Submitted by Beef & Boards
First seen on the Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre stage as Brigitta, the smart, observant, book-reading 12-year-old in “The Sound of Music,” Grace Morgan has stepped back onto the same stage in another classic musical, “Hello, Dolly!” She plays the beautiful widow milliner, Irene Molloy.
“It’s been incredible being back,” the 2008 Fishers High School graduate said. “There are quite a few people in this show who have known me since I was young, so it’s been really wonderful getting the chance to know them as an adult and fellow cast member.”
The Beef & Boards stage was not her first.
“I did my first musical at 5 years old in Carmel and then did shows at Civic (Theatre) and then Indiana Repertory Theatre,” Morgan said. “Then I found out about Beef & Boards when I was about 12 and loved working here, too. I remember being incredibly excited when I found out I was going to work at Beef & Boards. It’s an Indiana landmark.
“I remember enjoying my relationships so much with the other kids, many of whom I still know and have continued working in the realm of theater here in Indiana and in New York.”
Growing up on local stages guided her into a career in the spotlight.
“It was always the only thing that I wanted to do, so it was a no-brainer to get my college degree in musical theater,” she said, adding she earned that degree at the University of Michigan, where she met her future husband, Daniel Berryman.
“We were both majoring in musical theater, and the first time I heard him sing, I fell in love,” she said. “We didn’t start seriously dating until a couple years later, but we have been best friends since we were 18.”
From there, they moved to New York City, where they lived for seven years and welcomed their first son, Luke, now 3.
“The city just fits us, and we really feel we thrive there,” Morgan said.
Although they moved back to Fishers to be close to family and continue to hone their skills, they plan to move back to the New York city some day.
“We both spent a lot of time on the road with Broadway tours, and we wanted to be able to spend some time investing in something to keep us in New York while we wait for the next gig,” Morgan said. “We’re hoping to not have to travel so much now that we have a family. My husband is now a web developer as well, and I am a cosmetologist on the side. These other skills will allow us to be pickier about the shows we choose to take and allow us to stay put more often.”
Morgan’s career has included many famous roles such as Roxie Hart in “Chicago” and Sandy in “Grease.”
But her most remarkable role to date was that of Christine Daaé in the national tour of “The Phantom of the Opera.”
“Touring with ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ was in so many ways a dream come true. I got to play the role of Christine twice a week, and it felt amazing getting to wear those iconic costumes and sing that beautiful music,” she said, adding she performed off and on from 2013-2018. “The Phantom fans are unlike anything I’d experienced. They are so loyal to the show, and they know every actor who’s ever played the role. Lots of them still follow along with my life and support me in all my life changes.”
Since being back in Indiana, Morgan has had another son, Jesse, now 2.
Irene Molloy and the musical “Hello, Dolly!” are new additions for Morgan’s resume, and she’s enjoyed stepping back into turn-of-the-century Yonkers, N.Y
“‘Hello, Dolly!’ is everything that’s wonderful about musical theater,” she said. “It has beautiful music, incredible dancing and hysterical physical comedy. I particularly love ‘Hello, Dolly!’ because there are so many different generations being represented, and I think everyone can relate to someone in this show.”
She’s also finding her character, Irene Molloy, relatable.
“I feel like Irene has been in a form of isolation since her husband passed away, and she doesn’t really have access to the social scene the way the married women or dating women do,” Morgan said. “Cornelius gives her the chance to reenter society and enjoy her life again. I feel like COVID has really kept me inside with my two little children, and this show has given me the chance to be out and do what I love again.
“I feel like I have rejoined society, getting to sing and dance every night and enjoy being with my cast. I think Irene and I are both incredibly social and love celebrating life.”
For tickets, visit beefandboards.com.
