With the help of mentors, including theatre professor Christian Boy, he is now working in music for the show "Hello, Dolly!," a Tony winner for Best Revival of a Musical. Strom says he loves the opportunity and hard work a Broadway production brings.
How did you break into the Broadway musical scene so quickly after graduating?
I moved to New York a year ago. I got an internship in New York working as a pianist for Broadway Artists Alliance, an organization built on developing young talent in the theatre. It was there I met James Olmstead, the man who hired me at BAA, a prominent pianist and music director in his own right. He was very good to me, and some weeks later he introduced me to Russ Bartmus, a masterful copyist well known in Hollywood, New York and beyond. A copyist, in essence, prepares the written score and parts for the conductor and orchestra.
Russ was working a few Broadway shows at the time (as he always is) and needed an extra pair of hands for one of his shows, Irving Berlin's "Holiday Inn." He interviewed me on the spot and granted me the opportunity to assist him for a week of orchestra rehearsals. After the first day, I asked him if he would introduce me to the show’s music director, Andy Einhorn. Andy and I clicked on a professional level, and soon after I became his assistant on the show. One day he asked me if I was a pianist as well. I said, "yes," and he subsequently asked me to play for him something that "would impress" him. He liked my playing and soon after I made my Broadway debut on piano for "Holiday Inn." He has become a great mentor and friend to me. Now here I am, working for him on his next Broadway show, "Hello, Dolly!"
What is your role with this show?
I can't believe I've been involved on this show for over five months now. During that period of time, my role has shifted in a lot of ways. When I started, I was a music assistant, which in this case meant I tracked and logged any changes in the music throughout the rehearsal process. I also worked as a liaison of sorts between the music director, arranger, orchestrator, and copyist. These days I have a much more active role and a bigger voice. I'm playing a lot more, especially for Donna Murphy, who plays the role of Dolly Levi on Tuesdays. Even though we opened almost two months ago, there is often rehearsal in the daytime before a nighttime show. Everyone works so hard. I love it.
What was most helpful for you, education-wise, as you moved into the musical theatre arena at this scale?
Two things (of many) I'll mention here. Looking back, I'm so thankful for all of the times I failed in college. I think failure is often seen negatively but, in hindsight, the opposite is true for me. For example, it took me three years to get in Concordia's flagship choir, The Concordia Choir – each failure more heart-wrenching than the last.
But I'm grateful for those high-pressure situations where I had the opportunity to succeed big or fail big. I've never learned so much so quickly as when I was thrown into a high-pressure environment. On Broadway especially, every decision made is one hundred times as impactful; millions of dollars and reputations are on the line. I remember when I had to play for Bette Midler or Scott Rudin the first time – talk about pressure. But high stakes, high risk is what show business is all about, and though I may have been nervous, I never felt unready. I discovered I've always been more excited to succeed than afraid to fail.
The second is collaboration. A Broadway show can't be done by one person. It takes hundreds and I'm just one little fish. Anytime I had the opportunity to create something with others in college, where I had to lean on them – and they on me – was crucial training, whether that be in choir, a show, or a group project. People here like to work with people that they trust. Resumes I've found are not nearly as meaningful as rapport, ability, and the willingness to play nicely with others.
I know you were heavily into music and also participated in a lot of theatre at Concordia. What were some of those pivotal moments as you paved your journey toward today?
I still remember the late great Dr. Robert Chabora, former music department head, and the speech he gave to the freshmen music majors the first week we arrived on campus. Those who had the privilege to hear it know it is hard to forget. That speech and his memory are with me often. I also remember skipping so many piano lessons my freshmen year; I was in a dark place. One day Dr. David Worth, my piano teacher at the time, now retired, gave me one of the most eye-opening talks of my life. I was wasting my potential, he said, and it was exactly what I needed to hear.
I've also had many emotional moments with my voice teacher, Dr. Anne Jennifer Nash – a lot of tears shed in those lessons. Good tears. Helpful, growing tears. Any musician can attest that often lessons can turn to therapy sessions very quickly. We are all a complicated, troubled breed for sure. There are so many more as well. Dr. Jay Hershberger, Dr. Daniel Breedon, Dr. Paul Hindemith. I know I’ve forgotten some. To be honest, though, the most pivotal moments were the ones spent with friends. I never had many in college, but the few I did have picked me up so many times that I truly wouldn't have survived without them. Tanner Dockendorf is doing great work in Fargo right now and anyone is lucky to know him. Connor Baker is pursuing interior design at NDSU and Tori Wright, a graduate student at NDSU is the greatest musician I've ever met. Simple moments spent with these Cobbers turned out to be crucial in how I've grown into who I am today.
"Hello, Dolly!" has been wildly popular. What has it been like working on such a successful show with a stellar cast?
I was so happy to see "Hello, Dolly!" do so well at the Tony Awards. There are certainly tough, frustrating, emotional days – but it's all because we care so much about the show and, at the end of the day, everyone, from the cast to stage management to wardrobe, is so invested in its success. I feel lucky to work with people who will do whatever it takes for their craft. Everyone is so gracious and never takes their success for granted. Watch Bette Midler's acceptance speech; you'll see what I mean. She says it better than anyone.
What does "Hello, Dolly!" mean to you?
This show radiates joy in a way that seems so poignant right now; it has the power to make even the cynics smile. It has universal messages, yet it still hits the individual right in the heart. I've heard people say, "I feel like I was meant to see this show at this time in my life." I feel the same way. It's changed me. Somehow it manages to be so uplifting without being saccharine and cloyingly sentimental. It's deceptively complex and it will last forever. I don't know what to say; I never tire of seeing it. It's a masterpiece and it's become bigger than anyone who's worked on it. It's bigger than words alone can describe. It's "Hello, Dolly!"
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