Are you excited for Fiorello yet? I know we here at Live Arts Theatre are completely giddy. We are also pretty jazzed about introducing Miss Lily Patel to you in the role of Thea. Lily is a General Attorney at the U.S. Department of Education – Office for Civil Rights. She went to Penn State for undergrad, and majored in Italian. She also went to Penn State Dickinson School of Law for Law School.
It has been a while since Lily has done theatre. Eleven years ago she was a Geminae twin in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Her return to theatre was preceded by an acappella performance at a Georgia Asian and Pacific American Bar Association Gala as well as two classical recitals in 2014 and 2015.
We are happy to have such a talented woman return to the stage in our production of Fiorello! Let’s get to know a little more about her:
Q: Name two fun facts about you:
A: 1. I taught aerobics for 7 years including kickboxing aerobics and step aerobics 2. I know 6 different languages.
Q: What musical I’d most like to be in?
A: Phantom of the Opera
Q: Tell us about your character in Fiorello!, and how that character compares to you.
A: My character in Fiorello! is Thea. I am like her in many ways. She is the leader of a protest on behalf of the factory women in support of equal pay and equal rights for women. I am a civil rights attorney in support of equality for all, and an end to discrimination. Thea has a strong head on her shoulders and she is idealistic and believes that things can get better. She has a mission and a vision, and she is a leader, followed by other women, and admired by many men. She falls for Fiorello because he is idealistic also. He is a man of action, rather than just of words. He wants to do good work and does not care about the money. Thea also seems to allude to knowing that Marie is in love with Fiorello. She understands that he is the kind of man that many women might love and admire, and she does not feel threatened by that, because she knows who she is. I identify with Thea because I know what is important to me, and I am not distracted by unnecessary drama. I know what I want to accomplish and I keep my eyes on the prize.
Q: Fiorello! is based on a true story of an honest politician taking on a corrupt establishment. How does this resonate with you as you prepare for this show?
A: Fiorello! resonates with me because Fiorello! is so brazen and he feels like he can do anything as long as he is on the right side of the law. He is all about the truth. He believes in the draft, so instead of just verbally supporting it, he enlists himself. He doesn’t tell others to do anything unless he does it himself too. It resonates with me because I believe that if you live and act your life by what you believe in, and it is what you are meant to do, then you are unstoppable. He is positive and always hopeful and he makes a difference and makes the world a better place. This attitude resonates with me because I hope to be like Fiorello! in this way.
We are looking forward to seeing Lily Patel in Fiorello! The show runs weekends, from July 14 to July 29. Get your tickets now. While we are operating out of the Belfry Playhouse (basement level of Norcross Presbyterian Church), Fiorello! will be performed in the sanctuary, just inside the front door. The address is 3324 Medlock Bridge Rd Norcross, GA 30092.