15 YEARS since SPRING AWAKENING'S FIRST NATIONAL TOUR OPENED on August 15, 2008 at The Balboa Theatre in San Diego, California

Ep14 Come From Awakening w/ Steffi DiDomenicantonio! (CAN)

In this week's EXTRA EPIC episode, we're joined by the ever-delightful Steffi D. to discuss her online show 'Check In From Away', plus her role in Canada's production of Come From Away, as well as her stint touring USA in Spring Awakening- which Gareth will review! Meanwhile, Steffi reminisces about unrequited romance by bringing System of a Down's Toxicity to the party! https://www.youtube.com/user/mirvishproductions -- twitter.com/SteffiD3

Come From Away at Segerstrom Center for the Arts:

Thoughts below: 

I usually don’t go to this theater, but it was a lottery win and I like the show so why not.  It also provided very small bit of nostalgia from the years when I followed American Idol and some of the other shows in the Idol franchise regularly, because Steffi DiDomenicantonio from the fourth season of Canadian Idol (and the Toronto CFA cast) was playing Janice and others.  The only thing I remember from that season is that she seemed very much like a theater kid, and judging from the post-show audience talk she is still a theater kid fifteen years later.

The lottery seat ended up being in the back of the orchestra, pretty decent as far as distance from the stage, although the sound was a bit muddy; oddly, several of the cast sounded a bit lispy.

At this performance, Chamblee Ferguson who normally plays Nick, Doug, and others was out because he had to go be an emergency cover for the role on Broadway, where I guess they were having COVID issues. Meanwhile at this tour performance, maybe 10% of the audience was masked because neither the county nor the theater enforce a mask mandate, although they do check for vaccination.  Kilty Reidy who played the role that day was very good and IMO got the humor just right.  Can’t remember a whole lot about the show in general but it was enjoyable and went over well with the audience.  I do remember the accordion player was really engaged in the band scenes (”In the Bar/Heave Away”).

There was a post-show talkback that day which included Steffi DiDomenicantonio, Nick Duckart (Kevin J, Ali, and Others), and Kristen Peace (Bonnie & Others). There were a few questions from younger people looking to get into musical theater, and one person who apparently just graduated from college wondered if it was too late to change paths and get into musical theater.  I think in a discussion about how there is no one path to success, it was Duckart who noted (paraphrased) that he is in his 30s and this tour was a high point in his career after working for years.  As someone who has never considered a career in the arts and chose a pretty predictable career path, I am impressed by the people who can do this and succeed at it, because it seems to require a lot of talent, dedication, and tolerance for uncertainty.

some @steffid5 instagram stories in honor of the reunion

Bad movie I have Stage Fright 2014

Spring Awakening - Laura Dreyfuss as Ilse Neumann, requested by anon

Birthday: August 22, 1988 (age 32)

Birth Place: New Jersey

Theatre credits include: Zoe Murphy (Dear Evan Hansen), Understudy Sheila/Crissy (Hair), Girl (Once). Dreyfuss also played the role of Madison McCarthy in the musical TV series Glee.

(Pictured on the right is Steffi DiDomenicantonio, who played the role in the first US national tour production)

Come From Away lands its cast for Toronto and Winnipeg  Come From Away to feature all-Canadian cast in new 2018 production 

Beulah & others: Lisa Horner Beverley & others: Eliza-Jane Scott Bob & others: Kevin Vidal Bonnie & others: Kristen Peace: Claude & others: George Masswohl Diane & others: Barbara Fulton Hannah & others: Saccha Dennis Janice & others: Steffi DiDomenicantonio Kevin J & others: Ali Momen Kevin T & others: Jack Noseworthy Nick & others: James Kall Oz & others: Cory O’Brien Alternates:  Kate Etienne, Cailin Stadnyk, Susan Dunstan, Amir Haidar, Jeff Madden and David Silvestri

Happy birthday, Steffi D!

@steffid3: Sometimes you have friends in v v high places (i.e @AntLeeMe123) and you're seeing HAMILTON TONIGHT ON BROADWAY!!! Pic or it didn't happen. PROOF. @AntLeeMe123 #Hamilton #Broadway

@lexilawson: @steffid5 

There is nothing not to love about this video.

@steffid5: So, um, this happened last night. New York City, amirite ladies? Saw the absolutely brilliant @antleeme123 slay in HAMILTON on the Broadway and met Gaten Matarazzo from STRANGER THINGS backstage after the show. What is life? Literally dead forever and gone to heaven. I'm SHOOK. #Hamilton #Broadway #StrangerThings #NewYork #historyishappeninginmanhattanandwejusthappentobeinthegreatestcityintheworld #AndPeggy