Today we’d like to introduce you to Olivia Roth.
Hi Olivia, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I grew up here in San Antonio and started on the dance team of my elementary school St. Matthew Catholic School, as I got older I started to branch out artistically and take acting classes at the now retired Rose Theatre and started in the Performing Academy program at the Wonder Theatre, (previously the Woodlawn Theatre). After getting my feet wet I discovered how much I truly loved performing and met so many like minded people around my age who attended the North East School of the Arts on the Lee High School Campus and when I left St. Matthew’s I auditioned for NESA, was accepted, and attended all four years of high school as a Musical Theatre Major, (2013-2017). While studying not only did my skills and training increase but also my passion for the arts and the drive to be a professional performer and thanks to the support of my family, friends, and teachers, I was able to audition for multiple college performing arts programs for and committed to attending the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City and graduated from their Conservatory Program in the beginning of 2019. After graduating I stayed in NYC, taking different classes and trying to audition as much as possible between working a full time job. Unfortunately, as we know, in early 2020 everything came to a halt and the entertainment industry felt (and still feels) the lasting effects of the COVID shutdown. Living through the pandemic, in NYC, while trying to make it as an artist is not for the faint of heart. However, the arts and artists persisted and I found a community called Dance From Home where I was able to attend virtual dance classes a couple times a week to try and feel any sense of normalcy, routine and most importantly, creativity. As the arts slowly started to come back alive, I began taking in person dance classes again and trying to submit virtual auditions for anything I saw. Funny enough, the career I was looking to start brought me right back to San Antonio! I moved home in September of 2021 and then began performing at Six Flags Fiesta Texas for their Holiday in the Park season. Since then, I’ve been blessed to be consistently performing there and in addition to being a Singer/Dancer in show production I have been Dance Captain, Vocal Captain, and a Swing for multiple seasons. I also performed for SeaWorld San Antonio for 2 years doing their Sesame Street Parades and Block Parties. More recently, in addition to performing at Six Flags, have also been able to work with San Antonio Broadway Theatre. With them I have performed in Rock of Ages, Cabaret and School of Rock. I was the Choreographer for their production of Little Shop of Horrors and the Assistant Choreographer for RENT. I am now currently teaching Musical Theatre Dance as part of their Conservatory Program. I’ve also choreographed for St. Mary’s University’s production of Legally Blonde earlier this year! I am so extremely blessed to be able to perform professionally and also use my talents to teach a newer generation and what better place to do it then the very city I grew up in? It would not be possible without the love and support of my family, friends, and teachers and mentors I’ve had throughout my journey!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It was definitely not always smooth, I think if any artist tells you it was smooth the whole way they are either the luckiest person alive or they are lying! There is the very big factor of living in New York City through the COVID pandemic. Living as an artist in the epicenter of a pandemic is extremely scary and it completely shut down the entertainment industry for months. But as many performers live by, the show must go on, and it eventually did- first with online classes, online communities, and online auditions. Another bump that many performers, myself included, struggle with is imposter syndrome, rejection, and comparison. I could write a novel about all three and how I’ve personally struggled with all of those things but what’s most important is how to get yourself out of those ruts and get yourself back to who you truly are.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I always say I’m a Professional Performer because it tends to encompass everything I do. To be a little more specific in all the hats that I love to wear in my day to day as a Professional Performer: I dance, I sing, I act, I choreograph, and I teach.
I’ve also been Dance Captain over shows, Vocal Captain, and a Swing (which is sort of like and understudy for multiple people a show). I’ve been extremely lucky, and worked extremely hard to do all of these things professionally and make my living from it. It was always my goal growing up to be able to provide for myself (and my sweet little dog) by doing work that I was passionate about and work that fulfilled me and for the past 4 years of my life, I have been able to do that.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I grew up with 9 siblings so there was definitely never a dull moment. For as long as I can remember I have always loved making people laugh and having other people make me laugh. If someone is funny that is almost instantly my favorite quality and all of my siblings are VERY funny- so again, never a dull moment! Once I started dancing and performing that sort of took over my entire life, it was in all the music I listened to, movies I watched and books I read. I loved watching and learning about new musicals, memorizing as many songs and I could, and making my list of “dream shows I’d like to do one day” longer and longer and longer.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @missoliviaroth
