Cast interview: Anabel Milton

Boy, time flies - it's now just under a month until The Gondoliers opens, and opening night will be here before we know it! Do you have your tickets yet? We're pumped to bring you another cast interview this week to get you excited - welcome Anabel Milton to the cast interview series!

Name
Anabel Milton

What's your role in The Gondoliers?
Vittoria & Tessa understudy

What made you decide to get involved with The Gondoliers?
My dad and I performed in VLOC's H.M.S. Pinafore just under 10 years ago, my first and only show with the company. I met my very first voice teacher in our cast. Since then, Dad has returned to VLOC to perform in over 20 more shows. He created a beloved tradition of writing collections of parody songs following each and every production to celebrate the run and the folks involved. Every time I would come home from college to attend a show, VLOC has always been there and has served as such a steadfast, joyous beacon for my father. The community has been like family to us ever since we first encountered it, and during this new and often confusing post-graduation period, it's lovely to feel reconnected to the folks who opened my eyes to a new world of music and a fortified passion for singing from the very beginning. Gondoliers also holds a special place in my heart after I performed the role of Casilda during my senior year of high school alongside some of my dearest friends. It's been wonderful getting reacquainted with one of G&S's most exquisite scores. 

What are you enjoying most about working on The Gondoliers with VLOC?
Like I said, the atmosphere is so familiar and comfortable - it truly feels like coming home and reuniting with family in a lovely way. There is an enormous amount of talent in our cast. I find myself constantly inspired by vocal technique, virtuosity, and comedic energy; it makes me excited to continue working and growing as a performer. It's always wonderful to be surrounded by artists from whom you can learn a lot. I'm also surprised by how much I'm enjoying the dancing portion of our show! Our brilliant choreographer and assistant director Helen has really created a beautiful and fun movement aesthetic for the cast and it's been so fun to slip into the flirtatiousness of the styles. 

What is your dream role/job?
I will always love performing and definitely hope to continue my work as a singer/actress/theater artist, but I am also deeply passionate about trauma relief, crisis prevention, and promotion of mental health awareness, especially among young people. I would love to be an advocate for individuals struggling with depression and anxiety, perhaps through therapeutic arts education. 

What is the first musical/opera/play you ever saw and what effect did it have on you?
My family took a trip to NYC when I was 7 and we saw Sunday in the Park with George and Gypsy on Broadway in the same weekend. I was spellbound. I had never experienced anything like that kind of musical storytelling before and I remember feeling transported to another world and intensely curious about the ability of the performers to enchant the audience using little more than their bodies and voices. 

How do you think 21st century audiences can benefit from seeing Gilbert & Sullivan performed today?
G&S shows are a hoot! The stories remind me to embrace a kind of goofiness at which I often scoff when life gets particularly hard or stressful. In addition, I would be heartbroken to think that 21st century audiences were not being exposed to this music, because it is truly some of the most unique, intricate, and clever composition work in the classical world, and harmonizes comedy and operatic singing in a way that I believe many contemporary works struggle to. 

When you're not performing in community theatre, what do you do? (job, hobby, family, etc.)
I currently work part-time as a nanny and a third grade religious school teacher. In my spare time, I am continuing my classical voice training, auditioning for local and regional projects, and researching various graduate school programs in vocal performance, psychology, and social work. Otherwise, I can almost always be found in coffee shops, bookstores, or at the movies with my friends and family. 

Thank you, Anabel! If you don't have your tickets to see The Gondoliers yet, now is a great time to snag them! You can get them online HERE or call the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre box office at 240-314-8690. 

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