A THRILL OF HOPE
Darien native to bring Broadway home
Dan Micciche was living his dream on Broadway. Then the pandemic hit.
Micciche, a 2003 Darien High School grad, said he knew he wanted to work on Broadway “since I was born,” and was fulfilling that dream as musical director for the production of “Wicked.”
But the COVID-19 pandemic has closed Broadway and productions have been shut down until at least January.
“I’d be lying if I didn’t say this — some days are really bad and some days are really good. It is a day-by-day process,” Micciche said. Compounding that stress was purchasing a new home in Ridgefield around the same time with his soon-to-be husband, Chase.
“I think it is important for the public to know, every single person on Broadway, from director, to usher, has not gotten a paycheck since March,” he said.
Micciche said he’s resorted to “my normal hustle,” and has been coaching and teaching those in the creative arts virtually. He also said the responsibilities of new home ownership have occupied his time as well. Micciche said Fairfield County has become somewhat of a hub for the Broadway community since it is “easily commutable. He said he and Chase love living in Ridgefield and he enjoys being back in Connecticut.
The Broadway community is a close one, and it was because of those relationships that Micciche was able to plan a special event that will be held
Sunday at Darien’s Noroton Presbyterian Church. Micciche was a member of the church, and of Darien High’s Theatre 308 growing up.
Broadway performers from “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Wicked,” “Hamilton,” and Disney’s “Frozen,” alongside NPC Chamber Choir members and musicians will unite following COVID safety protocols to perform holiday favorites under the musical direction of Micciche and Noroton Presbyterian’s music director, Dwayne Condon.
Other performers include Meghan Picerno, who plays Christine Daaé in “Phantom of the Opera”; Eryn LeCroy, an alternate for Christine Daaé; Tamar Greene, who plays George Washington in “Hamilton,” and John Riddle, who plays Hans in Disney’s “Frozen” and Raoul in “Phantom of the Opera.”
The free concert will be livestreamed on the Noroton Presbyterian Church website at 6 p.m. Sunday.
“Noroton Presbyterian Church is excited for one of our own, to return home to share his gifts with our community. We are delighted to be able to extend this musical offering to the Darien community (and beyond) in a year when we could all use some hope and joy. We hope that this concert feeds your soul and brings you some Christmas cheer,” NPC’s senior pastor Greg Doll said.
Micciche described Theatre 308 and Nancy Herman, who directed the program for 35 years until 2012, as being “beyond influential.”
“She really gave me a lot of training,”
he said. He also credited Curtain Call in Stamford.
From his experience in Theatre 308, Micciche said he learned that a critical way to teach is to give students responsibilities.
“When the director didn’t come in one day, I was asked if I could run through the score. It was like, ‘Dan, go play this part, go run through this rehearsal, what do you think about this dance arrangement?’
“It was an opportunity to create and learn, and excel,” he said.
He also said he can’t wait for the return of Broadway shows and especially “Wicked,” for which he has served as musical director for six years. He said “Wicked’s” message will resonate even more with the public after what they’ve gone through the last year.
The plot of “Wicked” looks at what happened in Oz from a different angle, addressing the unlikely friendship between the two witches, one bubbly blonde who is popular, and one born with green skin who is smart, misunderstood and possessing an extraordinary talent.
“People always ask me if the show was rewritten to reflect current events, and I always tell them ‘no,’” he said.