Antonio Loya (’24) has always dreamed of taking his musical theater career to New York City.
Now, it’s coming fruition. "I wasn’t expecting to hear back, but I got the callback, and that meant they were interested. Then, when I got the offer, I was ecstatic."
Loya found his way into Beauty and the Beast through Playbill, a site that lists auditions for various productions. “I submitted a video,” he said. “Then they reached out to me for a callback. I ended up going to the theater, and I had to learn a little snippet of a song for them to sing.”
The role he auditioned for? The Beast, in an off-Broadway production of Beauty and the Beast—but not the Disney version. “It’s based on the original fairy tale, the novel.”
But Loya’s gig didn’t come without its challenges. After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Nebraska Wesleyan, he decided early on to start his career with a smart strategy. He spent the summer working in Colorado, living with his parents to save up money before making the move to New York. “Everything is just expensive out here,” he said. “I wanted to have starting capital for when I got here. After six months of saving, he found a place to live with a couple of friends in Brooklyn, just a quick subway ride away from Manhattan.
He explained the challenges and excitement of performing in a city where theater is everything. “There’s so many people. You take the subway every day. Sometimes, you’re sitting arm-to-arm with people. But that’s just New York. It’s just a totally different environment than Colorado, where you drive everywhere and have so much space.”
But the reality of being an actor in New York is far from easy. “There’s a lot of auditions out here, but there are also a lot of people wanting to be actors. And especially if you’re non-union, it can be really tough to get your foot in the door,” he said. “The average actor goes to 65 auditions before they actually hear a ‘yes.’ And, honestly, that doesn’t feel that far off based on what I’ve been through.
Despite the differences in environment and the pressure of professional theater, Loya’s education at NWU prepared him for this new challenge. “We had a lot of mock auditions and shows happening all the time,” he said. “It wasn’t just about the performance. It was about the process. They taught us to take every step seriously, whether you’re the lead or in the ensemble.”
He believes the serious approach to every role is part of why his performance in Beauty and the Beast is so important. “Children’s theater is incredibly important because you’re affecting the youth. They’re smart, and if they believe what’s happening on stage, they’ll believe the story. You can’t fake it for them.”
Beauty and the Beast opened on Monday and runs through April 6th. "I think for me, getting this role was a sign that I’m on the right path. It’s a step forward in my career,” he said, a confident smile on his face. “And if I can make it here, there’s more to come."