Opening Day on the West End with Blippi the Musical!
After landing in London yesterday off of a 10-hour flight from Los Angeles and spending all day rehearsing, it feels surreal to be back on stage today with my favorite cast!
Today is the United Kingdom premiere of Blippi the Musical, but I’m no stranger to the show. I started acting as Blippi in 2019 after being cast by Stevin John to join the live national tour. Since then, I’ve performed in two national Blippi tours and moved from New York City to Los Angeles to start acting as Blippi on YouTube, Netflix, and all of your other favorite streaming services.
I’m thrilled to be returning to the musical and performing internationally in London for the first time. Acting in a West End show has been a dream of mine since I started acting in middle school—I can hardly believe I’m performing on the same stage as some of my favorite plays like The Odd Couple, Twelfth Night, and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
With 775 seats, the Apollo Theatre isn’t the biggest space I’ve performed in, but it’s one of the coolest. I’m excited about performing in a beautiful and historic theatre that still feels personal—I’ll be able to see the faces of everyone who comes to the show and ask for suggestions from the audience.
I can’t wait to bring the music and fun of Blippi the Musical to the U.K. over the next three weeks. In the past, our national tours have traveled across the country over the course of a few months, but for our first international show, we’ll be staying in London the entire time. Because our shows are for a younger audience, my schedule this month will look more like a typical 9 to 5 workday than it typically does. After two back-to-back shows today, I’m going to need to rest up, but I’m looking forward to finding the best restaurants and exploring the city this month with my fiancee!
Daily Routine before Blippi the Musical
8:00 a.m. — I wake up each morning and grab a quick coffee and breakfast and walk to the theater. Whenever I’m performing in a new place, I love eating local food: foul in Lebanon, crepes in France, and anything with pistachios in Dubai. If I have time, I love a full breakfast in London with eggs, potatoes, roasted tomatoes, and beans. I switch from coffee to early grey tea and of course add milk and sugar.
9:00 a.m. — I arrive and sign in before saying good morning to everyone at the theater. After dropping my things off in the dressing room, I make my way to the stage.
9:25 a.m. — After a quick mic check, the cast ends the morning with our group stretches and warms ups. We love warming up to a different playlist before every show, like Arianna Grande, BTS, or Lizzo. We’re always looking for a fun suggestion to distract us from the sit-ups and planks.
10:00 a.m. — The doors to the house open and you can find me singing in my dressing room and getting into my Blippi costume. When we’re filming I usually have a hair and makeup artist, but I opt out of makeup for the show since I have to be so active.
10:30 a.m. — Let the show begin! The show is just approximately 60 minutes. I love the reaction to some of the big numbers (namely The Blippi Theme song, The Monster Truck song, and The Excavator song) I mention “dirt” by saying I love digging in the dirt and the audience erupts into shouts and screams and applause because they know that the excavator song is up next.
11:00 a.m. — When the show is finished I am exhausted but still filled with adrenaline. I run off to quickly change into less sweaty dry clothes so I can come back for the meet-and-greet for those with tickets wanting to meet Blippi, take a picture, or just say hi.
12:30 p.m. — I race off to pick up lunch and shower before the second performance. We don't have a giant lunch break so I eat something quick like a poke bowl, pho, or a sandwich. I try to avoid burger, pasta, or anything else heavy that will make me tired before the second show up the day.
1:00 p.m. — We’re already warmed up from the first show and are ready to start performing again!
Since we don’t have any shows in the evening during this show, there’s plenty of time for the cast to explore London, go to museums, and eat delicious dinners. I’ve been to London a few times before, but I can’t wait to continue exploring some of the most exciting spots. I’m definitely going to check out some of the many art museums and galleries the city has to offer and hopefully watch another West End show.
Blippi the Musical runs from August 16th to September 4th at the Apollo Theatre — I can’t wait to see you there! For all the fans who can’t make it to see Blippi in the U.K., there will be plenty of brand-new Blippi episodes posted in the meantime. To follow my journey in London and beyond, follow me on Instagram or sign up for my email list below, where you’ll get an exclusive look into my life as an actor.
