Three questions with Hunchback's Sam Grobmeier

HND Patch caught up with LWE senior Sam Grobmeier, to discuss her upcoming role in Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame which will be at LWE April 27-29 (tickets $10 at lwemusic.org)

Sam, we've seen you perform many comedic pieces over the years, both in musical theatre and performance pieces. Esmeralda is a much more serious role. How has that affected you?

For years I have been cast as comedic, character roles. I loved being the comic relief in shows, and I still do! Esmeralda is by far the most serious role I’ve ever played… and I have absolutely fallen in love with it. Performing in a serious role for me is a lot more difficult than comedic roles. You have to delve deep into the character and really see things from their perspective... you have to establish the similarities between you and your character and really find the genuine, raw emotions they’re feeling within yourself. Serious roles require a lot of truth in their storytelling, and I have truly grown to love finding myself through these roles.

Esmeralda seems to be a tough yet caring character who depends on nobody. How were your able to convey that to the audience? How did playing that character affect you?

Esmeralda is unlike any other character in the musical theatre world. She is the human embodiment of selflessness and empowerment. She isn’t afraid to stand up for herself and will stop at nothing to help the people she cares for. She isn’t saved by a man and doesn’t give everything up for him. She saves herself and never goes against what she truly believes. Her standards are high, and she doesn’t settle for anything less. Playing such an inspiring character in such a beautiful show has empowered me beyond belief. However, the thing that really struck me about Esmeralda was how she was the only person who saw Quasimodo for who he truly was. She digs deeper and realizes how special he truly is on the inside. I’d never felt such a true connection with a role until I played Esmeralda. I’ve been working with students that have special needs and disabilities every day for the past 2 years as an Adaptive P.E leader at school. Words can’t describe how special these kids are to me. They never fail to inspire me and make me want to become a better person. Just like Esmeralda thought with Quasimodo, I thought that I would be the one helping them. But, it turns out that they have been the ones helping me all along. This personal tie I had with Esmeralda made me fall even more in love with her character. It’s so easy to look at someone and judge them for what’s “wrong” with them… but, Esmeralda isn’t like that. She doesn’t talk to or care for Quasimodo because she was forced to or because she would benefit from it in some way. She did it because she wanted to and really cared. She cherished him when no one else really did. She truly has been a huge turning point in my life. She has shaped me into not only a better actor, but a better human being by teaching me even more about selflessness, compassion, and understanding. Vocally, physically, and emotionally, this character took my entire being. It has pushed me to my limits in more ways than one… but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I truly couldn’t have asked for a more meaningful character and show to end my high school career.

That's deep stuff. We look forward to watching you bring Esmeralda to life. What's next for Sam Grobmeier after this production?

I will be graduating this spring and have recently auditioned for 13 college musical theatre programs! I will be majoring in Musical Theatre at an undecided university this fall.

Best of luck to you Sam Grobmeier and we can't wait to see your performance in Hunchback of Notre Dame this April 27, 28, 29 at Lincoln-way East High School, 201 Colorado, Frankfort IL