Senior musical theater student Abby McBee accomplished her childhood dream of working in entertainment at Walt Disney World. McBee was selected for the Disney College Program (DCP), a paid internship that provides higher education students with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work as a Disney cast member.
Having dreamed of working for Disney since she was little, McBee was ecstatic to learn that she was selected out of an estimated 1,500 applicants to be part of the entertainment portion of the DCP. Combining her love for theatre, dance and Disney, McBee is looking forward to what is ahead.
“There was a sort of magic growing up as a Disney kid which made me have a dream of growing up to be a cast member,” McBee said.
Days after closing PSOA’s production of “Dames at Sea,” McBee made the trip to Atlanta to audition for the program. Drawing on the skills she learned at PSOA and encouraged by the environment created by the Disney casting team, McBee says she felt confident in her ability to succeed.
“I feel like the biggest thing I learned is probably how to be present in the audition setting,” said McBee. “My training at PSOA has taught me that an audition begins even before you enter the audition room. You always want to put your best foot forward when entering a space, as you never know who you may interact with.”
Due to contract restrictions, McBee is unable to provide additional information regarding job details, but she can confirm that she’ll be able to continue to pursue her passion for dance in the role.
As graduation approaches, McBee reflects on the opportunities presented to her while attending Peck School of the Arts, including involvement in the greater Milwaukee theatre community.
“I will greatly miss the friendships and connections that I’ve made during my time here,” said McBee. “I’ve grown very close to my classmates in the program.”
Although she will miss Milwaukee and its theater community, McBee is looking forward to starting her dream job in June.
“I’m really grateful to people like Sheri Williams Pannell, Vanessa Webber, Steve Decker, Bill Watson, and Christal Wagner for their endless support to my continued education.” McBee said. “I cannot stress enough how beneficial my participation in Milwaukee theater was to my overall experience and success at PSOA”.
Story by Payton Murphy ’28