Who is William O’Neill?
When William O’Neill came to us, I thought, “could this guy be for real?” Baritone Opera Singer, Actor, Drama Teacher, a performing arts Jack-of-all trades! Plus, his easy-going presence, playful demeanor and enthusiasm for the Arts was hard to ignore. Oh…and he also founded a very popular Theater and Singing program through the City of San Clemente PARKS & RECREATION! YES! Thankfully, he decided to move up north and join us in Redwood City. He will be teaching After-School and Summer Theater programs this season (see below). We are excited to announce, that the Summer Camp will be held at the AMAZING Carrington Hall at Sequoia High School.
William, aka “Bill” started doing theater when he was very young. His Church-Music-Director-Father encouraged him to try singing and acting. Bill started singing in the choir at the ripe age of five years old, and ventured on to do his first musical when he was eight. He has NEVER STOPPED SINCE! His love for performing brought him to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he graduated with a M.A. in Voice and Opera. Bill has performed in many productions at the SF Conservatory of Music. Some of his more noteworthy parts include: Bottom, in A MidSummer Night’s Dream; Sarastro, in The Magic Flute; Don Magnifico, in the opera of Cinderella; and Colline, in La Boheme.
Check out his Pipes & Chops in this video of Bill performing in La Boheme:
Some Fun Facts About Bill:
Fave movie: I’d have to say it’s toss up between The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and the Harry Potter Movies. I’m a big fantasy buff!
Fave TV Shows: Battlestar Galactica, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Iron Chef America
Fave Actors: Male: Matt Damon / Female: Natalie Portman
Fave Dessert: Gourmet Cupcakes! Especially from places like Sprinkles or Kara’s Cupcakes.
Fave place to see a show: Broadway in New York, OF COURSE! Second is Carrington Hall in Redwood City 😉
First acting role: A street kid in the musical of Cinderella when I was 8. My first speaking part, was Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol when I was in 7th grade.
Fave acting role: My favorite show I’ve ever been in is actually one I’m doing right now. It’s called a Year With Frog and Toad. I’m performing it with Bay Area Children’s Theater. I play the part of Toad.
First movie you ever saw: Hahaha… I think it was probably the original Tron in the early 80’s. I also recall seeing the original Clash of the Titans around the same time. So I’m not sure…
What does Music & the Arts mean to you?: I have advice for all of the kids out there, to never give up on your dreams. When I was a kid I had a lot of speech problems to overcome, but doing things like music and theater is what helped me to break though those problems and give me self-confidence. I wouldn’t be the adult I am today without all the training I had a as a child.
Camp & Class Information:
3rd-5th graders can enjoy…
Adventures in Theater Workshop – Tuesdays, 3:30-5pm beginning April 5th for 8 weeks
CLICK HERE FOR INFO/REGISTRATION
5th-8th graders can enjoy…
Too Much Drama! – Thursdays, 3:30-5pm beginning April 7th for 8 weeks
CLICK HERE FOR INFO/REGISTRATION
Summer Camp at Carrington Hall…
Summer Performing Arts Program – Monday through Friday, 8:30am-3pm, July 11-22.
CLICK HERE FOR INFO/REGISTRATION