Award-winning actress talks of time in NYC
SAXONBURG — Working with Broadway caliber stars, being interviewed on media day, and having family walk the red carpet helped make Addison Albert feel like a celebrity, she said.
The 18-year-old from Saxonburg was afforded these opportunities as the recipient of the Mancini Award for Best Actress for her role as Peggy Sawyer in Knoch High School’s spring musical, “42nd Street.”
The Henry Mancini Musical Theatre Awards celebrate student achievement in high school musical theater in Butler, Beaver and Lawrence counties.
Albert, along with Best Actor winner Jacob Swanson from Beaver Falls High School, got to go to the National High School Musical Theatre Awards — The Jimmy Awards — in New York City in June.
The five-day experience included private coaching, master classes and rehearsals with theater professionals. The pair was sponsored by the Pittsburgh CLO and provided a chaperone.
Albert got to work with Randy Graff from the original Broadway cast of “Les Miserables” and choreographer Kiesha Lalama.
She also got to meet Van Kaplan, Pittsburgh CLO executive producer.
“We got to work at the Minskoff Theater in NYC, where the ‘Lion King’ is performed,” Albert said.
All 74 students performed an opening number at the awards ceremony at the end of their week, and Albert was among the fortunate 20 young women to get to perform her high school musical character in a medley as well.
Her family attended the awards ceremony and took part in the red carpet walk. Said Albert: “My mom was waving to people!”
All the students again performed in a finale from Tony Award-winner Ben Platt’s show “Dear Evan Hansen.”
“He was just as real as can be,” Albert said of Platt. “Stardom hasn’t really struck him yet I don’t think.”
Her group also got to see the Broadway show “Come from Away.”
Albert will be back in New York in August for a college workshop for musical theater through the Broadway Artists Alliance.
The recent Knoch High School graduate plans to study broadcast journalism at Penn State in the fall.
Might there be more musical theater in her future? “Not now but maybe next fall ...,” she said.
Her parents are Jodi and Sam Albert and her brothers are Adam, Aiden and Aaron.
