Zach Bravo hopes to take his talent from Queens’ stages to Broadway. Photos Courtesy Star Bravo
For 16-year-old Zach Bravo, landing the lead role of Billy Crocker in the recent show “Anything Goes” at the Holy Child Jesus School in Richmond Hill was “nerve-wracking” but definitely worth the wait.
“I certainly had fun; the experience itself was amazing,” Bravo recalls, noting that while the show prep was a long process, in the end, everything came together to make for a “huge success.”
A Richmond Hill native who attends the LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, Bravo, who has been acting for six years already, has his sights set on a career as an entertainer, with hopes to eventually debut on Broadway.
A longtime actor, Zach Bravo said his mother has supported him from day one.
Talking about his most recent role in “Anything Goes,” which follows the misadventures of Billy Crocker and his pursuit of his true love, Bravo recalls that he lost some sleep while waiting on word about the role.
“Once I found out I was given the part of Billy Crocker, I said to myself ‘Now I can finally sleep,’” Bravo recalls. “I was astonished, due to the fact that this was my very first lead role in Teen Drama.”
Asked about some of his favorite scenes from the show, Bravo says that his favorite part is when Hope Harcourt finally reaches out to Billy Crocker in the song “It’s De-lovely.”
“My friend, Julia Sandke, who played Hope Harcourt and I worked well together in this number,” he says.
“The song is playful and cute, which makes the audience want the two love-birds together.”
Bravo, who has been with the Holy Child Jesus Teen Drama Group for five summers, says that one thing he learned at auditions was to not audition, but to perform.
“It wasn’t exactly hard for me, because I love to perform,” he says, adding that he’s been acting most of his life.
Not only is Bravo a talented actor, but the teen has already distinguished himself as a first-rate dancer, winning the title “Mr. Teen Dance Explosion” in 2011.
Zach Bravo, a Richmond Hill native, landed the leading role in “Anything Goes” at Holy Child Jesus School in Richmond Hill.
“Dancing has been my primary talent; I have been dancing for over 10 years. Dance has always been of special value to my life,” he says.
“I remember I started off with a few classes and then soon after my mom signed me up to my dance studio, Rising Stars Dance Studio. I now continue to study dance over at LaGuardia High School and hope to continue throughout college.”
Part of his inspiration to be an actor, singer and dancer, Bravo says, comes from going to see both on and off-Broadway plays.
“I’ve always loved to sing and I wanted to do it professionally, but up until a couple of years ago, I never took lessons,” he says.
But, the teen credits the Teen Drama Group’s vocal teacher, David Cronin, for helping to teach about voice projection and the use of the diaphragm.
Bravo, who can all but hear Broadway beckoning, has some of his own favorite Broadway shows on his wish list to join. They include “Newsies,” “Wicked,” “Stomp,” “Book of Mormon,” and his personal favorite, “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark!”
The teen, who began his on-stage career with The Martha Graham Company over at the Joyce Theater, has also appeared in “Hairspray,” “The Music Man,” “Annie Get Your Gun” and “Cinderella.”
“I know for a fact that I want to be on the Broadway stage. There is nothing else I would want more in the world,” Bravo says, pointing out that he started making videos of some of his varied interests by creating his own web series on YouTube called “The Bravo Show.”
Asked about some of his biggest supporters, Bravo says that his family has backed all his aspirations in entertainment.
“My mother is my biggest supporter, my number one fan, and my best friend,” he says. “She’s gotten me through times where I was bullied by my peers because I liked to dance, act and sing. She never let me quit. All she wants in this world is for me to be a big success in life and she does a lot for me.
He noted that his mom is the one who found out about the Teen Drama Group and asked him to audition.
Further, Bravo says that it’s a great feeling to know that his family accepts him for who he is and what he wants to do as an entertainer.
In addition, Bravo says that his main objective is to inspire.
“I want to inspire people, both young and old, to do what they love no matter how hard the road is to get there.”
By Alan Krawitz
