AURORA – There’s a new face behind the scenes of the spring musical this year. Bianca Pietro is the director of Waubonsie Valley’s presentation of Footloose: the Musical. Pietro has been involved in musical theater since the age of five. Since graduating from Illinois State University, she has served roles as an actor, choreographer, director, and music director for middle schools, high schools and community theater. Pietro says all of that experience has helped her connect with students.
“So I think building rapport right from the start is how I work best with students,” said Pietro. “It’s always been really important to me to build that rapport from day one. I always say what my favorite shows are, what I was upset by, or what I was excited by, and then I always get something from them as well. I try to connect with them in those ways but also show them that although we’re here as actors, you’re still people. You’re also still students, so this is still an educational experience. I want you to ask questions. I want you to lean on the adults, but I also want you to grow. So I think that’s been my favorite part of working with the Waubonsie students from the start. They’ve been very open and they’ve been willing to learn.”
spring musical. (photo credit / WVTV)
Pietro talked about the ups and downs of leading theatre students. “Something that can always improve is cast energy,” said Pietro. “We always have an excitement and a dip, an excitement and a dip, and the students work really hard, so I think that is something that is always a challenge. It’s just some days they’re in the mood and some days they’re not. They’re teenagers and like I said it’s an educational experience.”
“What I really want them to take from this is those different theater aspects that are across the board,” said Pietro. “Their practice at the community theater level, their practice at the professional level, their practice at the high school level, the theatrical level. I think my favorite part right now is a week before the show we start adding every element, and it just gets more and more technical. So we added the pit onto the stage, we added the set, we have lots more props, costumes, makeup, hair, microphones, so they see all of that piecing together.”
In 2019, Pietro was a big part of Footloose at the Rochester Opera House where she both choreographed and played the part of Ariel. “It was a bunch of 19 to 35 year-old adults playing all the roles, so to be able to do it with a new team, a new perspective and students is wonderful. It’s been great to see a vision come to life in a new perspective.”
Footloose the Musical runs May 1st through the 3rd at the WV Auditorium. For tickets visit gofan.com.