ALUMNInews
Shanel Bailey Hits Broadway
W
hile every musical theater student dreams of performing on Broadway, most don’t expect to land there within months of graduation. But that’s the good fortune enjoyed by Shanel Bailey ’19, who joined the cast of the hit musical Book of Mormon July 30.
Milestones Veteran journalist Angela Y. Robinson ’78 joined the national office staff of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) as director of operations.
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Bailey had auditioned for the show shortly after her senior Showcase but never thought she had any possibility of landing a role so pursued other opportunities. She was working in a production at the Glimmerglass Festival in Cooperstown when the call came inviting her to join the show. “I had to quickly pack up and head back to New York City to start rehearsals,” Bailey says. “The family I made at Glimmerglass were so encouraging in taking such a huge opportunity, and I can’t thank them enough for their understanding and support,” she says. As an on-stage swing and understudy, Bailey performs every night with the cast and has learned each ensemble part and the female lead role. “This is super cool because I get to sort of walk in everyone’s shoes and do the show from their perspective, which keeps me thinking and keeps things exciting,” she says. A big difference from her college and regional productions is the long-running nature of the show. “I’ve had to learn to build the stamina and creativity to consistently do eight shows a week and also keep it new and exciting for myself while staying true to the blocking.” Bailey says it’s a joy and privilege to watch and learn from veteran performers. “This experience has been an incredible blessing and irreplaceable learning experience so far,” she says. “I’ve accepted a reality I didn’t know was possible for me and in a timeline I could never have expected.” A native New Yorker, Bailey has credits that include Elf, The Wizard of Oz and Mary Poppins at Syracuse Stage, and Oklahoma! and Porgy and Bess at the Glimmerglass Festival. At Syracuse, Bailey was an Our Time Has Come Scholar and received the 2019 Marcia Mohr Award for outstanding female students in dramatic arts from the College of Visual and Performing Arts. \
