Thursday, October 1, 2026
East Rockaway resident Danny Quadrino is the understudy for the lead at Pace University’s Pace New Musicals program, dedicated to the discovery of new theater works. They have selected Zoe Sarnak’s A Lasting Impression from over 50 submissions as its 2012 most promising show.
Amy Rogers, Associate Professor of Musical Theater and creator of the BFA Musical Degree program at the Dyson School of Arts & Science at Pace University, and Robert Meffe, Musical Director, are collaborating with Sarnak on a staged reading of her musical. A Lasting Impression presented at from January 18 to 22.
“It’s been a great experience this far, working on a new musical from the ground up,” said Quadrino. “Everyone involved is incredibly talented and caring. In just a ten-day process, we put something beautiful together that is incredibly touching!”
The Pace New Musicals Program was developed in 2007 to nurture the creation of new musical theater in New York City, while at the same time providing an invaluable educational opportunity for students to work directly with top professionals in the field. The program allows students to experiment with new, untested works without precedent-setting productions, a rare opportunity in theater education.
The BFA Musical Theater Program at Pace University began with six majors in 2002, and has grown to more than 90 majors. In 2006, Pace became only the second school in New York City to offer a BFA in Musical Theater.
