Michael Misko ’08 chose Shenandoah because it was exactly what he envisioned college would be like. What sealed the deal was when he made the late Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Theatre and Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre (SSMT) Founder and Artistic Director Emeritus, Hal Herman, laugh during his audition at the Conservatory.
“My four years at Shenandoah were some of the fondest of my life,” said Misko. “Your time there will be as bountiful as you allow it to be. Look for opportunity and it will find you.”
Misko’s fondest memory at Shenandoah was performing in the musical “Fiddler on the Roof” where he and his now wife, Sarah Sesler Misko ’10, shared a kiss that was included at the insistence of Hal Herman.
“Because he saw a spark between us, NOT because it’s in the script…it isn’t,” said Misko
Misko is a self-employed magician and comedian. He has been very successful in collaborating with Fortune 500 companies as a consultant to help these companies connect with employees and clients to establish positive long-lasting relationships. Some of his clients include Workday, Carnival Corporation, CBS, bioMérieux and UPMC Health Systems. In addition to his consulting career, he also performs on cruise ships, at universities, comedy clubs and private functions all across the world.
Some of Misko’s most rewarding experiences in his career include being selected to create the role of “Magic Maker” in the world premiere of Stephen Schwartz’s “Magic to Do” in 2015, which is on the original cast album and can be heard on iTunes, Amazon and Spotify. In December 2023, he performed at Pittsburgh’s premiere magic venue, Liberty Magic, which is a part of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, and it was a sold-out show for six weeks in a row. However, his favorite memory was in the summer of 2023 when he performed his one-man show on the Ohrstrom- Bryant Theatre stage during Shenandoah Summer Music Theater for a fundraiser.
“That performance stands as one of the happier ones in my career – as the crowd was full of the friendly faces of family, friends, and former SU professors – all of whom remain dear to my heart,” said Misko.
Shenandoah prepared Misko for his career by providing a support system and a network of close friends. It also provided him with the skills needed to stand out in his career.
“It allowed me to put my theatrical skills to work in outside-the-box ways – breaking the mold of “yeah that’s good enough” when it comes to presenting entertainment as a solo performer,” said Misko.
Misko’s advice to current and future students is: “Read everything. Watch everything. And for everything you read or watch that deals with the performing arts, read an EQUIVALENT amount about business, finances, leadership, etc…because you will be running your own business.”