photo by Matthew Murphy 
Musical Theater alumnus, Tyler Scherer, is in the ensemble in Broadway Across America’s production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. The show opened yesterday and will run until April 5 at Heinz Hall. 

Point Park alumnus Tyler Scherer will be charming audiences as an enchanted object, a gargoyle and a townsperson with his debut performance in the Broadway national tour of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast in Pittsburgh.

This classic love story is taking on a new cast to perform a message Scherer is proud to present.

“It’s about seeing past this guy’s exterior and inside this guy’s heart and really getting to know someone,” Scherer said. “That to me is really important and it’s really an honor to tell that story every night.”

NETworks is presenting Disney’s Beauty and the Beast at Heinz Hall March 31 through April 5, which will showcase 2012 alum Point Park Scherer. 

This production is part of a season special in the 2014-2015 PNC Broadway Across America-Pittsburgh series. The series is being presented by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Broadway Across America. This tour has been seen by over 2.8 million people in the United States and eight Canadian provinces.

Scherer, who was a musical theatre major from Hampton Township in the North Hills area, moved to Los Angeles after graduation.

“It was a big change,” Scherer said. “I had to get used to living away from my family and a lot of my friends went to New York.”

Point Park Alumni Rudy Hazen had nothing but positive words to describe Scherer.

“He’s really funny, nice and super talented,” Hazen said.

Scherer now attends Playhouse West in California where he utilizes the skills he learned at Point Park.

“It was a great compliment to Point Park because I learned so much [about] acting at [the University] along with dancing and singing, but really honed in on the acting technique,” Scherer said.

Scherer said Point Park prepared him immensely. His classes with Jack Allison and Zeva Barzell helped him get the job he has now. In these musical theatre technique classes, he was able to practice audition scenarios. The students would have to dress the part, talk the lingo, show proper etiquette and then be critiqued. 

Sharon Brady is another professor Scherer loved while at Point Park. Her advice to always be kind to people stuck with him throughout his journey. Brady was thrilled to hear of Scherer’s success.

“It’s like putting notes in bottles and watching them go out to sea,” Brady said. “You hope one of them makes it to shore and when you hear that one of them does make it. It just feels so wonderful.”

Scherer is pursuing auditions in both theatre and film. Scherer joined his friends in making a few short films once he got to LA. One role he played was a journalist interviewing a man on death row.

“I had to convince him he was innocent because he had been in jail for so long that he sort of convinced himself that this was his destiny,” Scherer said. “This is what was meant to be, and I sort of had to fight to bring him back to reality.”

Scherer said he is constantly auditioning, which is how he landed his latest role in Beauty of the Beast. 

This is Scherer’s first tour, but says it has been an incredible experience.

“I’m literally getting paid to travel around the country and do a show that I truly love to do and a show that is challenging and pushes me every single day physically and mentally,” Scherer said.

The show takes place in two settings: the provincial town and the castle. Scherer is in the ensemble and plays a variety of different roles.

“I’m everything from a provincial townsperson, I’m actually the barkeeper, and then I’m also a gargoyle for the castle. In ‘Be Our Guest,’ I’m a salt shaker as well as a knife, and I understudy Gaston and the Beast,” Scherer said.

Scherer performed three times as Gaston, the character chosen as Belle’s suitor throughout the tour.

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is also proud of this performance.

“This timeless, classic story brought to life on stage features music, choreography and costume design by an award winning creative team and cast that continues to delight audiences of all ages,” said Paul Organisak, Vice President of Programming for the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.

Brady gives advice to students who want to follow the same path as Scherer.

“If you are going to do it you must commit 100 percent your heart, your soul, your training, everything into it and go for it,” Brady said.

Scherer plans to audition for more tours as well as roles in film. He said he wants to audition for everything that comes his way to become the best actor he can possibly be.

“I’m really excited to return to Pittsburgh and to do this show in my hometown,” Scherer said. “I hope a lot of Point Park students come out to see it because it would be really special.”

Tickets can be purchased on the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s website, and student discounts are available, ranging from $21-$57. Students should use promo code 1415PPU.

photo courtesy of Tyler Sherer
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast opened Tuesday at Heinz Hall and runs until April 5. Point Park Alum Tyler Scherer is a part of the ensemble and an understudy for two main roles in the production. 

photo courtesy of Matthew Murphey
Point Park Alumn Tyler Scherer, musical theater ‘12, plays multiple roles in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Students can get discounted tickets to the production at Heinz Hall for as low as $22.