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Tuesday, September 24, 2024
'Hamilton' Star Leslie Odom Jr. Joins Head of CMU Drama in Connecting With Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Audience
onstagepittsburgh.com: You can see Carnegie Mellon School of Drama alumni on almost any given day there is a live performance in the region, but the university was looking for a direct way to bridge its Oakland campus with Pittsburgh’s Downtown Cultural District when it approached the Tony Award-winning star of Hamilton.
6 comments:
Carly Tamborello
said...
Leslie Odom Jr is such an articulate speaker. I was able to go to the event last night, and I found his responses to both Robert and the audience’s questions to be poignant, specific, and inspiring. I knew he was an alum here, but it’s such a different thing to hear him talk about the Checco or professors we know or a drama house on Negley, rather than just hearing people talk about it. I had never actually envisioned him walking around in Purnell, and it’s both inspiring and gratifying to remember that so many great artists got their start here. He commented on how he has come to realize that becoming a great actor isn’t about becoming your idol, but rather about becoming the best and most honest version of yourself, which I think is very astute. And the freshmen got him to sign the 33 stool and got a photo so that was iconic.
Missing out on Leslie Odom Jr.'s recent event at CMU is indeed a bummer, but it highlights a significant and beneficial tradition that benefits the university, its students, and the broader cultural community. When alumni like Leslie return to share their experiences, it creates a valuable link between current students and those who have traversed the path they are now on. They offer practical insights into navigating the industry post-graduation, showcasing the myriad ways a CMU education can be applied in the real world. Moreover, such interactions contribute to a vibrant, self-sustaining community within the school. Alumni return energized by the opportunity to give back, while students receive the unique benefits of direct mentorship and networking opportunities, reinforcing their choice of CMU as a place that truly prepares them for successful careers. For the Pittsburgh Cultural District, events like these show the potential of collaboration between educational institutions and cultural organizations. This combination not only benefits the cultural landscape but also enriches the educational experience, making it a win-win for both the educational institutions and the broader arts community.
It was so fun having Leslie Odom Jr. on campus this Monday! I went to the event at the O’Riley Theatre to see BEHIND THE SCENES: A Conversation with Leslie Odom Jr., and had a strong emotional reaction afterwards. It is so amazing to me that twenty-something years ago, Leslie Odom Jr. was in the same place that we are now. I am filled with hope for my future by seeing how he spoke so fondly about his teachers at CMU, as well as the experience he had at CMU overall. It was very sweet that a good number of his old professors were in the audience. I love to see alum after alum come back to CMU and pay devotion and thanks towards it. Additionally, their visits also remind the students that their dreams are not so far away nor are they unattainable! I also had an amazingly fun time going backstage after for him to sign our famous alumni stool!
It was such an honor to go and listen to him speak on Monday night. He was such a thoughtful speaker and it was inspiring to listen to him talk about theatre as though it was a nicely wrapped present on Christmas morning just waiting to be opened. This is my second time being able to see him in person, the first time I met him backstage at the Kennedy Center and I was reminded about how welcoming he was with my sister and I when we told him we were from CMU. The community that grows from this school is unparalleled and I was so grateful that he took what little time he had that day to talk to my sister and I. I continue to buy his albums and listen to his music because they always have a new sound embedded in them and I can’t wait to hear his new music this month. I am looking forward to more of these Behind the Scenes chats with Alumni. I think they are very insightful and were helpful to give us perspective as to why we all started this journey with theatre in the first place.
I wish I could have attended one of the events featuring Leslie Odom Jr.! circa 2021, the Hamilton pro shot was what consumed a lot of my time. My best friends and I would spend hours playing board games and watching it for hours on end. I would always say Burr’s lines. Leslie Odom Jr. seems very articulate and well spoken, and everyone I have spoken to about him and their experience with him has been extremely positive. It is always nice to know that the person is as lovely as they appear onstage and onscreen. “There are fewer and fewer places where we still can be together as a community, and the theater is one.” This is such a lovely and truthful sentiment, one that I am sure was shared in the room (both the Checco and hte Benedum.) Funnily enough, I saw him walking into Purnell on Monday morning as I was listening to Satisfied to practice for my cuelab class!
Getting to meet Leslie Odom Jr. was such an amazing opportunity. It is always a great thing to be reminded of CMU's strong network and relationships that they hold with alumni. There is some truly great work being done here. In reading this article, it was nice to see more of what he had to say on the phone interview, and I was very grateful to have seen it reflected in the words he spoke and the way he spoke at this event. You never know what someone's real personality will be like, so meeting celebrities and finding out that they are truly kind, genuine people is always a great feeling. During the conversation, Leslie would just look out at the audience and see someone he knew, and stop mid-sentence to say hi to them. He did this as soon as he came out on stage as well. He sat down for a second and then got right back up to hug two of the audience members (who I believe were professors of his during his time at CMU). He was very human. He talked about how important it is, and how hard it is, to find people who are genuine and are convicting who will keep you accountable. He talked about how his kids keep him true and accountable. It was a really great discussion between he and Robert, and I'm very glad I was able to attend. Additionally, there is a long-standing tradition for freshman DP's to get famous alum to sign a stool, and we weren't able to see him while he was on campus. But we were still determined to make it happen. So, a group of 8 of us took this tall stool downtown by bus with hopes of being able to bring it into the theatre and maybe even get him to sign it. We were pleasantly shocked when the house manager told us he would sign it for us AND that we would all get to meet him after the show. Again, when we met him he was just such a kind person. He was happy to see us and talk to us, and excited to sign the stool. I am very grateful for this opportunity.
6 comments:
Leslie Odom Jr is such an articulate speaker. I was able to go to the event last night, and I found his responses to both Robert and the audience’s questions to be poignant, specific, and inspiring. I knew he was an alum here, but it’s such a different thing to hear him talk about the Checco or professors we know or a drama house on Negley, rather than just hearing people talk about it. I had never actually envisioned him walking around in Purnell, and it’s both inspiring and gratifying to remember that so many great artists got their start here. He commented on how he has come to realize that becoming a great actor isn’t about becoming your idol, but rather about becoming the best and most honest version of yourself, which I think is very astute. And the freshmen got him to sign the 33 stool and got a photo so that was iconic.
Missing out on Leslie Odom Jr.'s recent event at CMU is indeed a bummer, but it highlights a significant and beneficial tradition that benefits the university, its students, and the broader cultural community. When alumni like Leslie return to share their experiences, it creates a valuable link between current students and those who have traversed the path they are now on. They offer practical insights into navigating the industry post-graduation, showcasing the myriad ways a CMU education can be applied in the real world. Moreover, such interactions contribute to a vibrant, self-sustaining community within the school. Alumni return energized by the opportunity to give back, while students receive the unique benefits of direct mentorship and networking opportunities, reinforcing their choice of CMU as a place that truly prepares them for successful careers. For the Pittsburgh Cultural District, events like these show the potential of collaboration between educational institutions and cultural organizations. This combination not only benefits the cultural landscape but also enriches the educational experience, making it a win-win for both the educational institutions and the broader arts community.
It was so fun having Leslie Odom Jr. on campus this Monday! I went to the event at the O’Riley Theatre to see BEHIND THE SCENES: A Conversation with Leslie Odom Jr., and had a strong emotional reaction afterwards. It is so amazing to me that twenty-something years ago, Leslie Odom Jr. was in the same place that we are now. I am filled with hope for my future by seeing how he spoke so fondly about his teachers at CMU, as well as the experience he had at CMU overall. It was very sweet that a good number of his old professors were in the audience. I love to see alum after alum come back to CMU and pay devotion and thanks towards it. Additionally, their visits also remind the students that their dreams are not so far away nor are they unattainable! I also had an amazingly fun time going backstage after for him to sign our famous alumni stool!
It was such an honor to go and listen to him speak on Monday night. He was such a thoughtful speaker and it was inspiring to listen to him talk about theatre as though it was a nicely wrapped present on Christmas morning just waiting to be opened. This is my second time being able to see him in person, the first time I met him backstage at the Kennedy Center and I was reminded about how welcoming he was with my sister and I when we told him we were from CMU. The community that grows from this school is unparalleled and I was so grateful that he took what little time he had that day to talk to my sister and I. I continue to buy his albums and listen to his music because they always have a new sound embedded in them and I can’t wait to hear his new music this month. I am looking forward to more of these Behind the Scenes chats with Alumni. I think they are very insightful and were helpful to give us perspective as to why we all started this journey with theatre in the first place.
I wish I could have attended one of the events featuring Leslie Odom Jr.! circa 2021, the Hamilton pro shot was what consumed a lot of my time. My best friends and I would spend hours playing board games and watching it for hours on end. I would always say Burr’s lines. Leslie Odom Jr. seems very articulate and well spoken, and everyone I have spoken to about him and their experience with him has been extremely positive. It is always nice to know that the person is as lovely as they appear onstage and onscreen. “There are fewer and fewer places where we still can be together as a community, and the theater is one.” This is such a lovely and truthful sentiment, one that I am sure was shared in the room (both the Checco and hte Benedum.) Funnily enough, I saw him walking into Purnell on Monday morning as I was listening to Satisfied to practice for my cuelab class!
Getting to meet Leslie Odom Jr. was such an amazing opportunity. It is always a great thing to be reminded of CMU's strong network and relationships that they hold with alumni. There is some truly great work being done here. In reading this article, it was nice to see more of what he had to say on the phone interview, and I was very grateful to have seen it reflected in the words he spoke and the way he spoke at this event. You never know what someone's real personality will be like, so meeting celebrities and finding out that they are truly kind, genuine people is always a great feeling. During the conversation, Leslie would just look out at the audience and see someone he knew, and stop mid-sentence to say hi to them. He did this as soon as he came out on stage as well. He sat down for a second and then got right back up to hug two of the audience members (who I believe were professors of his during his time at CMU). He was very human. He talked about how important it is, and how hard it is, to find people who are genuine and are convicting who will keep you accountable. He talked about how his kids keep him true and accountable. It was a really great discussion between he and Robert, and I'm very glad I was able to attend.
Additionally, there is a long-standing tradition for freshman DP's to get famous alum to sign a stool, and we weren't able to see him while he was on campus. But we were still determined to make it happen. So, a group of 8 of us took this tall stool downtown by bus with hopes of being able to bring it into the theatre and maybe even get him to sign it. We were pleasantly shocked when the house manager told us he would sign it for us AND that we would all get to meet him after the show. Again, when we met him he was just such a kind person. He was happy to see us and talk to us, and excited to sign the stool. I am very grateful for this opportunity.
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