<p>Ben Crawford (MT BFA '05) is understudying Brian d’Arcy James as Shrek on Broadway! Before this, he was the factory foreman and understudy for the part of Valjean in the Broadway production of Les Miserables.</p>
<p>Matt Bailey (MT BFA 03) is in the national tour of “Jersey Boys.”</p>
<p>Prof. Bagwell will hopefully update more soon… Good to see what these talented students are getting from this training program!!</p>
<p>Eve, it is funny but I was thinking of you because yesterday I had read that Matt was cast as one of the leads of the Boston cast of Jersey Boys and I knew you knew him and that we had talked a long time ago that my D did a musical with him in our small town four summers ago. So, I was excited when I read this on Playbill and forwarded it to my daughter. Glad you know of it too.</p>
<p>Hi, Soozie:</p>
<p>So nice to hear from you!! Yes, it’s great news. There are more from the Acting BFA in NYC now, too, and the kids are working - a terrific thing in this terrible economy.</p>
<p>Hope your daughter is doing well, and that you are, too.</p>
<p>Thank you, Eve. I enjoy reading how young actors I know are faring and love reading of their success. Matt is very talented and I am glad my D got to do a show with him (she was just 16 at the time). My D just graduated from her BFA program and things are going well for her and so, yes, it is a positive thing for actors to be able to work in their field and it is not always easy to have that happen and this is what they have been working toward.</p>