RB High Grad's Dance Career Comes Full Circle with Return Home

For any aspiring artistic person there is no greater thrill than achieving success, or even moreso, returning to their hometown with an opportunity to share the fruits of their labor with family and friends. Such is the case for San Diego-native and longtime Rancho Bernardo resident, Marceea Moreno.

A successful dancer, Moreno is back in San Diego as a cast member of Come Fly Away, the Broadway musical that blends the legendary vocals of Frank Sinatra with a live on-stage band and some of the world’s finest dancers. The energy-filled story of romance features Sinatra classics such as “Fly Me to the Moon,” “My Way,” and “That’s Life.”

Moreno is part of the ensemble but she is also a "swing," which means she initially had to learn the dance moves for all three female ensemble roles, as well three of the four leading roles.

“Everything is choreographed to a T, and the extensive amount of choreography was the most challenging part,” Moreno said. “It is quite stressful having to learn so much choreography all at once in such a short amount of time, but once you learn it, it becomes second nature.

"The schedule changes every week so at any point I [dance] for any of the six female roles. It is a lot of fun because it always keeps the show fresh in my head.”

Since the Come Fly Away opening in September 2009, Moreno has stepped into the leading role of Kate more than any other leading role.

“It has been the most fun role I have ever played in my life. [Kate] is funky. She is wild, and attention-grabbing. She is just like me in real life,” Moreno added with a laugh.

In “real life” Moreno may be wild, but she is also a hard worker and dedicated dancer. She took her first dance lesson at the age of 4 and from that moment on spent the majority of her free time dancing.

“I started young with gymnastics and some jazz tap, which I really liked,” Moreno recalled.

She continued for about four years taking a variety of dance classes through the city’s Park and Recreation programs.

“In the youth program, we took dance classes throughout the week and four times a year we would perform at the Casa Del Prado in Balboa Park. I started [dancing] at different studios when I was about 8 years old and started at the California Ballet School.”

Moreno blossomed as a dancer and earned a scholarship to the Academy of Performing Arts San Diego when she was 13.

“The academy is not a full-time schooll; it is more of an after-school program, so I was still attending regular school,” Moreno explained. “I basically lived there after school though. We had dance class after dance class. They offered jazz, hip hop, ballet, acting, singing, basically a really wide range of teachers and classes. It helped me a lot, and got me thinking about dancing for the rest of my life.”

While she was still a student at , Moreno was in Los Angeles singing and dancing in a showcase she put together and caught the eye of a talent agent.

“I was 15 then, and when they asked me if I wanted to be a part of their talent agency I said, 'Of course, I would love to be’, ” Moreno said. Soon after that, she landed her first professional dancing gig as one of the dancers for Mandy Moore’s “I Want to be With You” music video. Moore and Moreno were approximately the same age.

Moreno graduated from high school in 2001, and while most of her classmates headed off to college, she moved to L.A. to pursue her passion. She had, after all, already added several music videos and the title of Miss Dance World in 2000 to her dance résumé. During these last 10 years, her career path found its way to Vegas where Moreno continued to blossom in roles with high profile companies such as Dragone’s Le Reve and Cirque du Soleil’s Zumanity.

“It has been great. It is like all of my dreams have been coming true,” Moreno said. “I love Vegas. It’s where I live now and I moved there because I knew [dancing jobs] were not scarce. There is a lot of freelancing, and you know that if you get a show, you know you’re going to be working for a while.”

On a whim, Moreno auditioned for Come Fly Away, and never in her wildest dreams did she imagine she would tour the country as part of a Broadway national tour.

“Living in Vegas and being part of different casts in a variety of shows, you really adapt to a dancer lifestyle, but nothing can prepare you for your first tour,” Moreno said. “For me, it has been great; I was not prepared for how much fun I would have. I love being in hotels, and I like taking adventures and seeing what new cities have to offer. I often have to remind myself I am working, and not on vacation.”

Of all of the cities she has been to, and will visit with Come Fly Away, San Diego is by far her favorite. Moreno is home. Her family still lives in the same house she grew up in on Carmel Mountain Ranch, and several family members are in town from Arizona to see her perform.

“I am so excited to be in my hometown doing this show. I never thought this would happen. I really hope that I have some great shows because I have over 100 friends and family coming to see the show. I am just really excited,” she said.

Her parents, who Moreno refers to as her biggest fans (her mom has tickets to almost every San Diego show, even though she already saw Come Fly Away in L.A.), are the two people to whom she is the most grateful.

“I was able to do what I have done because of my parents,” Moreno said. “They were supportive 100 percent. My mom drove me back and forth to rehearsals more times than I can count, and when I began dancing professionally she also drove me to L.A. several times a week. I was fortunate to have so much support.”

Moreno also has the right attitude.

“Because of my parents, my personality from day one has been to go for it 100 percent. Don’t hold anything back. You have to live it. You have to breathe it. Take it face on with no hesitation, and just go for it,” she said.

Moreno added that it is also important to “remain teachable, keep a clear head, and stay focused.”

“Dancing is a release for me. It sets my emotions free and whether I am having a bad day or a good day, it allows me to express myself. It has always been in my blood to want to dance.”

See the Show:

Come Fly Away is playing at the San Diego Civic Theatre (Third and B Street, downtown) through Nov. 13. Ticket prices for all performances range from $20-$85 and are available at the Civic Theatre ticket office or by calling 619-570-1100. Tickets can also be purchased online through Ticketmaster.