{"id":3819,"date":"2017-07-14T15:51:11","date_gmt":"2017-07-14T15:51:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/?p=3819"},"modified":"2017-09-25T20:16:13","modified_gmt":"2017-09-25T20:16:13","slug":"interview-with-2017-jimmy-award-winners-dan-lobuono%e2%80%8b-interviews-sofia-deler-and-tony-moreno","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/interview-with-2017-jimmy-award-winners-dan-lobuono%e2%80%8b-interviews-sofia-deler-and-tony-moreno\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview with 2017 Jimmy Award Winners: Dan LoBuono\u200b Interviews Sofia Deler and Tony Moreno"},"content":{"rendered":"

Interview with 2017 Jimmy Award Winners: Dan LoBuono\u200b Interviews Sofia Deler and Tony Moreno<\/h3>\n \"\"<\/a><\/span>

Written by\u00a0Andrea Canny<\/p>\n

July 12, 2017<\/p>\n<\/font>

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What does a veteran Broadway performer do when they want to retire? Well, if you ask original cast member of Thoroughly Modern Millie<\/em>, Dan LoBuono, he\u2019d say, \u201cMove back to Orlando and inspire young performers to go for their Broadway dream!\u201d<\/p>\n

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Dan LoBuono, original cast member of\u00a0Thoroughly Modern Millie\u00a0<\/em>2017 Jimmy Award adjudicator.<\/h6>\n

Graduating from Cincinnati\u2019s College Conservatory of Music with a degree in Musical Theatre, Dan went on to perform with Carol Channing in Hello, Dolly!<\/em>, with Chita Rivera in Chicago<\/em>, and many more Broadway shows and national tours.<\/p>\n

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Dan (front, first from left) in\u00a0Hello, Dolly!\u00a0<\/em>with Carol Channing and presenting awards at the 2017 Jimmy Awards.<\/h6>\n

When he first moved back to Orlando, he was a Producer at Disney\u2019s American Idol Experience<\/em> and this year began his first year of adjudicating for the Applause Awards, the lead-in award to the Jimmy Awards in NYC.\u00a0 So on the night of the Jimmy Awards, Dan was anxious to see Orlando\u2019s winners, Tony Moreno and Sofia Deler succeed!\u00a0 And they won!\u00a0 We had Dan talk to Sofia and Tony about their Jimmy experiences and their next steps. Dan shared some Broadway wisdom with them too! Read on\u2026<\/p>\n

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Jimmy winners Tony Moreno and Sofia Deler.<\/h6>\n

Meet Tony Moreno and Sofia Deler, 2017 winners of the Jimmy Awards!<\/strong> They are different ages and from different high schools, but know each other from doing shows together at Winter Park Playhouse for their Title 1 Outreach Program. They have mutual friends and have been in dance classes together.\u00a0 This is the first time in the Jimmy\u2019s history that both winners are from the same city! Below is their conversation with Dan.<\/p>\n

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How does it feel having won the Jimmy Award, like when your name was announced?<\/h4>\n

Tony<\/strong> says,\u00a0“It was sort of a shock. It takes your breath away\u2026amazing! I went last year and just to be a finalist this year was incredible and then to win? It meant a lot more to me.”<\/p>\n

Sofia<\/strong> says, \u201cWhen we both found out we were finalists, we were freaking out!\u201d The male finalists were announced prior to the females, so when Tony\u2019s name was announced, Sofia\u2019s response was, \u201cI was so happy for Tony!\u201d\u00a0 She had already felt anxious as she waited before finally being the last female finalist announced.\u00a0 So, when Tony\u2019s name was called as the male Jimmy Award winner, she thought to herself, \u201cThere\u2019s NO way!! There\u2019s no way I\u2019m gonna win! It\u2019s never happened before. They\u2019re not going to give it to the same city.\u201d Both agree, just being there was enough. Sofia says, \u201cIt was an awesome, awesome experience!\u201d<\/p>\n

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Tony and Sofia’s reactions to hearing they won the Jimmy Awards.<\/h6>\n
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What is your next step after winning?<\/h4>\n

Tony<\/strong> is going on to study Musical Theatre at University of Arizona, where the program is getting revamped. After visiting the campus, Tony said, \u201cI fell in love with these professors, campus , and school! We mesh really well.\u00a0 Tucson is one of the most beautiful cities ever and I don\u2019t have to buy long underwear or a heavy coat!\u201d<\/p>\n

This summer, Sofia<\/strong> is attending the FSU Musical Theatre Camp then moving on to NC for the Broadway Dreams Foundation\u2019s Summer Intensive before starting her Jr. Year of high school at Boone High School in Orlando, FL. She will be eligible for the Jimmy Awards next year if she wins the Applause Awards again.<\/p>\n

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Production number at the 2017 Jimmy’s.<\/h6>\n
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If there were no limits, what is your biggest career goal?<\/h4>\n

Tony:<\/strong> Tony Award Winner<\/p>\n

Sofia:<\/strong> \u201cI want to be a\u00a0 film actress\u2026explore it all, TV, film, Broadway.\u201d \u201cActing is my favorite. You could be a great singer but you still have to tell the story.\u201d<\/p>\n

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What is your dream role\/show?<\/h4>\n

Sofia:<\/strong> Maria in West Side Story<\/em>, Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes.<\/em><\/p>\n

Tony:<\/strong> Next to Normal<\/em>, Finch in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.<\/em><\/p>\n

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What directors or composers would you most like to work with?<\/h4>\n

Tony:<\/strong> Stephen Sondheim.<\/p>\n

Sofia:<\/strong> For film, Damien Chazelle (LaLa Land<\/em>) and for musical theatre, Jason Robert Brown.<\/p>\n

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Sofia and Tony performing in a number from the 2017 Applause Awards.<\/h6>\n
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What was your preparation process like for the Jimmy\u2019s?<\/h4>\n

Sofia<\/strong> felt extremely prepared because she said, \u201cI chose songs that I had been working on all year, but I never thought I\u2019d be performing them on a broadway stage in a couple of months. A lot of it was mental preparation for the week and being in that competitive atmosphere, but telling myself, \u2018this is an amazing experience and I want to have fun.\u2019, I wasn\u2019t so anxious about having to be someone else. I was really into who I was and what I was bringing, and I felt confident. I think that had a lot to do with my success at the competition.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tony<\/strong> said, \u201cOn the flip side of that, though, I didn\u2019t pick and learn my song until a week and a 1\/2 before the Jimmy\u2019s, because I didn\u2019t have any good songs that were on the list (they give you to choose from). All of my audition songs were more obscure and not on the list. I picked a song and listened to it for days until it was ingrained into my brain. That was exciting, working on something new, just for the Jimmy\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Tony performing “The Impossible Dream” from\u00a0Man of La Mancha\u00a0<\/em>at the 2017 Jimmy Awards.<\/h6>\n

In regards to song choice, both felt a strong connection to their song.<\/p>\n

Sofia<\/strong> said, \u201cI feel like the stars kind of aligned w\/Tony & I, that our songs really connected to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dan:<\/strong> \u201cYes, connect as much with yourself as you can. If you find a song that doesn\u2019t resonate with you, but you have to sing it, you have to find a way to make that work & seem like it does resonate.\u00a0 When you walk on stage, you may be having your \u2018OMG, OMG!\u2019 moments about being on a Broadway stage, but it\u2019s that groundedness that comes from staying honest with yourself that lets your talents show, rather than your nerves.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Students coaching with Broadway\u2019s Michael McElroy during Jimmy\u2019s week.<\/span><\/h6>\n
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What do you think it takes to be a successful Broadway performer?<\/h4>\n

Tony<\/strong> believes that persistence and taking care of yourself to maintain stamina is important. \u201cI got a taste of it at the Jimmy\u2019s because we were doing intense stuff every single day, so I had to keep my energy at a consistent level, but not too high, so I could maintain it through Monday.\u201d Tony asked Dan how he maintained his stamina on an 8 show a week schedule. Dan<\/strong> said it\u2019s a matter of upkeep.\u00a0 It may seem cushy to \u2018only\u2019 work from 7:30pm to 11pm daily, but that\u2019s not the case. You spend your day in the gym, doing yoga, meditation, at the chiropractor, in a massage, getting acupuncture, taking vocal lessons and coachings, and dance class. \u201cFor the sake of longevity you have to sustain the schedule grind with persistence and dedication to your craft.\u201d Recently, Ben Platt\u00a0 gracefully handled a disgruntled Twitter fan by explaining that his primary job was to perform his shows as well as he could 8 times a week and he would do whatever he could to make that happen in the preparation and upkeep.<\/p>\n

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Dan with\u00a0Charlotte D\u2019Amboise in\u00a0Chicago.<\/em><\/span><\/h6>\n
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(Dan offers some advice to Tony and Sofia.)<\/h4>\n

1. Show up ready for work, at least 15 minutes early, warmed up and ready to go. He says that some LA film actors would waltz into rehearsals 30 minutes late with Starbucks in their hand, and the NYC cast would have to \u201cteach them how the workhorses and gypsies work in NYC!\u201d<\/p>\n

2. Don\u2019t lose yourself to the business. Know and trust who you are.\u00a0 That shines through your material and casting directors\/directors want to know who you are. \u201cYou both have such magical energy, make that shine first.\u201d<\/p>\n

3. Jerry Mitchell (director of Legally Blonde<\/em>, Kinky Boots<\/em>, etc.) has a casting policy. He says he \u201c\u2026won\u2019t cast someone unless I can visualize sitting next to them on a tour bus for 12 hours.\u201d Dan says, Jerry \u201c\u2026likes the people who he feels are good humans, not only talented.\u201d<\/p>\n

4. Support your peers! Congratulate them. Be happy for their successes. There is enough work for us all and we will \u201call have our time to shine.”<\/p>\n

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Tony and Sofia with Ben Platt.<\/h6>\n
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Who did you meet at the Jimmy\u2019s?<\/h4>\n

Both:<\/strong> Ben Platt!<\/p>\n

Tony:<\/strong> \u201cBen Platt was the coolest, most down to earth, most personable guy ever.\u201d Tony had coaching with successful Broadway actor, Michael McElroy (Violet, Rent, The Wild Party<\/em>\u00a0and more), while Sofia<\/strong> was coached by Andrea Burns, the original \u2018Woman 1′ from Songs for a New World<\/em>. She says, \u201cI think it was kind of interesting that I went with that role and Andrea was the one who originated it!\u201d<\/p>\n

“In regards to what you said about Ben Platt\u201d, Dan<\/strong> said: \u201cSee how attractive that personality trait is? Other than his amazing talent, everyone wants to work with him because he\u2019s \u2018that cool guy\u2019 to work with.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Tony and Sofia with Dana Brazil, Director of Education at the Dr Phillips Center for the Performing Arts and
\n<\/span>Director of the annual Applause Awards, the competition that leads to the Jimmy Awards.<\/span><\/h6>\n
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What happened immediately after you won the Jimmy Awards?<\/h4>\n

Tony:<\/strong> 10 seconds after the show ended, we were thrown in to this massive press circle, and we had a bunch of cameras and microphones stuffed into our faces.\u201d\u00a0 He described it as a \u201c\u2026whirlwind.\u201d\u00a0 The judges introduced themselves to both Sofia and Tony. (Judges: Bernie Telsey, Rachel Hoffman, Tara Rubin, Montego Glover, Gary Kline)<\/p>\n

Sofia<\/strong> said the interviews went so long that they didn\u2019t even have time to see their parents before being bussed back to the dorms. Post Jimmy\u2019s, back in Florida, Sofia\u2019s theatre teacher, Nadine<\/span> Love<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/span>, and Sofia\u2019s community of family and friends threw her a surprise party, which she says was \u201cAwesome, really cool!\u201d<\/p>\n

With a smile in his voice, Tony<\/strong> happily said that the whirlwind of more interviews and the reality of it all “sinking in” made for a\u00a0 \u201c\u2026crazy 2 weeks!\u201d<\/p>\n

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Sofia with her Jimmy Award.<\/h6>\n
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Do you have any questions for me?<\/h4>\n

Tony:<\/strong> \u201cWhy come back to Orlando?\u201d<\/p>\n

Dan:<\/strong> \u201cI abused my body for so long\u2026bunions from tapping on a metal stage in Millie<\/em> & neck issues from Fosse choreography in Chicago<\/em>.\u201d \u201cI thought, I\u2019ve got to give this up for someone else to have this experience. I originally went to NYC and thought I\u2019d stay 2 years and stayed 20 and had more of a career than I ever thought I would.\u201d And Dan is very passionate that his adjudicating for the Applause Awards is a great outlet now to “give back” to people interested in pursuing a career in musical theatre.<\/p>\n

Sofia:<\/strong> \u201cIf there\u2019s 1 thing you could tell your high school self, what would it be?\u201d<\/p>\n

Dan:<\/strong> \u201cBelieve in yourself and walk in with confidence!\u201d He said that in the beginning of his career, he was scared some people would “out dance” him, and some did, but he didn\u2019t start dancing until college (CCM), yet he landed a tap show on Broadway (Thoroughly Modern Millie<\/em>)! \u201cI would tell myself, \u2018I\u2019m in the top 10% of talent\u2019, so I wouldn\u2019t psyche myself out and get in my own way.\u201d\u00a0 He feels that confidence walking in, a professional look, and talent are very important. \u201cWhen casting a $15 million show, they better know you\u2019re gonna go up there and be stellar! And I think that\u2019s what got me Millie<\/em>.\u00a0 I wasn\u2019t the best tapper, but they knew that I was gonna give them a spectacular performance and that\u2019s what we all did. It\u2019s not an arrogance, it\u2019s a confidence. Here\u2019s an example of your subtext when you go into an audition: ‘I think what I have to offer you is magical.\u00a0 I\u2019ve trained, I can read well, I can do comedy, I take risks in auditions’\u2026and after a while they get to know you when you walk in\u2026ie: ‘Hey, Dan! How\u2019s it going!?’ \u00a0You can be fun, kooky, have a good time. Be someone they want to work with. I know I got work because I always showed up, worked hard, was a good person, was nice and not a diva.”<\/p>\n

Tony:<\/strong> \u201cOh, Wow!\u201d<\/p>\n

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Tony and Sofia winning their scholarships as part of the Jimmy Awards.<\/h6>\n
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Hungry for more theatre history? Check out our other stories below!<\/h3>\n