Back to his beginnings

South High School alumnus Paul Ianniello, 29, who played the head elf in the Broadway musical “Elf” in December, stopped by the school on Dec. 23 to share details of his experiences on stage and give advice to aspiring performers in the theater program.

Ianniello held roles in a number of productions while attending school in Valley Stream, and was greeted last month by staff members whom he studied under. After being introduced to the students, he sang one of the compositions from “Elf,” which ended its Broadway run on Dec. 27.

Students asked questions, and Ianniello addressed the topic of being nervous, explaining that he believes it is a normal impulse for professionals that indicates that they are invested in what they do.

He also aimed to dispel fears of rejection by describing the audition process. “I think the biggest piece of advice is that half the time that you don’t get the job, it has nothing to do with talent,” he said. “It’s all circumstance.”

Ianniello graduated from South in 2004, and went on to study musical theater at Nazareth College, in Rochester, where he was the new program’s first student, and the only person in its first class.

After graduation, Ianniello secured a variety of gigs on cruise ships, at theme parks and in shows at malls. “A lot has centered around Christmas,” he said. “The spirit of Christmas: That magic is possible, if you believe that it is.”