No one can ever say ELHS ‘21 grad Spencer Stanley has forgotten his roots.
Throughout his very eventful journey, Stanley has been surrounded by his passion and creativity. He continues to perform on stages at the Goodspeed, 54 Below, and even at the incredible Carnegie Hall. At one of his recent shows, called “Blueprint,” Stanley combined his past talents, performing half Broadway songs and half pop songs. But, he
has additionally learned many lessons from this constant performing and working.
Traveling back to the past, throughout his time at ELHS, Stanley was busy and had a complicated agenda – he captained the football team, the track team, played countless roles in drama club productions, and even sang in the choir. But now, this balance of passions has paid off, allowing him to succeed and achieve a fulfilling lifestyle, even with a lot on his plate. As time went on from high school, football was replaced with auditioning, and track was replaced with piano playing as he continued to thrive musically.
“Spencer’s involvement in the music department helped shape his future, and he was given many opportunities to showcase his wonderful talent and passions,” theater director and Stanley’s mother, Erin Stanley said. “It’s been an honor to see him blossom, and to be a small part in his love for music.”
While performing with the ELHS theater program, Stanley received the Sondheim Award for the best student actor in Connecticut, and a four-year scholarship to the University of Cincinnati followed.
Throughout his time at the University of Cincinnati, Stanley took classes and learned skills in order to prepare for his future in the music business. He took classes built for composition, playwriting, piano, and more. In addition, he experienced a great amount of rejection and hurdles, helping him build confidence and sharpen his musical sword. This excessive preparation helped him succeed in auditions and gigs when he moved to New York City in August of 2025.
Now based in the Big Apple, his love for EL is evident, often returning to share his experience and skills.
Recently, Stanley led an audition workshop, inspiring and teaching many young actors at the Niantic Bay Playhouse about staying positive and believing in themselves in the world of acting.
“It’s important not to succumb to any negativity or pressure of fitting in. Creativity is the key to a fulfilling life, and if something gives you a second guess, still do it and believe in yourself,” Stanley said.
Stanley also returned to the playhouse for a performance, hosting a one-night concert, “Home at the Piano,” where he spent the night entertaining and sharing his talent and love for music.
Throughout his journey of performing and expressing himself through music, Stanley’s passion project is exploring his future in composing and creating his own music, specifically his own musical, “Indivisible,” which he expects
to be completed in the fall.
This new passion ignited during COVID, spending lots of time analyzing parts of music, whether it was from musicals or pop songs. Stanley was inspired by Broadway composer Steven Sondheim, and said he completely “rocked his world and planted that seed of composing for him.”
“I’ve been inspired more about the specific way Sondheim writes a musical. Less about the subject matter, and more about how he amazingly organizes the pieces of a show like a puzzle,” Stanley said.
During college, Stanley used this inspiration and started taking the next big steps of composing and writing his own
musical. He wrote a 15-minute presentation of an untitled musical and had his friends choreograph and act in different roles. “It’s such a special feeling hearing others sing your music, and I enjoy writing for others’ specific voices, which has always been appealing and fulfilling to hear,” Stanley said.
Following this experience, Stanley knew he wanted to continue in the direction of composing, but struggled to find the meaning and story of his musical.
“I suddenly woke up in a cold sweat with an idea of telling the story of his grandparents with immigration, all in the spirit of the moment,” Stanley said.
Following this momentous idea, Stanley immersed himself in their country, by learning Spanish and interviewing family members.
“It takes a lot out of me– I spend time working nights and teaching music lessons , but spend a lot more of my time writing and doing lots of research,” Stanley added.
Once the musical is completed, Stanley plans to begin submitting it to different New York festivals and pitching it to producers.
His deep passion for music is not only due to a love of entertaining: quoting Paul McCartney, Stanley said, “Musicians don’t need to go to therapy– they write songs and pour their heart out onto pages of music.”
