#swingnation

New items up on my Redbubble!! And remember, if you have any requests, I am more than willing to fulfill those!

Julia K Harriman as Peggy!

At last, the night was here! We had spent the past month learning, rehearsing, perfecting, and teching, so it was about time to open the doors of the Atwood Concert hall, and invite Alaska to the ball! This opening night was a new experience for me, however, since swings (usually) never get to go on opening night. It was definitely a weird feeling - feeling all the excited energy flying around backstage, watching my cast mates getting into hair, makeup, and costume, and all the while knowing I would be watching them from the audience and wouldn’t be onstage to experience the magic of opening night with them. It’s a bittersweet and difficult thing to experience, but I was actually so excited to open the show, that it definitely helped with the weird sinking feeling of missing out on an incredible experience…little did I know, however, that I would be having an incredible experience of my own in just a few days! Me and my swing fam went out into the house to watch the show - I’ll admit, it was fun to flash our Cinderella all-access pass, and get let into the giant theatre for free! The show went wonderfully, and the four of us were all giddily cheering and applauding for our friends as the curtain call began. And just like that, we were open! There was a lovely opening night party waiting for us at the hotel, and we ate, drank, laughed, and celebrated into the night. A few more successful performances went by, and then one afternoon, I heard myself, the other male swings, and Erin, one of the ensemble women being called to the hallway by the stage manager. It was there that I found out that I was going to be swinging on for the first time!!!! The company was doing it’s first swing out, which is when a regular playing member of the company is off for a show, so they can track the roles they understudy, or any other specific reason, and in return, a swing gets to go out and stretch their legs! I couldn’t believe it - I already had it in my mind that I wasn’t going to be performing in Alaska, and if this new development didn’t illustrate the message of “It’s Possible,” I don’t know what does! I was told 2 days in advance about my swing on, which is SO rare for a swing - usually we get a day at the MOST to prepare, and 5 minutes at the least, so I spent the next days reviewing, practicing, and going over all of Erin’s (the girl who I was on for) info, so I could be the most prepared I ever could be! I was just very thankful that my first swing on was going to be a lot less stressful than I had imagined…and before I knew it, it was here! One of the cooler things about swinging is that you get two opening nights: the show’s opening night, and then YOUR opening night - a night where I was surrounded by so much love and positivity from my cast and crew, that I could cry…and I did…multiple times, onstage and off! The show was a whirlwind of activity, emotions, and costumes, and I’m proud to say that my debut with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella was a success! Of course there were a few little mistakes, but what can you expect? There’s only so much a girl can do in a 30 pound ballgown with very little onstage rehearsal! The dances went well, I didn’t forget any of my lines or solos, and I had the time of my life. As we were singing the curtain call, I looked around, my eyes brimming with (happy!) tears, and reminded myself almost in disbelief that this is my job, and I am doing what I love for a living. I am so grateful for my Cinderella company and family for making my first trip to the forest a magical one, and for giving me a “Lovely Night” that I will never forget. And as all these wonderful thoughts filled me up, I turned back to the audience to sing the final lines of our show: “Impossible things are happening every day” <3

My dress is lovingly referred to as the ‘wheat dress’ and I’m so in love with it! I got so many compliments on it, but they all go to Mr. William Ivey Long - he won the Tony Award for these dresses, after all! Even though this is Cinderella, I feel like Belle came to the ball :)

Andrew Chappelle is a standby (formerly billed as swing) for the Broadway production of Hamilton. He covers the following roles: Burr, Laurens/Philip, Lafayette/Jefferson, Mulligan/Madison, King George III. Andrew has been with Hamilton since it debuted at the Public Theatre. He was involved in the development process and for a while, he was the only cover for some of the roles and would often fill in for multiple actors during rehearsal. As a swing, he was also capable of going on for any ensemble track. He made his Broadway debut as Eddie in Mamma Mia! and toured with Priscilla Queen of the Desert. He has also appeared in several films and tv shows including Moesha.

Andrew is currently on LOA from Hamilton and is currently in Sarasota, working on a new musical called Beatsville where he plays five different characters. After that, he will appear in a St Louis production of Jesus Christ Superstar before returning to Hamilton.

Andrew frequently teachers theater and dance workshops in New York and across the country through A Class Act. He especially likes working with younger students.

In addition to singing and acting, Andrew is trained in many forms of dance including tango, ballet, ballroom, hip hop, jazz, salsa, swing, and tap.

Andrew has a background in improv comedy and has an original comedy sketch show called the Sketch Betch on YouTube.

Andrew has a very strong social media presence (twitter, Instagram, Snapchat) and is know for his sassy, often scathing, humor. His Snapchat and Instagram stories often include lifestyle commentary and humorous critiques of everything from politics to fashion to music to how slow people walk to the antics of his castmates. His social media presence has gained him a large fanbase known as Chappies.

Andrew has a dog named Patti LuBone.

Andre me is openly and proudly gay. And confused that people had to ask. He is in a relationship with designer/knitter Josh Bennett.

Andrew is Native American.

Andrew coving Jefferson, Burr, and Madison in a Ham4Ham: https://youtu.be/4KGboRn2tdU