Small Town Meet Your Match
Alex was born and raised in a small town called Chesterland in Ohio. You could say his love for making an entrance started at birth when he ruined his dad’s Brown’s game to enter the world. Of course, that was a day the Brown’s won (maybe he’s their secret good luck charm!) Dress up, High School Musical, and his extensive Barbie collection ruled the roost in those formative years.
Alex couldn’t have told you what theatre was when he first fell in love with it. In first grade, his elementary school put on a production of Annie, and the rest is history. While he was not a part of the production, every single thing on that stage dazzled him. A lyric from Annie Get Your Gun best describes , “The costumes, the scenery, the make up, the props. The audience that lifts you when you’re down” He knew that was where he was meant to be. The following year, he eagerly made his debut in Beauty and the Beast (performing as a member of the Tavern Ensemble) and felt the rush for himself.
Other activities like soccer, skiing, and Boy Scouts faded away as Alex got older, but theatre always stayed. From starring onstage, to directing scenes in acting classes, Alex’s small passion shined brightest. Others might have been the smartest in science class or history, but nobody could match his knowledge and experience in drama class and on stage. As he began the search for colleges, it was quite clear that Alex would pursue a Musical Theatre Degree. To quote his high school college counselor, “For Alex, the world of the theater is so much more than simply his own study of his craft… He lives and breathes the history of theater…. And shares his engagement in the topic with such heart and enthusiasm that he makes you want to immediately get on a plane and head to Broadway.” Alex ate, slept and breathed theatre.
Taking a Bite out of the Big Apple
In August of 2020, Alex took to New York City to study at Marymount Manhattan College. Along the way to earning his BFA in Musical Theatre and BA in Interdisciplinary studies, he worked as a tour guide in the Office of Admissions, was extensively involved with different events and activities, and continued to live life to the fullest.
MMC offered him the opportunity to continue his relationship with theatre on new terms.He learned that he had so much more to offer as a performer than a funny, goofy, sidekick with a kick-ass song. Theatre is more than that. He could fall in love as a romantic lead, he could be extremely dark as a villain, the sky was the limit. It was here he developed the foundations for his artistic voice. Professors and peers encouraged him to ask questions like, “What do I bring to a character?” and “How can I more deeply immerse myself in the world of a play?” Rather than have roles decided for him, he had more of a say. He became an advocate for the creative work he wanted to be in. He is extremely thankful for getting to work with teachers like Michael Mendez, Brandon Logan, Cassie Okenka, and Alexa Green because they pushed him to do more and be more. They never let him get comfortable and be stagnant, which he was never a big of anyways.
Aside from theatre, Alex also had the ability to let his creativity explode. He got to design his own major in Interdisciplinary Studies. With this major, he combined creative writing, communications, psychology, and business to study who we are as people, how they are written in different forms, and how we can market those findings in the form of a television show. As a part of his final capstone, he developed, wrote, and began to direct his own television show called Loser House (if anybody wants to pick that up, he’d love to talk!)
What Do Others Say About Alex?
Not convinced by his own writing? Listen to what some people in his life have to say about him.
“I think Alex is f*** fabulous! And whether he likes it or not, a dancer.”
- Todd Buonopane, incredible director of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella in 2024
“Alex is an amazing friend and an incredible performer. He brings love, joy, openness, and laughter to all spaces he’s in..”
-Sophie Campbell, classmate, colleague, fellow performer, future superstar.
“God his face! It’s brilliant! Reminds me of a young Tim Conway.”
- A random new fan of his after a performance of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
“Alex is passionate, smart, and extremely talented. I know he will make it in anything he does. Every show he’s in will have at least one ticket sold, because I’ll be there.”
-His number one fan, his mom