A Name In Lights
Christine Danelson's performance career
Zachary Valdes
Issue date: 4/28/09 Section: Features
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On her break into performing, Danelson says, "I started out by auditioning when I was 16. I auditioned for an off-Broadway show, and the producer liked me. He referred me to an agent." After finding that it would be difficult to earn a part in Hairspray until she turned 18, Danelson spent time at the NJPAC and Papermill Playhouse summer programs. The experience would prove valuable down the road; Danelson's performances at NJPAC included productions of South Pacific and West Side Story. After graduating from Mother Seton Regional High School, in Clark, New Jersey, Danelson was prepared to attend the Mason School at Rutgers University. "I had registered for classes, and I had even set up my dorm room. Right before I started what would have been my first semester, I found out that I had earned a part in Hairspray, and I would be going on tour."
As an understudy for the lead role of Tracy, Danelson had to step into her character's shoes rather quickly. "My first performance was in Connecticut. The day before had been my first full run-through, and I had rehearsed without any set. I had no idea that I would be performing the next day, but the lead actress called out. I called my parents back in New Jersey, and they made it to the show just as the opening curtain rose." The moments leading up to her onstage debut were full of all the expected jitters, butterflies, and anticipation. "I broke a doorknob on the set as I was singing." The show soon became second nature for Danelson. "After that, the next time I performed was in Boston. I had a good feel for it. I watched the show all the time, and I would practice on the stage-side to gauge my stamina." In-between performances, she managed to keep academics in mind. "I was taking online classes. It was hard because not every hotel had Internet service."
By the end of her year-long tour with Hairspray, the show had fulfilled its three-year touring contract with Equity, the performers' union. After attending Union County College for one semester, Danelson came to Kean University. "The music department here was friendly; I felt wanted. It's a small department, so it's very close-knit. Professors don't mind staying for extra time." While enrolled at Kean, Danelson's performance career track has not slowed down. "It takes ambition, and I have ambition." Her onstage experience has translated into onscreen work. "I appeared on the original Law and Order in Jesse Martin's last episode. I also appeared in an episode of Law and Order: Criminal Intent called 'Blasters'." Danelson's motion picture debut came with My Sassy Girl, starring Jesse Bradford and Elisha Cuthbert. On her first appearance on the silver screen, Danelson says, "I played a girl who goes on a date with Jesse Bradford's character and has an emotional breakdown in a restaurant." Although her lone appearance in the film was captured in a single take, the experience was rich with new perspective. Describing her first foray into motion pictures, Danelson says, "It's a whole different aspect, a different feel, a different way of acting. My part was filmed in just one shot. I had a whole paragraph of lines, but the director wanted me to act through improv and cry on cue, and I did."
Danelson has learned some valuable lessons through her performing pursuits. Making note of the potential for opportunities present in everyday activities, she says, "Networking is huge. If you are nice to some one, and you establish a connection, that person will think of you later on. I can't say how many gigs I've gotten that way." Relating to the many aspiring performers looking to break into show business, Danelson says, "No matter how many times you fall, you have to keep on trying. My mom told me when I was little that if I want to do something, I can do it." Through the hard work of many long days spent rehearsing and auditioning, Danelson's passion for performance has not waned. "I just want to perform. I don't care if it's opera, film, theatre, or anything else, as long as I'm performing, that will make me happy." While the names printed on playbills change, Danelson's attitude and approach will always hold top billing.
