'Almost Famous' On Broadway Features Wyckoff Musical Theater Actor

WYCKOFF, NJ — A shy girl from Bergen County has made it to Broadway and says it's thanks to lots of hard work and the Wyckoff YMCA.

Claire Kwon is currently understudying six characters in "Almost Famous" — a musical based on the 2000 film by Cameron Crowe — which premiered this season on Nov. 3.

Kwon said this has been her dream ever since she auditioned for a smaller production, the Wyckoff YMCA's production of "The Wizard of Oz" in 2009.

"I found a wonderful community of friends, mentors and supporters at the YMCA who nurtured my artistic passions and encouraged me through my journey," Kwon wrote in an email.

"Only because of them and other supporters in my life did I have the courage to pursue my dreams."

Kwon's role in the musical revealed she had a flair for the dramatic, and she decided to pursue the arts with one essential goal in mind: to perform on Broadway.

"Almost Famous" tells the story of an aspiring music journalist who tags along with an up-and-coming band in the 1970s as an assignment for Rolling Stone.

Kwon's bio can be seen on the musical's website, where it notes her Broadway debut comes just months after graduating from Northwestern University.

In an email interview with Patch, the burgeoning Broadway star also gave thanks to her mom and friends who encouraged her to audition for that first production that got her started.

"I fell in love with musical theater at the YMCA," Kwon said, "And continued growing in my artistic roots there."