-Brenda Hillegas
photo by Deen van Meer
Disney’s Frozen comes to Philadelphia! The Tony-nominated best musical plays a three-week premiere engagement at the Academy of Music, now through April 7th. The musical features the songs you love from the movie, plus new numbers by the film’s songwriters, Oscar winner Kristen Anderson-Lopez and EGOT winner Robert Lopez. Don’t miss Disney’s Frozen, now through April 7th, at the Academy of Music. Tickets and info here on the Ensemble Arts website.
Below, cast member Nick Silverio, a graduate of Elite Academy of Dance and University of Penn’s Wharton School, talks about what a day in the life at Frozen looks like. Find out more about his favorite scene, song, and the business he created with his best friend too.
Q: As a Frozen ensemble member, what does a show day look like for you?
A: On a one-show day, I often have most of the day free to explore the city and work on my business, Artswrk.com! On a two-show day, however, my life is 100% Frozen: wake up around 9am, workout and vocalize, head to the theater an hour before the show, show #1, dinner and nap (this is a necessity for me), then show #2. Our days start and end later than most folks, but I try to go to sleep at a reasonable hour.
Q: Are there any scenes you enjoy being a part of the most? Why?
A: My favorite scene changes every month, but right now I am having the most fun during the coronation in a moment we lovingly call “The Weselton Wedge.” It’s a spectacular dance section with challenging choreography and partnering. The audience loves it too!
Q: What’s your favorite song from the show?
A: This is such a hard question, but when I first saw the show a year ago, I was blown away by one of the new songs called “I Can’t Lose You.” It is a stunning duet between Elsa and Anna, and it’s Broadway at its finest.
Q: How do you think your time at UPenn and the Elite Academy of Dance helped you get to where you are now in your career?
A: Training at Elite Academy of Dance under Lauren Mangano taught me so many skills that I still use a decade later, like partnering, tumbling, and picking up choreography quickly. Most importantly, Elite taught me how to be a professional and a good person. UPenn was a pivotal part of my journey because it taught me business skills that I use every day as a freelancer and are sometimes overlooked for artists. As an artist, you are a business, which means marketing, finance, accounting, relationship management – and no school teaches that better than Wharton.
Q: Can you tell us about Artswrk? Why was it important to create a platform like this and how does it benefit artists looking for work?
A: Artswrk.com is an online marketplace to discover, book, and pay the world’s best freelance artists. I co-founded Artswrk with my best friend and fellow UPenn grad Ramita Ravi because we saw a huge gap in the market: it is so hard to find artists like dance educators, dance adjudicators, photographers, videographers, or acting and vocal coaches. Our mission is to shatter the starving artist stigma by providing new client relationships and flexible work opportunities that already earn our artists hundreds of thousands in supplemental income.
Q: What are you looking forward to doing while you’re back in Philly?
A: Going back to all of my favorite restaurants! As someone who has toured the country, Philly has the best food scene. I’ll definitely be returning to Pod, Sampan, El Vez, Barbuzzo, Green Eggs, and of course Wishbone.
Philadelphia RowHome Magazine's Blog 