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Date: 1/19/2023
HUNTINGTON — Broadway performer Ben Bogen spent the week of Jan. 10-13 working with fifth graders at Littleville Elementary School and third graders in Chester Elementary School, in a guest artist residency arranged by Littleville Principal Andrew Samuelson, a longtime friend of Bogen’s.
Bogen worked with students on familiar scenes from “Frozen,” “Shrek” and “Wicked,” first in the classroom, and then moving to the Performing Arts Center at Gateway Regional High School. On Jan. 13, the scenes were performed in front of the first through fourth graders.
Samuelson said Bogen had time off in his touring schedule, and accepted his invitation to work with the students at Gateway, something he loves to do. Samuelson said when he brought the idea to the Parent-Teacher Organization, members were fully behind it.
“The PTO and parents are phenomenal, supporting our staff with whatever we want to do,” Samuelson said.
During rehearsal on the Performing Arts stage on Jan. 12, Bogen was animated, getting the students to yell out their lines, express themselves with big gestures and have their bodies face the audience, even as they were turning to speak to another student in the skit.
“Be louder, open up, face the audience, learn your lines. I encourage you to be silly,” were all instructions that Bogen shouted to the performers on stage.
Samuelson said the Jan. 13 performance was only going to be for the elementary school students, in order to work with them on audience behavior, something they missed learning during the coronavirus pandemic.
Bogen is a New York-based actor, singer and dancer. He graduated with a bachelor of fine arts degree in musical theater from the University of Michigan and started professionally as an alternate in the national tour of “Jersey Boys.” He performed the lead role of Frankie Valli nearly 50 times. He made his Broadway debut in the ensemble of Disney’s “Frozen,” understudying the principal roles of Olaf and Duke Weselton.