DAY 1. the whole NHSMTA group

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1 DAY 1 Lincoln, Karoline, and I left the airport at 4 a.m. (oof!) today, headed for the big city! When we got to New York, we made our way to Times Square and ate at Junior s. Then, we made an early stop at the Minskoff Theatre: the Broadway stage that houses The Lion King, and where we will perform at the end of the week. We both had butterflies and jitters just looking at the building. It s crazy to imagine we will conquer the stage with the other nominees! After our arrival, we went to Fun Home at the Circle in the Square Theater. It s a theater in the round, which means the audience encircles the stage. Fun Home was one of the best shows I have ever seen! It was incredibly beautiful, full of life, and teeming with real, genuine love and passion. I have never been more impacted by theater. After the show, we rushed to the New York University (NYU) Founders Hall to unpack in our new dorm rooms. I met my roommate: Marla Louissaint, from New York City. We spent time meeting new friends, learning the opening music, and familiarizing ourselves with the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU/National High School Musical Theatre Awards faculty. the whole NHSMTA group

2 with Frank Wildhorn! DAY 2 We started off this morning with yoga, and then got right to work on music! Our word of the day was openness, which helped us open ourselves to new experiences. My group with our coach, Telly Leung. We also started our coaching groups today, which has been one of my favorite parts of the week! My coach was Telly Leung, who was born and raised in NYC, and graduated from Carnegie Mellon University s School of Drama. Telly made his Broadway debut in Flower Drum Song in He was in the final company of RENT on Broadway, originated the role of Boq in Wicked in Chicago, appeared on TV as Wes of the Dalton Academy Warblers in Glee, and is now involved in the opening of the new musical Allegiance on Broadway. At lunch, we met Frank Wildhorn the composer of Jekyll & Hyde, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and Bonnie and Clyde. If you look at the photo closely, you can see me in the back. We got crepes for dinner after a long day of rehearsal.

3 the talkback DAYS 3&4 We started full-day coaching Friday, preparing for auditions Sunday. I brought two songs, and we picked Stranger to the Rain from Children of Eden. We are working a lot on physical storytelling. The most important thing I ve learned this week is less is more. Less movement, arm motion, and facial tension are all more in a performance. Friday was a big day for our group. We took Times Square by storm with dinner at the famous Sardi s and saw An American in Paris at the Palace Theatre. It was the most beautiful show I have seen in my life. While Fun Home was heart-wrenching and thoughtprovoking, An American in Paris gave me butterflies as two young lovers told the story of their love through dance and song. This balletinspired musical full of Gershwin songs deserved its Tony Award nomination for Best Musical. Afterwards, we had a talkback with the cast. They told us about entering musical theatre, their education, and their daily lives. All of us in Times Square!

4 DAY 5 my audition There were full-day rehearsals again today before auditions. We auditioned in a room of our peers, chaperones, teachers, and casting agents. YIKES! But the atmosphere was so welcoming and kind. The whole week I felt right at home with these 50 other kids from across the nation. I couldn t have expected it to be that inviting, inspiring, and exciting, but it was! I made lifelong friends this week. New friends!

5 DAY 6 Two different Dorothys! It s finally show day! We were all full of anticipation for our performance. They took us out onto the Minskoff stage this morning, and I can t explain how emotional it was. People were in tears because this is what we want to do for the rest of our lives. This was the most inspiring week of my life. I will never forget the connections I made, the techniques I learned, and the love I felt. This is exactly what I want to do with my life, so to take a week to be uplifted through theatre was more than I could have ever asked. For the performance, we each participated in the opening and closing numbers and a medley. My roommate Marla was the winner. She is the kindest and most beautiful and talented girl I know, and I was lucky to be her roommate! We all celebrated with an afterparty. With Michael Cerveris With Kiesha Lalama Fun at the afterpar ty! I would like to thank my directors at Valley: Stacy Hansen, Ryan Penning, Megan Helmers, Haley Gibbons, and Ryan Deignan. Thank you for giving me wings to fly! Thank you to Eric Olmscheid, Karoline Myers, Sarah Bannon, and the rest of the wonderful Des Moines Performing Arts staff for organizing the Iowa High School Musical Theater Awards and Triple Threat Award you are changing children s lives. Thank you to Doug and Debbie West for supporting Lincoln and me in New York with your astonishing donation! You have given us more than you ll ever know. Thank you to all involved with NHSMTA, including Van Kaplan and Kiesha Lalama, who showed us what it takes to become an artist in this field. Last but not least, thank you to my family who has supported me every step of the way, to my friends who are always cheering me on, and to God for gifting me with these incredible talents. Thank you, thank you, thank you!