Fredonia’s Syd Sider is going right from the graduation stage to the theater stages of New York City.
Sider, who received their B.F.A. in Musical Theatre on May 16, has been cast in “Heathers: The Musical.” The off-Broadway production opens June 22 at New World Stages on West 50th St.
Sider learned of the opportunity through a social media posting.
“The ‘Heathers the Musical’ Instagram account posted about having virtual auditions and I really love this musical so much, so I filmed some videos for it and sent them off,” Sider said. “I then heard back from a casting director asking me to submit for a different character than I had initially auditioned for and from there got a call back and here we are!”
Sider will be in the ensemble and also serve as understudy for the roles of Martha Dunnstock and Mrs. Fleming. “Heathers: The Musical” is based on the hit film that starred Winona Ryer and Christian Slater. It features a book, music and lyrics by Tony Award-nominee Laurence O’Keefe and Kevin Murphy, and recently completed a successful run in London’s West End.
“This is truly a dream come true,” Sider said. “Musical theater and performing have been a passion of mine for the longest time and it is truly what I love to do. I could not be happier. This is all I have wanted all my life.”
“Heathers” will be Sider’s second professional contract.
“I had the honor of making my professional debut last summer in Albany in Playhouse Stage Company’s production of ‘The Marvelous Wonderettes,’ which is a jukebox musical of 50s and 60s music,” said Sider, who appeared as BJ.
At Fredonia, Sider most recently appeared as Paulette in the Department of Theatre and Dance Walter Gloor Mainstage Series production of “Legally Blonde” last October. Their other Mainstage credits included Sonya in “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812” and Cordelia in “Lear.”
“I have honestly cherished every performance opportunity that I have been given here at SUNY Fredonia,” they said. “A transformative show for me was the play ‘Lear’ directed by Daniel Lendzian [assistant professor of Performance]. That show taught me how to be an authentic performer and has shaped everything that I have done since then.”
As they prepare to leave Fredonia, Sider is grateful for the opportunities and the experiences the school has provided them.
“I am not sure if I would be where I am without this school and this program,” Sider said. “Looking back at where I started before coming here — I had no clue what I was doing. All I knew is that I loved to sing and I loved being on stage performing and that I wanted to be on Broadway — lol, don’t we all?”
They noted “every single professor” has taught them so much.
“I have made a complete transformation as a person and as a performer and the appreciation I have for everyone is beyond words,” Sider said. “All I can say is thank you and a special shoutout to Daniel Lendzian and Jessica Hillman-McCord [professor of Performance] for truly seeing me as an artist and performer. You have made my time here so, so, so incredibly special.”
Outside of the classroom, Sider said they found an equally supportive environment at Fredonia.
“The friends and people I have met here have made it such a special experience for me,” Sider said. “I could not be more grateful for my friends who have supported non-stop and have shown me unconditional love. It’s such a special thing to have such an amazing support group. Also, a shoutout to my amazing girlfriend, Maggie, for being my number one supporter throughout all of this.”
Sider will start rehearsals for “Heathers: The Musical” in New York City within two weeks of graduation. According to Wikipedia, New World Stages is a five-theater, off-Broadway performing arts complex in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan. It is between 49th and 50th Streets beneath the plaza of the Worldwide Plaza complex at Eighth Avenue.
