For the past seven years, Drew Nellessen, a ‘07 Millikin graduate, has performed in Broadway’s longest-running musical: CHICAGO! The Musical.
Now, he’s sharing how Millikin shaped his path to the spotlight, and why theater students should take notes.
Nellessen continues to captivate audiences in CHICAGO! The Musical as the Bailiff/Court Clerk and as part of the dance ensemble. He shared how his training at Millikin University shaped his journey in the performing arts and contributed to his success on the national stage.
Nellessen was a BFA musical theatre major with a dance minor, and was featured in various productions at Millikin.
“I was very lucky,” Nellessen said. “I was in Sweet Charity my freshman year, and I played opposite Sierra Boggess, who is a Millikin superstar. I was in Secret Garden and Damn Yankees. I played the lead in Sugar: The Musical [in] my junior year. I did Lucky Stiff. A Chorus Line was my last show at Millikin, my senior year.”
Originally from Valparaiso, Indiana, Nellessen moved to Illinois for college.
After graduating from Millikin, Nellessen stayed in Decatur over the summer and worked for the Decatur Parks District. He also performed two summer seasons at Little Theatre on the Square in Sullivan, Illinois.
He then decided to stay in St. Louis and performed in shows at Stages (Crazy For You and Thoroughly Modern Millie), until eventually moving back home in October and flying out to New York without a job and $4,000.
“The biggest jump for me was making the move to New York City,” he said. “It was a scary thing. If there’s anybody that’s worried about making a jump to the next thing, just know that there are thousands of alumni who have done just that, and we’re all around doing the best we can do.”
After being in NYC for a month and a half, his third audition was CHICAGO! The Musical. Nellsen booked the job, went on tour with the CHICAGO! cast in December, then started rehearsals.
You often think that theater majors’ lives are all about theater, but truth be told, singing, dancing, and acting can’t scratch every itch.
At 33, Nellessen realized that after achieving his Broadway goal, he needed to explore what brings him joy outside of theater.
“I looked at myself and said, ‘Well, so now what?” he said.
Nellessen now has a job that allows him to do non-theatre activities that he loves and make meaningful connections. He teaches high school students in New York, runs a travel agency company that specializes in Disney vacations, and is taking an online business and arts management course.
“I’ve considered going into producing musicals, creating a theater program, or some sort of theater in the Midwest, where I can create art in that way,” Nellessen said.
While teaching, he has choreographed productions and supported seniors as they prepared for college auditions, including programs like Millikin’s Theatre Department.
“I am living proof,” Nellessen said. “[I was] once a student at Millikin University who had hopes and dreams for something, and [through] years of hard work, I achieved that dream.”
On his journey to reach his goal, there were many professors who helped keep him on track.
Sean Morrissey, Artist in Residence for dance and the Recruitment Coordinator for the School of Theater and Professor of Dance was a professor when Nellessen attended Millikin.
“We’re super proud of Drew,” Morrissey said. “He’s had a steady, consistent career, which is very difficult to do, and he waited a long time for his Broadway debut. He’s a beautiful dancer with an incredible work ethic. When I saw him in the show, I would have been hard-pressed to find anyone on that stage with a better understanding of Bob Fosse’s style. Even in the ensemble, he stands out.”
Looking back at the curriculum, it was designed to simulate the experience of professional auditions, the power of self-motivation, and the rigorous training of the physical instrument: the voice, body, mind, and soul.
Millikin’s School of Theater and Dance emphasizes a curriculum that stimulates real industry demands, focusing on developing both professional skills and self-motivation in students.
During the last year of the BFA program, students have the senior showcase, a chance for Millikin to take students to Chicago or New York, and introduce them to the people they might audition for in the future.
The showcase program, paired with faculty guidance, is designed to prepare students for success in the performing arts, which aligns well with what the industry is actively seeking.
“The showcase is a quintessential performance learning opportunity,” Morrissey said. “We literally put out students in front of casting directors, agents, and other industry professionals, and let them interact and build relationships, so that when they move to that market, they have built some connections.”
Nellessen learned several important lessons at Millikin, but the three main ones are preparation for professional life, personalized training, and collaborative learning.
“Millikin didn’t try to make me a performer that I wasn’t,” Nellessen said. “They worked with my strengths and weaknesses and created the performer I was meant to be, rather than trying to create something that they thought the business wanted.”
According to Morrissey, Nellessen was deliberate in the choices he made and where he got to where he is today.
“Drew was very driven, very focused, and striving for perfection, which he has come to realize doesn’t exist, and it would frustrate him,” he said. “As a student, he always knew he could be better, and always wanted to be better and worked for that. I think that makes him such a great human being.”
Millikin’s rigorous course load taught Nellessen to be ready for constant auditioning and consistently put him in many audition-like settings, making professional auditions feel “natural.”
“I feel like the ability to audition for the main stage shows and, as a freshman, having the ability to be in them is not always the case at other departments at other schools,” Nellessen said. “So working with seniors who I looked up to and I respected and admired, I learned so much from them. It creates camaraderie between all of the classes, from freshmen to seniors.”
Nellessen offered guidance to current Millikin students, where he reflected on the vulnerability of the artistic process.
“My value as a person is not at stake based on anything that happens in any classroom, theater, or studio,” he said. “What we do is very vulnerable and scary, and we’re always being told what we’re doing wrong. That’s the job of the professor and the job of the student. It can feel personal, but it’s never an attack on your worth. I’m still the same person I was when I walked into that space.”
He also emphasizes that his value is not defined by professional achievements, but by connections and personal growth. Because of this, he encourages students to embrace discomfort in their training.
“Work on your weaknesses and rely on your strengths,” Nellessen said. “It’s easy to focus on what feels good, but growth comes from being honest with yourself and tackling what’s uncomfortable.”
The program still stands true to its dedication to students.
“At Millikin, they really focus on creating an artist and someone who can really put their story and their best foot forward, coming up with the way we want to create our art while still creating talented, successful artists and people,” current freshman BFA Musical Theater major, Jack Fokkens, said. “I found that this is the only program that really focuses on the person, along with the art that we create, and how we coincide with that, and the way they teach voice here is unbelievable, and the dancing and acting training is phenomenal.”
The program’s commitment to both craft and character is something students like Fokkens continue to experience firsthand. For current students, the program’s rigor is more than just talking points, but a lived reality of performance learning.
“As BFA musical theater majors, we are treated like professionals,” Fokkens said. “The rehearsal room is a professional environment. You are in charge of maintaining your schedule, of not missing class, of doing your homework, and all of that for the privilege to be in such a fantastic program.”
With that professional culture comes a new kind of responsibility, one that students feel from their very first semester.
“For me as a freshman, it’s been a challenge to figure out how to manage myself and manage my time, classes, practice, and prioritize my health and my voice, which is the professional world.”
So, how can Millikin students make it to Broadway?
“Common courtesy,” Nellessen said. “[Say] please and thank you, being kind. Your reputation precedes itself, and it’s easy for people to pick up on a reputation that you have.”
The audition and rehearsal process often places performers in rooms full of insecurity, where everyone is competing for the same job.
“Nobody is at their best self because they’re judging themselves against other people,” Nellessen said.
In those moments, leaning into kindness becomes not just a moral choice but a practical skill.
“Always just being kind to each other, even when we don’t want to be, is a good thing,” he said. “It’s good practice and muscle to use. If we can lean into kindness and common courtesy, I think that helps in general.”
Jana Henry Funderburk, a Professor and Creative Arts Coordinator for the Center for Theater and Dance at Millikin University, highlighted the importance of positive relationships in the industry.
Funderburk worked with Nellessen on costuming and behind the scenes in performances.
She was the designer for Lucky Stiff, one of the main stage shows Nellessen starred in.
From the person who’s sewing the costume or putting the wig on, to the stage crew, he was part of the team that could work well with industry standards.
“As an observer, he was one of the kindest, really sweet, genuine, and appreciated everyone on the team,” Funderburk said.
In this industry, reputation travels fast. It’s not only about a person’s talent or resume, but it’s about the kind of presence they bring into a room. Success is not just about connections, but being the kind of person others genuinely want to work with.
“Those are the relationships you want to build,” Funderburk said. “I feel he is a sincere person who values other people. Why would you not want somebody like that on your team? He can also sing, dance, and act.”
Beyond the importance of being known for the right reasons, there’s another challenge: separating fact from fiction when it comes to Broadway.
Working on Broadway might be almost every theater major’s goal, but there are many myths attached to the experience.
“People think you’re swimming in money, but the reality is you’re living in one of the world’s most expensive cities, so you have to be careful,” Nellessen said.
He also points out that while everyone talks about how hard it is to get on Broadway, few mention the demands once you’re there.
“It’s one of the hardest jobs you’ll ever have: eight shows a week, just two vacation weeks a year, twelve sick days, and four personal days,” he said. “I’ve been doing this show consistently for seven years. It takes a toll on your body, your voice, your mental capacity, your heart, [and] your spirit. It’s not easy. That doesn’t mean it isn’t beautiful or flashy, or that it isn’t a goal worth achieving—but it is a job.”
Even though it’s hard work, Nellessen loves his job.
“I love the job,” he said. “It’s my dream show as a dancer. I get to flex my comedic and acting muscles, and I even cover Amos Hart from time to time. I love it deeply, and it’s worth the physical pain.”
Millikin’s nurturing yet demanding environment demonstrates that success on and off stage relies on passion, perseverance, and valuing oneself beyond accolades. Fokken’s journey affirms Nellessen’s advice.
“So if you love it, and if it’s everything you live for, it’s so worth it,” Fokken said.
Millikin brings out the best in you, shaping your strengths, fueling your growth, and guiding you towards success. Nellessen’s story is just one of the many successes that Millikin fosters in its students.
“I’m very proud that I’m a Millikin graduate,” Nellessen said. “I’m very proud to represent Millikin in New York City, an ever-growing and impressive theater program, arts program. I’m glad to be one of those success stories that can help the next generation along and continue to make Millikin a better place.”
