TALKING WITH Christy Altomare

Christy Altomare portrays Wendla in the national tour of 
SPRING AWAKENING.

At five years old, Christy Altomare began performing.  She was often seen acting and singing in her native Pennsylvania community theaters, school productions and choirs.  At age twelve, she began writing songs, releasing her first CD at age 13. Winner of a National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts Award, this talented young woman signed with an agent at age 16 to begin her professional career.  Christy joined the national tour of SPRING AWAKENING in July 2008.

BUZZ EXTRA spoke with Christy while she was on the road.

EXTRA:  How has the tour of SPRING AWAKENING been going for you so far?

ALTOMARE:   We started in August and it’s amazing, it’s been a dream. This is the best job I could ever have asked for. 

EXTRA:  Is this your first time touring with a show?

ALTOMARE:  Yes, I just graduated with a BFA from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.  After graduation, I hung out in New York for three or four weeks, and then got this job.  It’s the very first professional show I’ve done.

EXTRA:  Had you seen the show before getting cast?

ALTOMARE:  Yes, I had seen it once off-Broadway.  But after I was cast, I saw the Broadway show 11 times.

EXTRA:  How did you create your role?

ALTOMARE:  Well, I didn’t want to be just like Lea Michele [the original Wendla] but I also felt that I needed to honor what she did.  A lot of my character came from what the creative team wanted, coupled with what I drew from my own life.  I could see a lot of myself, when I was 14 or 15 years old, in Wendla.  Just like her, I was young, naïve, wide-eyed and curious about a lot of things.  I’m only in my twenties now, so it wasn’t THAT long ago for me.  It’s not hard to understand those qualities and then bring them to my performance.

EXTRA:  You are also a writer and a composer.  SPRING AWAKENING is a fairly new piece of musical theater.  Does your musical background influence how you approach this work?

ALTOMARE:  Definitely.  I think that is what originally drew me to the show.  Many of the songs and music I write are similar to the style of songs and music in this show.  Performing the show is a lot like picking up my guitar and singing my own songs.  I use my experience as a performer and songwriter in the show each night. 

EXTRA:  How do you think the ideas brought up in this show relate to what kids go through today?

ALTOMARE:  The show looks at love and sexual feelings of youth and what happens when they just start to get those types of feelings.  But even though the show is set in the late 1800s, it really speaks to today because what goes on in the show are things that youths still struggle with in 2009.  People have told me, “I totally identify with these characters.”  And older adults are moved to look back to when they were young, just discovering those same feelings for themselves.  So, I think it is a universal piece that speaks to all ages.  

EXTRA:  Do you have any favorite moments in the show?

ALTOMARE:  I really love the entire score so much, but there’s this one number in the show called “Touch Me.”  The song is about discovering what sex is.  This is really an ensemble show and in this beautiful ballad, everyone sings together with incredible choreography by Bill T. Jones, who won the Tony Award for SPRING AWAKENING.  That’s my favorite part of the show.

For more information on Christy Altomare or to listen to her original music, go to: www.christyaltomare.com or http://www.myspace.com/christyaltomare.

Photo: Christy Altomare, Kyle Riabko