⭐ From Wagon Wheel to Broadway to Television…
Keeping up with Wagon Wheel’s national impact can be overwhelming, mostly because our alumni refuse to slow down. This month’s alum is no exception. (Woe is me, I know!) Show some love for 2017 alumnus Blake Roman! You’ll definitely remember Blake from his Wagon Wheel roles as Crutchie in Newsies, Willard in Footloose, Jack in Into the Woods, and from the ensembles of Young Frankenstein, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, and The Crucible.
Since his time at Wagon Wheel, Blake appeared on Broadway in the original cast of Harmony. But what many people recognize him from is his voice acting. Blake famously voices Angel Dust in the Amazon Prime Original series Hazbin Hotel, alongside a stacked cast of actors.
Here’s the wild part. His co-star, Erika Henningsen, who originated the role of Cady Heron in Mean Girls on Broadway, is a 2012 Wagon Wheel alum. That’s right. Two Wagon Wheel actors from completely separate summer seasons ended up working together. Kinda crazy, right? (Just imagine how Scott Michaels feels.)
photo by Bruce Glikas for BroadwayWorld
And what’s this? Blake sent YOU a very special video! Take a look:
I’ll be honest, whenever an alum like Blake takes the time to send a video and share their love for Wagon Wheel, I’m always a little stunned. They don’t have to do that. We’re just a small-town theater, right?
But then I remember the indescribable magic of our small-town theater. It doesn’t matter who you are or how many Broadway shows you go on to do. When a place changes you, you want to share that story. People like Blake remind me of that. He has a Wagon Wheel story, just like you and I do. And the best part? Wagon Wheel’s story is still being written because of Blake and also because of YOU.
🎪 There’s no place like Wagon Wheel,
Sam Engle, Communications and Donor Relations Coordinator