Senior Spotlight: Belting it Out with Gabby Kenny

Seventeen year old Fair Haven native Gabby Kenny gave her first performance in a local production of Scrooge, when she was in the first grade. “I’ve done the same production of the play every year, and I’ve gone through many different parts, from the kids cast to the adults cast in that time. I’ve learned so much from it, and I’m sad that this will be my last year. I’ll miss it.”

Kenny continues, “The part in Scrooge and making the cut for the third grade choir gave me the confidence to sing in front of others. Theater has really taken me out of my bubble. Now I’m not anxious at all when I sing.”      

Outside of the arts, Kenny’s favorite subject at Rumson Fair Haven Regional High School is psychology. “I like studying the reasons people do the things they do, their behavior always interests me. You can’t always describe it, but psychology tries to explain it.”

Kenny performs as a member of the Tower Singers, the school’s choir and is the Vice President of the Tower Players, the school’s theater group. The day we spoke she was getting ready for a performance of a Latin song for the Spanish club at school.

As for her personal musical favorites, Kenny quickly names the legendary classic rock group Queen. “The lyrics really get me, they are real and people connect to it. I love ballads, and Queen has so many great ballads. Freddie Mercury was such a great performer and songwriter.” Simon and Garfunkel, the Beatles, more for their ballads than their psychedelic stuff, and Bob Dylan, more for his lyrics than his voice, are also tops on Kenny’s list.  

When researching a part, rather than rely on inspiration from one or two favorite actors, Kenny uses technology. “It’s hard to choose a favorite actor, because there are so many great ones, but when I get a part, I use YouTube to see how people have played it, and use that to inform my take on it. I’m currently playing Joanna, the daughter in our school’s production of Sweeney Todd. I’m one of the characters who doesn’t get killed” Kenny says with a laugh.

Last year Kenny was nominated for best supporting actress in a musical for her part in Fiddler on the Roof. Her band also got second place at the talent show for their Aretha Franklin/Doors medley of Chain of Fools/Roadhouse Blues.

Looking forward to college Kenny explains “I’ve applied to eleven schools and would like to do a double major in Performing Arts and something else, I’m not quite sure yet. Maybe business or psychology. My first choice is St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, I know I want to be in or close to a city, so I can experience the arts. After that, one of my dreams is to own a coffeehouse, a place where musicians could play.”

Regarding the future, Kenny says “It can be a scary place out there, and sometimes people get down and stay down, but they have to know they can grow stronger.”

Maybe Kenny will have a career as a motivational speaker?

Jim Josselyn is a musician, teacher, composer and is the director of the Academy of Music and Drama.

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