Charlie Wehde's Exposure to the Arts Changed His Life - Next on Stage

We're down to our top 5 contestants in our Next on Stage competition.

Contestant Charlie Wehde shares more about his charity, why he's passionate about musical theatre, and a funny dance audition mishap that landed him the lead role!

Check out all of Charlie's performances HERE.

Why did you apply for Next on Stage?

I applied for Next on Stage because I knew it would be a great way to do what I love for a cause I am passionate about.

What does musical theatre mean to you?

To me, musical theatre means so much. It has given me a fiery passion I've never experienced for anything else, a group of loving and supportive people who accept me for who I am, stories that resonate with me in the very depths of my soul, and the insane privilege of getting to tell those stories.

What is a fond memory you have from a past audition?

I have so many fond memories of performing with all the amazing people I've had the honor to meet performing all throughout high school, but I had a really rough dance audition for Newsies that I look back on and laugh at often. The audition combo was for Carrying The Banner. I am not a dancer in any sense of the word, but I was getting INTO this combo. So much so that when I jumped, I got too much forward momentum and slipped, landing HARD on my back. I proceeded to get up as fast as humanly possible and stumbled through the rest of the combo with the wind knocked out of me. My tenacity proved to be a good thing, I guess, because I ended up getting the role of Jack Kelly. He doesn't dance too much, but that was to be expected.

What charity did you pick and why?

The charity I picked is the Ronald McDonald House Charities. I was hospitalized a lot as a kid, and the Ronald McDonald House was a blessing for my family, giving them a place to eat, sleep, and refresh themselves from being cooped up in the hospital room with me. I already try to give back to them in any way I can by donating my change and starting up soda tab drives at my old grade school, but being able to give them a donation that I know will be able to provide families with the same blessing they gave mine would be my greatest accomplishment as of yet.

Share a memory from seeing a show!

Before she passed away, my aunt would take me and my family to The Muny, which is an amazing outdoor theatre here in Saint Louis. She was blind, and so my sisters and I would answer any questions she had about what was happening on stage. I remember watching Aladdin, and when the actor sung the song Proud of Your Boy, I felt something I had never felt before: the power a performance has to really resonate with someone. It was a really special experience, and it isn't one I take for granted. It was an exposure to the arts that wasn't readily available to me when I was young, and it's something I can look back on as I live my life in a way that I would have never imagined when I was that age.

What have you been doing during quarantine?

During quarantine, I've been making an effort to hone my craft without the deadlines of a performance's demands. Without having a stressful bar to meet, I actually feel like I've made good progress. I've been keeping up with virtual vocal lessons and masterclasses, reading books on acting technique, and trying to learn more advanced guitar styles and patterns. I've also been watching TOO MANY movies and trying to write more songs.

Give a shoutout!

I would like to give a shoutout to my friends and teachers, who have been so incredibly supportive of me throughout this whole process!

BroadwayWorld presents BROADWAY'S NEXT ON STAGE SEASON 2 - an online musical theatre singing competition for student performers sponsored by Broadway Records! We're back by popular demand after an incredible first season which included 2000 contestants, 400k votes, a panel of incredible Broadway star judges, and $2000 going to the winner's charities!

Check out all of the contestants HERE!