Some rising stars learned their craft at the University of Alabama

Since foundation years in the 1970s, the University of Alabama Department of Theatre and Dance has trained and graduated thousands of dancers, actors and singers, many of them triple threats, who've moved on into professional performing, teaching, writing, directing and other careers.

The department also teaches many of the numerous areas crucial to the creation of shows and performances: writing, directing, design -- lighting, sound, stage, costuming -- stage management and theater management. Graduates from those concentrations also populate the professional performing arts world.

With a renewed emphasis on professional performance development this century, UA Theatre and Dance graduates have launched into high-profile careers from stage to television and film.

As star of the CBS show "Star Trek: Discovery," and the first Black woman to headline a Trek franchise, Sonequa Martin-Green, who graduated in 2007, has appeared on magazine covers from Entertainment Weekly to Essence, as well as artwork for various other Trek-related ephemera, such as trading cards, books, records, DVDs and graphic novels.

She landed the role of Cmdr. Michael Burnham, adopted sister to Spock, atop a resume built from indie films and regular roles on other TV hits including "The Walking Dead," "Once Upon a Time" and "The Good Wife."

And she's not done exploring strange new franchises, voicing Vienna in the "Fast and Furious Crossroads" video game, and teaming with Don Cheadle, LeBron James, Daffy, Bugs, Tweety, Sylvester and Yosemite Sam for the 2021 feature "Space Jam: A New Legacy." Imbd.com ranks her Savannah James character at the top of that illustrious cast list.

Michael Luwoye, UA class of 2013, became just the third actor, and the first Black actor, to play the lead in the "Hamilton" phenomenon, taking the role both on Broadway and on the national tour. He was also the first actor to play both Hamilton and second-lead Aaron Burr; on one notable day Luwoye played Hamilton at the matinee, and Burr in the evening show. He's also held recurring roles on TV shows including "Bluff City Law," "The Gifted," "She's Gotta Have It," and "The Magicians," the latter as Hades. 

When UA's Professional Actor Training Program was still connected to the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in Montgomery, it produced some graduates who've risen to the top of their fields. Among them was Michael Emerson, who played Benjamin Linus, one of the chief villains from the smash "Lost," and who holds recurring roles on "Arrow," "The Name of the Rose" and "Evil."

Another UA/ASF grad was Norbert Leo Butz, who's won two Tonys for Best Actor in a Musical, one of just nine performers to do so. Butz first appeared on Broadway as Roger in "Rent," then originated the role of Fiyero in blockbuster "Wicked," and Freddy in "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," for which he won his first Tony, along with Drama Desk, Drama League, and Outer Critics Circle awards. He won his second Tony and second Drama Desk award, for "Catch Me If You Can," as Carl Hanratty, the role played by Tom Hanks in the Steven Spielberg movie. Butz has also held feature film and TV roles alongside Steve Carell, Naomi Watts, Sean Penn, Vera Farmiga, Jason Bateman and Sam Rockwell, among others. He was in the main casts of "Bloodline" and "Mercy Street," and played Paddy Chayefsky in acclaimed 2019 miniseries "Fosse/Verdon." Butz is in the upcoming film "Flag Day," directed by Sean Penn, currently in post-production, alongside Josh Brolin, Katheryn Winnick and Eddie Marsan, and working on an upcoming NBC series, "Debris."

Alexandra Ficken has played featured roles in movies including "Poms," with Diane Keaton and in the 2015 comedy movie "The DUFF." She's been on TV in "Vice Principals" and "American Soul," among others, worked extensively with Atlanta companies such as Alliance Theatre and Horizon Theatre Company, and been a company member of the Georgia Ballet. Matt Lewis appears as a recurring character on the acclaimed "Karate Kid" follow-up "Cobra Kai," and has appeared off-Broadway, and also works with numerous Atlanta theater companies.

Rebecca Kling has landed TV roles on "Bull," "Mr. Robot" and "The Blacklist," and performed in Taylor Hackford's 2016 feature "The Comedian," which starred Robert DeNiro, Harvey Keitel, Edie Falco, Danny DeVito and Patti Lupone, and the 2014 crime drama "God's Pocket," with Christina Hendricks, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Eddie Marsan.

Motell Gyn Foster has been in feature films including "Marriage Story," "Anya" and "A Dog's Way Home," performed Othello for the New York Shakespeare Festival, and is filming a 2021 TV series titled "Clickbait."

Allan McLeod writes, directs and acts for TV and film, with recurring roles on "You're the Worst" and "Parks and Recreation," among others. He's narrated six episodes of the "Drunk History" series, and done voiceover work including "American Dad" and "Monsters University."

Some Tuscaloosa natives who graduated from UA Theatre and Dance have built impressive careers as well. Tuscaloosan Stephen Tyrone Williams starred in Spike Lee's 2014 feature film "Da Sweet Blood of Jesus," and has held TV roles on "Person of Interest," "The Knick," "Elementary" and "Conversations with My Ex." He co-starred as Abner Louima in "Lucky Guy," written by Nora Ephron, sharing his big second-act scene with another actor making his Broadway debut, Tom Hanks.

Jake Boyd has performed on Broadway in "Rock of Ages" and "Wicked" (playing the role Butz originated, Fiyero), and on TV from "Are We There Yet" to "Jessica Jones" to "30 Rock" to "Blue Bloods," and singing in the chorus for the 2013 "The Sound of Music Live." Boyd also has extensive off-Broadway credits including "Carrie," "The Last Smoker in America," and as Anthony in the recent immersive revival of "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," which became the longest-running production of Stephen Sondheim's Grand Guignol musical on record.

In addition to roles on series including "The Walking Dead," "The West Wing" and "Kill Spin," and acting, writing and directing for indie films, Caroline Duncan has supported herself filming more than 80 national commercials and print ads.

Keith Davis has worked on Broadway, performing with Denzel Washington in "Julius Caesar," and with Julianna Margulies and Jeremy Sisto in "Festen." He's worked TV roles on "Third Watch," "Law and Order" and "Guiding Light," and in feature films including Sidney Lumet's "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead," with Ethan Hawke and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. 

Lauren Hauser toured the U.S. and Canada as the grown Cosette in the 25th anniversary tour of "Les Miserables." Nick Rashaad Burroughs jumped on Broadway in Cyndi Lauper's "Kinky Boots," then later in "King Kong," and onto the national tour of "Something Rotten." He was gearing up for "Tina: The Tina Turner Musical" when the pandemic shut Broadway down.

Scarlett Walker went to Broadway in the revival of "Carousel," Kelly Barberito worked the national tour of "Cinderella," Jessica May and Laura Ballard performed on the international tour of "Beauty and the Beast," and Corey Rives worked national tours of "Finding Neverland" and "The Wizard of Oz," the latter with fellow UA grad Adam Vanek, who's also been on the national tour of "Chicago." Bentley Black landed the first national tour of the Queen musical "We Will Rock You." Will Travis went out on the international tour of "Sister Act."

Jay Jurden took a slightly different tack, going into standup comedy, while continuing to write and act. As a comic, he's appeared on "Comedy Central Digital," "The Tonight Show" and "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." He was a finalist on the 2018 "Standup NBC," and Vulture magazine named him one of the Comedians You Should and Will Know in 2020. The Mississippi native recently released his first album, "Jay Jurden Y'all," which debuted at No. 1 on iTunes.

Numerous other grads are working in or creating theater companies, or teaching, directing and writing. Dance graduates have gone on to work with Radio City Rockettes, Gus Giordano, Alabama Ballet, Complexions, Disney Productions, national Broadway tours, cruise lines, top graduate schools, and private studios.