Going Back to My Professional Roots

I have been bursting at the seams to talk about this, and I am so glad that I finally can! On Friday, August 8, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame helped announce the principal actors in the touring cast of Hell's Kitchen which launches this October at Playhouse Square!

For those who know me, you might recall that I started my professional life at Playhouse Square, where I worked for a year and a half on all things touring Broadway. I was lucky enough to experience over 20 Broadway shows coming through PSQ's doors while I was there, so I know just how special it is to experience something like this.

Putting this event together was almost comical for my brain; touring Broadway and the Rock Hall work on two very different but still rapid timelines, so reconciling all of my knowledge and creating the most efficient schedule for the morning was a challenging task. In the end, I think the blend of content capture, press, and performance was as perfect as it possibly could have been.

Of course, I can't talk about this day without mentioning the wonderful help my team had from the Playhouse Square staff and Bond Theatricals staff, Bond being the press agency for the touring show. Everyone who came to help out is an old friend, so being able to dip my toe back into the touring waters while showing them all how I have learned and grown in my time at the Rock Hall was truly special and something I will never take for granted.

The leading ladies of Hell's Kitchen on the indoor PNC Stage!

All of this is to say, if you love something, it will come back to you. While I loved working in touring Broadway, it wasn't something I could professionally sustain in order to keep my true love of theater in tact. Being able to have a hand in the industry again was a perfect reminder that I love that industry but am also incredibly happy and proud of what I do now. As maybe the only person on the face of the planet with the mixture of knowledge I have spanning these two industries and spaces, it was great to stretch all of the professional knowledge I had into this one beautiful event.

If you're in and around Cleveland, be sure to catch Hell's Kitchen when it opens; the leads who performed were dynamite, and you won't want to miss hearing them and their castmates singing the music of Alicia Keys!