5 Questions with THE SOUND OF MUSIC's Sarah Lasko!
Kevin Ray Johnson
It is a great joy that I introduce you to the oh so talented Sarah Lasko. Ms. Lasko is currently serving as a Swing in The Sound of Music at The Asolo Repertory Theatre directed by Josh Rhodes. I first met Sarah over 10 years ago when we performed together in amateur productions of Urinetown and A Year with Frog and Toad. Since that time Sarah starred as Dorothy alongside the premiere American cast of Andrew Lloyd Webber's production of The Wizard of Oz. Sarah has also performed on Disney Cruise Line where she portrayed the role of Rapunzel in Tangled the Musical and Belle in Disney Dreams. Sarah has also performed with many well respected regional theatres such as The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (DC), Axelrod Performing Arts Center (NJ), ArtisTree Music Theatre Festival (VT), Keegan Theater (DC), Metropolitan Theater (WV), and Imagination Stage (MD).
1. How old were you when you knew you wanted to be a performer?
I always loved performing, but it wasn’t until I was in my first community theatre play at thirteen years old that I decided there wasn’t any other job that was nearly as exciting or rewarding.
2. Where did you study? Are there any mentors that truly helped make you the performer you are today?
I started doing theatre at the local community college when I was fourteen years old, and they happened to have an excellent program, so I feel like out of the gate I got to learn so much, just by being onstage and playing roles alongside college students and with creative teams from professional theater companies in the area. Most of my early training happened onstage in rehearsals and performances until I got to New York. Now I attend classes with teachers at multiple studios around the city for acting, voice, on camera, dance, and audition technique. As far as mentors who have stood out in my life, I could go on and on! From the first show I ever did to now, there have been so many people who invested in me and gave advice, support, and encouragement. I think that’s one of the things I love about this industry: everywhere you go, you find kindred spirits, and you learn from people who have already been where you are now.
3. Congratulations on The Sound of Music! How has your time been at The Asolo Rep? Josh Rhodes has such a wonderful way of giving fresh takes on classic musicals.
Thank you!! It’s one of the most stunning productions I’ve ever been part of. When the curtain goes up, the audience gasps, because the design and the story-telling are so transportive and real. Josh has this ability to really lean into truth as a director. He avoids painting classic musicals in a saccharine light, and I think it really serves this particular story. The set design and lighting are just glorious, so it truly feels like a lush re-telling of this very well-known story, and audiences have been loving it so far. I’m also so grateful to work with a director as collaborative and kind as Josh is; it really trickles down and influences the spirit of the whole company. You just feel lucky.
4. Are there any other shows that you have done in your career that will always be near and dear to your heart?
Getting to tour the nation play Dorothy for a year in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s gorgeous adaptation of The Wizard of Ozwas so fun and such an amazing challenge. I will always have a very special place in my heart for “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and for little black cairn terriers. ;) It was the first time that I experienced what it was like to perform eight shows a week while on an intense travel schedule, in a role where I was onstage for all but about seven minutes of the show, and it pushed me in so many difficult and wonderful ways. It taught me that I wanted to be performing, even on days when I didn’t feel like performing. You don’t realize when you’re a kid and seeing a musical, that for those actors onstage, it’s a job that they have to do even on their tired days or sad days, and that they did that same show yesterday and are going to do it again tomorrow. Playing a year of performances of the same show taught me stamina and how to be present and how to love the process.
5. What advice would you give young performers who want a career in this business?
Get in class and stay in class. Find the teachers who inspire you and build you up. I firmly believe that actors should always be in practice, and that class is your gymnasium. Just like athletes are constantly practicing and reviewing their own work, actors should be doing the same. Plus, I find that the work you do to build technique and to grow as a performer in a class setting helps shield you from the onset of burnout that comes from a life of auditioning and from hearing so many no’s. If you keep your mind and heart focused on finding the excellence in the work, you experience a freedom that stretches beyond your audition life. When I was younger, I was so concerned with finding the perfect college program that would set me up for success, but my actual path into the industry and my education has been so different from anything I could’ve predicted. There's no right way to get to Broadway and there is no clear path to success in this industry, but the best way to approach this life is to stay hungry, to stay humble, and to keep learning
The Sound of Music at The Asolo Repertory Theatre is currently running until December 28th. For more information make sure you visit - www.asolorep.org. If you would like to learn more about Sarah make sure you visit her official website at - www.SarahLasko.com