From Broadway to University
Tristen Taylor talks to Ian Liberto about his experiences on Broadway, what it takes to be a Broadway star, and becoming a dance professor in the pandemic.
Born and raised in Illinois, earning a musical theatre BFA at Millikin University in Illinois and dancing away on the Broadway stage for 15 years, Ian Liberto (he/him) has suddenly found himself teaching at the University of Nevada, Reno amidst a pandemic. Sharing his best moments, how to succeed on Broadway, and what it is like teaching at the university, Ian gives great insight on the life of a seasoned professional.
After completing his degree in 2005, Liberto wasted no time in moving to New York and beginning his career. First, being cast in the national touring company of Thoroughly Modern Millie, he became a union actor that went on to be in shows like A Chorus Line, Chaplin, Hello, Dolly! and many more.
After touring with Hello, Dolly! For a few years Liberto explained that touring was an overall enjoyable experience that never left him bored.
“I like being able to enjoy my time, have fun and then pick up and move on to something else and sort of replay that experience in each city…So it’s never boring, you get to see so much of the country which is good, and bad. Because you get to see what kind of people are out there, in all different contexts, but you get to see some of the best — like I’ve been to every state except for Alaska, and I’ve been to every medium to big, large sized city in the united states multiple times. I’ve done seven national tours, so it’s just fun.”
When asked about his best moments on stage Ian Liberto reminisced the role of Bobby in the 2008–09 touring production of A Chorus Line that he later revisited in a smaller production at the Hollywood Bowl in LA. “I would play Bobby for the rest of my life, I love him.” Liberto said.
On the other hand, he also mentioned that being a swing actor is a great experience. Swing actors are understudies for dance, chorus or lead roles in the cast.
“So my function is to be there when somebody can’t go on, when somebody calls out sick, or when somebody hurts themselves, and it is the moment where someone gets ill in the middle of the show, or if someone tweaks their knee or rolls their ankle in the middle of the show, and within 5 minutes i am in costume and on stage, that seems small and insignificant, but there’s like an enormous sense of pride, especially when it goes well, that you were able to just like (snaps) at the drop of the hat, throw a costume on, seamlessly transition into the show, and then at the end of the show, someone will see you on stage during the bows and be like “where’d you come from, I didn’t even know” like what happened? And that is like the best compliment you can get, is that no one even noticed that somebody else was on stage, so.”
Being successful on Broadway is not just about talent. Of course the standard of the show is very high but it is also a work environment that requires a positive atmosphere so to be able to contribute in both aspects is the key to succeeding in the biz. “So, how do you do that? You develop relationships, you work hard, you treat other people with respect, and you develop a reputation. And I think that having a good reputation is just as important as having the amount of talent that you need to make it on broadway.”
With the pandemic closing the last leg of the Hello, Dolly! Ian and his husband sold their New York apartment and moved across the country to Reno, Nevada where his husband had recently been hired at the local University. Once the dance and theatre department at UNR found out Liberto was in town, he was offered to teach the first tap class at the University. He said he imagined himself as an old man on Broadway and kept teaching as an option but never a goal. This is his first time teaching at the University level.
Hoping to go back to the industry soon, this might be the only opportunity for a tap class at the University so Ian is wasting no time with his students. “I’m teaching my class from the perspective of: there are music theatre majors and there dance majors in my class, and I don’t feel comfortable sending them out into the professional world, without knowing XYZ. and even though it’s a beginning tap class, there are things that I need to teach I think before the semester is over.”
You can find more on Ian Liberto through his profiles on broadwayworld.com, ibdb.com, and playbill.com by searching his name.
