Taylor Warren is a 2012 graduate of the Visual and Performing Arts program at the Arts Center in Troy.
Taylor Warren graduated from New Visions: Visual and Performing Arts in 2012. Since then, he has performed in several shows and worked with dozens of Tony-nominated actors, directors and choreographers. Read on to learn about his accomplishments and advice for those interested in the performing arts.
What are you doing now?
Living in NYC and pursuing my performance career! Currently I’m en route to Pittsburgh to audition for Pittsburgh CLOs, A Musical Christmas Carol!
Where did you/do you go to school?
I went to Point Park University and obtained a BFA in Musical Theater!
What was your major?
A TON. I went to school for musical theater, so everything that comes hand in hand with that obviously! During my 4 years at school, I was in five school productions including The Wind in the Willows (Mr. Badger), Urinetown (Caldwell B. Cladwell), The Boyfriend (Pepe/Ensemble/Dance Captain), Into The Woods (Cinderella’s Prince/The Wolf), and The Drowsy Chaperone (Ensemble, u/s Aldolpho and George). During the summer of 2013 I was in a production of Little Women (Class Act Productions), summer of ’15 I was contracted at Interlakes Summer Theater in Meredith, NH (my first “professional” gig) and was in West Side Story (Bernardo), The Addams Family (Conquistador Ancestor/Ensemble), and Sister Act (Ensemble). My most notable contract to date has been with the Pittsburgh CLO (Civic Light Opera) which I just completed this past summer. They are a nationally renowned theater, producing multiple Broadway musicals including An American in Paris, Matilda, School of Rock, and the national Equity tour of Cinderella and many others. Because of their extremely professional caliber and legal regulations, they also gave me my Equity card, and now I am a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association. I rehearsed and performed 4 shows in 7 weeks, including: Damn Yankees, Shrek: The Musical, Aida, and South Pacific. I had the humbling pleasure of not only working with other talented actors my age, but also Broadway and Tony-nominated principal actors, directors, and choreographers. Some of these actors/directors included Michael Lichtefeld (original Broadway choreographer for Little Women, Evita, among others) Charlie Repole (Tony nominated actor), David Vaughn, John Bolton (soon to be Vlad in the new Broadway musical, Anastasia), Emmy Raver-Lampman (has been with Hamilton since its conception and is now in the Chicago production, and also starred as Elphaba in the Wicked national tour, and Pearl in the recent SpongeBob Squarepants: The Musical on Broadway), Sally Wilfert (currently starring in Goodspeed’s Broadway-transfer-hopeful, Chasing Rainbows) Ben Davis (Captain Von Trapp in the current SOM tour, PROMS production of Kiss Me, Kate in London), Haven Burton (original Gingy in the Original Broadway Cast of Shrek and was Sutton Foster’s understudy for Fiona, and Violet on Broadway, Legally Blonde on Broadway), Loretta Ables Sayre (Tony nominated actor for her performance in Lincoln Center’s revival of South Pacific as Bloody Mary), among many other amazing people. It was an incredible experience.
What role did New Visions play in helping you to achieve your artistic goals?
NV provided great college application/audition prep, and gave all students the opportunities to try out all art forms, while still leaving time for the one form each student particularly cared for. In ways, it was an opportunity to “test” out whether or not the arts were something each student wanted to seriously pursue. Plus, Peggy [Peg Danner-Frank, New Visions teacher] rocks.
Any other thoughts you’d like to share?
Generally, if students want to pursue a career in the arts (especially performing arts), they must know that it is not for the faint of heart. The bad news: it can be an overly critical, demeaning, and even hurtful world sometimes. It is because musical theater is, basically, an aesthetic. If you don’t have the “right” aesthetic and marketability, you will not work. The good news: if you love it, all that bad news becomes something you learn to deal with and ultimately grow from. My growth as a performer (but especially as a human) since starting and leaving school and now living in NYC, is astounding. However, let me reiterate, you MUST love it. No exceptions. You must also have some sort of talent, as curt as that sounds. Conservatory/collegiate training isn’t a hobby, it is a lifestyle, and a physically and mentally demanding path. But once again, if you love it, it’s all 250% worth it.
