2011 Curtain Call – the Helen Hayes Awards nominated actors

“We sometimes think of actors as men who put on a character, and duplicate whatever gestures and mannerisms the playwright describes or implies. But this isn’t true at all; the best actors are at every moment themselves on stage – it’s just that “themselves” have become the characters. The men in this section have dedicated themselves to authenticity, and to bringing out the truth of their characters.” – Tim Treanor

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Featured:  Luis Butelli, Brent Michael DiRoma, Ed Dixon, Philip Fletcher, John Glover, Adam Green, Mitchell Hébert, James Konicek, Marc Kudisch, Bill Largess, John Manzari, Leo Manzari, Alex Mills, Geoff Packard, Johnny Ramey, Michael Tolaydo, and Cody Williams.

Louis Butelli
Will Sommers in Henry VIII . Folger Theatre

Creating your role …

Right off the bat, I suppose the strangest thing about my character, Will, is that he doesn’t appear once in the play’s actual script. I don’t want to speak out of turn here, but there are those who suggest that perhaps H8 isn’t Shakespeare’s – or John Fletcher’s – um, strongest work. Our director Robert Richmond’s great innovation was to create in Will a sort of narrator, or guide for the evening, to help us all through the rough patches. The way in for me, as it is any time I work with Robert, was, basically, “trust Robert.” I’ve done a bunch of the clowns over the years, but this one was special for me because he didn’t exist before our production, and it was great fun to just be open to the audience and see how much they would accept Will in his many guises. Plus, his opening line is “I come no more to make you laugh,” which made me feel a little bit better when they didn’t.

Biggest surprise …

For me, the most surprising thing to happen through the course of the run was the excitement generated amongst audiences for this odd play. As I mentioned, H8 has a reputation for being difficult – verbose, non-linear, light on plot, not by Shakespeare, etc. – and it was truly shocking the way people flocked to it, accepted it as an evening’s entertainment, and went home talking about it. I’m very proud to have been a member of an ensemble who took this play at face value, forged ahead even when flummoxed, and generously used their talents to create something truly beautiful.

Favorite moment …

There were so many moments in the play that were special to me – the amazing pageant at top of show, Naomi Jacobson’s moving death scene, Tony Cochrane’s heartbreaking farewell, cuddling with Ian Merrill Peakes in the final tableau – but one moment sealed the deal for me. My character told parts of the story with puppets, one of which was a little vignette about Anne Boleyn’s coronation. The little prop crown used for the vignette didn’t show up on set until first preview, and the first time I got to work with it was at about half an hour to curtain. When the moment to test the crown came… it was too big, and fell down over Anne’s eyes. I was a bit flustered, but noticed that everyone in the cast and crew were laughing. In the end, I built a little piece of business for “Anne and the Over Large Crown,” and we kept it in the show. To me, that is the essence of the live experience, and was a favorite moment of H8 for me.

This year’s favorite performances …

This might be construed as a cop out, but I don’t care. I mean this! Favorite performance of this past year for me was by the entire Ensemble of Henry VIII at the Folger. Thanks for letting me be a part of the family, y’all.

Next?

Am I allowed to plug things here? Cool! My theater company, the Los Angeles-based nonprofit, Psittacus Productions, has extended our World Premiere musical, “CYCLOPS: A Rock Opera,” at the Carrie Hamilton Theater, upstairs at the Pasadena Playhouse. We opened April 8, 2011, and will play until the people stop coming. If you’re in LA, check us out. If not, Like us on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter, or watch the live webstream.

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Brent Michael DiRoma
Princeton/Rod  in Avenue Q, The Broadway Musical, Shakespeare Theatre Company

Creating the role …

I had the privilege in Avenue Q to perform as both Princeton and Rod. It was my first time ever performing a split role in a musical, not to mention with puppets on hand. I connected to both Princeton and Rod in very different and individual ways. I connected to Princeton immediately. Fresh out of college, moved to the city, but instead of searching for my purpose in life I was searching for work! As for Rod, he is the complete opposite of me. But this only allowed me to really make the role my own and also, I believe, strengthen the performance as well. I now hold a strong bond with playing the role of Rod, he’s taught me a lot.

Biggest surprise …

I became a puppeteer! So many of us were so brand new to it in the beginning, but it really has opened up a lot of opportunities.

Favorite moment …

I’d have to say my favorite moment in Avenue Q was always Rod’s grand ‘coming out’ scene. That scene is so well known and has been performed by such incredible talents. Equality is such a struggle for so many in our country. Every night I had the honor of representing all those who it affects the most.

This year’s favorite performances …

I truly appreciate Gavin Creel and Steel Burkhardt’s inspiring performances as Claude and Berger in the recent broadway revival of Hair. I remember that show as much more of an experience than a performance. It was unforgettable.

Next?

Looking for the next thing. I’ve had the chance to perform with some wonderful off-broadway & regional companies since Avenue Q and I’m currently auditioning. I’m also working on my music, songwriting and guitar are huge passions of mine and I’m pursuing that as well!

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Ed Dixon
Max in Sunset Boulevard . Signature Theatre

Creating the role …

Max Von Meyerling is a very tortured and tormented character. He is codependant and enabling and obsessive and suffers from a monumental case of unrequited love and also from the loss of the greatness which he once possessed. What actor can’t identify with that?

Biggest surprise …

An idiotic woman sat in the front row wearing a bracelet made of jingle bells. She disrupted the entire performance from beginning to end. I almost leapt off the stage on top of her during the curtain call.

Favorite moments …

I had two favorite moments. I loved the moment during the movie sequence when Max becomes absorbed in the movie he made with Norma and begins to quietly direct with his hands. And I loved Max’s final moment with Norma on the stair when she has gone mad and he convinces her that she is filming a movie.

This year’s favorite performances …

I loved Ramin Karimloo’s performance on the 2011 Olivier Awards. Truly stunning. You can see it on YouTube… and you should. Oh, yes, and Bettye Lavette’s tribute to Chaka Kahn. Uh-mazing. Also on youtube.

Next?

I am currently rehearsing Belling, the director, in Curtains for TUTS in Houston and Papermill in New Jersey. When I finish that, I will be joining the Broadway company of Mary Poppins as Admiral Boom.

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Philip Fletcher
Iago in Othello . Synetic Theater

Creating the role …

Iago is the catalyst in Othello that sets the plot in motion. He causes chaos in the lives of everyone he interacts with…a true villain. Paata Tsikurishvili, Synetic’s Founder and Director of Othello, came up with the idea to make Iago a fractured person to visually display the way he simultaneously influences and distorts the reality of the other characters in the play. Also Iago is a complex character in that his motivations for his villainy can be played different ways, so in our production each Iago was given a basic motivation to convey throughout the production while concurrently destroying the lives of those around them. My character was the main Iago from with the other two split and as the main Iago I attempted to give a taste of each of the motivations while overwhelmingly displaying my main motivation which was outright jealousy at being passed over for promotion to Lieutenant. Connecting to this character required tapping anger and jealousy emotions, while the other two Iago characters had lust and desire for either Desdemona or Othello which I, for only brief moments, touched on.

Biggest surprise …

During Othello, we used hand held projectors to display the twisted thoughts Iago force fed the other characters. So honestly the most surprising thing was that these devices were able to survive the entire run given all the abuse inflicted on them by the three Iagos especially in some of the heavier movement sequences.

Favorite moment …

My favorite moment in the play was the mirror scene Paata came up to show Iago splitting into his multiple personalities. I love the choreography that Irina Tsikurishvili, Synetic Founder and Resident Choreographer, came up with and the story line it gave Iago.

This year”s favorite performances …

The entire casts of all of Synetic’s 2010 productions. Highlights being Paata Tsikurishvili’s return to stage in a role opposite the superb Irina Tsikurishvili in The Master and Margarita, Ryan Sellers also in The Master and Margarita, John Milosich in Metamorphosis, and Ben cunis, Alex Mills, and Irina in both King Arthur and Antony and Cleopatra.

Next?

King Lear with Synetic Theater in which I portray Edmund, the illegitimate son of Gloucester, and in the development phase of a short web series by a fantastic film director Sean Parsons which will costar the excellent Ryan Sellers.

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John Glover
Mendy in The Lisbon Traviata . The Kennedy Center

Creating the role …

Mendy is a flamboyant and lonely gay man without a relationship; an opera queen. Maria Callas and the opera provide him with a place in the world where he has control. Mendy does things in the play that I couldn’t, he performs long passages from Traviata, Carmen, Medea, he plays those scenes in the stlyle of Maria Callas. Frankly I found this terrifying I who knew nothing of opera or Callas, and living up to the ghost of Nathan Lane who had originated the role really terrified me.

Biggest surprise …

I had done three other plays by Terrence McNally and trusted him completely. When I told him my fears, he responded with “Isn’t it the things we’re afraid of that we’re meant to attack head on?” So simple and so true. So I accepted the role and dug in; found an Italian coach, watched, listened, and read everything I could about Maria Callas and subsequently had the time of my life.

Favorite moments …

My favorite moments in the play? The scenes from the operas that I played in Italian and French. I’ve become a bonafide “opera queen”.

This year’s favorite performances …

Tyne Daly in Master Class, Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch in A Little Night Music.

Next?

Prospero…don’t have a place to play him yet, but I’m working on him.

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Adam Green
Cliton in The Liar . Shakespeare Theatre Company

Creating the role …

I played Cliton, a ragamuffinish and streetwise servant on the streets of Paris in 1643, who’s looking for a steady job; he gets employed by a guy whom Cliton initially thinks is something of a bumpkin. Of course, that bumpkin turns out to be quite a facile liar. Hilarity and adventure ensues.

Cliton’s a wisecracking young man who thinks he’s on top of things but really isn’t, and his mouth often gets him into trouble. Those things, um, hit home. The truths of the character were the ins for me, but jumping aboard the wild metrical train that is David Ives’ wit and wordplay — without overly decorating it — was the key, I would say, for all of us.

Biggest surprise …

Heh heh heh. This may not have been the most surprising per se, but it was certainly my favorite spontaneous moment that had nothing to do with us.

There’s this moment towards the end of the play when the eponymous liar (Dorante, played by the great Christian Conn) drops the rhyming couplets and speaks in prose to his would-be love (Lucrece, played by my multi-talented and beautiful wife, Miriam Silverman). In his admiring speech to her, Dorante lists her attributes: “Beauty, tenderness, intelligence, amazing tits, I didn’t mean that, passion, honesty…”

Usually whenever we hit “amazing tits,” the audience went absolutely wild. Yeah, not so much in the second preview. It was a quieter house — we were still getting used to playing off the audience — and when we get there, Christian’s wooing Miriam and all that, and he hits “amazing tits,” and an older woman in the audience, without missing a beat, chastises us quite loudly with “Taste!”

Favorite moments …

Dear god, I had so many favorite moments. Thanks to David’s script and Michael Kahn’s direction, it was such a fun play to do every night, and the cast was uniformly excellent. Certainly the invisible swordfight between Dorante and Alcippe (Tony Roach) was great to watch and hear the audience’s reaction to; getting slapped all the time by the twin maids (Colleen Delaney) had its own appeal. There was so much wonderful give-and-take and playing off everybody in the show.

Ok, how about this one: Dorante, who by a bit of identity confusion is trying to woo Clarice (Erin Partin) but ends up insulting her, and she leaves in a huff. And as the dust settles, I just get to stroll up to Dorante and make fun of him, put him in his place. And by ‘put him in his place’ I mean watch Christian corpse, because wow, was he easy to get to break. Like shooting fish in a damn barrel.

This year’s favorite performances …

Michael Shannon in Mistakes were Made at Barrow Street in NYC. Just ferociously engaging and commanding. And so funny. And Bill Camp in Notes from Underground in NYC as well. Mesmerizing and disgusting.

Next?

I just finished a run of the rarely-performed The Witch of Edmonton with the Red Bull Theater in New York, and am about to start rehearsal for a new play by Rajiv Joseph (Bengal Tiger in Baghdad Zoo, Gruesome Playground Injuries). It’s called Monster at the Door and we’re premiering it at the Alley Theatre in Houston.

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Mitchell Hébert
Russ/Dan in Clybourne Park . Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

Creating the role …

Russ is a man with a mid-western bedrock of integrity. He believed that when his family was going through a crisis that his neighbors, his community, would be there to help his family through. Instead they turned their backs on them and, he believes, caused the death of his son. This betrayal set’s the action of act one, selling the house, in motion.

I looked to my father, another mid- westerner, as my inspiration for Russ. He is the most honest, and deeply courageous man I know. His sense of integrity is unyielding.

Biggest surprise …

The post show discussions. They were passionate and sometimes heated… but people really listened to each other.

Favorite moment …

The final moment at the end of Act one when Jen Mendenhall (Bev) and I were left on stage alone. We had a few seconds of unspoken communication that was as strong as anything I have experienced on stage.

This year’s favorite performances …

Twelfth Night at The Kennedy Center

Next?

Art at Signature Theatre,

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James Konicek
Drake the Butler in Annie . Olney Theatre Center

Creating the role …

Drake is the head Butler in the Warbucks household. He extraordinarily fastidious, particular to cleanliness, and his attention to detail is impeccable. I aspire to these qualities, but find it much easier to portray them on the stage than enact them in my life.

Favorite moment …

Drake had a silent transition during which he entered alone and had some nice business, straightening Christmas presents, and lamenting Annie’s impending departure. It was an important practical moment that helped Annie do a quick change, but it gave Drake a beat of alone time with himself (and the audience). We always used to joke backstage that it was my “Helen Hayes moment”.

This year’s favorite performances …

Haven’t had a chance to see much of anything else. I enjoyed Karl Miller and John Lescault’s performances in Mr. Ripley at Roundhouse, and I thought Kim Gilbert was amazing in Vibrator Play at Woolly.

Next?

I’m in a new musical at Ford’s called Liberty Smith, and have been cast in Parade as well as 1776 at Ford’s next season.

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Marc Kudisch (2 nominations)
Sydney Sylvan in Sycamore Trees . Signature Theatre

Creating the role …

Ricky Ian Gordon comes from a Jewish American family steeped in hard traditions and family secrets. So do I. It wasn’t very hard for me to connect to this role.

Biggest surprise …

Honestly, both shows, the one at the Signature and the other at the Kennedy Center, ran smooth as silk. No surprises.

Favorite moment …

It was when my character of Sydney sings to his pigeons on the roof of his tenement building. Such a brutal man being so gentle, displacing love he should have shown to his family..I loved it. Also when Tony Yasbek as his character Andrew first tells the story of his first homosexual experience. In my opinion, the most complete moment in our show.

and

–  Antonio Tamburini in Golden Age . The Kennedy Center

Creating the role …

Antonio Tamburini was a great artist of his time; stage presence, sense of humor, and a gorgeous fluent voice. But a baritone, in a time where the baritone was barely understood or appreciated. So no matter what he did on the stage, it always took second to singing a high C. In today’s world on Broadway, I, being a classic baritone, feel like a dinosaur at times. the baritone has all but disappeared again. this role is also very close to me.

Favorite moment …

It was Tamburini’s surprise expression of love for the Malibran, and the obstacle in the way of his love. In his pants…

This year’s favorite performances …

Mark Rylance’ entrance in La Bête. That man lives on his own planet.

Next?

A gorgeous new piece of music theatre at Lincoln Center called A Minister’s Wife, based on GB Shaw’s Candida, book adaptation by Austin Pendelton, music and lyrics by Josh Schmidt and Jan Tranen, and direction by Michael Halbersten. Starts previews April 7. Shameless plug here, I know, but trust me, it’s worth the trip to NYC to see this thing. Really proud of it.

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Bill Largess
Charlie in The Foreigner . The Bay Theatre Company

Creating the role …

Charlie is the title character, a painfully shy Englishman who is visiting rural Georgia, where the locals are convinced that he doesn’t speak English. They therefore talk freely about their secrets in his presence, and as he learns about some shady goings-on, he grows more and more confident about intervening to save the day. I’m not sure I’m much like Charlie– except I’d like to think I would rise to the occasion for my friends as he does. And he becomes quite a performer as he does so, learning to love the pretense, which I suppose is one way of describing an actor’s love of his job. Or my love of mine, anyway.

Biggest surprise …

Frankly, the play is a laugh machine, a well-constructed comedy that rarely misses the mark. But as we went through the run, it was fun to discover that there were always more to be found. Sometimes a simple matter of taking an extra beat, or turning your head at one moment, made the audience roar.

Favorite moment …

Nothing beats the table scene where Ellard decides to teach Charlie English. It’s so much fun to play, and Sean McComas, who was Ellard, was a great partner. I had done the play before, in 1996 at Everyman, and this scene was just as good but completely different this time, which is always fun as well.

This year’s favorite performances …

I loved James Konicek’s work in Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime, which I directed. And both Bruce Nelson and Emily Townley were brilliant in Albee’s The Goat at Rep Stage.

Next?

I’m about to begin directing George Bernard Shaw’s The Apple Cart for The Washington Stage Guild. It’s a political comedy from 1929 that is, sadly perhaps, astonishingly relevant today, and more so as time goes by. Political parties in gridlock, unions and government at odds, big business interfering in the public process– how did GBS know?

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John Manzari and Leo Manzari
Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies .  Arena Stage

John Manzari:

Creating the role …

Biggest surprise …

The attention that the show received was totally unexpected. Everyone knew it was going to be a successful show, but not to the extent that it actually was. We had broken the record for arena stage’s highest grossing show, after we broke the record the numbers kept rising, making it even more of an accomplishment.

Favorite moment …

It’s near impossible to point out one specific moment. Everything was incredible, from rehearsal to opening night to closing night, it was a beautiful experience.

Next?

Perfecting my craft and working with my brother Leo on new dances.

– Leo Manzari
Actor, Singer, Dancer in Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies .  Arena Stage

Creating the role …

I played multiple characters, in multiple time periods. I played my character through dance.

Biggest surprise …

The most surprising thing that happened during the run was when both my brother, John, and Maurice Hines had called out because of sickness and injury. This was the day that my school came to watch the show, and I was very excited for them to see the three of us (Maurice, John, and me), but because they were out, I had to re-stage some of the pieces, assist people with new parts, on top of doing everything I originally had to do. This showed me what show business is all about, and prepared me for future incidents and cover ups that could potentially happen in my future career.

Favorite moment …

I had multiple favorite parts in the play. All the harmonies that were made every show, and the switching up of styles interested me every time. Getting on the stage with my brother during our duo number “Ko Ko” meant a lot to me, because it was a time for John and me to shine as a brother act.

This year’s favorite performances …

My favorite performance of this year would have to be Step Afrika; mainly because it was very cultural, and had a significant meaning. Everything they did was very rhythmic, and kept you interested in each piece.

Next?

I am now working on more stage performances; not just dance, but music as well. I am a lyricist and have recorded a couple of albums. I travel to New York to rehearse with my brother at his college, to maintain our brother act. I hope to do more television work in the future.

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Alex Mills
Iago in Othello . Synetic Theater

Creating the role …

Iago is the most manipulative and cunning character that appears in Shakespeare’s work, in my opinion. While I don’t think myself quite as malicious as Iago there is an intelligence behind his actions that I’ve actually come to admire. While he has the brain to exact a plan well in advance, he also is quick on his feet and can twist an unexpected situation to fit his needs. In my case, my ultimate goal was gaining the love of Othello; since the part was split into 3 different psyches it gave me the specific objective of changing the course of the story to better my chances at having Othello as a lover. It gave me a lot of options to play.

Biggest surprise …

I would say the most surprising to me was seeing how the audience reacted to the small projectors the Iago’s used. It was our tool to show how we were infecting Othello’s mind and it was always fun to see the audience trying to figure out just how we were able to project 10 foot live-action clips onto the large set peices scattered across the stage.

Favorite moment …

My favorite moment was definitely when Iago told the story of Desdemona and Othello’s relationship to her dad, Brabantio. In the text it was described as “an old black ram Is topping your white ewe”. Since we had no text we had the fun task of acting this scenario out which resulted in one the most fun scenes I’ve had on a Synetic stage. Silly horn hats, furry pants, and some inventive choreography made for quite the memorable scene.

This year’s favorite performances …

Laurence Fishburne in Thurgood

Next?

Right now I’m working on the next show Synetic is tackling, Don Quixote.

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Geoff Packard
Candide in Candide . Shakespeare Theatre Company

Creating the role …

Candide is a believer. A young man with a privileged upbringing who is suddenly thrust into a world filled with one catastrophe after another. Throughout his many trials and tribulations he encounters some major philosophical quandaries that challenge his previous belief; that everything is for the best. All the while fueled by an un-waivering and idealistic love for a woman from his youth.

I feel like everyone can relate to Candide, and certainly I was able to. I feel like part of growing up is constantly seeing the world differently. Sometimes this vision of the world is a thrilling one, sometimes a heartbreaking one. I also am getting married this August and can deeply connect with the evolution and growth of Candide’s understanding of love. I think it would have been a much more difficult endeavor if I didn’t (in my own life) have someone whom I loved very much.

Biggest surprise …

The most surprising thing was that the run ended. I thought surely the show would run forever. It never crossed my mind that the experience would have to end.

Favorite moment …

There were many I particularly enjoyed, but how can you beat “Make Our Garden Grow”? That song is as close to perfect as you can get.

This year’s favorite performances …

Tom Aulino in Candide, Erik Lochtefeld in Candide, and Dan Rylance in La Bête on Broadway

Next?

I am performing in a world premiere musical at the Ford’s Theatre as Liberty Smith in Liberty Smith.

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Johnny Ramey
Franco Wicks in Superior Donuts . The Studio Theatre

Creating the role …

Franco Wicks hits home for me. It was like shaking hands with someone you just met, but feels like a 10 & 3/4th’s year marriage. How I would get excited for the possibilities of what’s behind door #3, Franco also got excited… but he’d get excited about what’s behind door number 1, 2 & 3!! So he was def an easy person to love. Franco’s infectiousness, his audacity for joy is awe inspiring. He woke something dormant within me, and “WE” reflected what it is to truly live with and without regrets. And I hope Franco and I, both shared that with our audiences.

Biggest surprise …

I came into the production a week before the first preview… I’ll preface it with a story: It was a Tuesday night. I had my 1st catering gig with this NYC company. I’m desperately in need of $$, and I can’t afford not to work. I get to the gig, and within the first 15 mins, I’m like “Hell NO!!” I gently put down my tray with sparkling h2O, and made a mad dash for the door. I quit. The next morn, I’m cooking breakfast for my gf, and I get a call to come down for Studio Theater’s Superior Donuts… I have nothing else going for me- so it MUST be a sign. I go down, book the role.

And now that i’ve booked it, I have to stay for the next few days and jump into rehearsals with the clothes on my back. I’m off book in 2 or 3 days, and then I blink, and our first preview is up– standing room only.

I’m sweating bullets… but with the support of Studio Theater- We pull it out, and its a success.

Biggest surprise …

So I’m most surprised, and forever in awe of the Magic of theater.

Favorite moment …

I had this joke in the play about how there’s no God… and without fail, every Sunday matinee, the audience was filled with people right out of their respective churches… So delivering that line, Sunday afternoons, def was a hit or miss- but happily there were more hits. I think I was batting a .758!!

This year’s favorite performances …

I’m constantly inspired by music… so I must say, I went to a DC hangout called the 18th Street Lounge near Dupont Circle. On the Saturday that I went, there was this band that had like 20 people on stage- Almost resembling a school of fish swaying with the tide. They took turns playing each other’s instruments. No breaks were taken for the 3 hours I was there, and all the music that was created that night seemed fresh & danceable. I let my Soul Glow that night!!

Next?

I just finished “New Year’s Eve”, a Garry Marshall film. And now I’m preparing for my run of A Raisin in the Sun being done at CrossRoads Theater. But I’m always looking for more… GET AT ME!

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Michael Tolaydo
Mortera in New Jerusalem: The Interrogation of Baruch De Spinoza . Theater J

Creating the role …

Mortera is the chief rabbi of Amsterdam and Spinoza’s teacher. The play takes place in 1656 and is based on an historical tribunal in Amsterdam. The rabbi has to decide to either save the Jewish community’s existence in Amsterdam or his protégé, Spinoza who he loves as a son and whose philosophy he begins to accept. I have no idea how I connected to the character — I just know him.

Biggest surprise …

How enthusiastically the Audiences embraced this play and production.

Favorite moment …

The excrutiating moment when Mortera decides that he cannot save his community and Spinoza and chooses to save the community.

This year’s favorite performances …

Alfred Molina in John Logan’s Red, directed by Michael Grandage

Next?

Tom Stoppard’s The Real Inspector Hound at Metro Stage.

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Cody Williams
Will Parker in Oklahoma! . Arena Stage

Creating the role …

Will Parker is guy who was raised with good old fashioned morals. However, that being said, he is not someone to shy away from a wild time. He is also someone that fully believes his dreams will one day become his reality. I really connect to Will because I love my adventures, and I feel the same way about my dreams.

Biggest surprise …

The thing that surprised me the most was the incredible ticket sales. It was like a run on the bank. People were racing for tickets like it was 5AM on Black Friday. It was so incredible and special going out onstage every day and knowing I was surrounded by a house packed full of people who were thrilled to be there.

Favorite moment …

It was a tie between the moment when I jumped off the crate and started my dance break in “Kansas City” and the moment when I finally got permission to marry Ado Annie during the auction.

This year’s favorite moments …

Aside from my fellow cast mates who were all so inspiring and incredible to watch, I would have to mention Brian Stokes Mitchell in a concert he gave at the opening of the Mead Center. He performed “America the Beautiful” into “Wheels of a Dream”. It was something I will never forget. And more recently I did a workshop of a new show called Yank! in which Bobby Steggert gave the performance of a lifetime.

Next?

Right now I am playing Cosmo Brown in a production of Singin’ in the Rain at the Westchester Broadway Theatre.  [Arena Stage has since announced that Cody Williams will join his other principal cast members in the revival of Oklahoma! which opens July 8th.]

All links to our 5 part 2011 Curtain Call series