Village Theater Whiz Breaking Broadway Boundaries

Eight-year-old villager Nicholas Lampiasi isn't your ordinary kid. The former Orchard student has been all across the United States on a Broadway tour while completing school studies far above his age.

Nicholas, his mother Karen said, has been cast as "Small Boy" in Billy Elliott performing eight shows a week while taking tap and ballet classes. Most productions use two boys to alternate the part because of their young age, his mother said. "Nicholas is the first 'Small Boy' in the US to play the part without an alternate."

And did we mention he maintains a 97 average at National Connections Academy after skipping grades?

Karen told Patch that her son, with a combination of determination, focus, smarts and savvy is able to balance a hectic schedule–one most adults with an iPhone and Blackberry require. "It doesn't hurt that he has three amazing older siblings who he looks up to, and with a six year age gap between him and his next older sibling, he has always spent time around older kids and that has given him the ability to function in a very adult world at the theater, even as a young child."

We asked Nicholas to take some time from his busy schedule and answer five questions as Patch's Whiz Kid of the Week.

1) Patch: How did you get into theater?

Nicholas: My older sisters and brother do a lot of theatre so I was always around it. When I got old enough I asked if I could audition for some shows too. I did a summer camp at Garage Theater and loved it. I asked my parents if I could go on other auditions in the city and they got me a manager. My first real theater audition was for the Billy Elliot tour. I couldn't believe I got the part!

2) Patch: How do you manage good grades with such a busy schedule?

Nicholas: It's hard sometimes to concentrate on schoolwork with so much going on but I just do my best. We have tutoring every day so we make sure there is time to get our schoolwork done.

3) Patch: What's it like to travel so often? Do you get homesick?

Nicholas: It's kind of weird to be away from home for so long.  It feels like an extended vacation. It's fun to see new cities and perform in different theaters. But I miss being in my house too.

4) Patch: What are your favorite parts of performing and how do you prepare for a production?

Nicholas: Having a lollipop every night on stage!! My character opens the show by himself and he has a lollipop in his mouth. It's a lot of fun being in the Broadway show with the most kids! We have 42 cast members and 20 of them are kids from 8 years old to 15 years old.

Before the show opened we had months of rehearsals in NYC and in Durham [NC]. Now that we are on the road we don't rehearse as much, but we do still have rehearsals.

I have to get to the theater a half hour before the show starts and it goes by very quickly. I have to get into my costume and my mic. We do vocal warmups and then it's time to go on stage. I do all 8 shows a week, which is really fun, especially the days with 2 shows.  I just had my 100th performance while we [were] in Tampa.

5) Patch: Any roles upcoming after Billy Elliot is over?

Nicholas: Nothing yet but I plan on auditioning for more theater and film and tv too.