entertainment
“IT WAS THE BIG SCENE WHERE MICHAEL KEATON RUNS THROUGH
TIMES SQUARE WITH HIS UNDERWEAR ON, AND I’M ONE OF THE
FIRST PEOPLE HE SEES. I HAD ONE LINE: ‘WHY IS HE NAKED?’”
VALENTINO MUSUMECI
VALENTINO
MUSUMECI
26
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F
or the first 10
scene where Michael Keaton
years of his
runs through Times Square
life, Valentino
with his underwear on, and
Musumeci lived
I’m one of the first people
in Brooklyn. “I
he sees. I had one line: ‘Why
wasn’t introduced
is he naked?’ I watched the
to theater at all in the public
Academy Awards thinking
schools there,” he says (at age
‘What if?’ It was so insane.”
8, he sang in the Brooklyn
A small part in Boardwalk
Youth Chorus). But his per-
Empire followed, as well as a
formance options improved
court scene in the Netflix series
when he moved to Montclair,
Daredevil. “I’m in the stands,
took an acting class at Hillside
and then I stand up, crying
School and landed a role in
‘That’s my dad, he would never
Big, the Musical in fifth grade.
do that!’” he says.
Though he was on the travel
Musumeci’s latest role is that
baseball team, he found the
of college freshman at Carnegie
time to act in Glenfield Middle
Mellon University, one that
School shows.
he also had to audition for to
“My mom wanted to know
be enrolled in its esteemed
how good I actually was, so
School of Drama. He’s grateful
she sent me to a coaching
for insights shared over cof-
session for an hour,” he says.
fee by Montclair resident and
“After my session, I said I
CMU alum Patrick Wilson,
was doing an open call for the
who teaches and directs there
workshop of a Broadway show
with wife and fellow graduate
´
AN INTENSE MOMENT Musumeci plays Melchior Gabor in the
called Fly.” A few callbacks
Dagmara Dominczyk.
student-directed SVPA production of Spring Awakening.
later, Musumeci got the part.
He’s also grateful for the
“It was my first real thrust
many roles he performed at
into what a career in acting
Montclair High School’s School
could be,” he recalls. “Jeffrey Seller,
representation, went with the CESD
of Visual and Performing Arts. “It’s
who produced Rent [and Avenue
Talent Agency in New York, and
such an intense and committed envi-
Q, In the Heights
worked on a
ronment,” he says. He participated
and Hamilton],
short film called
in the fall showcase, winter drama
directed. I had no
The Showdown.
and spring musical every year, cap-
idea what posi-
His next proj-
ping his four years with the role of
tion I was in.” The
ect received
Billy Flynn in Chicago (High School
show was based
more attention:
Edition). Musumeci will be espe-
on Peter Pan, and
Birdman, which
cially missed by SVPA Advisor and
Musumeci played
Director Brenda Pepper, who recalls
18, FRESHMAN AT CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY would win the
a Lost Boy. Fly
“Best Motion
that, “As a freshman, he played a
MUSUTINI
@VALENTINOMUSUM1
had a summer
Picture” Oscar for
mental patient in One Flew Over the
run in Dallas, and
2015. “It was a
Cuckoo’s Nest, and his mannerisms
he wasn’t part of the cast; the show
two-day shoot in Times Square, and
and character work were outstanding.
never made it to Broadway.
a lot of it was filmed in a Broadway
In The Dining Room, Tino went from
Musumeci received offers for
theater,” he says. “It was the big
one character to the other flawlessly.”