"Go For It. Really, Just Go For It With All You've Got." - Chatting with Anthony Christopher Milfelt!
I would like you to meet Anthony Christopher Milfelt. Anthony is currently performing in the Ensemble of Oliver! the Musical at Myers Dinner Theatre. Anthony has made his rounds around the country performing for companies such as The Sierra Repertory, The Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre, The Round Barn at Amish Acres, Bigfork Summer Playhouse, Midtown Arts Center, Tent Theatre, and Broadway Palm just to name a few. Anthony has a talent and presence that are contagious. He is truly someone that makes any cast he is a part of better. I am so happy to have the chance to feature Mr. Milfelt.
How old were you when you knew you wanted to be a performer?
Honestly, life kept pushing me toward theatre, and I've always just said yes; and. I've always had the hunger for it. But, it wasn't until I hit this point in my career and had my career almost taken away from me thanks to the global pandemic that I now, at 31, realized that this career is absolutely what I want and where I need to be; no questions, no doubts. Funnily enough, I was dead set on being a marine biologist with an emphasis in aquatic mammals before going headfirst into the performance industry.
Where did you study? Do you have any mentors that truly helped make you the wonderful performer you are today?
I went to high school and started theatre at Herculaneum High School in Missouri. I then stayed in state to receive my BFA in Musical Theatre Performance at Missouri State University. I have so many people to thank for helping create the performer I am today. I have my parents who are some of the most insanely talented and intelligent people I know. I have my teachers from middle and high school that helped create the foundation on which I stand as an artist and performer. I have professors in college who helped open my mind and mold me into a professional. Last, but not least, I have an amazing network of friends and colleagues who I learn from and who push me to work harder, evolve, and be an even stronger performer each and every day.
If you could choose your all-time favorite musical and/or play what would it be?
This is a doozy of a question! I honestly can't choose. I love a lot of shows for a lot of different reasons. I will say there are a few musical theatre cast albums that will always be on my phone; The Wild Party [Lippa], The Burnt Part Boys, Company [OBC], and Anything Goes (1987). As far as plays go, I'd have to say my top favorite plays are The Curious Savage by John Patrick, Uncle Vanya by Chekhov, The Tempest by William Shakespeare, and a one-act I did in college called 'Tis a Pity He's a Whore that I can't seem to find the info on anywhere online.
Are there any roles, shows, or performances you have done in your career that stick out and will always be near and dear to you?
Well, yes, I hold a lot of experiences close as I think all performers do. It's a very intimate emotional journey we travel with one another. I loved doing Mary Poppins at Sierra Repertory Theatre in California. It was simply magical. My first show out of college was Anything Goes at The Arts Center of Coastal Carolina which was honestly one of the most professional and fun contracts I've ever had. Working at the Bigfork Summer Playhouse right out of college was also a mind-blowingly amazing experience.
However, my favorite story to tell is when I was doing Grease one summer at The Round Barn at Amish Acres. We did shows to tracks in a literal round barn that housed the theatre stage. Now, the system we ran the music tracks on had a bad habit of crashing every so often. I remember we were finishing the scene right before The Hand Jive. The music started to swell, and we rushed downstage to begin the dance number. Then there was only silence. I looked back to see our stage manager waving us down and frantically trying to reboot the system. So, we stood there semi-frozen awkwardly ad-libbing to fill the gap. We got a few laughs and we then realized it was going to be a moment before we had music or sound again. Then, the saint, the star, and the amazing talent that is Jerry O'Boyle playing our Miss Lynch comes back on stage and loudly announces it is time to sing a rousing rendition of God Bless America. He then proceeds to start singing it in character. I couldn't hold it in any longer. The whole situation was too much. I was keeled over heaving for air as I was laughing so hard. Not only had he managed to save the scene, he got the audience to sing with us. I was crying tears of joy while gasping for air. After we finished, the sound system came back online and our stage manager motioned for us to pick back up. So, we pulled it back together, rushed downstage again, and happily danced our hearts out. I will never forget that moment.
What advice would you give any aspiring artists?
Go for it. Really, just go for it with all you've got. We hear it all the time, but it's true. The only one holding you back often times is yourself. Try not to get in your own way. But, I get it, since we're human it's hard. Acknowledging and accepting that we are our own largest obstacle is probably the hardest because society, I feel, tells us that unless it's a complete success, it's worthless. This is a complete and utter lie. Even if what we create is a "failure" we can learn from it. At the very least, you'll have learned what not to do. And, from there, you've created a new level or foundation from which to reach even higher, go further, grow, or evolve.
Oliver is currently running at Myers Dinner Theatre until August 1st. To learn more please visit - https://myersdt.com/oliver; And to learn more about Anthony please visit his official website at - https://anthonymilfelt.wixsite.com/anthonymilfelt