I moved from E.N.Y. in Brooklyn to Malverne Long Island when I was beginning 10th grade in high school. I was a small kid, and it was hard for me to fit in initially. I met a girl in one of my classes, and she told me about the school musical, Kiss Me, Kate. She was going to try out, and she said I should, too. I tried out and was amazed to be cast in the ensemble. I danced in the “Too Darn Hot” number. So, it all started as a way to see a girl and a way to get out of the house every night, but I was hooked quick. I saw one of the coolest guys in the school, Joe Lucaro, singing, “Brush Up Your Shakespeare” and wanted to be him. Hanging at rehearsal was fun, too. And then there was Mr. Messinger, who regaled us with tales of Merman and Jerome Robbins and made us believe we just might be able to be up there on the stage.
This entry first appeared in a Playbill article on June 24th, 2015.
