AYAA Interview: Noa Gauthier

Noa Gauthier is a wonderful young actress. Noa has performed at many theatres across the Valley including Valley Youth Theatre, Desert Stages, Theater Works, etc. Noa has performed in roles like Mrs. Beaver in Narnia at VYT, Owl in A Winnie the Pooh Christmas Tail and Olive in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Chaparral High School. As she is only a freshman in high school, Noa has an abundance of time to share her talents with Arizona!

Full Real Legit Name 

Noa Gabrielle Gauthier

Where were you born? 

Scottsdale, Arizona

What’s home like? Brothers? Siblings? Parents? Pets? 

My parents are divorced so I spend half of my time with my mom and the other half with my dad. I have to sisters who are 11 years old and they are twins. My dad remarried and had two boys with her who are 6 and 3 so they are my half brothers. My mom’s husband has two daughters of his own from a previous marriage who are 20 and 24. I have a mini golden doodle named Olive at my dads and a border doodle named Macy at my moms.

When and why did you start performing? 

I started performing when I was about nine because I have always had a very big personality and like performing. My parents persuaded me to do a Desert Stages summer camp and from then on I loved it.

First show you ever saw? 

The Lion King. I used to see it every year with my mom and some family friends.

Most influential show you ever saw? Why was it so influential?-

Wicked on Broadway because I was little and watching the girls perform made me realize how much I wanted to do what they do.

Favorite show you’ve ever been in? Why? 

They Chose Me at Valley Youth Theatre because it was my first show outside of Desert Stages or other smaller theatres and the cast was so close and I bonded with everyone so much and it was overall just a great experience.

Noa as Mrs. Beaver in Narnia: The Lion, the
Witch and the Wardrobe at VYT (2014).

What was your experience of playing Mrs. Beaver in Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe at VYT? What made that show unique from others you have been in?

I absolutely loved Narnia. I met and became close with so many people that are still my best friends today. It was fun learning an accent and being such a comedic role. This show was a show for which I received an NYA award for Outstanding Supporting Actress. I had never been nominated for an NYA award before so this was super exciting!

This Christmas, you played Owl in VYT’s 20th Anniversary of A Winnie-The-Pooh Christmas Tail. What are the challenges that come with being a part of a tradition? What about the show makes it so beloved? 

Playing Owl was a lot of fun. I have always wanted to be in Winnie-The-Pooh so it was great. Since it’s a tradition, you always want to make it a little different from the other people that have played that role and after 19 other shows that becomes kind of challenging but it’s a lot of fun to have the freedom to make choices. This show is friendly for all families and it’s an amazing Christmas tradition.

Noa with the cast of 13 at Theater Works performing
"A Little More Homework." (2015)

Last year, you were in the ensemble of Theater Works’ production of 13. What is your favorite memory of that show? Do you think the musical really speaks to the experience of being 13? My favorite memory of 13 was probably the cast. Everyone was super fun and we were all really close. The show itself is so fun and it was put together so well. The show does speak to the experience of being 13 because you go through many of the same problems that are expressed in the show.

At Chaparral High School, you played Olive in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. What was your favorite part about playing Olive? What is the difference between performing in a high school production versus a community theatre production?

Playing Olive was by far my favorite role I’ve ever played. The cast was small and super close and even though I was a freshman everyone was so sweet. The role was so fun and it’s just overall a great show. High school theatre really isn’t all that different from community theatre. There is a little less rehearsal for high school theatre and less shows, but other than that it’s not much different.

What have you learned by participating in performing arts that you don’t think you could learn doing other activities? 

I have built so much confidence from performing. Many activities help build confidence, but performing really forces you to put yourself out there.

Noa as Olive singing "My Friend, the
Dictionary" in Chapparal's The 25th Annual
Putnam County Spelling Bee (2016).

Favorite character you got to play this year? 

Olive was my favorite role I played this year. The character is so cute and it was so great. It was an amazing way to start out in high school theatre and I can’t wait to continue doing more shows there until i graduate.

Favorite person you got to play opposite of this past year? (Romantically or otherwise)- Playing Olive and Barfee with Sam Primack was a lot of fun because we are super close and it was fun to do our first show at Chaparral together.

Dream role? 

Eponine in Les Miserables has always been my number one dream role. "On My Own" is one of my favorite musical theatre songs and I am absolutely in love with her character.

Theatres in Arizona you would love to work with, but haven’t?

I would absolutely love to do a show at Spotlight, Hale, or Greasepaint.

Craziest stage experience (mishap, funny improvised joke, etc.)? 

During tech week of Pooh, everyone got the stomach flu and was puking so we constantly had trash cans on the side of the stage and everyone would just run off for a few seconds and then come back on.

Favorite costume you’ve ever worn? Least favorite? 

My favorite costume I’ve ever worn was probably my wardrobe costume for Beauty and the Beast. My dad actually found a cardboard box and painted it white put hangers in it and mirrors on the doors and slipped it over my head. My least favorite costume is hard because I have loved all of my costumes but probably my Owl costume because it was really hot and hard to get out of even though I loved the way it looked!

Best youth production you have ever seen?

Spring Awakening at Spotlight was definitely one of my favorites.

What is your go-to audition song?

Probably "Home" from Wonderland

Advice for young performers? Auditions? Behavior? Life?

Audition for as much as you can and never let not getting cast stop you from continuing to perform. Auditions are nerve-racking but just remember they are always on your side hoping you are the one for the role.

Favorite actors and actresses? Stage? Screen?

My favorite stage actor is Kyle Dean Massey who I got the privilege to do a master class with this summer at Broadway Artists Alliance. My favorite screen actors are probably Jennifer Lawrence and Eddie Redmayne.

Favorite musicals?

Heathers, Next to Normal, and Spring Awakening

Musical/play on Broadway currently you’re dying to see? 

Hamilton and Fun Home

Noa with Jessica Sinodis in A
Winnie-the-Pooh Christmas Tail
at VYT (2015).

Favorite movie? TV Show? 

I have too many favorite movies to pick one but my favorite TV shows are The Office and Friends.

(A/N: The Office is the best TV show of all time.)

Personal mantra(s)? 

If I’m ever nervous before an audition or performance my dad always tells me to take a deep breath and say “This is my place.” I don’t really know what it is but it always helps.

How do you feel about the atmosphere of youth theatre around Arizona? What do you like about it? What do you feel like can be improved?

I love the theatre atmosphere here in Arizona. There are so many options available and so many shows going on all the time. Most of the theatres I like to do shows at are pretty far from me so it would be nice to have some closer.

What’s your “adult” plan? Keep performing professionally or…? 

I would love to continue performing for my whole life. I hope to get a musical theatre degree and then either go to California or New York and get started in either film or stage and see where it takes me!'

Thank you to Noa for doing this interview with us! I have lots of interviews pending right now, so I hope to get more on the site soon! :)

AYAA Talback: Movies Being Turned Into Musicals

Hi, everyone! I thought it was high time to do another AYAA Talkback. I actually posted the question for this on February 21st and totally forgot all about it. So I guess it is a little blast from the past.

Due to the recent wave of movies becoming musicals (Heathers, Elf, Shrek) , two questions:
1) Do you like Broadway adaptations of films? Do you think the trend is positive or negative?
2) What movie would you like to see as a Broadway musical next?

"I do like seeing movies become musicals. I think that is such a cool thing. Directors, producers, and the cast of films put so much effort into their films and it must be such a cool feeling seeing that other people want to adapt their works into these spectacular shows on Broadway! I would love to see a newer romance film go to Broadway, like, The Fault in Our Stars or something like that. I feel like that would be so cool!" - Bailey Gorman

"How about Titanic! Cool costumes and characters, and a great love story." - Trina Haubrich Giusti

(A/N: There actually is a Titanic musical, but it is based just on the ship and not the movie.)

"I think it's really cool how people are able to take movies (ie Heathers, The Addams Family, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Hairspray, 9 to 5 and so on) and make them into enjoyable musicals and sometimes even making those musicals into movies. It's basically movie-ception. I haven't really seen a musical based on a movie flop because the musical usually does the movie justice which is always nice. The trend is mostly positive and it introduces more and more people to the world of musicals when they hear that their favorite movie is becoming a live action musical. I would love to see Enchanted (yes I know it has music but it could be an Aladdin kinda thing) become a full blown Broadway musical because that movie is hella underappreciated and Idina Menzel could come back and play the role she did in the movie and it would be a fun time." - Sarah Davidson

"Dead Poets Society. I think that it would be such a different musical, and I think the music would be written cleverly. Or Kung Fu Panda, I think that would be so frikkin awesome." - Vincent Pugliese

"It works both ways.....from silver screen to Broadway and vice versa. I would LOVE to see the Nightmare Before Christmas as a musical onstage!" - Linda Pauley

"I think they are great but when not done right they can come off as gimmicky. Ella Enchanted would make such a fun big production type show and I'm surprised that Princess Bride hasn't become a musical yet. Really any cult movie would make a good musical." - India Chudnow

"I think they are great when they stick to the original themes and concepts of the show and they are also good because they open opportunities for the general public to partake in musicals. Beatlejuice would make a fantastic show. Tim Burton movies have amazing musical potential" - Mark Munoz

"To me, musical theater is a medium that allows for any sort of story to be adapted, regardless of where the story originated. As such, I believe film to musical adaptations often work very well, as evidenced by many classic shows." - Noah Delgado

"I have nothing against Broadway adaptations of films, but to me the trend is a bit annoying. There have been so many adaptations over the years, which is fine, but I would kill to see something new become popular. A fresh story, a unique concept never done before and wholly its own: now that would be amazing to see!
Side note: there is nothing wrong with those musical adaptations, it's just that knowing the storyline versus being absolutely surprised is something that can greatly enhance an already exquisite performance." - Jesse Factor

(A/N: I tend to share that point of view.)

"I think they're a great way for people who aren't necessarily 'theater people' to become more interested in the arts. And they're usually so fun! I'm dying to see Hocus Pocus the musical!!!" - Macy Wood

"Well, I have to say I'm excited for the Mean Girls adaptation, but that's partially just because I'm a huge Tina Fey nerd. The one movie (and play) I want to see a musical adaptation of (and have wanted for YEARS) is The Crucible. It's my absolute favorite play and I think the addition of music could make certain characters more sympathetic and add new dimensions, something I always appreciate." - Spencer Claus

"I do like seeing movies becoming musicals (Big Fish, Legally Blonde, and so on) and I think it's an in between trend. Some people like it, some people don't, I'm one that does." - Danny Blankemeier

Thank you to everyone who responded to this week's questions! Look forward to more similar posts soon!

You can check out the next talkback question here.

AYAA Dreamcasting: Wicked

Good news! Dream casting is back for another week and this week, AYAA is proud to present Wicked. Wicked tells the story of the witches of OZ before (and eventually after) Dorothy arrives. Wicked tells the story of  Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West) and Glinda, who form an unlike friendship while facing rivalry over a newly-arrived bad boy arriving at their school, reactions to the corrupt government of Oz and, ultimately, Elphaba's witch hunt.

On AYAA, I am running dreamcasting two ways:

Self-submitted: If you have a dream cast for a show, send it to me at mackenna.azyoungactors@gmail.com or via Facebook. MUST BE WITH VALLEY ACTORS, NOT BROADWAY HUMANS.
Facilitated by me: I will be reaching out to 4-5 actors/actresses periodically. (I will also be participating from time to time) I will give each of them the same show and see the diverse ways they cast the show. I will only be able to ask you if you are friends with me on my personal Facebook. Same thing, it will be with Valley actors, not people on Broadway.

Today, I present to you one of the "Facilitated by me" types of dream casting. I reached out to a bunch different young actors in the Valley ) --  Danny Blankemeier, Vincent Pugliese, Caroline Jackson, Steven Enriquez -- and asked them to dream cast Wicked. Their responses and mine are below.

Danny Blankemeier:
Elphaba: Jessie Jo Pauley
Glinda: Adyson Nichols
Fiyero: Kale Burr
Madam Morrible: Jessica Sinodis
The wizard: Bryce Dilullo
Nessarose: Emma Welch
Boq: Jonah Carlson
Doctor Dillamond: Noah Delgado

Steven Enriquez:
Elphaba: Nicole Knox
Glinda: Darian Lorrain
Fiyero: Kale Burr
Madame Morrible: Kinsey Peotter
The Wizard: Geoff Goorin
Nessarose: Lina Cappellano
Boq: Joey Grado
Doctor Dillamond: Isaac Dowdle

Caroline Jackson:
Elphaba - Grace Napoletano
Glinda - Caroline Jackson (dream role)
Fiyero- Vinny Pugliese
Madame Morrible - Jessica Sinodis
Nessa Rose - Benny Cowans
The Wizard - Sam Primack
Dr. Dillamond - Jake Bonar
Boq- Ethan Shanker

Mackenna Goodrich:
Elphaba: Sarah Pansing
Glinda: Jackie Brecker
Fiyero: Kale Burr
Madame Morrible: Alli Halliday
Nessa Rose: Jessie Jo Pauley
The Wizard: Reed Daniel
Dr. Dillamond: Liam Thibeault
Boq: Andrey Lull

Vincent Pugliese:
Elphaba: Payton Bioletto
Glinda: Jessie Jo Pauley
Fiyero: Vincent Pugliese (Dream role forever)
Madame Morrible: Tatum Dial
Nessa Rose: Carly McClain
The Wizard: Connor Baker
Dr. Dillamond: Sam Primack
Boq: Andrey Lull

Thank you to everyone who participated in this week's dreamcasting! See you back here for another one next Saturday!

AYAA BONUS Dreamcasting: The Last 5 Years

Hi, everyone! This is an AYAA Bonus Dream Casting. Vincent Pugliese proposed this idea to me and due to the limited cast in The Last 5 Years, I didn't want to make it a normal dream casting. I reached out to a number of people who said they would be interested in the project; the responses of the people who met the deadline and mine are below.

The Last 5 Years is a musical by Jason Robert Brown which tells the story of Jamie and Cathy's relationship on reverse time lines -- Jamie's is in chronological order and Cathy's in reverse chronological order, meeting in the middle for their wedding.

Thank you to Nicholas Hambruch, Bailey Gorman, Sam Primack, Konnor Smith, Lina Cappellano, Carter Palumbo, Mark Munoz, Hank Woods, Alyssa Granger, Vincent Pugliese and Summer Farnsworth for their responses! They gave me their pick for Jamie and Cathy and the songs they would be most excited to hear each actors sing.

Nicholas Hambruch:
Jamie: Nathan Sheppard singing "Moving Too Fast"
Cathy: Brittany Howk singing "Still Hurting"

Sam Primack:
Jamie: Vincent Pugliese singing "Moving Too Fast"
Cathy: Payton Bioletto singing "Summer In Ohio"

Konnor Smith: 
Jamie: Kale Burr singing "Nobody Needs to Know"
Cathy: Jackie Brecker singing "Climbing Uphill"

Lina Cappellano:
Jamie: Kale Burr
Cathy: Jackie Brecker
Both singing "The Next Ten Minutes"

Carter Palumbo:
Jamie: Kale Burr singing "Shiksa Goddess"
Cathy: Jessica Sinodis singing "See I'm Smiling" or "A Summer in Ohio"

Mark Munoz: 
Jamie: Dale Mortensen singing "Shiksa Goddess"
Cathy: Nicole Knox singing "Still Hurting"

Hank Woods:
Jamie: Nathan Sheppard singing "Moving Too Fast"
Cathy: Jessie Jo Pauley singing "Still Hurting"

Alyssa Granger:
Jamie: Kale Burr
Cathy: Grace Napoletano
Both singing "I Could Never Rescue You/Goodbye Until Tomorrow"

Vincent Pugliese:
Jamie: Sam Primack singing "Moving Too Fast"
Cathy: Jessie Jo Pauley singing "A Summer in Ohio"

Summer Farnsworth:
Jamie: Adam Bei singing "Shiksa Goddess" or "Moving Too Fast"
Cathy: Heidi-Liz Johnson singing "Still Hurting" or "I Can Do Better Than That"

Mackenna Goodrich:
Jamie: James D. Gish singing "If I Didn't Believe in You"
Cathy: Heidi-Liz Johnson singing "I Can Do Better Than That" or "A Summer in Ohio"

Okay and I saved Bailey Gorman's for last because he wrote an essay:

"So for Jamie and Cathy, I would love to see Tim Eversole and Adyson Nichols play this. They both have such outstanding voices for the roles. I've heard Tim sing these songs before and he rocks them! I think he could put so much passion and emotion and depth into this character. As for Adyson, she knows how to play different characters so I think she could easily play this character who is in love but is hurting at the same time. She would definitely have the voice for it as well. I've heard Tim sing these but I'd love to see him sing "If I Didn't Believe In You" on stage with costumes, makeup, lighting, and a set. For Adyson, I would LOVE to see her either sing "Still Hurting" or "I Can Do Better Than That." Those songs are beasts in the show and I know they could sing them to their full extent!!"

Thank you to everyone who helped out with this bonus dream casting! We will have a regularly scheduled dream casting on Saturday and it's a WONDERFUL one.

AYAA Dream Casting: Les Miserables (It's a big one!)

So excited for this week's dream casting! I asked a bunch of different young actors from around the Valley to help me dream cast the musical voted on the AYAA Twitter polls last week as the Best Musical of All Time, Les Miserables. Les Miserables tells the story of Jean Valjean, a man during the revolutionary period in France convicted of stealing a loaf of bread. The story of Jean Valjean falls in conjunction with a group of politically-minded students responsible for the June Rebellion. It is the longest running musical on the West End.

On AYAA, I am running dreamcasting two ways:

Self-submitted: If you have a dream cast for a show, send it to me at mackenna.azyoungactors@gmail.com or via Facebook. MUST BE WITH VALLEY ACTORS, NOT BROADWAY HUMANS.
Facilitated by me: I will be reaching out to 4-5 actors/actresses periodically. (I will also be participating from time to time) I will give each of them the same show and see the diverse ways they cast the show. I will only be able to ask you if you are friends with me on my personal Facebook. Same thing, it will be with Valley actors, not people on Broadway.

Today, I present to you one of the "Facilitated by me" types of dream casting. I reached out to a bunch different young actors in the Valley (the biggest group we have done) --  Noah Delgado, Noa Gauthier, Erin Kong, Skyler Washburn, Nicholas Hambruch, Alexia Filler and Mark Munoz -- and asked them to dream cast Les Miserables. Their responses and mine are below.

Nicholas Hambruch
Jean Valjean - Brad Cashman
Javert - Alex Martinez
Fantine - Kayla McLemore
Eponine - Brittany Howk
Marius - Nathan Sheppard
Thenardier - Sam McGhee
Madm. Thenardier - Anasofia Gallegos
Cosette - Jessie Jo Pauley
Enjolras - Me (I so wish I could be a lead in this show since it means so much to me, but i feel like this role would be the most suiting for me)
Gavroche - Asher Angel
Little Cosette - Summer Beckman
Grantaire - Kale Burr

Skyler Washburn
Jean Valjean - Joshua Verne
Javert - Brett Aiken
Fantine - Kathleen Berger
Eponine - Alanna Kalbfleisch
Marius - Skyler Washburn
Cosette - Savoy Graca
Thenardier - Jesse Berger
M. Thenardier - Tracy Payne-Black
Enjolras - Nathan Sheppard
Gavroche - Josh Pike
Little Cosette - Macie Thompson

Grantaire - Brandon Smith

Erin Kong
Valjean - Adam Sowards
Javert - Erin Kong
Fantine - Brittany Howk
Eponine - Janine Colletti
Marius - Alex Kunz
Cosette - Sara Sanderson
Thenardier - Miles Plant
M. Thenardier - Anasofia Gallegos
Enjolras - Lane Northcutt
Gavroche - Chris Reah
Little Cosette - Michaela Okland

Grantaire - Michael Devery

Noa Gauthier
Jean Valjean: Julian Mendoza
Javert: Johnny Robaina
Fantine: Sarah Pansing
Eponine: Noa Gauthier (#1 dream role)
Marius: Vincent Pugliese

Thenardier: Ethan Shaker
Madame Thenardier: Sophia Drapeau
Cosette: Benny Cowans
Enjolras: Sam Primack
Gavroche: Vincent Jacovo
Little Cosette: Mackenna Jacobs
Grantaire: Devon Policci

Noah Delgado
Jean Valjean - Danny Blankemeier
Javert - Noah Delgado (One of my dream roles!)
Fantine - Jessica Sinodis
Eponine - Jessie Jo Pauley
Marius - Hayden Skaggs
Thenardier - Joey Sortino
Madame Thenardier - Macy Wood
Cosette - Benny Cowans
Enjolras - Liam Thibeault
Gavroche - Eric Lundgreen
Little Cosette - Laurynn Allen

Grantaire - Kale Burr

Alexia Filler
Javert - Mark Munoz
Fantine - Alexia Filler (goal role haha)
Eponine - Jessie Jo Pauley
Marius - Tom Muglia
Madame Thenardier - Jessica Sinodis
Cosette - Benny Cowans
Enjolras - Sam Ellefson
Gavroche - I suppose Austin Porter is a little old for the role now...but still.

Grantaire - Hayden Skaggs

Mark Munoz
Jean Valjean: Isaac Dowdle
Javert: Me (#treatyourself) or Steven Enriquez
Fantine: Jessica Sinodis
Eponine: Darian Lorain
Marius: Kale Burr
Mr. T: Joey J. Grado
Mrs. T: Macy Wood
Cosette: Benny Cowans
Enjolras: Devon Polici
Gavroche: Casey Likes
Little Cosette: Hailey Palmer

Grantaire: Anson Romney

Mackenna Goodrich
Jean Valjean: Tucker Abney
Javert: Nicholas Hambruch
Fantine: Jackie Brecker
Eponine: Me or Chloe Santos
Marius: Kale Burr
Thenardier: Joey Grado
Madame Thenardier: Jessica Sinodis
Cosette: Emma Welch
Enjolras: Vincent Pugliese
Gavroche: Asher Angel
Little Cosette: Madeline Riggs
Grantaire: Nate Dutson

Thank you everyone! There will be a normal dream casting next weekend as well as a bonus dream casting sometime this week!

AYAA Survery: Twitter Polls

Hello, everyone!

So last night, I tweeted out a bunch of different polls on my Twitter account on theatre related topics. Thank you to everyone who participated and answered the polls. Today, I want to share with you the results. Hopefully, this will shed some light on the theatre opinions in our community.


#1. Best female role in musical theatre

• Elphaba in Wicked - 34%
• Christine Daae in Phantom of the Opera - 11%
• Eponine in Les Miserables - 31%
• Belle in Beauty and the Beast - 24%

Well, the Elphabas have it, closely followed by Eponine. If I had a vote, I would have gone with Eponine.

#2. Musical you want to see made into a movie

• Book of Mormon - 41%
• Spring Awakening - 14%
• Fun Home - 13%
• In the Heights - 32%

People love Book of Mormon! I think it would make a nice movie, but I've had a lot of dreams about a Spring Awakening movie. 

#3. Best leading man on Broadway

• Aaron Tveit - 30%
• Jeremy Jordan - 24%
• Ramin Karimloo - 14%
• Jonathan Groff - 28%

The Tveit love is still alive and well even though he hasn't been on Broadway in a while. He was most recently in Grease Live here in the states, but spent a few months as John Wilkes Booth in Assassins off-West End. I'm in agreeance with this one.

#4. Best modern Broadway lady

• Laura Osnes - 18%
• Idina Menzel - 33%
• Sutton Foster - 32%
• Audra McDonald - 17%

This was a super tight race! But in the end, Idina won out. I am not a fan of Idina and have to go with Audra McDonald here.

#5. Best Andrew Lloyd Weber musical

• The Phantom of the Opera - 63%
• Cats - 15%
• Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - 12%
• Evita - 10%

Not a surprise here: the longest running Broadway musical has it. This one wasn't even close. I actually don't like Phantom and am much more of an Evita fan, but c'mon! this wasn't a contest.

#6. I am most excited for _________ to be on Broadway

• American Psycho - 48%
• The Crucible - 17%
• Waitress - 14%
• Tuck Everlasting - 21%

YES AMERICAN PSYCHO! What a great movie and it's a Duncan Sheik musical and AHHHH! I'm going to New York soon and I won't be able to see it, but I am seeing Tuck Everlasting which is also super exciting.

#7. Best play of the 2010s

• Peter and the Starcatcher - 39%
• Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime - 25%
• War Horse - 25%
• All the Way - 11%

Yep, the fun, fantasy play has it. It's a beautiful story. I'm partial to Curious Dog, but I can totally see why Peter won.

#8. Dream role in Hamilton

• Alexander Hamilton - 22%
• Aaron Burr - 13%
• One of the Schuyler sisters - 50%
• King George - 15%

Alright, granted it's three roles to choose from instead of just one, but the Schuyler sisters have it. Out of these choices, I'd pick Burr, but I would actually love to be Jefferson/Lafayette.

#9. Best musical of the 2000s

• Wicked - 35%
• Next to Normal - 12%
• Spring Awakening - 15%
• Book of Mormon - 38%

I am actually surprised by this! Wicked is such a megamusical that I thought for sure it would blow away the competition. But no! it's Book of Mormon that comes out on top. Even though Spring Awakening is one of my favorite shows, I think Book of Mormon wins this one because like Hamilton, people outside of just the normal theatre circle love Book of Mormon.

#10. Best Broadway flop that deserves a comeback

• Bonnie and Clyde - 63%
• Bridges of Madison County - 6%
• Big Fish - 30%
• Parade - 1%

Bonnie and Clyde blew away the rest of the competition! One of the biggest wins by far. However, I have to disagree; I would rather see Big Fish remount. I think with a few tweaks, it could be a really successful show with stronger themes than Bonnie and Clyde.

#11. Best Disney musical

• Beauty and the Beast - 17%
• The Lion King - 29%
• Aladdin - 32%
• The Little Mermaid - 22%

Aladdin wins it! The Lion King has been such a Broadway staple for such a long time that I find this surprising. I definitely prefer the Aladdin movie, but I don't know about the musical... The ingenuity of Lion King holds a special place in my heart. 

#12. Best Stephen Sondheim musical

• Into the Woods - 42%
• Sweeney Todd - 17%
• Company - 10%
• West Side Story - 31%

Into the Woods is the victor here. It was actually back and forth between West Side Story and Into the Woods for a while, but Into the Woods definitely pulled ahead. I guess I agree with this one. I like West Side Story better, but considering Sondheim only wrote the lyrics for West Side, I'll give it Into the Woods.

#13. Best musical written by an otherwise famous person

• Kinky Boots (Cyndi Lauper) - 34%
• Lion King (Elton John) - 50%
• Bright Star (Steve Martin) - 3%
• Spamalot (Eric Idle) - 13%

Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba! Lion King for the win! I'm partial to Kinky Boots, but Lion King obviously has a lot of love since it has been on Broadway for this long. We'll also see how Bright Star fares once it opens on Broadway.

#14. Best musical with teen angst

• Heathers - 40%
• Spring Awakening - 13%
• American Idiot - 16%
• Footloose - 31%

Heathers was definitely the musical of the moment most recently (before it got ran over by the Hamilton train). I think if it goes to Broadway, the love for it will explode even more. I'm a fan of Spring Awakening though.

#15. Best show featuring kids in the cast

• Annie - 25%
• The King and I - 4%
• Matilda - 42%
• The Sound of Music - 29% 

I am actually very surprised by this one. Annie and The Sound of Music are such well-loved classics that I thought for sure they would have the edge. But no, it's the newer Matilda which wins this little battle. I'm sticking with the tried and true Sound of Music here.

#16. I would most like to perform in:

• Next to Normal - 14%
• Hairspray - 34%
• The Little Mermaid - 25%
• West Side Story - 27%

Woo! Hairspray has it. I think it won because it's fun and modern, but not as childish as the Little Mermaid. I totally agree here; Hairspray all the way. (Granted I would love to be in all of them.)

#17. Best Broadway show of the 2015-16 (so far)

• Hamilton - 71%
• Deaf West's Spring Awakening - 14%
• School of Rock - 9%
• Color Purple - 6%

Probably the most obvious race of them all, the love for Hamilton is global. It has broken out of just love from theatre people into mainstream media. The world loves what Lin-Manuel Miranda and his team has done.

#18. Best jukebox musical

• American Idiot - 31%
• Beautiful - 10%
• Jersey Boys - 46%
• Rock of Ages - 13%

Jersey Boys is continuing to kick butt on Broadway and people are still loving it. I am partial to American Idiot as I grew up on Green Day's music, but as a musical, I think Jersey Boys has the broadest appeal.

Finally... #19. Best musical of all-time

• Les Miserables - 36%
• Wicked - 17%
• Phantom of the Opera - 28%
• Rent - 19%

Do you hear the people sing?! Because they're singing the music of Les Mis! Even though Phantom is the longest running show in the US, Les Miserables is the longest running musical on the West End. The movie kicked butt (unlike the Phantom movie) and it's a global phenomenon.

Well, that's all I have for this week! I think I will be doing something like this again in the future :) Thank you again to everyone who participated. Just a warning: tomorrow, I am entering my final quarter of high school, so things may get hectic from time to time. But I will still be working hard to bring you awesome content!

AYAA Dream Casting: Beauty and the Beast

Hello, everyone! Welcome to another week of Dream Casting! This week, AYAA is happy to present Beauty and the Beast! Beauty and the Beast -- based on the Disney movie of the same name -- tells the story of a prince who is transformed into a hideous beast as a consequence of a magical spell punishing his vanity. When he meets a beautiful girl named Belle, he finds a chance to become human again if he can earn Belle's love.

On AYAA, I am running dreamcasting two ways:

Self-submitted: If you have a dream cast for a show, send it to me at mackenna.azyoungactors@gmail.com or via Facebook. MUST BE WITH VALLEY ACTORS, NOT BROADWAY HUMANS.
Facilitated by me: I will be reaching out to 4-5 actors/actresses periodically. (I will also be participating from time to time) I will give each of them the same show and see the diverse ways they cast the show. I will only be able to ask you if you are friends with me on my personal Facebook. Same thing, it will be with Valley actors, not people on Broadway.

Today, I present to you one of the "Facilitated by me" types of dream casting. I reached out to three different young actors in the Valley --  Lauren Anderson, Steven Enriquez and Julian Mendoza -- and asked them to dream cast Beauty and the Beast. Their responses and mine are below.

Julian Mendoza

Beast: Julian Mendoza (one of my dream roles)
Belle: Sarah Pansing
Maurice: Jacob Browning
Gaston: Jeremy Yampolsky
Lefou: Devon Policci
Lumiere: Adam Hays
Cogsworth: Sam Primack
Mrs Potts: Sophia Drapeau
Babette: Addison Bowman
Monsieur d'Arque: Connor Baker

Chip: Owen Watson

Lauren Anderson

Beast- Kale Burr
Belle- Jackie Brecker
Maurice- Reed Daniel
Gaston- Brandon Bellerson
Lefou- Devon Policci (hilarious in Studio 3s)
Lumiere- Kevin Kennedy
Cogsworth- Grey Smith
Mrs. Potts- Gabi Guisti
Babette- Grace Napoletano
Madame de la Grande Bouche- Jessica Sinodis
Monsieur D'Arque- Daniel Milbauer

Chip- Jordan Osness

Steven Enriquez

Belle: Lina Cappellano
Beast: Steven Enriquez
Gaston: Mark Munoz
Mrs. Potts: Jessica Sinodis
Chip: Eric Lundgreen
Lumiere: Kale Burr
Madame de la Grande Bouche: Haley Reed
Lefou: Anson Romney
Maurice: Konnor Smith
Cogsworth: Joey Grado
Monsier D'Arque: Isaac Dowdle

Babette: Jackie Brecker

Mackenna Goodrich

Belle: Jackie Brecker
Beast: Isaac Dowdle
Gaston: Nicholas Hambruch
Mrs. Potts: Sarah Pansing
Chip: Eric Lundgreen
Lumiere: Kale Burr
Cogsworth: Dale Mortenson
Madame de la Grande Bouche: Jessica Sinodis
Lefou: Joey Grado
Maurice: Bryce DiLullo
Monsieur d'Arque: Danny Blankemeier
Babette: Caroline Jackson

Thank you for reading this week's dream casting! See you all again next week :)