Conversations with U: Theater Alumni Panel
Welcome to Conversations with U, Usdan's panel discussion series in which we speak with alumni in various fields. Through Conversations with U, we hope to connect our impassioned community and draw inspiration from the ways in which former Usdan students are contributing creatively to the world.
For our first ever Conversations with U panel, we will speak with Usdan alumni who are currently performing on the screen or the stage. How did they get started? How did their time at Usdan influence their art? What are they working on now? Join us on Zoom and find out - all are welcome!
Larry Saperstein '02–'12
Larry Saperstein plays "Big Red" in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, a reinvented take on the two-time Emmy Award-winning "High School Musical" franchise, for Disney+.
Saperstein can also be seen opposite Kiernan Shipka in the film "Fan Girl," directed by Paul Jarrett and as Timmy in the first season of BET+’s "First Wives Club."
Formally trained as a dancer and vocalist, Saperstein has starred in several regional musicals including "Oliver!," "Fiddler on the Roof" and "Miracle on 34th Street.” He also starred as Rusty Griswold in the original workshop reading of Broadway Vacation, a musical adaptation of the 'National Lampoon’s Vacation' franchise, opposite Tony nominee Rob McClure and Kate Reinders.
Born and raised on Long Island, New York, Saperstein is a proud Usdan Center alumni, which he attended for 9 summers. He is also an alumni member of the prestigious Tap City Youth Ensemble in NYC. Saperstein has also trained extensively at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Alpha Omega Theatrical Dance Company, and The American Tap Dance Foundation.
INSTAGRAM/TIKTOK/TWITTER: @larrysaperstein
Joanne Borts
Joanne Borts is a New York based performer who recently appeared in SHANGHAI SONATAS, and the critically acclaimed off-Broadway production of the FIDDLER ON THE ROOF in Yiddish, directed by Grammy, Oscar and Tony winner, Joel Grey. Joanne’s Broadway credits include the 2012 Tony Award-Winning Best Musical ONCE, Rogers & Hammerstein’s CINDERELLA with Eartha Kitt, and FIDDLER ON THE ROOF with Topol. She also writes and directs KIDS & YIDDISH for the Folksbiene Yiddish Theatre in NYC. Joanne has performed as a solo artist with Katrina Lenk, Neil Sedaka, Robert Klein, the Grammy-Award winning Klezmatics, Klezmer Conservatory Band, Klez Dispensers, and The Three Yiddish Divas. She has appeared in concerts halls and klezmer music festivals around the globe, including KlezKanada, Vienna Kulterherbst, Warsaw Zingera Festival, Krakow Kultur Festival, the Montreal Jazz Festival, Kleztival Brasil, New York’s famed Carnegie Hall and the world-renowned Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts McKinley Amphitheater!
Joanne has served on the National Council of Actors’ Equity Association since 1999 as a fierce advocate for Chorus performers and is currently finishing her Masters in Labor Relations at the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies. For Mrs. Kuhn, Mr. McKinley and the unforgettable, Mr. Valentin Froman.
Victoria Huston-Elem '98–'00
Victoria Huston-Elem was most recently seen prancing in a seventeen-pound dress as Mrs. Claus in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Other favorites include: Finding Neverland (1st Nat), The Addams Family (1st Nat), The Circus In Winter (Goodspeed), Les Miserables (Lyric), Sunset Boulevard (NSMT), and Golden Boy of the Blue Ridge(Prospect). Member of AEA/AGVA. @VHustonElem, www.victoriahustonelem.com
Nicky Maindiratta '00–'10
Nicky Maindiratta is a Usdan Lifer. He began acting professionally at the age of seven, and would go on to work extensively in the commercial and voiceover realm in addition to appearing onstage and onscreen. He can be seen in the award-winning film The Social Ones, as well as series such as Netflix's Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Funny or Die's Halal in the Family.
Michelle Simone Miller '01 (Moderator)
Michelle Simone Miller is a Usdan alumna and actress in TV, Film, Commercials, and Off-Broadway theater. Her credits include Homeland, Blue Bloods, Winter's Tale, and a lead role in the MTV scripted show, One Bad Choice. She also hosts the podcast Mentors on the Mic, featuring interviews with accomplished mentors in the entertainment industry including Showrunner Marta Kauffman (Friends), Actor Tony Goldwyn (Scandal), and more.
