Jeremy Kushnier

In a now famous incident, Kushnier took a 12-hour overnight bus ride from Canada to NYC to audition for a role in "Footloose" in 1997. After freshening up in a public restroom in a Manhattan hotel, he went to the try-out and gave his all. Because the auditions ran late, he missed his return bus and was forced to stay overnight in the city. Just one half-hour before he boarded for his return trip, he got the good news. Not only had he landed a part in the musical, he had landed the lead. When he made his Broadway debut as Ren in "Footloose," Kushnier immediately became an overnight star and attracted a rabid fan base. He subsequently worked in the workshops of a musicalization of "Summer of '42" and "Joe: The Musical." In 2000, Kushnier was cast as a youth who leads a swing band in 1930s Germany involved in a love triangle in "The Rhythm Club." The musical premiered at the Signature Theater in Virginia but failed to make its intended move to Broadway.