Stepping on the Stage ft. Kathryn Gallagher

A spotlight hits you centre stage. You look out to see dark shadows in the chairs–all eyes on you. To some, this would be terrifying. To others, thrilling. Whether you’re on a standing on a stage in a theatre that seats fifty people or one that seats five hundred, the experience is deeply personal. Everyone feels something different in that moment.

“It was one of the most meaningful experiences of my life,” says Kathryn Gallagher. Gallagher, a singer, songwriter, actress and performer, made her Broadway debut in 2015, in the Deaf West Theatre’s revival of Spring Awakening; where she was the voice of Martha and also played electric guitar in the production. Gallagher is currently playing Bella Fox in the musical Jagged Little Pill on Broadway. “We went from doing an off off-Broadway show in a 99-seat theatre in L.A. to Broadway, in a year; which is sort of an unheard-of trajectory.” Spring Awakening, a powerful, deep rock musical by Steven Sater, was first performed on Broadway in 2006. The revival in 2015, was performed with deaf actors. Theatre is getting more versatile, clearly, since there are now productions for deaf people. “Working with deaf actors was such an extraordinary experience. I think that so often when you are doing a show, it’s easy to sort of fall into certain rhymes and patterns and when you are performing a show in two different languages, you can’t…You have to really listen with your eyes or your ears, or whatever is available.” All the emotions you feel when leaving a theatre shouldn’t just be available to people who are privileged enough to both hear and see.

“My Broadway debut was such a magical night. I think Broadway has always been this sort of mystical place in my mind,” says Gallagher. Not only did Kathryn make it to Broadway, but she got to perform in the Brooks Atkinson Theatre in New York, where her father, Peter Gallagher also performed. Kathryn, the daughter of actor Peter Gallagher, grew up in the theatre community. “It always felt like this place where artists could really understand their craft and storytelling.” It takes hard work and dedication to be successful on the stage. Gallagher explains, “There are no short-cuts. You have to show up and you do eight shows a week. There’s no cheating it, but it’s this dream community where you see everyone at the coffee shop and all these different places. The coming part of that community was the most powerful thing to me…You’ve always got to bring your ‘A’ game, but it’s the community that really makes it special.” When thinking about making it to Broadway, you might wonder just how. If talent isn’t enough, what can you do? Kathryn shares, “My dad always told me; success never looked the way you thought it would, so don’t be surprised when things take a left turn.” Wise words from Mr. Gallagher and ones we can all take with us.

Aiden Glenn started his acting career on a high note. At the age of twelve, he earned the part as Gavroche in Les Misérables in Toronto, Ontario. Not only did Glenn get the job so young, but it was only his second audition ever for a professional show. He expressed that his experience “Isn’t overly impressive with the number of shows…but the shows I have done have been a pretty decent size, so I guess it makes up for it.” As humble as he is, Glenn has performed in four professional shows between the ages of twelve and fifteen years old. “At such a young age, it was a really good experience as a child and made me a little bit more mature mentally. I kind of had to be, if I was working in a professional space with a bunch of adults that did that as their full-time career and I was just a 12-year-old kid at my first gig.” Les Misérables is a grim, sorrowful musical—as it’s name suggests. When watching it leaves you feeling lost, yet still reaching for hope. Being in this musical could only be exhausting, and for a 12-year-old, how would such a morbid musical affect him? “I was physically prepared to be a part of such a big production…To be honest, the subject matter of the show is intense for kids, but after dying a few hundred times we got used to it,” Glenn jokes. “Mentally, it was a little bit difficult. I had to be pulled out of school and I had to do all my work online… It took a toll on me as a 12-year-old, because I was mostly afraid that I would crack under pressure, but as time went on, I became more comfortable.” After seeing Glenn in Les Misérables, I can say he did not crack under pressure.

In addition to Glenn being so successful at a young age, he got to live every theatre kid’s dream and relocate to New York City for Matilda. Glenn was only fifteen and in high school, when he got to move to New York for rehearsals. “The whole dynamic was pretty stressful when it came to balancing school and show life, but I think in the end looking back, it was a really, really great experience. I’m glad I was able to have it.” Growing up in the theatre community can teach you a lot about who you are as a person. You learn life lessons, how to express yourself, and how to be authentically you. “I think both shows really taught me a lot in different ways… I think as a child it was kind of overwhelming at first, but as it went on, it became more fun by the day,” Glenn adds. Even though COVID-19 has put the theatre business on hold, that hasn’t stopped Glenn from doing what he loves. “I was actually auditioning to get into a theatre program at school. In March, I found out that I got into Sheridan College’s musical theatre program, which is a super good program for musical theatre. I am so lucky I was able to get in there. COVID kind of had an effect on me a little bit, because my entire program for the whole year is online, so I have to do all of my classes; like dancing, acting and singing, all online, in my room.”

While some people are "lucky" (according to Glenn) to get into the theatre business, a lot of people are not. “I’m still trying to get into school for musical theatre. After high school, my plan was to take a year off and apply to all my dream schools in New York and also Sheridan, but I didn’t get into any of the schools I wanted.” Neil Karan Ray started acting at age eight. “Looking back, I was kind of naïve because I didn’t have much experience with dance, and I took an hour of voice a week which really wasn’t enough.” The arts are a difficult business to get into. It takes hard work, dedication and determination. “I started seeing this music teacher afterwards and she just set me on my path… now I see her 4 hours a week and I feel us making progress, which gives me hope.”

Passion for the arts runs deep. When you love theatre, you’ll do anything for it. It sparks something in your soul—a feeling of belonging, excitement, and inspiration. “I feel a strong sense of closeness with other actors because we’re all vulnerable together… Acting creates this rush which I can’t compare to anything else and I think that’s the closest thing to magic I’ve felt,” Ray shares with excitement. The feeling on opening night of a new show, a show you worked so hard on—the pounding in your chest when you are about to step on the stage. When the curtain rises, you are a whole different person telling a story through your voice and actions. What you do puts the audience in a whole new world; the world your character is living. It’s art. It’s special.

“Overall, I thought for so long there was only one route to the Broadway dream and even though I still have a long way to go, I’m grateful I didn’t go to school immediately after I graduated. I have time to skill build. It’s different for everyone. Maybe if I was more prepared before, I would be there right now, but you live, you learn.” Everyone has a different journey. It’s just a matter of taking the right opportunities at the right time and working hard. Advice from Peter Gallagher: “Success never looked the way you thought it would, so don’t be surprised when things take a left turn.”