A graduate of Penn State’s School of Theatre with a resume including Broadway tours and off-Broadway shows, Alex Dorf ‘12 is currently a cast member of the North American tour of “Hamilton.” During the show’s recent stop in Hershey, Alex spent a day back at his alma mater. Organized by district educators and Manheim Township Performing Arts advisors Samantha Haldeman and Katelyn Candiello, and made possible through a grant from MTEF, Alex’s visit gave Manheim Township students the opportunity to learn from a working performing artist.
Alex shared insights about his educational journey and career path, offered audition tips and performed “Giants in the Sky,” “The Song that Goes Like This” with Katelyn, and “You’ll Be Back.” In the afternoon he conducted a dance workshop with students, leading them through a portion of the choreography for one of Hamilton’s most iconic numbers, “My Shot.”
Growing up, Alex appeared in many productions at the Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre and the Fulton Theatre, including playing the role of Tiny Tim in “A Christmas Carol.” sWhile at Manheim Township, Alex performed in “Peter Pan,” “Into the Woods,” “Crazy for You,” and “Seussical,” with a memorable turn as The Cat in the Hat. Despite his extensive musical theater experience, Alex initially pursued an interest in science and biology, enrolling as a pre-veterinary medicine major at the University of Delaware. But music and dance kept calling to him. Performing was “not easy to let go of,” Alex explained. “I changed course.” He eventually auditioned for and was accepted to Penn State’s School of Theatre, where he earned a BFA in Musical Theatre.
Alex is currently on his second tour with Hamilton, though he will be leaving in February to make his Broadway debut as dance captain for “Pirates! The Penzance Musical,” slated to run April through June of 2025.
Of course, we had to ask Alex how his Manheim Township experience helped to shape his future. “Township created a space where I could be part of the theater program, and the theater program was a place I could go to where I felt like I belonged,” he told us. He also named the wide variety of extracurricular opportunities, as well the academic rigor, saying “some of the assignments here at Township were harder than in college! Township goes above and beyond to prepare you for your life outside of school.”
Former MT theater directors Mark and Beth Wagner, along with Frank Caravella, pit orchestra director and retired MT music teacher, made a special trip back to MTHS for Alex’s visit.