Outstanding Senior: Marilena Castoro

Outstanding Senior Marilena Castoro from Smithtown first came to LIHSA through our Summer Arts Academy in 2022. She has spent her junior and senior year at LIHSA studying Musical Theater.

Known as a kind, dedicated, and caring person, Marilena has become more confident in herself and her abilities while at LIHSA. Her favorite class at LIHSA was Musical Theater History and Repertoire. She shares, “In the class we learned the history of Broadway and where theater came from. In each unit, we got our own songs to work on and they were all different styles, so we also learned about different composers and musicians.”

Marilena was part of the Big Fish production this year. Additionally, this winter she was part of the Jane Eyre production at Lincoln Center. “It was so cool! We got to work with famous Broadway stars. We also got to see the rehearsal process in real time. It wasn’t much different from what we do here. Knowing that really shows what we do at LIHSA is professional.”

Offering advice to incoming LIHSA students, Marlinena shares, “Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. Take advantage of every opportunity you can get.”

Marilena appreciates her teachers, and especially Chris Brick. “He’s awesome. He pushes us to do our best no matter what.”

After graduating from LIHSA, Marilena will go on to do Musical Theater and Music.

We’re going to be cheering you on, Marilena!