Dreaming of Broadway – Strickler sets sights on Big Apple

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May 18, 2010 - 12:00 AM

It may not happen tomorrow, but Skylar Strickler has his sights on the world’s biggest stage — New York City.
“That’s my goal,” said Strickler. “I’ve wanted to perform since I was a little kid. Two years ago, at the start of my junior year, I decided that’s what I wanted to do as a career.”
At 18, he’s a veteran of school and community theater productions.
Strickler was graduated from Iola High School Sunday.

TO GET a taste of the Big Apple, Strickler went there for spring break.
It wasn’t his first visit. As a member of the IHS jazz band, Strickler played several concerts there when he was a sophomore. The experience whetted his appetite for big city life and all its opportunities.
During the break he rented an apartment and “went to a lot of restaurants, jazz places and Broadway shows,” Strickler said. “I tried to get a sense of what it’s like to live in New York full time. I met some Broadway actors, made some friends who are experienced in theater and actually worked with a voice coach.”
The coach, Judy Hages, seldom teaches students as young as Strickler, he was told, but “she thought I was good and wanted to help. I learned a lot in the time I had.” A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, Hages has taught voice 38 years and also has performed.
 “She has a lot of college-age students who are trying to get into shows,” Strickler said. “One of her students recently opened for Justin Beiber,” who at 16 is a popular Canadian pop singer.
Among the Broadway shows Strickler saw was “Fantasticks,” which Iola High students staged at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center this spring.
“I got to meet and talk to the actor who played the part of Matt, the same part I had in the show here,” he said. “It was exciting to have him explain the details of becoming a character. I was surprised he was so open and willing to talk to me, a kid from Kansas.”

THIS FALL Strickler will attend Allen County Community College on a theater scholarship to take advantage of drama instructor Tony Piazza’s depth of experience.
He also plans to find a part-time job and be tight with his earnings.
“I want to save enough so I can get to New York as soon as possible,” he said, “hopefully after a year at Allen County.”

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