RADIO CITY CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR
Alyssa will be making her New York debut in the Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes for the Rockettes' centennial year. She is one of 6 vocalists performing among 150 artists in the largest indoor theater in the nation. Directed/Choreographed by Julie Branam and Music Directed by Fred Lassen.
"The Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes is an annual musical holiday stage show presented at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The 90-minute show features more than 140 performers and an original musical score, and combines singing, dancing, and humor with traditional scenes. The star performers are the women's precision dance troupe the Rockettes. Since the first version was presented in 1933, the show has become a New York Christmas tradition."
PERFORMANCES: November 6th - January 4th, 2025
MORE INFO: https://www.rockettes.com/christmas/
MADE IN ANN ARBOR @ THE GREEN ROOM 42
Join Alyssa and fellow Michigan alumni at The Green Room 42 for "Made in Ann Arbor!"
"In a one-night cabaret style performance, the cast explores how this small yet vibrant town in the Midwest shaped and inspired them as artists. From alumni who are making their names on Broadway and in NYC, to students who are expanding the boundaries of music in Ann Arbor, this show is a night of community, creativity, and celebration. With your show tune favorites, inspiring new works, and entertaining ensembles, come see the young artists who are eager to share their love, music, and energy that will inspire you all as they enter the world."
PERFORMANCE: May 26th, 2025 at 9:30 pm
SMTD EARL V. MOORE AWARD @ MICHIGAN
Alyssa receives the Earl V. Moore Award in Musical Theatre for the Class of 2025. It is a distinct honor decided on by all faculty members and reserved for one student in the graduating class. She was introduced by Prof. Lynne Shankel and sang "As If We Never Said Goodbye" from Sunset Blvd at the SMTD Commencement Ceremony on May 7th, 2025.
"Presented annually, the Earl V. Moore Awards are given to the top graduates in music, theatre, and dance. The five awards are named for Earl Vincent Moore, who came to what was then the University of Michigan School of Music as a freshman in 1908, joined our faculty in 1912, and served first as Director and then as our first Dean from 1923 until 1960. There are five Moore Award recipients each year: two in music and one each in dance, musical theatre, and theatre."
MORE INFO: https://smtd.umich.edu/video-media-2025-smtd-commencement-ceremony/
KUMIHO READING @ UMICH
Alyssa's original musical, Kumiho, had its first-ever reading/recording session in Spring 2025. Featuring an all-AANHPI cast of UMich students. Accompanied by John Bogdan.
"Kumiho, which means "nine-tailed fox" in Korean, is a fairytale love story about magical foxes. The plot is set in Ancient Japan and Korea and combines mythical lore from both cultures (both sides of me). According to both legends, foxes are shapeshifters and present themselves as young, attractive humans (typically a woman). But while the Japanese version views them as beautiful gatekeepers of the heavens, the Korean version views them as demonic creatures who prey on human souls for sustenance. For our fox heroine, Kumi, identity comes into question when she meets a human boy who shows her the beauty and complexity of emotion, something foxes have been conditioned to repress for fear of revealing their true fox nature."
PERFORMANCE: April 27th, 2025
PERPETUAL SUNSHINE AND THE GHOST GIRLS @ UMICH
Alyssa plays Emmaline/Manager Man in a workshop reading of Perpetual Sunshine and the Ghost Girls at the University of Michigan. Directed by Ann Yee, Music by Lynne Shankel, and Book/Lyrics by Sara Cooper.
PERFORMANCE: December 7th, 2024
UMICH MT '25 SENIOR ENTRANCE
Tune in to Senior Entrance featuring the UMich Musical Theatre Class of 2025! Music Direction, Arrangements, and Orchestrations by Alyssa Sunew, Stephanie Reuning-Scherer, and Jason Mulay.
SOUTH PACIFIC @ GOODSPEED MUSICALS
Alyssa will be spending her summer in East Haddam, CT as a Swing in South Pacific, directed by Chay Yew and choreographed by Parker Esse.
"On a lush tropical island during World War II, battles of the heart are center stage in the Goodspeed premiere of the soaring Rodgers & Hammerstein classic. A lovestruck nurse and a young lieutenant are pulled into the tide of separate romances in an exotic world of risk and passion. But prejudice clouds their potential paradise. Get swept away by twin love stories and a rapturous score that includes “Some Enchanted Evening,” “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair,” “Bali Ha’i” and more."
PERFORMANCES: June 11th - August 14th, 2024
COLOR CABARET @ UMICH
Join the BIPOC students of UMich Musical Theatre in the biennial Color Cabaret! Arrangements and some parody lyrics by Alyssa Sunew.
PERFORMANCES: February 22nd, 2024
VIDEOS: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGg904JjfshBank4deaVPGyNVlNGHdzYw&si=rBcRcdWw5wXTtL_N
PIPPIN: HER LIFE AND TIMES @ UMICH
Alyssa plays the Leading Player/Pippin's Mother in a workshop production of Pippin: Her Life and Times at University of Michigan's New Works Festival. Directed and written by Bess Frankel with oversight by Stephen Schwartz.
"Pippin: Her Life and Times is a modern feminist reimagining of the classic musical."
PERFORMANCES: February 15th and 17th, 2024
THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE @ THE ENCORE
Alyssa plays Marcy Park in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at the Encore in collaboration with the University of Michigan. Directed by Vincent Cardinal, Choreographed by Ashley Blanchet, and Music Directed by Tyler Driskill.
"The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a delightful and heartwarming musical that has won the hearts of audiences worldwide. Winner of the Tony and the Drama Desk Awards for Best Book, the show charms audiences with its effortless wit and humor. Featuring a fast-paced, wildly funny and touching book by Rachel Sheinkin and a truly fresh and vibrant score by William Finn, this bee is one unforgettable experience."
"Alyssa Sunew plays Marcy, a student driven by her parents to be the best. Sunew captures this overachiever with a stern, all-business demeanor and rising frustration. She sings “I Speak Six Languages,” which is both an accomplishment and a burden."
PERFORMANCES: October 19th - 29th, 2023
RENT @ UMICH
Alyssa plays Coat Vendor/Ensemble in RENT at the University of Michigan. Directed by Devanand Janki and choreographed by Robert Tatad.
PERFORMANCES: April 13th - 16th, 2023
MORE INFO: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VyE_TJiEP-_KJuPoUAG7eg5xFalN0pgj/view
SOPHISTICATED LADIES @ UMICH
Alyssa is a Featured Vocalist in Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies at the University of Michigan. Directed and choreographed by Ayodele Casel and Torya Beard.
"We are grateful for the opportunity to explore this historical and monumental work with such brave, honest, and talented artists. Sophisticated Ladies contains much of what we hold dear--legacy, tradition, joy, collaboration, and celebration of African-American music and dance. We drew great inspiration from the original creators and performers of Sophisticated Ladies and are proud of how this cast brings their full, authentic, and bold expression to this work." -- Torya Beard & Ayodele Casel
"Additionally, Sunew brings a sweet voice and upbeat personality to “Hit Me With a Hot Note (And Watch Me Bounce).”"
PERFORMANCES: October 6th - 16th, 2022
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF WITH THE PHILADELPIA ORCHESTRA
Alyssa plays Grandma Tzeitel/Shprintze in a staged concert version of Fiddler On the Roof, featuring John Williams's original film score in collaboration with University Musical Society from Michigan and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Directed by Sarna Lapine and Music Directed by Andy Einhorn.
"But now, Fiddler is back with its first major performance in Philadelphia since theaters reopened. It's going to be a special one: it's a "semi-staged concert production" featuring Broadway stars Chuck Cooper, Loretta Ables Sayre, and Chad Jennings in the main roles, along with students from the University Musical Society, and the score played by the Philadelphia Orchestra. The production was performed first in Ann Arbor before arriving in Philadelphia. The orchestra’s production will feature the score from the 1971 movie adaptation of Fiddler, which was adapted by legendary composer John Williams from Sheldon Harnick and Jerry Bock's score."
"Presenting this wonderful score and show in a form that’s never been heard or seen re-animates and extends the life of a great project that means so much to so many people," Williams, the composer, said in a press release about the production. "The story is never going to be old. It’s as basic and human as any story can ever be.”
PERFORMANCES: March 3rd - 6th, 2022 at Verizon Hall
MORE INFO: https://www.broadstreetreview.com/previews/philadelphia-orchestra-presents-fiddler-on-the-roof
THE BEST OF BROADWAY WITH THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY (POPS)
Alyssa makes her concert debut singing as a Guest Vocalist with the Houston Symphony in "Live from Jones Hall: The Best of Broadway (POPS)." Conducted by Stephen Reineke.
"It goes without saying that the opener to the 2020–21 Bank of America POPS season is one of the most anticipated concerts in recent history. After a six month hiatus from the glitz and glamour, colored lights, stellar vocalists, and renowned musicality of your Houston Symphony, we are beyond excited to resume POPS programming with an all-star cast and the return of Principal POPS conductor, Steven Reineke."
PERFORMANCE: September 5th, 2020
MORE INFO: https://houstonsymphony.org/houston-symphony-lights-up-with-the-bright-lights-of-broadway/
NATIONAL YOUNGARTS FINALIST IN THEATER
Alyssa was named a 2020 Finalist in Theater by the National YoungArts Foundation. She was the only recipient from Texas in the discipline of Theater that year. She was invited to National YoungArts Week in Miami, FL, and went on to be a Semi-Finalist Presidential Scholar in the Arts.
"National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) has announced the 2020 YoungArts award winners-686 of the nation's most accomplished young artists from 40 States in the visual, literary and performing arts. Selected for their caliber of artistic achievement, award winners are chosen by esteemed discipline-specific panels of artists through a rigorous blind adjudication process. This year's award winners represent the top 9.5% of applications across ten artistic disciplines. YoungArts award winners gain access to one of the most prestigious programs for emerging artists in the United States in which they will have opportunities for creative and professional development throughout their entire careers. A complete list of the 2020 winners, all 15-18 years old or in grades 10-12, is available online at youngarts.org/winners."
FOOTLOOSE @ THE MUNY
Alyssa makes her Muny debut in the Teen Ensemble of Footloose as part of the Muny/Webster EYA intensive. Directed by Christian Borle and choreographed by Jessica Hartman.
“The 80s are alive again as the town of Bomont prepares to take the Muny stage,” said Muny Artistic Director and Executive Producer Mike Isaacson. “This is an incredible company and team to give the show a vibrant and fresh life.”
PERFORMANCES: July 18th - 24th, 2019
JEROME ROBBINS' BROADWAY @ TUTS
Alyssa plays Wendy from Peter Pan and The King and I Narrator in the 4th ever production of Jerome Robbins' Broadway at Theatre Under the Stars. Directed by Cynthia Onrubia.
"Jerome Robbins’ Broadway is an epic musical anthology that honors the career highlights of Tony Award-winning director and choreographer, Jerome Robbins. Filled with mesmerizing production numbers from some of Robbins’ biggest hits, including West Side Story, Gypsy, On the Town, Peter Pan, The King and I and Fiddler on the Roof, this monumental TUTS premiere is the crown jewel of the musical theatre company’s 50th Anniversary Season."
PERFORMANCES: May 28th - June 9th, 2019