Yuku free message boards

Steffi D to star in Broadway National Tour of 'Spring Awakening'

Updated Fri. Jul. 25 2008 1:36 PM ET

Sheri Block, CTV.ca

Steffi Didomenicantonio has been waiting for this her whole life.

The Season 4 Canadian Idol competitor has landed a lead role in the Broadway National Tour of "Spring Awakening" and is now doing rehearsals in New York City before embarking on a year-long North American tour.

"It's the most exciting thing because I've been waiting for this my whole life," said an excited Steffi D, who talked to Idol.ctv.ca just before she left for the Big Apple.

"It still kind of hasn't sunk in quite yet but it's getting there ... and I should just say that 'Spring Awakening' is my favourite musical of all time, which is very odd and cool. I actually saw it for the first time about two years ago when I was in New York for some auditions and I fell in love with it right away."

Steffi will play Ilse, a free-spirited character who runs away from home to live as a Bohemian, in the controversial musical about first love. Steffi was originally cast as the understudy for the character, but will now be playing the main role for the entire run of the show.

"I'm really excited because I think it's going to be a challenge, of course, because a year is a long time to carry a role and it has to be my job, like everybody else in the musical, to just make every night the best performance."

Her audition process began earlier this year when the show held a casting call in Toronto. Steffi made it through the first two rounds of auditions and was later flown to New York City for the final round, which was attended by director Michael Mayer, writers Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater, and all of the producers.

"It was just the most unreal moment of my life, walking into that room with (everyone there). I'd been listening to this soundtrack for like two years straight almost every day and I love this show so much," said Steffi.

Steffi, who just finished her first year of acting at George Brown Theatre School in Toronto, found out she landed the part when her agent left a vague message on her phone while she was at class. Right away she called her mom, who had already heard the good news.

"I tried to calm down and then she tells me that they cast me in the show for the national tour! I was jumping everywhere in the middle of the hallways, so everybody heard me screaming ... when I got off the phone everybody was in suspense and were like, 'What? Tell us what's going on!' and I (told them) and everybody just started screaming and hugging me and it was great."

She said Canadian Idol is listed at the top of her resume and her time on the show definitely helped her with the audition process.

"I really think it did. Not only for them, but a lot for me because this show is very pop/rock oriented so all the music is pop music, rock and folk."

"Spring Awakening" will hit the road in August, stopping in 19 cities, including San Francisco, Los Angeles and Toronto in March, 2009.

After her one year contract with the show, Steffi's hoping it could lead to even more opportunities.

"I just hope that maybe it will lead to me moving to New York ... this is starting my career. I think it's just going to be like a trampoline to greater things."