Lorenzo Gapud

Repertory Theatre Company’s recent production of Titanic turned out to be a treasure chest of talent, and of all the gems in that chest none shone more brightly than the phenomenally talented Lorenzo Gapud. Lorenzo played wireless operator Harold Bride, bandleader and vocalist Wallace Hartley, and others in the cast. He transitioned flawlessly between characters, making each one distinct and memorable. Lorenzo is blessed with an incredibly beautiful voice and his solos in the show were truly soul stirring. When you add superb acting skills and wonderful presence to that voice, you get a star. And that star is Lorenzo Gapud. Take a moment to read about this supremely gifted young performer who is destined for greatness.

 When was your first time on stage?

My first time onstage was a piano contest when I was in first grade! Since then, I fell in love with choir and toured the country with the American Boychoir School performing in venues such as the Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. My first musical role wasn’t until my senior year of high school. I played Sir Porter KCB from HMS Pinafore! My first real musical wasn’t until Spamalot at RCT last year!

When did you know you wanted to be an actor?

I think knowing what you want to be is quite complicated. First, you must be fortunate to have the right environment in which to discover that you love to act, but the real test is to decide over and over again that you deserve to be onstage. Eventually, being begins to precede doing. As early as kindergarten, we instantly know that pretending to be someone else is fun! I discovered theater in high school and fell in love with improv acting especially. I joined the improv troupe at LSU which gave me something that I really needed as a voice major who was constantly criticizing myself—a place to be silly. I will always be grateful to those people for loving me for who I was and not only for what I could do. But, unfortunately, I never found the courage to audition for a musical at LSU. I only very recently decided that I want to be an actor thanks to my friend and colleague, Christian Black who encouraged me to audition at RCT. When I played Ren McCormack in Footloose, I poured my whole heart into my craft as if to make up for lost time. And it was undeniable. I’d finally proven to myself that I want to be an actor.

 Who is your greatest mentor?

My voice professors Dennis Jesse and Lori Bade from LSU, and my first voice teacher, Thomas Rowell from the University of South Alabama shared with me their wealth of knowledge about vocal technique. But I’ll never forget when Martha Mozer, my high school choir director told me on graduation day, “You are a musician,”. She ignited my soul when she said that to me. I’m so grateful to all four of them for believing in me.

 What role have you enjoyed the most in your career so far?

I most enjoyed playing Ren McCormack in Footloose at RCT last summer! It was a dream come true. I had never been the lead in a musical, and it was such an honor. As a first-generation Filipino, I identified with Ren’s conflict of not fitting in—of being an outsider who just can’t stand still. His intensity and complexity, his love of dancing, and his courage demanded my best work in order to do the character justice. Not to mention how vocally demanding the role was. It was an exciting challenge, and it made me a better singer, actor, and dancer than any role since. Also, his name is the middle syllable in mine! I am so grateful to Michelle Carter Levall for the role, and I hope to play him again while I’m still in my twenties!

  Do you have a dream role?

I have several! Cinderella’s Prince in Into the Woods, Orpheus from Hadestown because he’s a hopeless romantic and a musician, either Jack or Davey from Newsies, and Joseph from Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat.

 What person(s) would you like to be on stage with?

Well, I finally got to sing and act onstage with Christian Black, the theatre director at Trent MS where I also teach as the choir director, my good friend, and the man who encouraged me to begin my musical theatre career! I’ll always be grateful to him for that. In terms of famous people, Jeremy Jordan, Alyssa Fox, and Lin-Manuel Miranda!

What performances have you seen that impressed you?

 I was impressed by Jeremy Jordan’s performance as Jack in Newsies. What a voice! He brought me to tears with the way he cares for Crutchie. The first live performance I saw was when my high school choir director took us to New York to see Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. The stagecraft blew me away. I saw Wicked in London, and the vocals were just breathtaking.

What are your career goals?

 My current goal is to be cast in my first professional musical theatre production at Lyric Stage. My loftiest goal at the moment is to perform on Broadway. My ongoing, and most important, goal is to enjoy doing what I love and to touch people’s hearts with my performance.

 What would people be surprised to learn about you?

 I love to fight! I’m currently a red belt in taekwondo and I also train in Muay Thai. But no amount of pad work or heavy bag training compares to sparring. I love the thrill of knowing my partner could hit me if I get careless, that even if I take a hit, I can keep fighting, and that my own strikes are dangerous. I do my best to transfer that confidence into the rest of my life.Two of my wildest dreams are to star in an action movie with Donnie Yen, Jet Li, or Tony Jaa, and to fight in the UFC.