Alumni Spotlight with '06 Alum Carol Angeli

Catch us up on life since graduation:

Thanks for checking in, Penn State! Life since graduation has been extremely rewarding and I consider myself one of the lucky ones out here. Since graduation, I booked my first Kim in Miss Saigon a week out of school. I call it the gift that keeps on giving because six Saigons later (playing Kim four times), I booked it on Broadway, which I'm currently in! I was blessed enough to also do the first national tour of Mary Poppins for its entire run, as well as other fun credits like Radio City Christmas Spectacular; some amazing regional work, including two Carousels starring Jessie Mueller as Carrie; and my most favorite credit of all, the Off-Broadway run of Here Lies Love, which I was part of from its workshop to its final run at The Public Theatre! I'd say I'm incredibly blessed!

What is inspiring you right now?

Right now? I think what's inspiring me right now is the resilience of my fellow performers. Sometimes it can feel as if there are never enough jobs to go around or our show closes and we have to audition again and the thing is, we do! We get up even though it's hard, we attend the auditions, we try our best; if that doesn't work out, we try again until one show bites. It takes a lot of tenacity and resilience to be in this business and I am watching so many castmates and former castmates from shows closing right now, get up and try again even though it's hard and you're tired. That's inspiring to me.

How has your time at Penn State shaped who you are?

Penn State taught me so much. It not only enhanced my skill set (high belting, coloratura, my dancing, acting, etc.), but Penn State also taught me to believe in myself. I was never a lead in shows (save my one supporting role in Sweet Charity), but I was always an understudy and believing in myself is something I need as an understudy, even now. My freshman year I was a swing in Brigadoon and that's what started it all for me. Now, I've swung five shows, dance captained four of those shows, and understudied the leads in all the shows I've done professionally since school. I learned how to believe in myself and my abilities to not only replicate the steps from the people I understudy, but also to give it my own style and be confident that I can. During our Penn State tailgate shows, I learned to adapt quickly to changing choreography and new songs we had to perform in just a week or maybe less. I take that with me now as a swing, where I never know which role I'll be on for what day! Now I have the confidence to go on mid-show and I don't get nervous anymore!

Tell us about what you're working on right now (in and outside of performing):

I'm currently the dance captain as well as understudy to Gigi in the Broadway revival of Miss Saigon, which closes its run on January 14. Aside from that, I'm currently auditioning for what's next! I'm going to take a few months for myself to explore other passions before my next gig, hopefully, so that I can reset! It's very important to keep your life outside the career healthy and nourished and I'm hoping to get to go hiking and enjoy nature for a bit before I go off again!

What’s it like to be dance captain of Miss Saigon on Broadway?

Wow. Being dance captain of Miss Saigon is certainly an adventure! There are 44 people in the cast, all with different backgrounds and personalities, and it's a big task making sure everyone keeps the integrity of the movement of the show eight times a week! It's just a lot of reminders of what the choreographer and director's visions were during the rehearsal process! I find it fun to learn everyone's tracks and numbers, but it's also overwhelming. In one number, "The Morning of the Dragon," I have played 23 out of the 24 tracks in that number alone, both men and women! In the end, it's quite rewarding and, being a swing, it's also been fun to step into everyone's shoes once in awhile! It’s never boring!

How is this show different from other projects you’ve worked on?

This show is different simply because it means so much to me. This was my first gig out of school and I've done so many incarnations that it's such a part of me and my soul and career. I always try to give a piece of my heart to every show that I do, but this one will always be the one with the greatest piece. Oh, yes, also, there's a helicopter that lands onstage. That's different and it's really fun to ride! The last thing that makes it different is that it's my Broadway debut AND I get to dance captain the ship every day! That's scary and rewarding and cool all at the same time!

Anything else you want to share with the Penn State community?

Just keep going! No matter how hard it may seem sometimes to get through school, I promise you'll come out a better performer and person in the end! There's so much to learn! Take everything you're given and apply it somewhere! Listen! Even if it's something you don't agree with now, be open that you might find it helpful later! NEVER GIVE UP!