BWW Blog: Broadway Talks Back with Gabe Brown

This weekend was a whirlwind. I was lucky enough to host another amazing guest for my UVA program Broadway Talks Back (hyperlink www.BroadwayTalksBack.com). This weekend was Gabriel Brown from the National Tour of Les Miz. I've actually known Gabe for about 10 months now, as he invited my friends and I to do a backstage interview with the cast back in January. I figured it would be really cool to walk you through what our day is like and what we generally do at one of these programs!

Gabe got in at 11am from Charleston, where he was with Les Miz at the time. I got to pick him up at the airport which is always a blast because I get to be the first person to greet my guests when they get in! I baked him a "Life's Just Peachy Keen Peach Pie" from the Waitress cookbook, because naturally what else would I bake for him?! That was definitely a hit and we got to catch up over the amazing smell of vanilla in the oven.

The real fun started at 2 pm. We held a masterclass for a few students, and Gabe also worked with my a capella group, HoosITS, to learn the choreo for "One Day More!" We learned the marching and figured out a way to stage it so that it'll be a SUPER AWESOME act one closer at our concert. The individual masterclass performances were amazing, and Gabe even got choked up when my friend sang "On My Own," which then made me cry. There's something so special about performing for someone who has made it, and I am always happy to see everyone learning so much. Emotions run high at these things!

My friends and I showed Gabe around UVA for a while before we headed to the talkback. The talkback is basically the part where I sit on stage and ask Gabe a bunch of questions that I think are relevant. He had some AMAZING stories to share, including his experience of finding his passion for theater at 17. His story really resonates with me because I didn't find my love of theater until I was 17 as well. He also shared some hilarious antics from the show, including the secret that all the men in the show rip their pants! I'm definitely going to look out for that when I go to see Les Miz in Richmond, VA on Saturday.

If you didn't think Gabe was amazing already, he then tagged along to my group's big/little reveal dinner and party. Who else gets to eat dinner with a Les Miz star??? I cannot speak highly enough of him and the amazing time that we had this weekend. Make sure to check out Gabe in the cast for the next few weeks if you can! He is so talented and wonderful, and make sure to say hi to him at the stage door! You won't regret it.