Backstage with Sydney

I have this class called performance conditioning, in that class we spend some time talking about nutrition. Nothing about intense dieting, but just about knowing what is going into your body. This is important because for actors, the body is the instrument. But it is hard because as college students we eat nothing that we have to spend more than five dollars on. Mostly, because we don't have more than five dollars. My performance conditioning teacher gave us a nice tip for groceries in the city. Go to a farmers market he said, you can get good, fresh food there for really cheap. But don't go in the morning when they first set up, go in the late afternoon when they are getting ready to leave. The reason you go at the end of the day is because they are more likely to give you things for cheaper because they would rather sell it for a dollar than pack it up because it is not as fresh the next day. I tried this and I got tons of fresh produce for really cheap. This tip real

I have always known my mom was a superhero. She has saved my life so many times by bringing my homework that I forgot to school or making sure I have my throat coat before an audition. But this time she is really saving a life. Sarah Seathaller is a beautiful, 28 year old woman who has severe kidney failure. When my mom found out Sarah needed a kidney she said “I have a kidney that I don’t need, I can do that.” So she was tested to be Sarah’s donor . Today, September 20th 2018 my mom donated her kidney to Sarah and in doing so saved her life. I am so proud of my mom. It takes a special kind of person to be so selfless and courageous to do something like this. My mom has always been a huge inspiration to me. I look up to her in more ways than I can count. She is hands down the most selfless person I know. When she told me she was applying to be tested to be Sarah’s donor I wasn’t surprised because it’s definitely something she would do. She has the right heart for somethin

I love it when I get to meet up with friends from back home here in New York City! Recently, I got to hang out with Casey Matern and Stephanie Johnson. You may recognize Casey as The Chaperone with me in The Drowsy Chaperone this past summer or as Tracy in Hairspray the summer before. The lovely Stephanie Johnson produced both of those shows. They were here on a fun little trip to see some shows. They also brought along their friend Blair; she was so nice, super funny, and she's Scottish so that's cool. I was so glad that they were able to make a little bit of time for me to hang out with them.  They took me to the View Restaurant at the top of the Marriott Marquis Hotel. I had heard of it before but I had no idea how cool it was going to be. The location is on the 48th floor of this massive hotel that is right smack in the middle of Times Square. The top floor already has an awesome view of all the city lights, but the coolest thing about it is that the whole rest

It was amazing to experience the 17th anniversary of 9/11 in New York City. I was only a year old when the attack happened so of course I don't remember a thing about that day. But I will never forget what it was like here on September 11th, 2018. After class I headed to the memorial downtown to see the Tribute In Lights. By the time I had arrived they had already turned the lights on and they were so bright. I was worried that they weren't going to show up because it had been so foggy all day, but they pierced through the fog and shot so high up into the sky. It was unlike anything I have ever seen. In addition to the two light beams representing the towers, both of the memorial pools were lit up. Each and every name was glowing, it was stunning. There were so many people there, and yet it was so silent. The only thing you could hear was the water rushing into the pools. There were so many flags flying, it was a beautiful thing to be a part of.  Nearby the memorial muse

The whole reason I am here in New York City is for school. I am studying Musical Theatre at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts. This is actually the very first year of their full time musical theatre program. I am so excited to be apart of this very first graduating class. I attended their first summer musical theatre intensive program during the summer of 2017 and fell in love with the school. I am overjoyed to be back, this time for two years of musical theatre training. This semester I have classes like Ballet, Vocal Technique, Voice/Speech, Movement, Acting, Music Theory, and History of Musical Theatre, as well as a weekly private vocal lesson. I am definitely a full time student. I have school 5 days a week, and between all my classes I am in school almost 30 hours a week, so school definitely keeps me busy. My first week of classes was awesome. I love all of my classmates and my teachers. There are twelve students in my class, including myself, fro

                 My Mom, my Dad, my two sisters Annika and Arianna, and my grandparents moved me out here. I was so happy that I didn’t have to get settled all by myself. We decided to make a little vacation out of it. My parents got us tickets to see four Broadway shows. First we saw Mean Girls; which was incredible. The next night we saw Frozen; and it was so magical. On Saturday my sisters and I saw the Matinee of Once On This Island while my parents and grandparents saw the matinee performance of Come From Away. It was my second time seeing Once On This Island and the new cast was breathtaking. Even though I didn't see it this go around I have seen Come From Away before; and it still is one of my favorite shows I have ever seen on Broadway. That evening we all joined back together to see Spongebob the Musical. Now I will admit I was skeptical about this show, but I must say I was blown away by it. I love seeing Broadway shows, especially with my family. I am so gr

Hey everyone! I have just embarked on a new adventure. I did it; I actually moved to New York City! I am here attending school for Musical Theatre at The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts. I will be documenting my experiences on this blog, so check back here for updates!