors,” Buzbee praised. “Each one of them is just a little bit different, but they fit right in. They’re so adaptable. That’s what’s amazing to me.”

Tickets are now available to see ANNIE live on stage September 12 – 28 at the Landers Theatre.

Actor Annie Crumbaugh Has Lived Out Dream Roles on the SLT Stage

By

Annie Crumbaugh earned her BFA in performing arts from Missouri State University and has acted professionally in Chicago and beyond, but Springfield Little Theatre is where she has checked off many of her dream roles.

“The gold standard, Blanche DuBois in A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE,” Crumbaugh reminisced. “I can’t imagine most people who grow up in the theater or really enjoy theater, that not being one of their dream roles. I felt so incredibly lucky that the [Springfield Little] Theatre decided to produce this show at a time when I was the right age and able to do it and I was actually cast. I feel so honored to have done that show.”

Although Crumbaugh has captured several iconic leading roles throughout her career, her first SLT experience was actually offstage. When a friend from her high school introduced her to the Landers, she was hooked and immediately looked for ways to get involved. SLT executive director at the time, Mick Denniston, was staging THE WIZ through a partnership with Juanita K. Hammons Hall and Crumbaugh just wanted to be there.

“I was like an assistant to the assistant to the assistant to the assistant director. I don’t even know if I was credited or anything,” she laughed. “I was basically helping the kids remember their lines and keeping them busy during scenes and telling them when to go on and off. It was such a great experience. I just wanted to see the whole process. I knew Mick was fantastic at this job and I wanted to watch him. I learned a lot from that experience. It was incredible.”

Throughout college, Crumbaugh’s talent was in demand. She snagged a competitive spot in her first audition in the mainstage MSU show ARCADIA. Craving more opportunities, she became more regularly involved with community theater in the Ozarks. Her first on stage performance at SLT came in THE GLASS MENAGERIE.

“Joe Bowman directed it, and it just felt very collaborative and supportive. It felt like, ‘Oh I can try new things. I can be challenged. I can fail and people are still going to support me,’” she applauded. “He had incredible stories. He was quite a character. Very lovable person.”

After graduating, Crumbaugh moved to Chicago where she appeared in independent films and stage productions. She balanced her income by working for hunger relief organization Feeding America. After moving to Los Angeles, she continued in nonprofit work..

“I loved it and it gave me the opportunity to feel like I was giving back to my community while also pursuing other avenues,” she reflected.

Although her career was split between performing and office work, Crumbaugh found all of her artistic training useful in professional settings.

“Just getting a degree in theater, people often think, ‘What are you doing?’ but all of my training and all of my experience at Little Theatre absolutely helped me in my professional life. Just being able to connect with people pretty quickly, being empathetic toward other people, communication, and just the collaborative experience in theater really can help,” she recognized.

After years of big city life, Crumbaugh eventually relocated to Springfield and plugged back into the SLT scene. She’s proven she is game for anything, participating in experimental styles of theater like TOO MUCH LIGHT MAKES THE BABY GO BLIND and original work PARENTAL GUIDANCE SUGGESTED. Crumbaugh has also exhibited her wide range from Kate Keller in THE MIRACLE WORKER directed by Marni Erwin to madcap comedy THE 39 STEPS.

“That was one of the funnest shows I’ve ever done,” she said. “It is so fast paced. So many props. So many different accents. It was so much fun, though. It is the one show that people still ask me about, especially my family. Any time I see them, they’re like, ‘Can you do that show again? It was so funny.’”

Crumbaugh admits that SLT has grown tremendously in recent decades and coming from the outside can be intimidating. However, she urges anyone who is interested to take their shot.

“I think if you want something, you just have to go for it,” she encouraged. “You just have to be uncomfortable, and I think as soon as you’re in that space with those people, you’ll realize they’re very welcoming and caring and supportive and they want you there, too. If you want to be there, they want you there.”

After performing across the country and working with many different companies, Crumbaugh is confident that SLT can stack up against far larger cities for a roster of talent.

“A theater this size that does the productions of their size and quality, is pretty amazing,” she praised. “Springfield is very lucky to have this theater and everybody that’s involved with it. I mean for me, I love theater so much. I love all arts, but the theater is my heart, and it feels like the Springfield Little Theatre is the heart of Springfield. I can walk in that theater and feel immediately at home and at peace.”

Singer Judy Luxton Found There Is More to Her Voice Through Unexpected Roles at SLT

By

Judy Luxton always considered herself to be a singer first. “I always felt good about acting when there was music behind me,” she explained. “That was my crutch. It kind of filled in the gaps for me in terms of emotional intent and inflections. It was built in. You didn’t have to think about it.”

In 2013, a new challenge changed her perception of her own abilities and opened new opportunities as a performer. Springfield Little Theatre won a grant from the American Association of Community Theatre (AACT) to have first rights to premiere a brand-new work. Director Chuck Rogers chose the riotous and tender comedy EXIT LAUGHING.

Luxton was hesitant to audition for the non-musical, but the rich characters and female camaraderie drew her in after Rogers encouraged her to read for a part. Luxton nabbed the role of Connie and is forever listed in the script as part of the world premiere cast.

“I didn’t really trust my acting chops because if there’s not music to go along with it, I didn’t trust myself. I didn’t have that experience,” she admitted. “EXIT LAUGHING is what really gave me my confidence that I can do that. I got cast and it was an amazing experience. Of course we are all aged out of those roles this time around, so we’re all going to go together and watch. It’s been exciting to see another generation of people doing that show.”

Some roles are timeless and Luxton recently had the opportunity to revisit a favorite character. At the age of 25, she played Pippin’s high-flying stepmother, Bertha on the Landers stage. Decades later, she reprised the role at SLT.

“It was fun to get to do it again last year,” she smiled. “I loved Bertha and getting to do two iterations of her.”

Early in her music career, Luxton was living at Lake of the Ozarks, working at Lodge of the Four Seasons and driving to Springfield weekly to perform with the Mid-America Singers. Eventually, the commute pushed her to move.

She first worked on props for YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN at SLT then performed in shows like CARNIVAL and 110 IN THE SHADE until she moved to California with a friend. In Los Angeles, she was cast in the original production of the Christian musical RABBONI.

“It started with Creation and went through the whole Old Testament into the birth of Jesus and ended with the Resurrection. It was long. There was a lot to it,” Luxton laughed. “We performed in churches and all over the LA area.”

Luxton eventually returned to Springfield to help a friend raise her daughters and jumped back into SLT productions. Her first lead role after moving back was particularly unexpected.

“The next show where I had a role was MAME and I played Vera. That was a hoot,” she remembered. “I really didn’t think of myself as a ‘Vera’, but [director] Mick [Denniston] made a big point of, ‘If you don’t say you will take a role, I won’t consider you for it.’ So, I just said I will do anything, and then I got Vera and it made me laugh. It was a lot of fun.”

In fact, Luxton was so unlike her famously tipsy character that she developed an unusual ritual to get into character.

“That was during a period where I didn’t drink, and Vera has to be drunk often,” she recalled. “I would sit backstage and make myself dizzy so I could walk onstage and stumble. They would make fun of me because I would be backstage flipping my head around and I would do it just in time to go on.”

Since then, Luxton has appeared in iconic roles including Cinderella’s stepmother. “I got to do Mother Superior in SOUND OF MUSIC the first time they did it. I always said I loved it because I did no dancing, one costume, and had the best song in the show,” she joked. “I got to be Mother Superior again when they did SISTER ACT. Then I got to be the Bird Lady in MARY POPPINS in a scene with Kim [Crosby]. That was really fabulous, and we got to do ‘Feed the Birds’. That was a really great experience.”

Luxton earned her teaching degree in college and taught for one year before switching tracks. She didn’t return to the classroom until 22 years later when fellow educator Alberta Smith put her name in for a job at Pipkin Middle School.

As a teacher, Luxton began bridging the gap between her students and community theater. When SLT held auditions for ANNIE in 2001, Luxton arranged to take a group of pupils downtown.

“They made this announcement that they wanted all these little girls to come and sing ‘Tomorrow,’” she explained. “So, I got a bunch of my little sixth graders and we all learned ‘Tomorrow’. I took them all to the theater. Back then I actually would take them down and get them ready for their auditions.”

For many, it was their first SLT audition and many of them continued participating through adulthood. Today, Luxton said, kids can find casting calls online for themselves, but she helped introduce a generation to SLT.

She taught voice lessons through for many years and jumped in as musical director on occasion. She remembers that the job had its challenges.

“Especially back then, some of the really little shows, the score would come just with the choral music, and I would handwrite out the parts,” she explained. “We’d have four or five pieces in the orchestra, and I would write out their parts. I remember sitting there with my pencil and paper.”

As the community and interest has grown, so have the theatre’s offerings. Luxton praised SLT for opportunities beyond the mainstage season.

“One of the things I think has always been so great that Landers had was those School’s Out Workshops. Kids have something they can do on [days there is no school]. I always thought that was really important,” she applauded. “It has just exponentially exploded with the opportunities at the Judy and the more shows. You almost can’t keep up with how many shows there are.”

Luxton was even married on the Landers stage to her late husband Terry Luxton. The couple would be celebrating their 20th anniversary this summer. “[SLT has] been a wonderful part of my life,” she reflected. “I don’t think I would be who I am now had that not been part of my life.”

After a rich history with SLT, Luxton is focused on the future and new roles she looks forward to.

“As I age, a lot of the roles, you have to let go of that you can’t do anymore. I always wanted to do Lizzie (110 IN THE SHADE), but I’m too old to be considered an old maid at this point,” she joked. “That was one that I had to grieve the loss of. There are some roles that no matter how old I get, it’ll still be okay. I’m hoping that at some point they do THE NOTEBOOK. I got to see that on Broadway and that’s a role I can do no matter how old I get.”

Tickets are available now for a reprisal of EXIT LAUGHING.

Lucas Grabeel’s Path to Stardom Started in SLT Youth Programs

By

The story is familiar to millions of fans today: a young athlete involved in school sports feels the pull of theater and discovers a talent just waiting to break through. Before Disney’s High School Musical made Lucas Grabeel a star, he lived it on the Landers stage.

“I showed up to my first [Y.E.S. Troupe] rehearsal in my football pads because I was playing football at the time too,” Grabeel laughed. “We did a dance. We were starting off right off the bat. Like, ‘Okay, we’re going to do this big dance medley number.’ It was like jumping and doing all this crazy stuff. I had never danced before, so I was terrified. But then we got to play improv games, and I loved that. Then singing. I had been doing music since I was little. I was 7th grade, 8th grade maybe when that happened.”

Grabeel had been recruited to Springfield Little Theatre weeks earlier when Beth Domann visited his middle school. He had been curious about performing but was lost on how to explore his interest. When Domann addressed his class about life in the arts, Grabeel suddenly recognized the way forward.

“She was just so funny and witty and clever and nice and weird, and I saw so much of myself in her and what I wanted to be,” he reflected. “I talked to her afterwards and she was like, ‘Yeah, come and sign up for these acting classes.’”

After just one class, Domann spotted Grabeel’s talent and urged him to join Y.E.S. Troupe for a more rounded education. With Domann in charge, Troupe was acting and improv heavy leaning into her strengths. She urged participants to be self-reliant, producing their own projects and learning all facets of theatre.

“She would just be like, ‘Okay, this is what you need to do. Do it and figure it out.’ So many times over my adult years I think back on that with such gratitude,” Grabeel acknowledged. “That’s the thing that we needed to push ourselves. But also, after we figured it out, to have that confidence of, ‘Wow, we figured this out ourselves.’”

“We learned how to work together,” Grabeel explained. “So many interdisciplinary facets from taking tickets to office hours to hanging lights, changing gels, building sets, and even sweeping and cleaning and interacting with our own show and other shows and other people from the top to the bottom. It just solidified the sense of community that SLT is. You really felt like you were a part of something, which for me was extremely important.”

As Grabeel’s focus sharpened on the performing arts, all other activities began to fade away. He eventually left sports behind and performed as a toy soldier in his first SLT production, THE VELVETEEN RABBIT. Then came the opportunity that began to reveal his potential star power. Then SLT executive director, Mick Denniston, was directing OLIVER and Grabeel nervously prepared for the audition.

“I was terrified because I was meeting Mick Denniston for the first time,” he recalled. “[Mick] was the executive director of SLT at the time. Loved by many but feared by most as well. I was so intimidated and so scared. I went and sang a song that usually a girl sings – ‘Castle on a Cloud’ from LES MIS [LES MISERABLES]. I didn’t even know what LES MIS was. I was not in a theatre headspace at all. I was like ‘Mr. Sports Boy’ – even though, let’s be honest, I was not ‘Mr. Sports Boy.’ But anyway, I was cast, and that was really the first big thing I had really gotten on my own. I was just floored.”

Grabeel landed the role of the Artful Dodger and was an instant standout. Fellow castmates, audiences, and Denniston himself recognized the special talent Grabeel possessed. Recognizing the power of Denniston’s mentorship and the impact of the role in his life brought tears to his eyes.

Despite being so many years, auditions, and roles ago, he still appreciates the experience of that show as a turning point. After OLIVER, Grabeel was all in.

“From then on, it was like what can I do to fit in as much experience, work, and knowledge as possible?” he explained. “Landers became my college while I was still in high school. Became my church while I was kind of stepping away from being religious. It was my family when so many rough times were going on at home. I would escape and find people who acted like me, thought like me, who were weird. There was so much support and so much challenge.”

Grabeel continued performing at Logan-Rogersville, Kickapoo, and SLT through his high school years. With every show, he picked up skills and experiences that would prepare him to pursue acting as a profession.

“I remember [fellow Y.E.S. Troupers] Derek Macumber teaching me how to do my makeup. Jessica [Bower] just totally took me under her wing and taught me how to dance. ”

One pivotal conversation pushed Grabeel toward his future. “Before I graduated high school, Beth and I were having dinner and she was like, ‘I don’t ever tell anybody this, but you should go into movies. You should go to LA.’ And I had that feeling. I knew that was where I was gonna go, but my gut was telling me that and I needed some validation. That was another huge pivotal point in my life to know that here’s my mentor telling me what my gut is already telling me and giving me that validation. Immediately I was like, ‘Okay, I need to go check it out.’”

Before making the leap, Grabeel visited Los Angeles and lived the actors’ dream. He was approached by a stranger while waiting in line for a smoothie. The man asked if Grabeel had acting aspirations and confirmed that he had the right look for the screen. After some conversation, he became Grabeel’s manager for a decade.

Grabeel moved to LA with a friend straight out of high school. He worked at Blockbuster between auditions until his manager sent him to an audition for an untitled Disney project.

“I was at a party with some friends, and I was like, ‘Dude, I just got a callback for this Disney musical thing.’ They were like, ‘Oh, yeah. I heard about that. Dude! You are so gonna get that. That is so you. You are such the musical guy.’”

Grabeel admitted that he couldn’t see the potential right away with the material he’d been provided. With the competitive nature of auditions, he also knew he couldn’t count on anything before getting the call.

“At this point, there was no music that we had heard. It was being written at that time. It was just this empty script. Lots of holes in it for music, so you couldn’t really see it. I hadn’t met Kenny [Ortega] yet to see his artistic, weirdo, genius. I reluctantly went to the callback. I knew I did really well, but it was down between me and two other guys. That’s happened many times before and I didn’t get it after that. That’s just par for the course.”

Things changed when Grabeel met the creative team. Whether or not the movie became a success, he was excited about working with the Disney legends.

“When I was at the callback, I met Kenny and [choreographers] Chucky Klapow and Bonnie Storey. The three of them had this energy that I knew I wanted to be around, regardless of what I thought about the project. Which was just a huge lesson that you as an actor don’t get to choose how the final product comes out. Don’t think about that. Do your job and just wait and see what happens because it could be a total flop, or it could be a worldwide phenomenon that changes your life and takes you all around the world and you’re still talking about it almost 20 years later.”

Habits he acquired at SLT carried through into Grabeel’s professional life in the arts. When transitioning into the film and television industry, he used skills of observation and understanding the craft that he practiced in Y.E.S Troupe to make a smooth transition onto set.

“One of the most important aspects that I think about all the time that I learned at SLT was the importance of knowing everything about the art,” Grabeel noted. “What their job title was, what their responsibility was, what it’s like to present yourself in such a way when you’re an usher leading someone to their seat. How important the scenery is, the set decoration, the props. How important it is to hang up your costume at the end of every performance and take care of it. At the end of my day, I go to my trailer, I hang up my costume, and I cannot tell you how many times wardrobe department has come to me and been like, ‘Dude, this is insane. You’re the only person that ever does this and we appreciate it so much. It means a lot that you respect our job.’ I think that’s what it is. SLT really pushed us to respect every aspect.”

Over the years, Grabeel has appeared in high profile features like MILK with Sean Penn, starred in the beloved series SWITCHED AT BIRTH, and made the leap into voicework with starring roles in Netflix’s PINKY MALINKY, Disney’s SHERIFF CALLIE’S WILD WEST, and more. He has also been putting out music including fan favorite YOU WERE MY CHILDHOOD – an homage to HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL fans.

“I’ve been doing a lot of voiceover [work], which I always love,” he said. “It’s the best job in the world. I cannot say enough about how much I love animation. Being silly and zany and creating things just with your voice is so much fun. I have been really focusing on music. I’ve been writing a lot. YOU WERE MY CHILDHOOD was something that had just kind of been brewing for a while, then one day it just kind of popped out. I’m really proud of it. I just released it because I knew I needed to put it out there as soon as possible, so I just did an acoustic version of it, and I might do a fully produced version at some point. It’s been so lovely. People have just really connected to it and listened to it.”

Despite living out his Hollywood dreams, Grabeel still credits SLT with guiding his passions into practice. With his multifaceted talents, he’s able to pursue all areas of entertainment.

“SLT was such a great escape to find another home where I knew I was valued and pushed and taught so many different things. As Beth used to say, ‘Here’s the kicker, kids. This is not just about theater. It’s about life.’”

Ticket sales cover only 44% of our costs.

Your support keeps the curtain rising.

Donate
MENU