The set was finished and costumes were ready for a musical production at Communication freshman Tyler Guinto-Brody’s high school, where he was a student at the time. Then, a month out from the opening night of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” his school’s auditorium burned down, leaving only a grand piano in its ashes.

Along with the rest of the cast from Elizabeth Forward High School, the Pittsburgh native helped rebuild the entire production from scratch at a nearby high school.

Following his performance in the production, then-high school junior Guinto-Brody was nominated to attend the prestigious National High School Musical Theatre Awards, also known as the Jimmy Awards, for not his first, nor second, but third time.

The Jimmys brings winners of more than 50 regional award programs to New York City for 10 days of coaching sessions, training and rehearsals. Their experience culminates in a talent showcase when a panel of industry professionals awards scholarships and prizes to the nominees.

Because of the Jimmys, Guinto-Brody has appeared on a billboard in New York City’s Times Square and performed twice at the Minskoff Theatre, home of “The Lion King” on Broadway.

Now a theater major at Northwestern, Guinto-Brody is set to star as Dan in Arts Alliance’s “Next to Normal” this June at Shanley Pavilion.

Act One: Road to the Jimmys

Guinto-Brody said he grew up doing every activity under the sun, from baseball and swimming to the martial art Tang Soo Do and drumming, but theater was the one that stuck. Watching “Legally Blonde” live in sixth grade was his first foray into musical theater, he said.

“I would always write stories for my parents and act them out in front of the fireplace,” Guinto-Brody said. “Seeing people do that in a more professional environment, through song, through dialogue, how it’s written and even through the dance, it just looked like so much fun.”

Then, Guinto-Brody said his mother enrolled him in singing, acting and dancing classes. In eighth grade, he performed in his first production as Cinderella’s prince in “Into the Woods Jr.”

As a high school freshman, Guinto-Brody participated in his first high school musical, “The Drowsy Chaperone.” After his performance, Guinto-Brody won Best Actor at the regional Gene Kelly Awards, securing his ticket to the Jimmys.

However, Guinto-Brody performed on a computer screen at his first Jimmys, instead of a live audience, due to the pandemic.

After receiving a greenscreen and recording equipment, he said he spent seven hours a day for two weeks participating in masterclasses, dance lessons, blocking rehearsals and voice coaching on Zoom, which all culminated in an online ceremony.

Guinto-Brody was nominated for the Jimmys again after his sophomore year for his performance of Seymour in “Little Shop of Horrors” in 2022. He stayed in New York City with other nominees, rehearsing more than 12 hours a day and attending outings around the city, he said.

One of the excursions included a surprise at Times Square.

“We looked up and all of our faces were on a Times Square board, and that was incredible to see,” Guinto-Brody said. “It fills you with such awe that this is such a big thing, and to share that so many cool, talented people was amazing.”

For Guinto-Brody’s second rodeo at the Jimmys, the ceremony was held at the Minskoff. Despite having Broadway producers and directors in attendance, Guinto-Brody said his performance was in his muscle memory, and the crowd gave him the confidence to give his all.

Guinto-Brody said he had familiar faces in the audience too, including his parents, his friends and his high school musical director. Until Guinto-Brody came to NU, his mother, Carina Guinto, said she had seen every performance of every show he had been in.

“When he performs, he’s just really in his element,” Guinto said. “So whether it’s a small stage, a church, a high school or in the Minskoff, it kind of feels the same. It’s just like, ‘wow, look at him go.’”

In his junior year of high school, Guinto-Brody starred as Quasimodo in “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” To immerse himself into the development of his character, who is half-deaf and has a speech impediment, Guinto-Brody said he worked with a sign language coach and a vocal coach ahead of playing the technically challenging role.

Just as preparations were underway ahead of schedule, James Benedek, the director of the musical, said he received an early morning call that the school was on fire, which left its auditorium in ashes.

“Luckily, the students are built for adversity, and they were able to put on probably even better production than I could have ever imagined. Tyler was a huge part of that,” Benedek said. “He’s a once-in-a-generation type talent. He’s able to dance, sing, act and kind of do it all.”

Since graduating from high school, Guinto-Brody has returned to the rehearsal room on his breaks to coach and mentor students whose shoes he was once in, Benedek said.

“People want to perform their best when around him, and that is what you’re looking for in a lead actor and in a leader in general,” Benedek said.

Act Two: Becoming a Wildcat

Guinto-Brody said he decided to attend NU after visiting during Wildcat Days for admitted students, where he found the University would be a place for him to hone his craft and become a more multifaceted artist.

When on campus last April, Guinto-Brody said he met his current roommate, Communication freshman Creighton Smith-Allaire.

Some nights, Smith-Allaire said he would return to his room past midnight to find Guinto-Brody sitting on his bed and reading through sheet music.

“Normal people, in their free time, they’ll watch a TV show or scroll or something like that,” Smith-Allaire said. “He loves to just find musicals, and he will just scroll through the entire sheet music of full musicals in his free time. Every once in a while, he’ll sing along.”

The pair of theater majors not only shared a room, they also shared many classes. Together, they took Foundations of Screenwriting, which Guinto-Brody says is one of his favorite classes at NU so far and has affirmed his love for writing.

Guinto-Brody said he wrote two screenplays during the class — one about a sailor who wanted to live up to his father’s image as a ship captain and the other about a daughter navigating mythology and reality during World War II in the Philippines.

Guinto-Brody added he has met a “supportive and fiery” theater community “oozing with passion and excitement for the arts” at NU. Still, he’s excited to break into the Radio, Television and Film program through writing, directing, producing and acting in his own films, he said.

“I think that what people don’t realize about Tyler is some of his best stuff is not actually on the stage,” Benedek said. “He has a lot of special gifts, so the sky’s the limit with him. It’s just where he wants to land in that creative space.”

This year, Guinto-Brody performed in “Hunger” in Vertigo Productions’ 10-minute Play Festival and “The Drought Girl” in Purple Crayon Players’ 17th Annual PLAYground Festival.

While the festival featured plays meant for young theater audiences, “The Drought Girl” contained themes that parents and families could bond over and relate to, Guinto-Brody said.

“Seeing the little kids’ faces laugh and make reactions to certain things – it was so cool to see,” Guinto-Brody said. “That’s the first time that some of these kids might have seen theater too, and knowing that we could have started that passion is so fulfilling.”

Now, Guinto-Brody said he is preparing to play his dream role in what he described as his “number one show.” Opening June 6, Guinto-Brody will play Dan — who helps his wife with bipolar disorder deal with grief and loss — in “Next to Normal.”

Working with the cast and director, Guinto-Brody has conducted character work to build a world for the story, he said.

“It’s so amazing to be able to dive into a character that I’ve been itching to play,” Guinto-Brody said. “I’m extra determined to bring him to life and to grow as a performer.”

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