On any given day, junior Brayden Bak can be found rehearsing for “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” practicing for the Choreographer Showcase, or singing with his voice teacher, Director of Theater Kyle Reynolds. In addition to those rehearsals and practices, Brayden may be filming audition tapes or taking a trip to New York City to catch a Broadway show like “Sunset Boulevard” or “Cabaret.” This is just a glimpse into his life as a performer.
From his earliest role as a police officer in “Annie Jr.” to his most recent as Jesus and understudy for Leaf Coneybear in “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” Brayden is no stranger to hard work and dedication to the arts. Having only attended KO since the beginning of this school year, Brayden brings his unique personality and talent to his craft of the performing arts, as a singer, dancer, and actor.
However, his artistic journey did not start alone; he was nudged into musical theater through encouragement from a friend. “I started in fourth grade because my best friend did it,” he said. “It evolved and then became a hobby.”
Brayden describes his memory of his first performance. “I remember very vividly my first show,” he said, “and walking into the theater because I had never done something like that in front of an audience. I had never acted before in front of someone, so it was definitely nerve-wracking.”
Over the years, Brayden gained more experience on the stage, playing roles like Mike TV in “Willy Wonka Kids” and the Cat in the Hat in “Seussical Jr.” at Newington Children’s Theater, and Albert Peterson in “Bye Bye Birdie” at Northwest Catholic, his previous high school, for which he won a Connecticut Halo Award for Best Leading Actor in a Classical Musical. “I was elated because it just showed the hard work that paid off, putting on the role in the show and working towards the production,” Brayden said proudly.
Mr. Reynolds, while impressed with Brayden as a performer, is amazed by his ability to switch schools late in his high school career. “How advantageous of a student to transfer mid-high school career,” he commented. “I think it’s very admirable. It’s certainly not easy. I think he’s quite brave for that and it just showcases how dedicated he is to his craft.”
While on a personal level Brayden’s passion is evident, in rehearsals and performances, it is even more clear. “Brayden has incredible energy,” said Mr. Reynolds. “Brayden is an espresso in a can,” This is obvious to anyone who meets Brayden. If you have seen him around campus, you know he is an outgoing person full of laughter, and often without shoes.
For anyone who has not gotten the chance to see or meet Brayden, he can often be found sporting a crew neck with simple pants everyday. He jokes constantly, and often watches niche YouTube videos during his free time with the volume on max.
Despite his bubbly personality, Brayden had struggled with performing in front of audiences. He attributes becoming more comfortable with being in front of an audience to attending the Marymount Manhattan College Pre-\College Musical Theater Intensive. Brayden described other challenges Marymount helped him with. “Getting better at dancing was one of them,” he said, “and Marymount helped me with that a lot. Being in front of cameras is also a struggle, but I’ve gotten a lot better at that over the time.”
One person who has known Brayden since he began performing arts is sophomore Sarah Balog. She and Brayden performed together when they were younger at Newington Children’s Theater and reconnected this past summer at the Hart Summer Vocal Intensive, another program Brayden attended, in which both of them worked on singing.
Brayden’s commitment and dedication to his craft have not gone unnoticed here at KO. “He really commits,” Sarah said. “He’s going for it.”
Another commitment Brayden has is to the fall musical, as an understudy for Leaf Coneybear, who is played by junior Leo Kollen. Brayden explained the challenges of being an understudy. “You have to be quick to write stuff down to remember it,” he said.
Mr. Reynolds acknowledges the difficulties of serving as an understudy.“I usually don’t offer someone an understudy role unless I know that they can do it,” he said, “because we’ve seen lots of situations where somebody breaks their leg or gets sick.” While understudying is difficult, there is no guarantee you will perform; however, Brayden still brings the same level of commitment. “He’s always extremely positive,” Mr. Reynolds said. “He’s quick to say yes and jump in and help out, and that’s great understudy energy. Any time that Leo Kollen is not there who plays Leaf, I have no qualms about putting Brayden in because I know he’s going to kill it.”
Brayden is always looking for opportunities to grow as a performer. He has a number of dream roles. In no particular order, they are: Princeton from “Avenue Q,” the Emcee in “Cabaret,” and Seth in “Kimberly Akimbo.” Along with the fun Brayden said he would have in these roles, the challenges are what intrigue him more.
“Avenue Q” is a show that includes humans and puppets who are navigating adulthood in New York City. The style of the show and its elements would be entirely new to Brayden. “That show uses puppets, so that’s a new level of difficulty that I’d love to try,” he said.
Another intense role is the Emcee in “Cabaret,” which Brayden describes as a physical role in a serious show. “He kind of brings out some light but he’s in a way able to control the show,” he said. Whether the show brings new elements or more taxing roles, Brayden is up for the challenge.
With the completion of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” and Choreographer’s Showcase, Brayden will be gearing up for auditions for the winter musical!
