Alumna stars as Nala on Broadway's "The Lion King"

The odds of landing a role in a Broadway musical are slim. And those odds become infinitesimal when auditioning for the lead part. But one University of Richmond alumna defied those odds and is now realizing her dream.

Chauntee Schuler, a 2003 graduate, recently joined the cast of "The Lion King" in New York City to star in the female lead as Nala. When she returned to her alma mater to sing the national anthem during the opening of the E. Claiborne Robins Stadium, she was able to showcase her talent at the place that allowed her to foster her skills.

Schuler said she loved her new job.

"It's awesome," she said. "I get to dress up like a lion every day and pounce and scratch and do all those fun things. It's a magical world. Disney is usually magical but "The Lion King" is really special and I feel so honored to be a part of it."

Schuler began singing in church at a young age.

"My grandfather was a pastor so I started singing there," she said. "Then when I got into high school, I got into drama."

Richmond granted her a scholarship to study theater and education and it was at Richmond that Schuler began on the path that would lead her to stardom.

"I spent so much time at the Modlin Center," Schuler said. "It became part of my life."

Brian Eckert, director of media and public relations at Richmond, said he remembered Schuler performing at the Modlin Center while still a Richmond student. Eckert and Schuler began communicating again when she landed the role in "The Lion King." Then, when it came time to book a performer to sing the national anthem for the home opener, her name instantly came to mind.

"When we were beginning to make plans for the opening of the stadium," Eckert said, "she was fresh on everyone's mind because of this unbelievable Broadway achievement. We just couldn't think of a better person to ask."

Senior Hannah Benabdallah attended the opening game and saw Schuler's performance.

"Her voice was pretty incredible," she said, "and I think overall the crowd really appreciated her talent."

Eckert agreed with Benabdallah.

"The national anthem is the hardest song in the world to sing," he said. "And to sing it on an open field with a sound system echoing at you from both sides with no accompaniment, I mean it's just incredible that she was able to do that and she just did it spectacularly well."

Eckert noticed the crowd's reactions when she ended the song. "People were breathless after her performance," he said.

But performing was only one part of Schuler's multifaceted life at UR. She was both a leader on stage, in the classroom, and throughout campus. She served Westhampton as a Senator and was a member of Delta Delta Delta. She also gave back to the Modlin Center when she held a job at the box office selling concert tickets.

As Schuler walked through campus before the game, she reminisced on the activities that defined her college years.

"I went to see my old dance teacher and I walked by where I took Political Science," Schuler said. "All of those activities, experiences, classes and teachers made me have a greater world perspective when I got out."

Eckert emphasized how attaining a liberal arts education like the one provided at UR, probably helped Schuler in her career as a performer.

"It isn't all about learning method," he said. "It's learning all the things you don't want to learn about, that you have to, that make a difference in your ability to succeed on stage. You can understand how people think and act and react and you can duplicate that in a dramatic setting."

Benabdallah, a double major in Rhetoric and Communications and LAIS, takes voice classes to pursue her passion for singing. She, like Schuler, wanted to take full advantage of the liberal arts education. She said Schuler's talent inspired her.

"She is a perfect example of how a person can go to a liberal arts school like UR, and still succeed with a career in the arts," she said. "It makes you wonder about the other talented students we have here now that could one day have the same kind of success Chauntee did."

After her performance in the Robins Stadium, Schuler headed back to New York to go back to work as Nala. But she doesn't plan to perform forever.

Visiting her alma mater helped Schuler think beyond her life on stage.

"Bringing the arts back into education systems is something I'm really passionate about," she said. "I really would love to teach at some point, and UR allowed me to focus my brain on that academia aspect."

To see Schuler in her role as Nala, visit http://ppc.broadway.com/shows/the-lion-king/ for tickets and more information.

Contact staff writer Julia Pepe at julia.pepe@richmond.edu