This past summer, Tristan Smith, a BFA acting major with a concentration in musical theater, had an experience like never before.
Smith is a junior at SRU from Buffalo, New York.
Smith discussed his love for the program at SRU.
“It’s an acting major, but with a focus on acting in musical theater. We’ll have acting classes, but we’ll also have technical theater elements. So, it’s kind of like a best of both worlds, with a focus on what I love to do, which is musical theater, which is why I love the program,” Smith said.
Last semester, Smith’s professor posted an acting opportunity for the students and Smith decided to audition.
The audition was through Split Stage Productions and was a brand-new show that has not been performed before.
“I really loved the way they described the show, which was kind of a ‘Rocky Horror’, ‘Little Shop’, very parody, goofy with rock music and I was like, that’s really, really cool…We’re gonna do a premiere concert in Latrobe. Pa and so, essentially, we did a week of tech, and then we put the show up in Latrobe. Pa,” Smith said
This was Smith’s first time doing a show in Pittsburgh.
The show is called Romero and Juliet based on George Romero’s films.
“The show is an overall parody of George Romero’s Night of Living Dead, because what it essentially is, is Romeo and Juliet, but with the zombies and themes from Night of the Living Dead, so, the tagline of the show is ‘Love Bites’,” Smith said.
The first two shows were performed on May 17.
“The meaningfulness behind putting up the show in Pittsburgh to start was because Night of the Living Dead was filmed in Pittsburgh…and George Romero is a Pittsburgh native,” Smith said.
The original movie was filmed in Evans City.
“We did the concert in Latrobe, it went really well, and now we’re going to take the show to The Cutting Room in New York City,” Smith said.
Actors who have performed on Broadway are involved, including Tony nominees John Bolton and Natalie Joy Johnson.
Bolton played Vlad in Anastasia and was also in the original A Christmas Story: The Musical where he played the old man.
The cast also includes actors such as Caren Lyn Manuel and Robert Dusold.
Now, after performing in Pittsburgh, Smith will be heading to New York to perform the show on Nov. 2, which is Day of the Dead.
“Oh my gosh, yeah, I’m so excited. I can’t emphasize that enough,” Smith said.
“This can just be a theme overall, very, very surreal and very, very excited to work with Broadway-caliber people, and I’m from this little school in Pennsylvania. It’s so, so surreal and so exciting,” Smith said.
Scott Logsdon is the director of the production and was part of the original company of Les Misérables on Broadway.
Aaron Gandy, who wrote the music for the show, was the assistant musical director for The Lion King on Broadway.
“They are both absolutely phenomenal humans and phenomenal creatives,” Smith said.
Smith talked about his favorite part of this experience.
“Working with Scott Logsdon and Aaron Gandy. They are both phenomenal people to look up to, and also just phenomenal people to work with, really,” Smith said. He shared that working with people who are as active in, and knowledgeable about, the industry is an invaluable experience.
Smith is currently originating the role of Punxsutawney in the musical.
“Well, I’ve never originated a role before, I’ve never been the first person to play something, and that has been such a valuable experience for me: the opportunity to create a character within a narrative,” Smith said.
Individuals can purchase tickets here for Smith’s performance in New York on Nov. 2 at 7 p.m.: https://wl.eventim.us/event/romero-and-juliet/664444?afflky=TheCuttingRoom.
