Music, Theatre, and More Make Erie Special
From Casey Conrad-Medvis, Broadway in Concert Cast Member
Casey Conrad-Medvis, Broadway in Concert Cast Member
I’ve been obsessed with Broadway for as long as I can remember. For most of my childhood, my most-requested birthday and Christmas presents were Broadway cast albums—Les Misérables, Into the Woods, Wicked, Ragtime, the list goes on. Every CD felt like its own little world, a world filled with captivating stories, passionate characters, and the most beautiful music I’d ever heard. I listened for hours at a time. I couldn’t get enough.
My name is Casey, and I’m a theatre “supernerd”. I’m also an Erie native, a middle school teacher, and a performer. I’ve loved doing theatre since I made my ninth-grade debut as a menu in my high school’s production of Beauty and the Beast, and since then I’ve had the privilege to work with so many different theatres in and around Erie. I’ve performed at the Erie Playhouse, Dramashop, the Schuster Theatre, and more. I’m a musician, too, and in 2022 I became a part of the Erie Philharmonic family when I joined the Erie Philharmonic Chorus.
Next weekend, I will be one of the many musicians working to bring the magic of Broadway to Erie in Broadway in Concert, the Erie Philharmonic’s final Pops concert of the 2023–24 season. I’ll join a cast of local performers, the Erie Philharmonic Chamber Choir, and—of course—the incomparable Erie Philharmonic. Together, we’ll bring the beautiful music of Broadway to life, right here on the Warner Theater stage. To say I am honored and thrilled to be a part of this collaboration just doesn’t seem to convey the full depth of what I’m feeling. It is an excitement beyond words.
The Erie Philharmonic at the Warner Theatre
One of the things that I find most remarkable about Erie is our arts and culture—specifically the performing arts. How many other towns our size have so many community theatres, dance companies, instrumental ensembles? How many other towns our size can boast a regional symphony orchestra? Our performing arts community is unbelievably vibrant and diverse—not to mention talented! We are blessed to live in a city where we have so many opportunities to experience powerful, moving, transformative works of music, theatre, and art. We should not take that blessing for granted.
If you come to Broadway in Concert next weekend, you’ll see exactly what I mean. What makes this event so special is that it will be performed by a full cast of Erie locals. They’re not out-of-town professionals; they’re your neighbors and friends. They teach at your schools, nurse in your hospitals, and minister to your congregations. And they’re joined together by their love for theatre and their love for Erie. This concert will offer the best of Broadway, but it will also showcase the best of our city: an ensemble of outstanding performers and musicians, a spirit of collaboration and community, and a dedication to enriching our community through the arts. Trust me when I tell you you don’t want to miss it.
At the Erie Playhouse, right before every single performance, we say, “Give ’em love, and they’ll give it back.” This mantra has become my mission statement for theatre and for life, and I know the rest of the cast feels the same way. Thinking about this concert, my heart fills with love: love for Broadway, love for performing, love for the Phil and the Playhouse and for this wonderful city we get to call home. That’s what we’ll be giving next weekend, up on that stage. I hope you’re there to receive it.