A young, 13-year-old athlete reluctantly steps in front of a panel of people to act, sing, and dance for a role he was sure he wasn’t right for. The thought of singing and dancing seemed utterly absurd, but to do it in a show in front of people—forget about it. He acted, sang, and danced haphazardly through the audition in hopes he wouldn’t get casted. To his surprise, he was casted in Mulan alongside his best friend. Unbeknownst to him, his life would be forever changed.
This is just the beginning for our very own Mr. ONU, Andrew McBurnie. Ever since this moment, he has been involved in 17 different plays and musicals, along with writing and directing Broadway Revue in 2019.
Theatre is not just a hobby for Andrew, it is a lifestyle. It has taught him life lessons, gained him life-long friends, gotten him outside of his comfort zone, and taught him the importance of storytelling. This is not something that Andrew plans on giving up, and at the very least will continue storytelling through multiple different mediums. Probably the most important lesson theatre has taught Andrew is the lesson of empathy towards others.
“Portraying other characters in other shoes helps you understand the people around you. It has given me a love and appreciation for people far different than me.”
Andrew McBurnie
Acting as oddball or contrasting characters has gained Andrew worldly perspective into the hearts and minds of other people. It pulled an immense sense of emotion out of him that not even he understands. Nothing is as capable of doing that as theatre.
Of all the shows Andrew has been a part of, his favorite has been West Side Story. From the set to his fellow castmates, the story has touched him so deeply he felt it best to represent it outwardly by getting a tattoo on his chest saying, “When you’re a Jet, you’re a Jet all the way…” The show was during the summer of 2018 but still tugs at his heart to this day.
Since Andrew is currently Mr. ONU, he admits his experience in theatre has helped him gain that title. The pressure of disappointing his peers, telling a great story, and the fear of failure made the whole experience very emotional for him. Regardless, he relied on all he has learned from theatre to help him come up with a story with an underlying message, write the script, and portray the character of Freddie Mercury. Obviously, his hard work payed off as his fellow peers voted him Mr. ONU.
There have been many shows that have been instrumental to Andrew in his growth as a performer and person. These shows include Mulan, Peter Pan, Ragtime, Cats, Beauty and the Beast, West Side Story, and Broadway Revue: A Corner on Broadway. Although, he has learned something from each of the shows he has been a part of.
There’s no better way to describe the influence of theatre on Andrews life than from Andrew himself. He says, “I grew up playing sports…but somehow I got caught up wearing a cat outfit and doing ballet for an entire summer and ended up in tears when it was over. Theatre has drawn out things out of me I wouldn’t have ever been able to do on my own strength. I think God put it in my life when he knew I needed it most, and it has opened my heart to the value of music, storytelling, and art.”
