Indie Content Creator: Krystina Alabado’s offstage grounding
Last year marked the start of various changes around the world that affected lifestyles in all sorts of ways. This time also marked the different initiatives taken in order to connect more with an audience by reaching them in a new way. Broadway’s Krystina Alabado is one of many performers who decided to take this step when the lights weren’t quite as bright in the Musical Theater world.
Broadway Shutdown with Krystina Alabado premiered in the YouTube community a few days after it was announced that Broadway would be dark in the upcoming months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Alabado presents an interesting look into her life during the pandemic with a variety of videos shaped around her career, interviews with fellow castmates, and Q&A’s based on her Broadway career. In other videos, the performer also shares with her audience what routines she has incorporated into her lifestyle now that all of her time is spent at home rather than on the busy streets of New York City.
In another informative segment, Alabado also presents several coaching videos with tips for upcoming performers. These include recommendations on how to format a resume, headshots, and making substantial self-tapes for auditions with a budget. Alabado also presents her life with her husband and fellow Broadway performer Bob Lenzi, which presents a diverting insight into their professional and personal lives.
Alabdo’s videos are executed in a fun way that matches both her vibrating personality and knowledge on screen. With 23 videos that date back to 2008, the performer’s narratives can last from 4 to 20 minutes depending on the content presented. This has sparked the interest of Musical Theater fans with 645,000 subscribers staying tuned to her journey in the well-known digital platform community.
This journey also includes videos on her time in the musical Mean Girls, which is an adaptation by Tina Fey based on her 2004 film under the same name. Alabado incorporates the production with a mix of interviews with her castmates, details of her last performance, and a Q&A that ranges from her audition process to the night of her debut. Alabado joined the production in March 2019 as Gretchen Weiners, replacing Ashley Park, who originated the role.
But stemming from this experience is the most anticipated video in Alabado’s channel. The performer addresses the closing notice of the production due to the shutdown, which can be easily classified as the main fear of most Broadway performers during these uncertain times. The 6-minute video presents Alabado trying her best to hold back tears after the announcement made on January 7th and has elicited an overwhelming response from fans of the show and performers in general.
Alabado started her career at age 18 after joining the national tour of Spring Awakening as an ensemble member. She made her Broadway debut in 2011 with the company of American Idiot and went on to perform in shows such as the national tour of Evita and the short-lived Broadway production of American Pyscho. Alabado also joined an ensemble cast in A Killer Party: A Murder Mystery Musical, which was a digital musical conceived by Jason Howland during the pandemic.
Alabado retaking her platform serves as an example of the diverse ways we are still able to reach an audience. From the stage to the mobile/living room screen, this Broadway performer’s knowledge and creativity are sure to inspire Theater lovers everywhere. Don’t miss out on this fun backstage pass to the in and outs of the Musical Theater world that will certainly make “fetch” happen.
