{"id":3500,"date":"2017-02-09T18:04:51","date_gmt":"2017-02-09T18:04:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/travelgirlinc.com\/?p=3500"},"modified":"2017-02-10T19:22:21","modified_gmt":"2017-02-10T19:22:21","slug":"sarah-meahl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/travelgirlinc.com\/sarah-meahl\/","title":{"rendered":"Sarah Meahl: Life is a Stage"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\"Sarah
Photo by Justin Patterson Photography<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Secrets of a Broadway Dancer<\/span><\/h2>\n

Sarah Meahl had a secret; so did her mother. Sarah\u2019s secret was wanting to dance on Broadway. Her mother, Kelly\u2019s secret was financial. \u201cShe was taking money out of all these different accounts so my dad didn\u2019t know how much they were spending on dance lessons,\u201d Sarah says with a laugh.<\/p>\n

Years later it all came together as Sarah landed a leading role in Cirque du Soleil\u2019s \u201cParamour\u201d on Broadway. Sarah, who plays the second female role \u2013 is also the understudy for the top role. A few weeks into the run, in the Broadway tradition, the lead was off and Sarah was the star. Her parents happened to be in the audience. \u201cWhen I took my final bow, it was terrifying. I saw my parents, I just lost it. I did it. I was dancing on Broadway, but it was the fruit of all of our labors.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sarah wanted to be a dancer before she was even potty trained. \u201cI was a pushy two-and-a-half year old and wanted dance lessons,\u201d she says. \u201cBut I had to be potty trained and I wasn\u2019t. I promised my mom there would be no accidents. Even at that age I loved dancing. By the time I was eight, I knew I wanted to be a dancer.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of her dance teachers, Miss Denise, changed her life. \u201cI studied her posture, how she talked and did her hair. She had danced at Disney World, which was really cool,\u201d she says. Kelly took Sarah to watch the Disney dancers. \u201cIt was magical. I loved the dancing and the costumes. Early on I became aware that the dancers and actors had a job. I could make money dancing. My goal was to dance at Disney.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her first professional gig was playing Barney when she was 12. She won dance contests and practiced incessantly. She danced at Disney World and did commercials. \u201cIt was enough to start accruing points for my Equity card. I was very focused.\u201d Her father, Rick, worried that she was \u201cputting so much into dancing. I don\u2019t think he ever saw where it was heading until I went to college. When I was 21 my father saw me in \u201cCats\u201d and saw I could do this. It only took him half of my life to realize that I was serious,\u201d she says laughing.<\/p>\n

\"Sarah
Cirque du Soleil “Paramour” Sarah Meahl on Broadway at the Lyric Theatre Photo: Richard Termine<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Goodbye Disney, Hello Broadway.<\/span><\/h3>\n

When she was 13 her parents took her to Broadway to see \u201cThe Lion King.\u201d It was life changing. \u201cI didn\u2019t know what Broadway was. I didn\u2019t know there was anything bigger than Disney. By that time I had been dancing for 11 years. I looked at those Broadway dancers and thought \u2018I can do that! I am doing that!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

And, that is when the little secret was born. \u201cI knew I could do it. I was sitting in the audience watching and I knew I would do it. I didn\u2019t want to tell anyone,\u201d she recalls. \u201cI didn\u2019t want to put this goal on a pedestal. I didn\u2019t want it to be so far out there that you think it\u2019s out of reach. My mom always told me that if you believe in yourself you can do anything \u2013 and I believed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sarah pursued her dream with more dance lessons and added voice and acting lessons. She auditioned at Point Park University in Pittsburgh for both dance and musical theater. She was rejected for dance but accepted into the musical theater program. \u201cThe school rejected me in dance because they wanted me in musical theater where I would get more acting and voice lessons.\u201d Dance was her minor, her focus was on old school jazz. \u201cI worked hard but I knew it would pay off.\u201d<\/p>\n

It did. She headed to New York City right after graduation and booked her first job. \u201cLucky, not normal. I had one stellar audition and hit the ground running.\u201d<\/p>\n

She toured the country in regional theater until she built her resume up enough to get in the door for a Broadway audition. She told her agent she wanted to stay in New York and be on Broadway.<\/p>\n

Cirque Du Soleil was auditioning for \u201cParamour,\u201d a Broadway musical with (naturally) incredible acrobatic and gymnastic stunts. Sarah, a trained gymnast, was hired for the ensemble and then the understudy job for the lead. During rehearsals it was obvious that a second female lead was needed. Sarah got the part and helped create Gina. \u201cShe\u2019s from Long Island and Marilyn Monroe is her idol. She\u2019s got sex appeal and sass but she\u2019s not a floozy. She knows where she\u2019s from and doesn\u2019t care that someone thinks less of her. I made her up and I learn from her.\u201d<\/p>\n

While \u201cParamour\u201d was successful and planned on running for years, the theater was bought out by the Harry Potter musical for $25 million and \u201cParamour\u201d will close \u2013 for now. There is talk of moving to another theater and also opening in Germany.<\/p>\n

\"Sarah
Cirque du Soleil “Paramour” Sarah Meahl as ‘Gina’ Photo: Richard Termine<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

New Goals<\/span><\/h3>\n

But ever the Broadway trooper, Sarah is moving on. She has already booked a “dream role” in one of her favorite shows at a summer stock theater. \u201cThis is the life I choose and I trust that, if I work hard and I am kind, I will book my next show. You have to move on and have faith.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ironically, when she formulated her secret, it never was playing the Broadway lead. \u201cI never aimed at the lead, I just wanted to dance and, as a dancer, you get more roles than being the star. I fulfilled my dream and have to set new goals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some of those goals include doing commercials, fitness modeling and teaching. She is even considering opening up a dance studio. She would love to go back to Broadway, especially in a revival with classic choreography.<\/p>\n

Her favorite place to work is St. Louis. \u201cI\u2019m never so happy as when I\u2019m at the Muny, an outdoor theater. It\u2019s just lovely.\u201d<\/p>\n

She also hopes to perform in New Orleans, as well as Chicago (where she has family) and Orlando. \u201cI grew up around there and my parents live near there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her family traveled often. \u201cWe call ourselves the Meahls on wheels,\u201d she says laughing. Venice is the family\u2019s favorite spot. \u201cI love the gypsy life. We were always traveling.\u201d  Whether it\u2019s on vacation or touring, she likes to see the landmarks and museums but also go native. \u201cI\u2019ll ask Facebook friends where\u2019s the best place to get a cup of coffee or someplace where actual locals go.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, when she\u2019s homesick, she has a cure. \u201cI go to Target because it reminds me of Florida and shopping with my mom. It makes me happy. And, I go to Starbucks because it is a nice, safe, comfy place and it is familiar.\u201d<\/p>\n

As she plots her next moves toward stardom, Sarah knows that she made her secret dream a reality. \u201cBeing in the show you make people happy and you take them away from their troubles. It\u2019s an absolute joy,\u201d she says. \u201cI love hitting the beat and telling stories. Maybe those stories gave them hope, made them stronger or maybe just made them call their mom.\u201d<\/p>\n

She adds, \u201cBeing on Broadway is a gift and I enjoy every minute and I know the next great thing will come.\u201d[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] The Secrets of a Broadway Dancer Sarah Meahl had a secret; so did her mother. Sarah\u2019s secret was wanting to dance on Broadway. Her mother, Kelly\u2019s secret was financial. \u201cShe was taking money out of all these different accounts so my dad didn\u2019t know how much they were spending on dance lessons,\u201d Sarah says…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3503,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,141],"tags":[151,40],"class_list":["post-3500","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrity","category-covers","tag-cover","tag-interviews"],"yoast_head":"\nSarah Meahl: Life is a Stage - Travelgirl<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Travelgirl Magazine was created to help every woman find her oasis. 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