Name: Remy Zaken
Claim to fame: Thea in Spring Awakening on Broadway
Year: 2012
School: CC
Major: Psychology
How did you get your Broadway start? It all started when my parents encouraged me to try Crystal Theater, a local community theater, because I loved to sing so much. I literally sang all the time, so they probably wanted a productive outlet for me. After I had a taste of the spotlight, I was hooked, and kept performing in more shows, until I asked my parents if I could have an agent. I booked a national tour, and my resume kept growing. I had a few Off-Broadway shows under my belt before I auditioned for Spring Awakening, which was just an Off-Broadway run at the time. We did not have plans to go to Broadway until the buzz around the show became huge and there was financial support to move uptown.
How do you handle school and auditions? One of the big reasons why I love Columbia is because of its close location to midtown, where most of my auditions are. I have been juggling school and auditions since sixth grade, and while it’s not easy sometimes, I make it work.
Dream role: Wow, I have so many! Eponine in Les Miz, Olive in Spelling Bee, Natalie in Next to Normal, are just a few.
Funny audition stories: I was very nervous to be in final callbacks for Spring Awakening. The creative team was looking at my resume and Michael Mayer asked if I lived in Connecticut. Not wanting that detail to deter him from casting me, I said, “Yes, I currently live in Connecticut, but it’s only a train ride away!” He replied, “So is Chicago, honey.” Thank goodness everyone found that funny and I ended up cast!
Favorite onstage memory: I had individual moments with every single person that would make my night. My favorite was smiling/smirking at Jon Groff during My Junk. He always had the biggest smile on his face and his energy was infectious! Of course there were also a lot of drunk people who were not aware of how ridiculous they looked to us. So entertaining.
Relationship status: Single.