Where Are They Now? Meet 4 Former Muny Kids and Teens.

Our acclaimed Muny Kids and Teens troupes provide young performers unparalleled training and experience, equipping them with skills that reach far beyond the stage. Whether they pursue careers in musical theatre or venture into other fields, the lessons they gain here will stay with them forever. We caught up with four former Muny Kids and Teens and are excited to share what they are achieving now!

• When were you in Muny Kids and Teens? I was in Muny Kids in 1995-1997. I think 2002 was my last year in Muny Teens.

• What’s your favorite Muny Kids and Teens memory? They called my mom and said I had grown and matured too much to be in Muny Kids, but they would maybe be starting a Muny Teens group! We did a fabulous opening number, which was a parody of “The Telephone Hour” from Bye Bye Birdie. We wore khaki shorts and “Meet Me at The Muny” T-shirts.

• Where did your path lead? I am a professional actor in New York City (Groundhog Day on Broadway, Disney’s Frozen on tour, among others), and I have recently started to direct and choreograph more!

• How did Muny Kids and Teens prepare you? Being a Muny Kid and Teen was a huge part of my growth as a performer. I learned how to be professional in a rehearsal and performance setting and how to be prepared with sheet music and choreography. I also learned how to stay focused and keep going if anything went wrong onstage. It was a huge part of my training as a musical theatre performer, and I’m so grateful!

• When were you in Muny Kids and Teens? I was a Muny Kid from 1998 to 2003, a Winter Muny Kid from 1999 to 2003 and a Muny Teen from 2004 to 2008.

• What’s your favorite Muny Kids and Teens memory? This is so hard to pick! Highlights that come to mind include a private performance at the Missouri Governor’s Mansion for a holiday gathering when I was a Winter Kid, bandstand shows prior to mainstage shows, and multiple performances at Fair St. Louis and the old Busch Stadium.

• Where did your path lead? I’m a veterinarian in Florida.

• How did Muny Kids and Teens prepare you? Being part of the Muny Kids and Teens taught me, from a young age, how to adapt to my environment. We had our set choreography but would often have to adapt to different stages with multiple levels, sizes, floor textures and sound systems. We couldn’t stop the performance to talk about a problem and a solution. We had to “make it work.” This phrase has been with me since age 8 and has allowed me to adapt to various situations. Veterinary medicine is not straightforward and often requires a lot of adjustment for our patients. I appreciate how this flexibility and being solution oriented comes naturally to me because of my Kids and Teens experience growing up.

• When were you in Muny Kids and Teens? From 2017 to 2023.

• What’s your favorite Muny Kids and Teens memory? A few moments stand out. One was opening up the bows for Newsies with a tumbling pass across the stage. I was 12 years old. Another magical moment was watching Beth Leavel perform “Rose’s Turn” when I was a newsboy in Gypsy. The cast and crew would stand in the wings and cheer her on. By the end of the number, we were all screaming.

• Where did your path lead? I’m a New York-based actor (Bye Bye Birdie at The Kennedy Center, I Can Get It for You Wholesale off-Broadway, among others) who is always auditioning for TV/film projects and Broadway shows. In December, I’ll be doing an industry reading for a new musical called Alice in Neverland.

• How did Muny Kids and Teens prepare you? It instilled in me both confidence and character as an actor, but especially as a dancer. I got a late start in dance, but I got my start thanks to The Muny. I also learned a lot about professionalism and keeping composure during stressful/frustrating times.

• When were you in Muny Kids and Teens? From 2001 to 2008.

• What’s your favorite Muny Kids and Teens memory? My favorite memories were always the midnight tech rehearsals and going to Uncle Bill’s to eat breakfast at 2 or 3 a.m.!

• Where did your path lead? I attend NYU Steinhardt, where I’m earning a graduate degree in drama therapy. (Daniel has been a Muny youth coordinator and in 2024 performed in Les Misérables and Disney’s The Little Mermaid.)

• How did Muny Kids and Teens prepare you? Drama therapy is a creative arts approach to understanding human psychology, even with children. So my experience learning showtunes and the roles that youth can portray in musical theatre are used in my practice for young clients to express more affect, a skill that was honed in Muny Kids and Teens!

Muny Kids and Teens are two programs offered by The Muny’s Crawford Taylor Education Initiative. Learn more at muny.org/education.

This article originally appeared in the fall 2024 edition of Behind the Booms, a publication for Muny donors.