Today we’d like to introduce you to Adavion Wayne.
Hi Adavion, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I got into music through piano at 6 years old. I was classically trained as a pianist from that age through high school. As a teen, while I kept playing the piano, I started getting into vocal music. I tried instrumental band, and I ultimately found a home in choir. Once I got to college, I auditioned for a role in the lyric musical theater Street Scene with the song “Lonely House” and that was my first musical theatre role. Throughout college I performed various roles in shows such as Hello Dolly, Merrily We Roll Along, The Mystery of Edwin Drood.
While I was in college, I received a grant to do a one-man show of all musical theatre pieces with a four-piece band, and that really fanned the fire of my love of musical theatre. I discovered that I had a talent for composing in the musical theatre style during this time and ultimately created a song cycle for the Louisiana Lyric Opera Company based on the story of Esther.
Fast forward into adulthood, I moved to Houston and went into teaching like a lot of artists do. I was a choir teacher, musical director, and I enjoyed it a lot. Then I moved into the administrative side in education putting some of my organizational and leadership skills to work. Also during this time, I found my way to TUTS, initially as a Teaching Artist in the Academy, where I also was able to serve as the musical director for the student production of The Addams Family and I composed a song that the Humphreys School students performed for the American Heart Association gala as well.
Then COVID hit. That put a pause on all of my work with TUTS while they were unable to produce shows. During that time, I became an Assistant Principal and Principal and spent several years in those roles across different districts. Now things have come full circle for me. I’m back at TUTS, this time as the Director of Education where I get to use all of those leadership and organizational skills along with flexing my creative muscles as we shape the next generation of musical theatre artists.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No. Really, what journey is? It’s interesting because in my role now at TUTS, I can see how all the challenges, the bends and bumps in the road along the way led me here. This is the role where I’m combining all the things I love and all of the strengths I have. My moving from music, vocals, and composing into musical theatre, then into education where I found an interest in the administrative side, all of that culminated in the role I have today. I find myself using all of those strengths to tackle what is an exciting and also demanding position.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
The experience that I’ve had professionally whether creatively or in the education world, gives me a good foundation for the work here at TUTS because I’m able to structure our offerings so students can get what they need creatively, artistically, but also in a structure they’re familiar with that stems from a school structure enabling them to flourish as independent, student artists.
What is so great about Theatre Under The Stars is we have people who are combining a great love of and passion for what they do with such strong knowledge in their area of expertise, it allows us – particularly in education – to offer training that you can’t get anywhere else.
Personally, I’m still growing as an artist. In Houston and across the country, I have had the privilege of collaborating, artistically, with multiple organizations as a vocalist and composer/songwriter across various genres. I’m also continuing to enjoy composing newer works for theater. One role that I have been having fun learning more about, and growing in is as a Producer – bringing larger scale theatre shows to life! Digging into this side of the arts has been a journey that I am enjoying and one I look forward to continuing.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I had a great childhood rooted in church work and a lot of creative stuff. I was always a creative kid. I also did sports growing up, I played soccer and basketball. Then in high school I started to find an interest in leadership through student council and opportunities like that. But I was always doing something musically. I also found my love of travel early on. We also traveled a lot when I was a kid, which gave me a curiosity about other places that continues today.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tuts.org/
- Instagram: @tutshouston and @thisguyajw
- Facebook: Theatre Under The Stars and Facebook.com/AdavionWayne
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theatre-under-the-stars and https://www.linkedin.com/in/adavion-wayne
- Youtube: @TheatreUnderTheStars
