From a dance company in Los Angeles, to “Fiddler on the Roof” on Broadway, to “Hamilton,” Andrew Wojtal (GHS ’07) is seeing his dreams unfold and living them everyday.

For seven years after graduation, Wojtal was part of a Los Angeles concert dance company where he worked with both American and international choreographers while performing around the world. In May 2016, he joined the cast of “Fiddler on the Roof,” one of the most beloved Broadway plays. This gave him exposure to larger audiences as well as the challenge of staying fresh for eight performances a week. In order to do this, Wojtal said that he had to convince himself that he did not know the work and that he needed to concentrate on each performance.

His preparation and performance did not go unnoticed. Shortly after joining Fiddler, it was announced that it would close on Broadway. At the same time, the Broadway touring company of “Hamilton” was being formed and Wojtal’s agent sent him information about auditions.

While Fiddler is a classic, “Hamilton” is considered by many to be the best Broadway musical of all time. Ensuring quality is utmost in the minds of those responsible for casting. Auditioning for a part in “Hamilton” was highly competitive and grueling.

The first audition lasted all day with many cuts being made throughout the day. By the end of the day, Wojtal had made it through. A second and third audition call followed with the choreographer, music director and music team. After the third audition, he was invited to a weeklong bootcamp with ten other dancers. During that time they learned the music from the show and staged four of the larger production numbers.

It was another three weeks before Wojtal was asked to come in for one final audition call which included many people who had been through the same rigorous audition process around the country. Just before Christmas, Wojtal was notified that he had made the cut and would become a dancer in the touring show of “Hamilton.”

In January 2017, Wojtal moved to San Fransisco where the traveling show would premier. As expected, rehearsals were long and arduous, yet exciting. Once the show began in March, the cast settled in to eight performances a week. “Hamilton” just wrapped up in San Francisco, to outstanding reviews, and has now moved to Los Angeles where it will play until the end of December. After that, the 2018 lineup includes performances in Denver, Boston, D.C., and Atlanta.

Wojtal has continued to impress and was recently named the understudy for the part of King George III. This role will allow him to use his acting as well as dancing and singing skills. He will have nine minutes of solo singing and this part is certainly an audience favorite.

When asked to reflect on his experience in “Hamilton,” Wojtal said, “There is something magic about it. It’s almost incomprehensible how clearly a show this complex can explain American history through the many voices of America as we know it today.” He added, “Lin-Manuel Miranda is brilliant in his understanding of history and how it is relevant and applicable to our current world. The music of the show is infectious and there isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t enjoy highlighting the important issues through this choreography and music with this particular group of people.”

Wojtal also made it very clear how proud he is to come from Maine. He said, “For the first time in my life I’ve been describing my career as lucky.

I have always worked hard for what I have accomplished, but there are times when you just happen to be in the right place at the right time, and I feel so grateful for the opportunity to be included in something this artistic, important and historic. Few things compare to looking around a room and seeing first hand the brilliance that is the American Dream.”

Wojtal is the son of Ann Withington and Michael Wojtal. Sister Emma, (GHS ’04) is currently working as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner at Jacobi Hospital emergency department in the Bronx.