Tyler Dema ’19 will be portraying Crazy Mario and a Doo Wop street boy, as well as understudying the role of Calogero alongside Breia Kelley ’19 who will be playing the role of Frieda and understudying the role of Jane.
Two recent graduates of Elon’s Music Theatre program have landed roles in the National Tour of “A Bronx Tale.”
Tyler Dema ’19 will be portray “Crazy Mario” and a Doo Wop street boy, as well as understudying the role of “Calogero.” Breia Kelley ’19 will be play the role of “Frieda” and understudying the role of “Jane.”
Dema’s audition process was, in his words, “super-fast,” and he said he had an immediate connection to the story of “A Bronx Tale.”
“I was actually born in the Bronx,” Dema states, “My dad lived there all his life and this story will always be a huge part of his life and his heart. It’s really special to me and my family that this is my first major job post-graduation. It couldn’t be more perfect.”
When asked to describe his audition experience, Dema said he received a text from fellow Music Theatre alum Adam Kaplan ’12 who also starred as “Calogero” in the Broadway production, asking if anyone was interested in going in for the tour.
“The following Tuesday, directly after graduation, I went to an initial dance call in New York, was kept through several cuts and was asked to come back the following day for the final callback,” Dema said.
After several rounds of cuts, Dema was asked back to perform the material for Chazz Palminteri, the creator of the original Bronx Tale story. Dem received the exciting news two days after his final callback.
“I was sitting on my couch and Adam called me to ‘see how the audition went’ even though he had already heard from the associate choreographer that I was getting an offer,” Dema said. “About three hours later my agents called me and told me I had booked the job.”
Kelley had a slightly different experience. “I sent in a self-tape around the beginning of May and did not hear anything for a while,” she recalls. “Then I found out from a friend that there was an open call for the same role I had sent in for the self-tape. Since I knew all the material and it was still something I was interested in, I contacted HCKR, the agency I’m signed with, and they set up an appointment for me. The initial audition was on a Friday and then callbacks were on that next Monday.”
Kelley received the exciting news shortly after arriving back home in North Carolina the following day.
When asked how Elon has prepared them for the next steps in their journeys, the two highlighted several pertinent aspects of an Elon Music Theatre education: professionalism, confidence, respect and individuality.
“I truly would not have had the confidence to step into a room full of the creative team and be my full self if it weren’t for Elon,” Kelley said. “All of the classes and the push that all the faculty gave me, made me want to fight for this role that I wanted and to give it all I’ve got.”
Dema said his Elon training has given him “the definition of professionalism.”
“I think a big part of being kept through cuts and eventually booking the job was staying calm, grounded, and professional every time I was in the room,” Dema. “Of course, Elon taught me how to survive in a dance call and sing pretty, but being personable in the room, respectful to everyone, focused on everything given to me, and just being present and willing to work is what Elon taught me to do.”
Both began rehearsals on Sept. 23. Rehearsals run for two and a half weeks before the production hits the road on Oct. 10. The two will travel to Elmira, New York, for tech and previews and will then move to Waterbury, Connecticut, for their official opening on Oct. 22.
Click here for more information on A Bronx Tale. Be sure to catch Dema and Kelley in a city near you!
