Guest: Elena Bonomo, drummer for SIX. Originally released January 14, 2022.

This is one of those conversations that still holds up years later.

In this episode, Elena Bonomo talks through what it actually looks like to build a career in theater music from the ground up. Elena shares how early musical experiences with her family shaped her connection to music, why drums always felt like fun instead of work, and how getting her first drum set set everything in motion.

We also talk about her early pit experiences, reading music at a young age, and how playing school musicals laid the foundation for what she does now.

She breaks down her time at Berklee, why versatility mattered to her more than locking into one lane, and how musical theater work at school mirrored the real expectations of Broadway life.

Elena also gets honest about touring right after school, making very little money, and learning the realities of life on the road. From there, she talks about cruise ship work, adaptability, and how every gig, even the unglamorous ones, added tools to her toolbox.

If you’re trying to understand how Broadway careers are actually built over time, this episode is full of perspective that’s still relevant today.

https://www.elenabonomo.com

This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

If you want to go deeper into this world, Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician’s Guide to Building a Theater Career, is available now on Amazon.com.

If you’d like a signed copy by Clayton, along with Broadway Drumming 101 merchandise, head to signaturebrandworks.com.

The book lays out the mindset, preparation, relationships, money realities, and long-term thinking behind real theater careers.

Clayton Craddock is the drummer for the upcoming Broadway musical Cats: The Jellicle Ball, opening at the Broadhurst Theatre on April 7th. He is also the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of the forthcoming book Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician’s Guide to Building a Theater Career.

His Broadway and Off-Broadway credits include tick, tick…BOOM!, Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Ain’t Too Proud, and The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, along with extensive subbing on shows such as Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown tour.

Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the TONY Awards, and has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.

www.claytoncraddock.com

Get full access to Broadway Drumming 101 at broadwaydrumming101.substack.com/subscribe