Inspiring Artists Stories
Today we'd like to introduce you to Kyle Selig
Current Location: New York City, NY
Kyle, before we jump into it, why don't you tell us a little about your story.
I grew up in Huntington Beach, attended the Academy for the Performing Arts (APA) Program at Huntington Beach High School. Senior year, I won the National High School Musical Theater "Jimmy" Awards. Went on to study musical theater at Carnegie Mellon University, and very nearly finished there before leaving early to play Elder Price in the Book of Mormon. I've now lived in NYC since 2013 and originated the role of Aaron Samuels in Mean Girls on Broadway.
Overall, has it been a rather smooth road? If not, what are some of the struggles you've experienced along the way?
Being a professional actor is hardly ever a smooth road. It's a feast or famine industry. I don't think anything I've faced has been any different than anyone else, but the challenge has been in navigating the ups and the downs of the rollercoaster.
Can you tell us about what you are currently working on? Anything you have been focused on during this time of quarantine?
The theater industry has been massively hit by the Covid-19 outbreak - so my days are currently spent in a combo of writing my own original music, teaching online, and activism.
Do you have an early childhood memory that you fondly remember?
It's hard to narrow down one specific moment, but some of the happiest days of my life were spent backstage at APA and the Rose Center Theater. I've made some of the best friends I'll ever have in those spaces and that has made all the difference for me.
What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
While in the Book of Mormon we toured though Los Angeles - close enough to home that everyone I've ever met decided to attend the same performance. And coming out of that stagedoor afterwards and seeing all those people from all those areas of my life was something I will always remember.
The upcoming Virtual Revue you are performing in is titled TOGETHER. What role do you think the arts has played in unifying people?
I'm a perfect example that there is a life to be made in pursuing the arts. An arts community attempts to mutually create something for others to enjoy, but in the process finds a deeper connection with itself. It's a community that inherently understands empathy and the idea that there's something larger than themselves - so oftentimes, that community becomes a family. Which, for me, has made all the difference - I do not know where I would be without the family I found early on. In that, I am very lucky.
Contact Info:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaselig/
Image Credit:
Matthew Murphy
Murphymade
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