From Shy Beginnings to Broadway Tours: How a Memphis Native Went from Disinterest to Disney with Support From the Orpheum
We’ve all listened to stories from bright stars who knew they were bound for the spotlight before they knew how to tie their own shoes, their eyes sparkling as they remember the certainty they felt performing for the first time.
Benjamin Cheng is not one of those people.
“I wasn’t terribly interested at first,” Benjamin, a native Memphian and current touring cast member of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, recalls. “There are videos of me performing in a show, but I’m picking at the dried paint drippings onstage.”
However, disinterest gave way to destiny once Benjamin immersed himself in the Memphis musical theatre scene, including the High School Musical Theatre Awards (HSMTA) and Orpheum STAR Council, a volunteer leadership program for high school students.
“We quickly learned I had certain affinities for dancing and singing, and despite being a shy kid, I didn’t have an issue being on stage,” Benjamin said, whose family supported his natural talent with voice lessons, dance classes, and participation in dance competitions.
Benjamin, an alumnus of Briarcrest Christian School, also credits his ability to now travel the country as a professional actor to the opportunities his hometown provided him – including the free, donor-supported programs at the Orpheum Theatre Group.
“Doing HSMTA was certainly formative since you got to be around your Memphis musical theatre peers who are immensely passionate and talented. Not to mention, the direction we would receive from the faculty organizing the classes and events,” he said. And it wasn’t just the programming – it was the ability to see high-quality professional theatre locally. “The masterclasses from shows passing through Memphis were also very helpful in meeting and asking questions of professionals who are currently working in the industry.”
From teachers to directors, from the actors onstage to the financial supporters behind the scenes who make it all possible, Benjamin said it’s the combined effort of so many committed stakeholders that make big dreams possible for young artists in the Mid-South
“I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support of an artistic community within Memphis. Even those who wouldn’t consider themselves ‘artistic’ are essential in providing the necessary resources to build programs and environments that allow students like me to flourish.”
Benjamin Cheng
From picking at chipped paint onstage to traveling across the United States with one of the biggest shows of touring Broadway, success looks like raw talent, but it also looks like a village. Benjamin’s family, the musical theatre students he grew up acting alongside, the organizations that make the Memphis arts community so vibrant – and you. Your support, whether you consider yourself artistic or simply an arts champion – provides opportunities for young people across the Mid-South just like Benjamin to explore their creativity and reach their biggest goals.
This September marks ten years of the Halloran Centre for Performing Arts & Education – the community-serving beacon of the Orpheum campus dedicated to the year-round programs that Benjamin and thousands like him have passed through
This year, we’re asking for your support ushering in the next ten years with a gift that will inspire creativity and allow the next generation of young Memphians to dream big.