Frank Swann is the epitome of preparation meeting opportunity.
In 2015, a few months before he graduated from New York University, he was offered a job as the production assistant on what was described to him as “a new history rap musical.”
“At the time, I wasn’t so sure about a history rap musical,” Swann recalled. “But when you’re about to graduate, a job is a job!” So, he took the job and soon found himself working directly with Lin-Manuel Miranda and the cast and crew of what became the international blockbuster Hamilton.
“I don’t think it hit any of us how big [Hamilton] was going to be until our first few shows, and we had 500 people waiting outside the theater trying to get a ticket,” Swann said. “You get a show like that once a decade, if that, and to have been able to launch my career working on that is incredible.”
Swann was ready for that incredible opportunity because of the hard work, dedication, and determination he had demonstrated throughout his life.
He grew up in the Cherry Creek School District, where he attended Holly Hills and Fox Hollow elementary schools, Campus Middle School, and Cherry Creek High School. It was at Campus that he first got involved in theater, both on stage, and behind the scenes.
“We were doing a musical, and I was in the show, but they needed someone to run the little soundboard one day, and I said, ‘I’ll try that,’ and really enjoyed it. I ended up doing more of the technical stuff at a small level in middle school and then pursuing it much more in high school.”
At Creek, Swann did some acting, but spent more time doing lights, sound, and stage management in the CCHS theater program. He was also a member of the elite vocal ensembles Union Street Jazz and Meistersingers, where he also served as the choir's president.
He took Advanced Placement classes, and became an Outdoor Adventure leader, teaching other students how to master the school’s high ropes course.
“Getting to be an adventure leader was a transformative experience for me in that I went from kind of a shy kid, who maybe didn’t have a ton of confidence in my ability to do things, to ‘Oh I can conquer all these challenges and not only do it for myself but help teach and enable others to do it.’”
After graduating from Creek in 2011, Swann headed to NYU to study theater production/design as well as political economics, which might seem like an unusual combination.
“I’ve always loved politics and when you’re getting a theater degree, you’re maybe a little nervous about what you’re going to do next, so I wanted to have an additional degree,” Swann explained.
At NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Swann got a broad base of experience in the production side of theater, TV, and live events.
“I stage-managed, I produced, I was a sound designer or projections designer for a lot of different shows throughout my time there,” he explained.
Going to school in the Big Apple also gave Swann plenty of opportunities to gain practical, real-life experience.
“Our professors were all working practitioners in their fields, and they would bring us on as interns or assistants, so I got to work for the Broadway League, at Comedy Central and MTV, and on a bunch of smaller productions.”
His sound design professor also hired him to be an intern at Shakespeare in the Park one summer.
“It was one of the hardest jobs I ever did, very hot and very physical, but it was a great experience,” Swann said.
Because Swann did such a good job on that production, his professor later recommended him to a friend, J. Phillip Bassett, who hired Swann as a production assistant on Hamilton.
“It was definitely a combination of the right place, the right time, and I had built up the skills to be able to jump right in and it all kind of worked,” Swann said. “For months it was unreal that I got to walk in that door every day. I worked very closely with Lin and would update the script when he changed things. It was an incredible group of people, all incredible artists. It was a truly an amazing experience.”
Swann moved up the ladder, eventually spending seven years with Hamilton as the production manager, helping to launch Hamilton’s touring companies in the U.S. and around the world. However, as a lifelong learner, he decided he wanted to step away from day-to-day theater production and “think a little bigger.” He went to UCLA Anderson and earned his MBA with the hope of staying in the live entertainment world but thinking at a 10,000-foot level.
Earlier this year, he accepted a position as director of strategy at New York’s Great Point Studios / Hudson.
“I’m thinking a lot about how we grow, how we integrate within that larger film and TV ecosystem, and then, obviously, continue to thrive in theater and live events/experiences. One of the fun parts is enabling storytellers to do what they do,” at venues and events as diverse as theme parks, museums, brand activations, and art installations.
“It’s definitely a new challenge every day,” Swann said. “We never do the same thing twice, and I love that. I’m always getting to solve new problems, and I get to work with some of the most brilliant, creative people in the world across lots of different mediums.”
Swann says his time in Cherry Creek Schools helped prepare him for his dream jobs.
“I think the fact that CCHS had such an incredible arts education set me up to think this was a career path I could pursue. I’m incredibly thankful to all my theater and music teachers, who helped instill that love and passion for the arts. And I was fortunate to have parents who encouraged me to pursue my dreams every step of the way.”
He offers this advice for today’s students, or anyone seeking to follow their dreams.
“One, if you have something you’re really passionate about, figure out ways to continue to do it. There are always ways to be involved in things you love,” he said.
“Second, the path to getting somewhere is not always straight. I have taken tons of opportunities that came my way that didn’t initially seem like the perfect next step, but it was a cool opportunity with great people. When you work hard and show that you care and you’re capable, it will usually open a door to another exciting opportunity.”
Posted 11/18/2024.
