Southport Magazine

BD Wong’s musical adaptation coming 2020

Story By Ami Brown

Many young people dream of being on the big stage, under the bright lights of Broadway, but few ever make it that far. One local Brunswick High School Junior is one step closer to that dream. Elena Rogers of Southport has been cast in the new stage production of Mr. Holland’s Opus set to hit the Wilson Center later in the year. What makes this so amazing is that legendary BD Wong is directing this musical and plans to take it to Broadway. He chose the Cape Fear Stage at the Wilson Center to develop it because of all the local talent, including 16-year-old Elena Rogers. 

How old were you when you started performing?  

My mom says I have been performing since the day I was born, but my first theater experience was in a program called “Let’s play” headed up by Jen Iapalucci at Brunswick Little Theatre.  My first real role was playing Tigger in Winnie the Pooh.  I loved it! I think I was 10. When I was 11 I joined the Musical Theater Apprentice program at BLT, run by Debbie Skillman and Bev Veeker, and have been with them all this time…I have learned so much there.

Tell us about your first audition? 

The First time I had a real audition was for Shrek The Musical directed by Cal Chiang at BLT.  I was so nervous, I was 11 yrs old.  I was the first one called up and was terrified. After I sang my song, Michael Stringer, the Music Director called me over to the piano to show vocal range, and I was so nervous and scared I literally covered up my  head in embarrassment.  That show was so much fun! 

Tell us about how you got the role.

We saw a post on Facebook about Actor BD Wong putting on a Workshop/Show at Wilson Center, and it shared audition info.  I decided what the heck, and auditioned.  It was quite an experience.  The audition was videotaped so BD and Wayne Barker could see.  I sang a song, and answered some questions…at this point, it wasn’t even revealed what the show would be!  I really enjoyed the experience, and felt like the audition itself was a cool accomplishment.  I said to my Mom on the way home “no matter what happens, that was worth doing”.  We were super excited when I got the call back.  The next audition was to be held at the Wilson Center, in front of BD and Music Director Wayne Barker. Before the audition, we learned what the show would be.  BD and Wayne had adapted a film for the stage.  I was being considered for a specific role, so they sent two songs for me to learn and some dialogue.  I think only a day or two before! The audition came, and it was very exciting and professional.  BD, whom I hadn’t met in person yet, knew me by name, and everyone was so nice.  Again, it was such a cool experience, I was satisfied having had the chance to even audition, but at this point I really started to want it, and to believe I had a chance. After a few weeks of waiting and wondering, I found out I had been cast, and was so excited.  

What Wayne and BD are doing essentially, are preparing this show for Broadway.  They wanted to find a place to cast locally and work through the show.  So, while there will be some small performances, and it will culminate to one big show on the Wilson Center Stage, it is really about the work;  a workshop essentially.  We met for two weeks in August and then had a small performance in front of a small audience to show what we had done. 

We meet back up in January.  Like the story in the film, the main character mentors students through music.  That is what BD and Wayne are doing.  Life imitating art,  imitating life kind of. I am very honored to be a part of it along with so much talent.

Besides theatre – what else do you do for fun? 

I love music.  I play piano and other instruments…I do a lot of composing, and would love to score a film one day.

What are your future plans? 

I plan to go to college and continue studying acting and musical theater.

What challenges did you have to overcome? 

I continue to work on my confidence, and believing in myself.  It is funny how so many,  if not all of us attracted to the stage, suffer so much with insecurity and social anxiety.

BD Wong – BIO: 

BD Wong was born and raised in San Francisco, California. He made his Broadway debut in “M. Butterfly.” He is the only actor to be honored with the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, Clarence Derwent Award, and Theater World Award for the same performance. He starred in the television series All-American Girl (1994), and has made guest appearances on Sesame Street (1969) and The X-Files (1993). He was in the off-Broadway musical revival of “As Thousands Cheer” and followed with a critically acclaimed performance as “Linus” in the revival of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” returned to SVU, and is now starring in the revival of Stephen Sondheim’s “Pacific Overtures.”

 – Source: IMDb.com