THE NEW YORK TIMES, MONDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2020 N C5Anaïs Reno, 16
Born in Geneva, raised in Manhattan; class of 2021, Fiorello H.
LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in
Manhattan.
INFLUENCES“Definitely more dead singers than living singers,”
among them Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Mel Tormé, Sarah
Vaughan, Johnny Hartman and, recently, Carmen McRae. The
daughter of a violinist and a former opera singer, Reno was self-
conscious as a child about “only liking the old stuff. But the moment
I didn’t care about what other people were doing anymore, I let
myself love jazz without any apologies.”
STAGE PRESENCE“This may sound clichéd, but onstage I feel the
most myself; I can be free physically and emotionally,” said Reno,
who is drawn to bluesy ballads. “I have a pretty dark tone, and I find
myself attracted to the sad aspects of things — not morbid, but real-
istic.”
TEACHER’S NOTESJohn Prestianni, a musical director and accompa-
nist at LaGuardia, hasn’t taught Reno, but he admires her soulful
alto and precocious interpretive powers: “What impresses me
most is her confidence — to sing for an hour and 20 minutes at
Birdland in front of 150 people with the lights low would be hard for
most 40-year-olds.”
SIGNATURE SONG“‘Mood Indigo’ has become a staple because it has
a lot of emotional depth, and I’m a sucker for the lonely thing,” Reno
said. “But I’ve probably performed ‘I Ain’t Got Nothin’ But the
Blues’ more than any other song. It’s got so many layers; because
of the melody and the feel, it’s saying, ‘You know what?’ I don’t need
nothing but the blues.’ It’s proud in a way, and sassy.”
I HAVE DREAMED“I want to be a jazz singer, to record and perform
and tour. That’s how I want to spend the rest of my life.”
Savannah Lee Henry, 18
Born and raised in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn; 2020 graduate of
the Professional Performing Arts School in Manhattan, now a
freshman at Carnegie Mellon University.
INFLUENCES“Growing up, it was musical theater and ’70s and ’80s
and ’90s music,” said Henry, whose mother turned her on to Audra
McDonald, Billy Porter, Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin and Lu-
ther Vandross. “My dad used to record musicals on our television,
like ‘My Fair Lady’ and ‘The Music Man.’ ”
STAGE PRESENCEHenry has a lustrous soprano that can caress a
ballad or shift to a supple belt. “I try to create a sense of warmth
when I’m onstage,” she said. “I want people to see me perform and
feel comfortable and supported.”
TEACHER’S NOTESJeff Statile, the artistic director of P.P.A.S. musical
theater at Rosie’s Theater Kids, called Henry “a dynamic per-
former, with vocal versatility and power. She is fit for the Broadway
stage, with flexibility to pursue roles that carry both legit and pop
sounds. A future star.”
SIGNATURE SONG“For college auditions, I was told to sing ‘Almost
There’ from ‘The Princess and the Frog,’ and it totally worked, so
I’ve been using it for professional auditions,” she said of the song
from an animated Disney musical. “It’s just so optimistic; it radi-
ates joy. And there’s a high note at the end, which people love to
hear.”
I HAVE DREAMED “The dream for me is Broadway,” Henry said, add-
ing that she hopes to inspire young artists as others did her. “If I
succeed, then a little Black girl will have someone to look up to.
People who need more representation onstage will see themselves
there.”Leonay Shepherd, 18
Born and raised in Harlem; 2020 graduate of Professional Performing
Arts School, now a freshman at Pace University.
INFLUENCES“My mother is a huge musical theater enthusiast, so I
grew up going to see Broadway shows.” “Wicked” and one of its
leading ladies were particular favorites. “Kristin Chenoweth was
my biggest idol ever. I really related to the character of Glinda; I’m
super bubbly and I love pink,” said Shepherd, who also admires
Broadway alumna Ariana Grande.
STAGE PRESENCEShepherd described herself as “a belter, though
I’m working on my head voice and a mix of styles. I’m pretty ener-
getic and bubbly, but I have a softer, more vulnerable side. I’ve
found that in the characters I’ve played, and in me.”
TEACHER’S NOTESStatile called Shepherd, who has also studied
dance since childhood, “a true triple threat.” As the Leading Player
in P.P.A.S.’s production of “Pippin” last March, “She brought wit,
power and mystery to the role.”
SIGNATURE SONG“A song that I sing a lot is ‘I Hate the Bus,’ which I
sang when I played Emmie in ‘Caroline, or Change.’ The character
feels close to me because I spent a lot of time with her, and because
of her youthfulness and honesty and rigor, and her insistence on
change in world where she could have been complacent. It’s a re-
ally powerful song — and there’s a huge belt at the end.”
I HAVE DREAMED“I would love to do everything — Broadway and
cabaret, and I’m open to TV and film,” Shepherd said, adding, “I’m
half Puerto Rican and half Caribbean, and growing up, I didn’t see
many people that looked like me in musical theater. So that’s an-
other driving force in my head — I want another little brown girl to
see that if I can do it, she can do it.”Jennifer Poroye, 18
Born on Long Island, raised in Far Rockaway, Queens; 2020 graduate
of LaGuardia, now a freshman at S.U.N.Y. New Paltz.
INFLUENCESWeaned on R&B from the ’90s and early 2000s — Whit-
ney Houston, Mariah Carey, Lauryn Hill, Beyoncé and Jennifer
Hudson are favorites — as well as gospel, Poroye said that her La-
Guardia studies “allowed me to expand my musical vocabulary. For
the first time I was exposed to classical music,” along with jazz and
musical theater.
STAGE PRESENCE“To be honest, my performance style is a little re-
served,” she said. “I’m definitely working on being more of a per-
former, being able to draw people in.”
TEACHER’S NOTESPrestianni, who has coached Poroye, praised the
versatility of her soprano: “I’ve heard her do opera and jazz, and
it’s something to be able to sound like Kathleen Battle and then like
Billie Holiday.” He added that she has a bit of dramatic magic:
“Cabaret is about more than singing; it’s about being able to tell a
story, and I feel like she can do that without even trying.”
SIGNATURE SONG“I sing ‘Burn,’ from ‘Hamilton,’ a lot. It’s a ballad.
but it picks up speed and intensity, and it’s musically and lyrically
and emotionally well-constructed, like a lot of Lin-Manuel Miran-
da’s music.”
I HAVE DREAMED“I want to write and record and produce music,”
Poroye said. “I’m also studying environmental science, and I’m in-
terested in fighting climate change. But that’s not so much a
backup plan as a passion.”Julia Parasram, 17
Born and raised in Jamaica, Queens; class of 2021, Frank Sinatra
School of the Arts High School in Queens.
INFLUENCES“My mom used to play a lot of songs from the ’60s, and
a lot of country, actually,” said Parasram, who also found herself
drawn to ’90s R&B and older recordings by Otis Redding and Sarah
Vaughan, as well as Amy Winehouse.
STAGE PRESENCE“There is a weight that lifts off my shoulders as
soon as I start to sing. I’m usually very quiet, but when I’m onstage
I just light up.”
TEACHER’S NOTESThe voice instructor and chorus leader Steve
Kirby has been struck by the “extraordinary color” of her tangy,
rangy soprano. “Her voice lends itself to many genres,” he said.
“She has so much talent that you don’t know which way to go with
it.”
SIGNATURE SONG“‘Beyond the Sea’ is a good song for my person-
ality because it’s very mellow, yet upbeat in a way,” Parasram said.
“It’s a hopeful song, and I’m a hopeful person.”
I HAVE DREAMED“I write lyrics and come up with melodies in my
head, though I can’t play them. I want to have my own take on mu-
sic — to sing my own songs and jazz standards, with my twist on
them.”
Kylie McNeill, 18
Born and raised in Manhattan; 2020 graduate of Professional
Performing Arts School, now taking a gap year.
INFLUENCESThe daughter of musical theater fans, McNeill grew up
listening to original cast recordings of “Wicked,” “Avenue Q” and
“Grey Gardens,” and worshiping Julie Andrews: “I used to watch
‘The Sound of Music’ and pretend I was her on the mountains.” Mc-
Neill also listened to Lady Gaga and Twenty One Pilots. “And I went
through an emo phase,” she said. The original “Little Shop of Hor-
rors” star Ellen Greene proved a more enduring favorite; a current
one is Cynthia Erivo — “She’s just incredible.”
STAGE PRESENCE“It’s taken me a while to find confidence, but I
have,” McNeill said. “I just like to be true to the character or to what
I’m singing, and not let my insecurities get in the way.”
TEACHER’S NOTES“Underneath her introverted exterior, Kylie is a
natural talent, with a sarcastic and comedic flair,” said Statile. “She
brought subtlety to all of her work, and is an excellent listener.”
SIGNATURE SONG“‘I Can Cook Too,’ from ‘On the Town.’ I was as-
signed the song for a showcase in my sophomore year, and it was
my enemy — because as this character I’m singing about how
amazing I am. That was terrifying when I was 16, but now that I’m
18 I’ve learned to judge myself less, and singing it is fun.”
I HAVE DREAMED“I want to keep moving forward, stepping out of
my comfort zone and expressing myself to the fullest — through
singing, acting, songwriting.” During the pandemic, McNeill has
been crafting musical comedy songs and posting them online. “I
really miss theater, but for now, I can do it from my bedroom.”SIMBARASHE CHA FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES ROSS MANTLE FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES SIMBARASHE CHA FOR THE NEW YORK TIMESSIMBARASHE CHA FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES SIMBARASHE CHA FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES SIMBARASHE CHA FOR THE NEW YORK TIMESA New Generation of Showstoppers
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